|
agr. failure of agreement between
subject and verb (in number or person) or between
pronoun and antecedent (in gender, number, or person) |
EXAMPLE OF ERROR
|
WHAT IS WRONG
|
CORRECTED VERSION
|
|
The relation between the two claims are not
clear. |
Subject and verb fail to agree in number: the
subject (“relation,” not “claims”) is singular, the verb plural. |
The relation between the two claims is not clear. |
Hylas is saying that one sees colors in your
imagination.
|
Pronoun and antecedent fail to agree in person.
(Because in this case the antecedent is itself a pronoun, this
is also an example of what is called apronoun
shift.)
|
Hylas is saying that one sees colors in one’s
imagination.
To write “Hylas is saying that you see colors in your
imagination” would be grammatically correct, but not appropriate
to formal prose. |
Then you wake up at the high school level and
find out that the illiteracy level of our children are
appalling. (George
W. Bush)
|
|
|
Here are links to pages explaining the
grammatical terms “gender,”
“number,”
and “person.”
|
Return to list of terms
|
|
|
|
case error in pronoun
case |
|
EXAMPLE OF ERROR |
WHAT IS WRONG |
CORRECTED VERSION |
|
The experiment illustrates this for we readers. |
The subject pronoun “we” is used as an object (of
the preposition “for”).
|
The experiment illustrates this for us readers. |
Smythe attributes this distinction to Geonze,
whom he believes originated it.
|
The object
pronoun “whom” is used as a subject. (One says “Smythe
believes he [Geonze] originated it,” not “Smythe
believes him originated it.”)
|
Smythe attributes this distinction to Geonze, who
he believes originated it. Or: Smythe attributes this
distinction to Geonze, whom he believes to have originated it. |
You teach a child to read, and he or her will be
able to pass a literacy test. (George
W. Bush)
|
|
|
Here are links to pages explaining the
different kinds of pronoun (personal, impersonal,
demonstrative, relative, etc.), the
distinction between “who” and “whom”, and the
distinction between “which” and “that.”Understanding the
last distinction requires a grasp of the distinction between restrictive
and non-restrictive modifying clauses.
|
|
Return to list of terms |
|
|
|
CS comma
splice |
|
EXAMPLE OF ERROR |
WHAT IS WRONG |
CORRECTED VERSION |
One cannot truly conceive of something without
end or beginning, one can only negate one’s idea of a finite
thing.
|
Two independent
clauses are joined together by a comma. |
One cannot truly conceive of something without
end or beginning: one can only negate one’s idea of a finite
thing. Or:One cannot truly conceive of something without end or
beginning, but can only negate one’s idea of a finite thing. |
Here is a link to a page explaining when
a comma splice is justifiable. General explanations of comma
use may be found here and here.
The comma splice is one of two kinds of run-on sentence, the
other being thefused
sentence (listed below).
|
|
Return to list of terms |
|
|
dict. fault
in diction (choice of words)
|
|
EXAMPLE OF ERROR |
WHAT IS WRONG |
CORRECTED VERSION |
Rousseau was not what you would call a modest
man.
|
The informal tone
is not appropriate to formal writing. (The use of the
superfluous phrase “what you would call” could also be censured
as an instance of wordiness.)
|
Rousseau was not a modest man.
|
|
He has a crime on his conscious. |
The writer has
confused the adjective “conscious” with the noun “conscience.”
(This sort of diction error may also be marked “WW” for“wrong
word.”) |
He has a crime on his conscience. |
I’m against hard quotas, quotas that basically
delineate based upon whatever. However they delineate, quotas, I
think, vulcanize society. (George
W. Bush)
|
|
|
|
Return to list of terms |
|
|
|
DM dangling
modifier
|
EXAMPLE OF ERROR
|
WHAT IS WRONG
|
CORRECTED VERSION
|
In order to appreciate the argument, certain
points must be understood.
|
The introductory
modifying phrase has no subject within the sentence. (The
sentence also makes needless use of the passive voice.)
|
In order to appreciate the argument, one must
understand certain points. |
|
By using the first person to express how he
perceives God and nature, we see how Descartes’ mind perceives
entities outside of himself. |
The introductory
modifying phrase has no subject within the sentence. (We, the
readers, do not use the first person—Descartes does; but the
name “Descartes” does not occur as a subject anywhere in the
sentence.)
|
By using the first person to express how he
perceives God and nature, Descartes reveals to us how his mind
perceives entities outside of himself. |
If a person doesn’t have the capacity that we all
want that person to have, I suspect hope is in the far distant
future, if at all.(George
W. Bush)
|
|
|
|
Return to list of terms |
|
|
|
FP faulty
predication |
EXAMPLE OF ERROR
|
WHAT IS WRONG
|
CORRECTED VERSION
|
|
The connection between one’s life
and one’s philosophy is inseparable. |
The predicate,
“inseparable,” does not intelligibly apply to the subject, “the
connection between one’s life and one’s philosophy.” |
One’s life and one’s philosophy are
inseparable. Or: One’s life and one’s philosophy are inseparably
connected. |
I think war is a dangerous place. (George
W. Bush)
|
|
|
|
Return to list of terms |
|
|
|
frag. sentence
fragment |
EXAMPLE OF ERROR
|
WHAT IS WRONG
|
CORRECTED VERSION
|
Descartes declares himself to be “a thinking
thing.” Which he explains as “a thing that doubts, understands,”
and so on.
|
The string of
words after the first period is not a gramatically complete
sentence: it is a dependent
(or subordinate) clause. |
Descartes declares himself to be “a thinking
thing,” which he explains as “a thing that doubts, understands,”
and so on. |
|
Return to list of terms |
|
|
FS fused
sentence
|
EXAMPLE OF ERROR
|
WHAT IS WRONG
|
CORRECTED VERSION
|
Hume doesn’t deny this why should he?
|
Two independent
clauses are joined together without punctuation.
|
Hume doesn’t deny this. Why should he? Or: Hume
doesn’t deny this; why should he?
|
The fused sentence is one of two varieties
of run-on sentence, the other being the comma
splice (listed above).
|
|
Return to list of terms |
|
|
G fault of grammar (generic heading)
|
This letter is used to indicate a grammatical
fault that does not fall under any of the more specific terms
given on this page. I will usually combine it with a more
specific comment. For example, if you were to write: “This is
real surprising,” I would circle the word “real” and write in
the margin: “G: adj./adv.,” to indicate that you had made a
confusion between adjective and adverb.
|
|
Return to list of terms |
|
|
|
MM misplaced
modifier |
EXAMPLE OF ERROR
|
WHAT IS WRONG
|
CORRECTED VERSION
|
She carefully studied the Picasso hanging in the
art gallery with her friend.
(Example from the University of Wisconsin Writing Center’s list
of the
best misplaced and dangling modifiers of all time.) |
The adjectival
phrase “with her friend” is so placed as to modify “hanging in
the art gallery” rather than “she carefully studied the
Picasso.” |
With her friend, she carefully studied the
Picasso hanging in the art gallery. Or: She and her friend
carefully studied the Picasso hanging in the art gallery. |
|
Return to list of terms |
|
|
mood error in verb
mood
|
EXAMPLE OF ERROR
|
WHAT IS WRONG
|
CORRECTED VERSION
|
If she read the book, she would not have made
such a mistake.
|
The writer has
used the past indicative (“read”) rather than the past perfect
(“had read”) in a past contrary-to-fact conditional clause.
|
If she had read the book, she would not have made
such a mistake.
|
Suppose that the earth was flat.
|
The writer has
used the past indicative (“was”) rather than the past
subjunctive (“were”) in a present contrary-to-fact clause.
|
Suppose that the earth were flat.
|
Iran would be dangerous if they have a nuclear
weapon. (George
W. Bush)
|
|
|
|
Here is a link to a page explaining the uses of
mood and tense in conditional
statements (i.e., statements containing an “if” clause). |
|
Return to list of terms |
|
|
P fault of punctuation (generic heading)
|
This letter is used to indicate a fault of
punctuation that does not fall under any of the more specific
terms given on this page. I will usually combine it with a more
specific comment. For example, if you were to write, “Singer
makes this claim, although, he offers no argument for it,” I
would circle the comma after “although” and write in the margin:
“P: comma,” to indicate that you had misused that mark of
punctuation.
|
|
Return to list of terms |
|
|
quot. error in form, content, or use of
quotation
|
EXAMPLE OF ERROR
|
WHAT IS WRONG
|
CORRECTED VERSION
|
This is proven by Descartes when he says
“certainly none of the aspects that I reached by means of the
senses.”
|
The quoted words
are not intelligible out of their original context and fail to
fit the grammatical context in which they are quoted. (This is
also an instance of a sentence
fragment.)
|
(Correction impossible: one cannot tell what the
writer was trying to say.)
|
There’s an old saying in Tennessee—I know it’s in
Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame
on—shame on you. Fool me—you can’t get fooled again. (George
W. Bush)
|
|
|
A comprehensive account of how and when to use
quotation may be found here.
Guidance in the use of quotation marks may be found here.
|
|
Return to list of terms |
|
|
|
ref. faulty
or unclear reference of pronoun or other expression |
EXAMPLE OF ERROR
|
WHAT IS WRONG
|
CORRECTED VERSION
|
Some concepts allow for the introduction of new
criteria. Weitz calls this an “open concept.”
|
The pronoun
“this” has no clear antecedent.
|
Some concepts allow for the introduction of new
criteria. Weitz calls these “open concepts.” Or: . . . Weitz
calls such concepts“open concepts.” |
|
In David Hume’s essay “Of the Standard of Taste,”
he presents a theory of art that includes universal
rules. Or: In “Of the Standard of Taste” by David Hume, he
presents a theory of art that includes universal rules. |
The introductory
modifying phrase fails to establish a clear antecedent for the
pronoun “he” in the main clause, because its subject is the
title of Hume’s essay rather than the name of the author. |
In his essay “Of the Standard of Taste,” David
Hume presents a theory of art that includes universal
rules. Or: David Hume, in his essay “Of the Standard of Taste,”
presents (etc.). Or (simplest and best): In “Of the Standard of
Taste,” David Hume presents (etc.).
|
I understand small business growth. I was one. (George
W. Bush)
|
|
|
|
Return to list of terms |
|
|
sp. spelling error or spell out
|
EXAMPLE OF ERROR
|
WHAT IS WRONG
|
CORRECTED VERSION
|
John Stewart Mills was a preponent of
utilarianism.
|
Several words are
misspelled.
|
John Stuart Mill was a proponent of
utilitarianism.
|
He says this in 2 places.
|
A numeral is used
where the number name should be spelled out.
|
He says this in two places.
|
When should a number term be spelled out?
Guidance may be found here.
|
|
Return to list of terms |
|
|
|
tense error in verb
tense |
EXAMPLE OF ERROR
|
WHAT IS WRONG
|
CORRECTED VERSION
|
In the second meditation, Descartes argued that
he could doubt everything but his own existence.
|
Inappropriate use
of tense: the writer uses the past tense to describe what is in
a text.
|
In the second meditation, Descartes argues that
he can doubt everything but his own existence. |
Bumwhacker raises this question, but then did not
answer it.
|
Inconsistent use
of tense, or tense
shift.
|
Bumwhacker raises this question, but then does
not answer it. |
One year ago today, the time for excuse-making
has come to an end. (George
W. Bush)
|
|
|
Here are links to pages explaining the
sequence of tenses in English and the
use of tenses in academic writing, including the use of the
so-called literary or historical present.
|
|
Return to list of terms |
|
|
wordy wordiness
|
EXAMPLE OF ERROR
|
WHAT IS WRONG
|
CORRECTED VERSION
|
Socrates basically argues that his accusers have
no serious concern with the youth of Athens.
|
The word
“basically” does no respectable work in the sentence: it merely
adds vagueness.
|
Socrates argues that his accusers have no serious
concern withthe youth of Athens. |
|
He says that even if he should be acquitted, that
he would still follow his mission. |
The second “that”
is redundant: the first one governs both clauses that follow.
|
He says that even if he should be acquitted, he
would still follow his mission. |
|
Return to list of terms |
|
|
|
¶ coh paragraph
coherence problem |
|
This fault cannot conveniently be illustrated
within this space. Pages providing guidance on how to make
paragraphs coherent may be found here and here. |
|
Return to list of terms |
|
|
//str faulty
parallel structure (a.k.a. faulty parallelism)
|
EXAMPLE OF ERROR
|
WHAT IS WRONG
|
CORRECTED VERSION
|
Many people consider it impossible for us to
comprehend these things and that they are unimportant anyway.
|
Two items of
incongruent grammatical structure (“consider it impossible for
us to understand these things” and “[consider] that they are
unimportant anyway”) are conjoined.
|
Many people consider these things to be
impossible for us to comprehend, and unimportant
anyway. Or: Many people believe that it is impossible for us to
comprehend these things and that they are unimportant anyway. |
People say, how can I help on this war against
terror? How can I fight evil? You can do so by mentoring a
child; by going into a shut-in’s house and say I love you. (George
W. Bush)
|
|
|
|
Return to list of terms |
|
|
C3:
create, collaborate, communicate ...
