Writing

“Top 10” List for Writing Mistakes

10. The misspelled word

A classic, but still all over the place

9. Using a word or expression that does not fit.

Avoiding this comes with practice, but choosing an appropriate word is important.

8. Repeating an idea (even a good one) over and over

Trust that the reader heard you the first time. Adding to an idea is one thing, but ideas do not get any better by sheer redundancy.

7. Exceedingly long paragraphs

This amounts to not using paragraphs. Going to a new paragraph after four or five sentences will help you be clear and intelligible. Why disregard the invention of the paragraph?

6. Neglecting to use a topic sentence

The new paragraph should customarily begin with a sentence that introduces a new thought that will be further explored in the new paragraph. The topic sentence will provide continuity and direction by linking what went before with what is coming.

5. The conversational or informal tone

Academic writing is “formal” insofar as it does not assume a special intimacy between the writer and the reader and does not rely on slang or other shorthanded ways of communicating verbally. Remember that you are not writing dialogue for The West Wing or Seinfeld. Remember, too, that you are not out on the back porch.

4. Repeating a word or phrase in successive sentences (or within a sentence)

Do not start sentences with the same word(s) or phrase. Avoid conveying ideas or relating narrative in the following way: “She did this…. She did that…. She did the next thing….” Vary your style to avoid a “sing-song” effect. Consult a thesaurus.

3. Failing to make a verb “agree” with its subject

Wrong: “The repetition of these sounds stir the emotions.”

Right: “The repetition of these sounds stirs the emotions.”

2. The run-on sentence

It just keeps going, leading the reader further and further away from whatever insight and clarity that might be inside the writer’s skull. Many sentences that technically are not run-on sentences still suffer from wordiness and should be shortened. Write clearly and concisely. Do not try to say everything in one sentence.

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