Home: Common Writing Mistakes

These little words are overused in writing. Please use more descriptive words to elevate your writing.

• thing
• ways
• put
• went
• get/got
• stuff
• make/makes
• good/great
• go/goes
• like
• cool
• it says
• it's like
• very
• wicked
• totally
• really

Common Writing Mistakes:

1. Capitalization errors:  Capitalize the first word in every sentence.  Capitalize proper names.  
2. Do not use first or second person proper nouns in academic writing (you or I).
3. Do not use contractions in academic writing (can’t, don’t, he’ll, etc.)
4. Misspellings (Common ones: their, they’re, there).
5. Run-on sentences: Use punctuation properly to break up sentences.
6. Fragments: A sentence missing a verb or a phrase.
7. Tone: Do not use a casual tone in academic writing.  For example, no exclamation points, slang, or language that sounds like you’re talking to your friend.
8. Citation errors: You should have a citation after a paraphrase or quote.
9. Don't start a sentence with BUT or AND.

Before (Elephant Dentistry):

Cleaning a tusk is really tough! To clean a tusk, you put the elephant in a harness in the zoo’s medical room. their the dentist carefully cleans the hard and soft deposits around the gumline after flossin the tusks are polished with a Special Elephant Formula made by the famous dentist, dr. simmons.  X-rays for elephants like every two years.  And if the tusk’s beyond saving, you have to remove it for the good of the elephant.