Common Errors

Run-on Parallel Misused

Agreement Fragments Sentences Punctuation
Construction Prepositions

Subject- Noun- Fused Comma

Full Stop Comma Colon
Verb Pronoun Sentences Splices
 Incorrect
(1) Your credentials consisting of past
academic performance and the result
of NTS has led the members of
admission committee to confirm your
admission.
 Correct
Your credentials consisting of past
academic performance and the result
of NTS have led the members of
admission committee to confirm your
admission.
 Subject- Verb Agreement
 Every verb must agree in number with its subject. If
the subject is singular, use a singular verb; if the
subject is plural, use a plural verb.
Incorrect example:
His boss undoubtedly think that all the employees want
promotions.
Correct example:
His boss undoubtedly thinks that all the employees
want promotions.
 Subject-Verb Agreement
Remember:
 When the subject is singular the verb has an
"s".
 When the subject is plural, the verb does not
have an "s".
 When the subject is "I" or "you", the verb does
not have an "s".
 Incorrect
(2) All faculty members are requested to please
return his/her library books before April 18,
2014, due to annual stock verification. We will
reserve your books and will re-issued to you
after annual stock checking.
 Correct
All faculty members are requested to please
return their library books before April 18,
2014, due to annual stock verification. We will
reserve your books and will re-issue to you
after annual stock checking.
 Noun-Pronoun Agreement
 A pronoun has to agree in gender and number
with its antecedent/noun.
Incorrect
Every employee must report to their supervisor.
Correct
Every employee must report to his/her
supervisor.
 Noun-Pronoun Agreement
 Collective nouns are followed by singular pronouns
e.g. corporation, team, committee, audience and class
etc.
Example:
The corporation published its annual report.
 Singular pronoun should be used after most indefinite
pronouns such as the following:
another everything
anybody neither
anyone nobody
anything no one
 Incorrect
(3) All those faculty members who are internship
advisor are again requested to provide the data of
your assigned students either they are working or not
as an internee if they are working please provide the
following details for verification and record purpose. 
1. Name of organization where they are working .
2. date of joining .
3. Postal adress of organization and contact number
4. personal contact no and email address of the students
5. web adress (if any)

Note: deadline of the required data is Tuesday, April

22, 2014.
 Correct
(3) All those faculty members who are internship advisors are
again requested to provide the data of your assigned students
either they are working or not as internees. If they are
working, please provide the following details for verification
and record purpose:
1. Name of organization where they are working. 
2. Date of joining 
3. Postal address of organization and contact number
4. Personal contact number and email address of the students
5. Web address (if any)
 
Note: Deadline for the required data is Tuesday, April 22,
2014.
 Run-on Sentences
 A run-on occurs when two sentences/indepen- dent
clauses are run together with no adequate sign given
to mark the break between them.
 They are also known as fused sentences.

Incorrect:
Some so-called health foods are not so healthy many are
made with oils that raise cholesterol levels.
Correct:
Some so-called health foods are not so healthy. Many
are made with oils that raise cholesterol levels.
 Independent and Dependent Clauses
 Clauses are units of grammar that contain at
least one predicate (verb) and a subject.
 If a clause expresses complete thought and can
stand alone, it is called an independent clause.
 If a clause expresses incomplete thought and
cannot stand alone, it is called an independent
clause.
Example:
Although he tried to hurry, he got late for the meeting.

Dependent clause Independent clause

 Incorrect
(4)Please find attached the
newspapers clippings, if you
required any articel please let me
know, I will send scanned copy via
mail.
 Correct

Please find the attached newspaper

clippings. If you require any
article, please let me know. I will
send a scanned copy via mail.
 Comma Splices
 In comma splices a comma is used to connect, or
“splice” together, the two complete thoughts.
Incorrect example:
All the members of this department are requested to
complete their projects by Tuesday, they are expected
to submit them to the DCO.
Correct example:
All the members of this department are requested to
complete their projects by Tuesday. They are
expected to submit them to the DCO.
 Incorrect
 If any IT support person is not
responding timely against helpdesk
requests please let me know. So that
we can improve procedure and
response time.
 Correct
 If any IT support person is not responding to
helpdesk requests timely, please let me know
so that we can improve procedure and
response time.
 Sentence Fragment
 A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence.
 Some fragments are incomplete because they
lack subject or verb, or both.
 The fragments that most people have trouble
with, however, are “dependent clauses”.
Examples:
 Working with computers.

 Even though he had the better arguments.

 Incorrect
 The X department is publishing a monthly news letter
under the name “COMSATS X Today” since August,
2008. The salient features of the publication are:

(i)Highlight the latest development in research in the

world.
(ii)Updating with the current research activities of
Faculty.
(iii)Imparting basic knowledge of physics to students.
 Correct
 The X department has been publishing a monthly news
letter titled “COMSATS X Today” since August, 2008.
The salient features of the publication are:
 
(i)Highlighting the latest development in research all over
the world
(ii)Updating readers about the current research activities
of the faculty
(iii)Imparting basic knowledge of physics to students
 Incorrect:
 A meeting is scheduled on today Thursday,
April 3, 2014 at 12:00 pm in Room No. 02.

Correct:
 A meeting is scheduled today on Thursday,
April 3, 2014 at 12:00 pm in Room No. 02.
Incorrect
 All are requested to fill the attached perform
till tomarrow Friday, April 04, 2014
positively..
Correct:
 All are requested to fill up the attached
proforma till tomorrow i.e. Friday, April 04,
2014 positively.