By Freddie Tubbs

Grammar and punctuation can be tricky subjects to master, even for the most experienced writers and editors. But they can make a huge difference in the impact your writing has and the authority you demand. If you’re highly knowledgeable about a topic, but the grammar is not spot-on, your credibility on the subject can suffer overall. Ensure you aren’t making these common writing mistakes by keeping a close eye out for them while editing.

Incorrect prepositions

Prepositions are those words used to describe the relationship between two words in a sentence, and they often confuse writers and editors. To the untrained eye, these errors may go unnoticed. But for someone with knowledge of their use, they will be picked up on immediately. If you’re unsure about which preposition to use, State of Writing can be an excellent resource to tap for some help.

Incorrect: Mary was unable to download her photos, because her phone wouldn’t connect with her computer.

Correct: Mary was unable to download her photos, because her phone wouldn’t connect to her computer.

Conjunction problems

Linking together words, phrases, or clauses within a sentence are words known as conjunctions. The main issue that is seen here is with inconsistent phrases being connected. There should be consistency throughout the sentence so that, even if the two phrases are swapped, the sentence still makes sense and flows. Check out Write my essay for quick and straightforward explanations of the different components of grammar and when to use the correct one. And, if you’re looking for some assistance with writing or editing, Best Australian Writers gives you some insight into the top ranked professional writing services online, so that you can better educate yourself before deciding which one to use.

Incorrect: Gerald played his guitar loudly and was passionate.

Correct: Gerald played his guitar loudly and passionately.

When to use E.g. vs. I.e

This is a fairly common mistake, although once you learn the differences, it should be an easy one to catch and fix. E.g. is an abbreviation for ‘exempli gratia’, which means ‘for example,’ while i.e. is short for ‘id est’ which, roughly translated from Latin means ‘that is’ or ‘in other words.’ E.g. should be used when you’re about to provide examples, and i.e. when you’re going to clarify information. If you’re putting together your resume and using these abbreviations, you’ll want some help from Dissertation service to make sure you’ve got the correct ones in place.

Incorrect: This event will attract many visitors, e.g., children, music lovers, and fun-seekers.

Correct: This event will attract many visitors, i.e., children, music lovers, and fun-seekers.

Appositives

When you’re adding in nouns, pronouns or phrases to clarify or add information to another component of your sentence that’s known as an appositive. When the sentence is still understood without the appositive it needs to be bookended by punctuation, usually in the form of commas but sometimes dashes or parentheses. But, if it’s necessary to have it in the sentence in order to make it coherent it does not need added punctuation. When you need added editing help, Elite Assignment Help can assist with any of your proofreading and copyediting needs.

Incorrect: The bedroom which was painted blue was decorated beautifully.

Correct: The bedroom, which was painted blue, was decorated beautifully.

Semicolons

Sandwiched between two related independent clauses should be a semicolon. Each sentence should be able to stand on its own but are closely related enough to justify semicolon use. A period or comma could potentially be used to replace a semicolon in most instances. In terms of citing references, sometimes the easiest route is to have them written for you, with the help of Cite It In.

Incorrect: The concert last night was unbelievable, I danced all night long!

Correct: The concert last night was unbelievable; I danced all night long!

Correct: The concert last night was unbelievable. I danced all night long!

The Oxford comma

Simply put, the Oxford comma is the comma placed before the last item in a list. There’s some debate about the use of this punctuation mark, but it does add some clarity to a sentence. When you’re unsure about the usage, the team at Grade on Fire can provide you with professional writing and editing assistance.

Incorrect: After winning his Grammy, Kanye West thanked his parents, God and Kim Kardashian.

Correct: After winning his Grammy, Kanye West thanked his parents, God, and Kim Kardashian.

Without the Oxford comma, the sentence implies that Kayne West’s parents are God and Kim Kardashian.

It’s important to take the time to properly review and edit any type of work you’re putting your name on. It leaves a good impression and keeps your credibility intact. Watch for these most commonly made mistakes when editing your work and ensure that you’re putting out the highest quality written pieces.

Freddie Tubbs is an eLearning project manager from Fort Myers, Florida. He works as a language researcher at UK Top Writers and is a contributing author at The Atlantic.