English Curriculum I Students Grammar I Melbourne High School. One of the most common errors of students is to put different ideas together in what they think is the same sentence, when really a separate sentence is required, as in: This should, of course, read: However, these two separate ideas can be formed into one complete sentence by inserting a conjunction (joining word): because barkedhas been diggingwas leveringhas seenI am making The rule is simple: the tenses should be consistent with the tense you begin with. Note the corrections: barkedhad been diggingwas leveringhad seenI was making In the following paragraph, the student has begun in the present tense then changed to the past: whistlesspringsrearedneighedcrashedspurted The correct version is: whistlesspringsrearswhirlsneighscrashspurts Some common mistakes: • Collective nouns (words which describe groups of persons, animals or things) usually take a singular verb.
Class 9F Ted’s family is brilliant This football team Tony’s gang Classes 9F and 10C Ted’s and Jed’s families UNDERLINING or ITALICS. UNC Handouts. Critical Thinking. Reference Desk Menu. Seminar Rooms Menu. Writing in the Disciplines. Materials for Students: Writing the Academic Paper: Attending to Style. Summary of Common Errors. Handouts – Nesbitt-Johnston Writing Center - Home. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro: The University Writing Center - Resources.