Most Common Writing Errors

Here is a growing list of the most common writing errors:

• mismatch between a pronoun and its antecedent:

• Incorrect: Someone parked a car in the "no-parking zone" simply because they were too lazy to walk from a legitimate parking space.
• Correct: Someone parked a car in the "no-parking zone" simply because he was too lazy to walk from a legitimate parking space. If female: Someone parked a car in the "no-parking zone" simply because she was too lazy to walk from a legitimate parking space.

• comma splice--connecting two independent clauses with a comma and no semicolon or coordinating conjunction:

• Incorrect: Liberals are deceitful, conservatives are trustworthy.
• Correct: Liberals are deceitful; conservatives are trustworthy.
• Also correct: Liberals are deceitful, but conservatives are trustworthy.

• misplaced modifier:

• Incorrect: Completely lacking in patriotism, America is undermined by liberals.
• Correct: Completely lacking in patriotism, liberals undermine America.
• Also correct: Because liberals are completely lacking in patriotism, they undermine America.

• lack of conciseness:

• Incorrect: Christopher Columbus made the discovery of America.
• Correct: Christopher Columbus discovered America.

• nonparallelism:

• Incorrect: Some common liberal traits are selfishness, ignorance, and being racists.
• Correct: Some common liberal traits are selfishness, ignorance, and racism.

• unclear comparison:

• Incorrect: God loves Christians more than non-Christians. (This is not clear whether it means "more than non-Christians do" or the correct meaning, below)
• Correct: God loves Christians more than He does non-Christians.