Common Mistakes in Writing
Every little bit helps!
1. “I’d like to see the Eiffel tower, the leaning tower of
pisa, notre dame, and even big ben in London.”
2. “…I moved to Ferigson Tennis Academy where I
still play today.”
3. “I have many Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins that still
live there.”
4. “I don’t have any cousins on my mom’s side, but I do
have 18 on my dad’s side of the family.”
Capitalization
• Capitalize proper nouns, i.e. names
• Do not capitalize common nouns or
pronouns, i.e. cat, building, cousin, beef, etc
1. “I think my biggest is not letting her know
how I feel.”
my biggest regret/mistake is…
2. “…my mom has started to reach out to me and
wants to be in my life more, but just can’t
seem to let her in and really get to know and
that is the biggest mistake of my life.”
but I just can’t… really go to know her
1. “The photo was not only well shot, but also has a
profound meaning and explanation.”
The photo was not only well shot, but also had a
profound meaning and explanation.
The photo is not only well shot, but also has a
profound meaning and explanation.
2. “I believe that if I went there, I can easily contribute
to…”
I believe that if I went there, I could easily
contribute to…
I believe that if I go there, I can easily contribute
to…
Verb Tense
• Past: what a person or thing has done
• Present: what a person or thing is doing
• Future: what a person or thing will do
1. “As I grew up, my family always took my
siblings and I on vacations…”
my siblings and me … took me
2. “My sister and I used to do everything together as
kids.”
3. “Jake and me were pretty close, I think..”
Jake and I … I was pretty close to Jake
4. “I remember the time my dad took Michael and
me to see our first PG-13 movie.”
1. “If I were to give advice to someone who is just
starting high school, I would tell them they should try
there hardest academically freshman year…”
they should try their hardest…
2. “Some people might say that the biggest influence in
their life is a family member…”
3. “…they have helped me become a better person by
always being their for me…”
always being there…
4. “They’re are one of the biggest names in the industry
and one of my favorite bands.”
There / Their / They’re
• There is a place
• Their is possessive
• They’re is a contraction of “they are”
1. “Its taken me to a scenic pond down the street, to the
Smokey Mountains, and all the way to Alaska.”
It’s (it has) taken me…
2. “I visited [Northwestern] this past summer and fell in
love with its atmosphere and charm.”
3. “I was definitely hot and sweaty, but when we actually
reached the top of the mountain, it’s beauty took my
breath away.”
…its (possessive) beauty…
4. “…the enticingly beautiful sound of the music that I
had first heard, gently dancing its way through the
sparkling keys of the strange, black instrument.”
It’s vs. Its
• It’s is a contraction of either “it is” or “it has
(been).”
• Its is the possessive form of “it”
1. “The tour guide lead us through safely,
only it was raining when we came out.”
The tour guide led us through…
Lead vs. Led
• Lead (leed) is a verb meaning to go before
or with to show the way.
• Led is a verb that is the past tense of lead.
• Lead is only pronounced “led” in reference
to its noun form, as in pencil lead.
1. “I don’t think of jeans as being a designer thing, but
more like everyday wear.”
2. “All people experience different emotions
everyday…”
experience different emotions every (single) day
3. “I have to remember to take my pills every day or else
my heart will go back to the way it was.”
4. “…I decided I want to live everyday to the fullest…”
I want to live every (single) day to the fullest
Everyday vs. Every day
• Everyday means something is very
common, the norm. Use it as an adjective.
• Every day is an indication of time.
• TIP: If you can write every single day, then
it is two words, not one.
1. “… to admire any new artist that were
featured.”
any new artist that was featured
any new artists that were featured
2. “Every Saturday and Sunday is competition
days.”
Saturday and Sunday are competition
days
Subject-Verb Agreement
• The basic rule states that a singular subject
takes a singular verb, while a plural subject
takes a plural verb.
• I : am / was
• He / She / It : is / was
• You / We / They : are / were
1. “Short answer tests were always harder for me than
multiple choice because…”
2. “My mom always told me I was better then those
other girls because I didn’t talk about people behind
their backs.”
I was better than those other girls
3. “…I would have to grab breakfast and then run out
the door because I slept in a lot.”
4. “First we had to put on our lifejackets, and than we
could start fishing.”
lifejackets, and then we could
Than vs. Then
• Than is used to make a comparison
• Then is used in a list or time sequence
1. “My most cherished memory of success, however,
would have to take place during my 8th grade year
at East Side Christian Academy…”
2. “I remember starting the sixth grade and how scary
it was.”
starting 6th grade
3. “Back about five or six years ago…”
4. “My brother had just turned seventeen years old…”
just turned 17 years old
Writing out Numbers
• See handout