Identifying
and Correcting Common Grammar and Punctuation
Errors
Associate
Adjunct Professor Becky Villarreal
As an instructor,
I've noticed some common
grammar and punctuation
errors
committed by students. The primary objective of the
lesson below is learning how to identify and correct
those errors.
1. Comma Splices:
A comma
splice occurs
when two independent clauses are joined by a
comma.
Comma
splices are fairly easy to spot. In any sentence, two
independent clauses can never
be
separated by a comma.
For
example:
- Wrong:
Jonathan performed last night at Maggie
Mae's,
he
was the "bomb."
- Better:
Jonathan performed last night at Maggie
Mae's;
he
was the "bomb."
- Best:
After performing last night at Maggie
Mae's,
Jonathan
proved he was the "bomb."
Here
is another illustration:
Ryan
went to the store,
he
ate grapes. This
is a comma splice. It is not a sentence.
Why
is this a problem? Because you cannot join two
independent clauses with a comma. To the left of the
comma you have a sentence, and to the right of the comma,
you have another one.
Here
is the same sentence corrected:
Ryan
went to the store. He ate grapes.
OR
Ryan
went to the store;
he
ate grapes.
Note
the semi-colon in the sentence above. Semi-colons (not
colons or commas) are used to separate independent
clauses.
Even
Better:
Ryan
went to the store where he ate grapes.
At
the store,
Ryan
ate grapes.
2. Use of Commas:
Good writers combine
independent
and dependent clauses
to vary
sentence structure. When a dependent clause (or fragment)
is followed by an independent clause (or sentence), it is
always followed by a comma.
For
example:
Even
though he was the top graduate in his high
school,
he
was still unable to get an academic
scholarship.
Note that the
clause in
red is a
dependent clause. In other words, "even though he was the
top graduate in his high school" could not stand alone as
a sentence (it is in fact, a fragment). Therefore, when a
dependent clause opens a sentence, it is always followed
by a comma.
However, if the
dependent clause follows the independent clause, the rule
is reversed. Note again that the dependent clause is in
red
type and that
there is NO comma in the sentence below.
He
was unable to get an academic scholarship
even
though he was the top graduate.
Click
here for an awesome PowerPoint on comma
usage.
3. Agreement
errors: Singular subjects need singular verbs; plural
subjects need plural verbs.
When we talk
about subject-verb
agreement,
we're talking about matching subjects and verbs according
to number.
When you have a
singular subject, you have to match it with a singular
verb.
For
example:
The
dog barks.
On the other
hand, when you have a plural subject, you must have a
plural verb.
For
example:
The
dogs bark.
These examples
above seem pretty easy. Then why do students have so many
issues with subject verb agreement?
Reason
#1: Stuff in between subjects and verbs
Look at
the following example:
The
cars
in the driveway is
dirty.
In this
example, driveway (a singular noun) is right in
front of is (a singular verb). However,
driveway is not the subject of this sentence. Cross
out the prepositional phrase and you're left
with:
The
cars is dirty.
Sounds wrong,
doesn't it? The subject is plural, but the verb is
singular. They don't agree.
The correct
version is:
The
cars in the driveway are dirty.
Reason
#2: "-body," "-one," and "-thing" words
According
to Big
Dog Grammar,
you only need to know one thing: if a word has one of
these endings (like everybody,
everyone, anyone,
anything,
etc.), it is ALWAYS singular! You can also include
each,
either, and neither
in this group. Look at the following:
Everyone
is
going to the party.
Each
of the boys is
taking his
own car.
Please review the
links below for more practice with agreement:
Subject-Verb
Agreement
I know that this
was just a short lesson, so for areas that I may not have
covered, please visit one of the ACC
Learning Labs
for tutoring, email me at bvillarr@austincc.edu,
or click the links below for further guidance:
MLA
Documentation
ESL
Interactive Lessons and Quizzes
Created
by Becky Villarreal 2005
Identifying
and Correcting Common Grammar and Punctuation
Errors
Identifying
and Correcting Common Grammar and Punctuation
ErrorsAs an instructor, I've noticed some common grammar and punctuation errors committed by students. The primary objective of the lesson below is learning how to identify and correct those errors.
1. Comma Splices: A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined by a comma.
Comma splices are fairly easy to spot. In any sentence, two independent clauses can never be separated by a comma.
For example:
- Wrong: Jonathan performed last night at Maggie Mae's, he was the "bomb."
- Better: Jonathan performed last night at Maggie Mae's; he was the "bomb."
- Best: After performing last night at Maggie Mae's, Jonathan proved he was the "bomb."
Here is another illustration:
Ryan went to the store, he ate grapes. This is a comma splice. It is not a sentence.
Why is this a problem? Because you cannot join two independent clauses with a comma. To the left of the comma you have a sentence, and to the right of the comma, you have another one.
Here is the same sentence corrected:
Ryan went to the store. He ate grapes.ORRyan went to the store; he ate grapes.
Note the semi-colon in the sentence above. Semi-colons (not colons or commas) are used to separate independent clauses.
Even Better:
Ryan went to the store where he ate grapes.At the store, Ryan ate grapes.
2. Use of Commas: Good writers combine independent and dependent clauses to vary sentence structure. When a dependent clause (or fragment) is followed by an independent clause (or sentence), it is always followed by a comma.
For example:
Even though he was the top graduate in his high school, he was still unable to get an academic scholarship.
Note that the clause in red is a dependent clause. In other words, "even though he was the top graduate in his high school" could not stand alone as a sentence (it is in fact, a fragment). Therefore, when a dependent clause opens a sentence, it is always followed by a comma.
However, if the dependent clause follows the independent clause, the rule is reversed. Note again that the dependent clause is in red type and that there is NO comma in the sentence below.
He was unable to get an academic scholarship even though he was the top graduate.Click here for an awesome PowerPoint on comma usage.
3. Agreement errors: Singular subjects need singular verbs; plural subjects need plural verbs.
When we talk about subject-verb agreement, we're talking about matching subjects and verbs according to number.
When you have a singular subject, you have to match it with a singular verb.
For example:
The dog barks.
On the other hand, when you have a plural subject, you must have a plural verb.
For example:
The dogs bark.
These examples above seem pretty easy. Then why do students have so many issues with subject verb agreement?
Reason #1: Stuff in between subjects and verbs
Look at the following example:The cars in the driveway is dirty.In this example, driveway (a singular noun) is right in front of is (a singular verb). However, driveway is not the subject of this sentence. Cross out the prepositional phrase and you're left with:
The cars is dirty.Sounds wrong, doesn't it? The subject is plural, but the verb is singular. They don't agree.
The correct version is:
The cars in the driveway are dirty.
Reason #2: "-body," "-one," and "-thing" words
According to Big Dog Grammar, you only need to know one thing: if a word has one of these endings (like everybody, everyone, anyone, anything, etc.), it is ALWAYS singular! You can also include each, either, and neither in this group. Look at the following:Everyone is going to the party.Each of the boys is taking his own car.
Please review the links below for more practice with agreement:
I know that this was just a short lesson, so for areas that I may not have covered, please visit one of the ACC Learning Labs for tutoring, email me at bvillarr@austincc.edu, or click the links below for further guidance:
ESL Interactive Lessons and Quizzes
Created by Becky Villarreal 2005