• Mechanics

• Grammar
• Style & clarity
Sentence structure:
Paragraph structure:
Spelling
Ex. of some commonly misspelled words:

• Advice- advise
• Apologies- apologize
• Impossible- impassible

Else? Please share

 Misuse of words:
• Criteria is the plural of criterion.
Correct: These are important criteria.

• Crisis? Thesis?

• Accept / except?
• Affect / effect?
Defining vs. non-defining relative clauses:

• The woman who visited me

in the hospital was very kind

• My mother, who is 86, lives

in Paris.
• Her son who lives in London
is a doctor

• Her son, who lives in London,

is a doctor
 Modifiers

“One morning I shot an elephant

in my pajamas.
How he got into my pajamas I’ll
never know”
Groucho Marx
American actor & comedian
• Having finished the
assignment, Jill turned on the TV ()

• Having finished the assignment, the

TV was turned on. ()
Which one indicates that John earned some money?

 John nearly earned $100.

 John earned nearly $100.
 Fragment sentences:

“I think I will do my
homework. Later on tonight.“
 Subject & verb agreement:
• Annie and her brothers (is, are?) at
school.

• Either my mother or my father (is, are?)

coming to the meeting.

• One of my sisters (is, are?) going on a

trip to France.
 Use of correct tense:

• Everyone hopes the

plan would work
Punctuation
 Using Active Voice

Passive (more wordy): My car is borrowed

every Saturday by Gina.

Active (clear & direct): Gina borrows my

car every Saturday.
 Using Parallel Constructions

• Not Parallel: 
Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle.

• Parallel: 
Mary likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bicycle.
 Turn into parallel:

The production manager

was asked to write his
report quickly, accurately,
and in a detailed manner.
Parallel: 
The production manager
was asked to write his
report quickly, accurately,
and thoroughly.
 Used sources
• https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-images-spelling-bee-abc-chalkboard-imag
e4758374

• https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/the-58-most-commonly-misused-wo
rds-and-phrases-a6754551.html

• https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/597/1/
• Oxford English grammar