COMMON ESSAY MISHAPS, MISTAKES, AND TOM-FOOLERYEnglish 10

2013-2014

FIRST AND FOREMOST…

All MLA rules apply, which states that you must use 12 pt. Times New Roman font

Your heading must be placed in the upper left-hand corner of your paper and should look like either of the following:Jane Smith Jane SmithEnglish 10 – 7/8 Mrs. DietrichMrs. Dietrich English 10- 7/816 September 2013 16 September 2013

IN-TEXT CITATIONS

Lacking completely Format

“I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world” (Whitman 89).

Or

Whitman said “I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world” (89).

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/02/

SENTENCE STRUCTURE/SYNTAX ERROR

Symbol: [ ] (brackets) Problems:

Confusing in meaning Incomplete/dangling Run-on Fragment Awkward/juxtaposition Sentences are all the same length

DICTION ERRORS

Wrong word (ww) Stop right-clicking and using the built-in

thesaurus! Odd/incorrect word choice (wc) Starting sentences with conjunctions

(circled) FANBOYS Subordinating

Wrong version of a word (circled) there vs. their vs. they’re its vs. it’s then vs. than

LACK OF COMMENTARY AND CONCRETE DETAILS

You must remember the rule of the 1:2 ratio (1:1 ration for this paper)

If you don’t have commentary, then it’s not an analysis, and that will result in an F for not completing the essay as assigned.

Likewise, if you do not have examples from the book that support your thesis (concrete details) then the paper is merely an opinion piece and not an analysis.

TRANSITIONS

Symbol: a curving connecting line

Lack of from sentence to sentence

Lack of from paragraph to paragraph

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/574/01/

FLUFF/FILLER/VAGUENESS/LACK OF RELEVANCE

All of your concrete details and commentary must be used effectively.

Do not include detail that doesn’t help to prove your thesis statement.

COMMA ERRORS

Symbol: This essay: circled empty space or existing comma Future essays: carrot to insert and loop cross-out for

removal

Problems: Incorrect usage/splices Lacking

Lists (Oxford comma) Introductory elements/clauses

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/566/01/

PRONOUNS Overuse (too many confuse the reader)

V.P.R. (vague pronoun reference when referencing a previous subject)

AGREEMENT ERRORS (PRONOUNS CONTINUED)

Indefinite pronouns (anyone, somebody, everyone) = SINGULAR

Their, them, they = PLURAL Examples:

Incorrect- Everyone brought their books to class.Correct- Everyone brought his/her books to class. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/

608/06/

*“Using the masculine pronouns to refer to an indefinite pronoun (everybody, everyone, anybody, anyone) also has the effect of excluding women. In all but strictly formal uses, plural pronouns have become acceptable substitutes for the masculine singular.”

**Your essays are considered formal; your journals and other creative writing are not considered formal.

INTRODUCTION WRITING

Symbol: { in the margin of the paragraph or a specific note

Problems: Lacking a topic sentence (T.S.) No development Too many concrete details Fluff Repetitive Paper lacks an actual introduction paragraph –

one sentence does NOT make a paragraph

CONCLUSION WRITING

Symbol: { in the margin of the paragraph or a specific note

Problems: Includes new information not previously

mentioned in any body paragraph Lack of finality - needs a clincher Paper lacks an actual conclusion paragraph – one

sentence does NOT make a paragraph

SECOND PERSON

DON’T USE SECOND PERSON IN FORMAL WRITING EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do a control+F search for the word “you” so you can eliminate all of the uses of “you,” “your,” and “you’re”

The only time using second person is acceptable is in a direct quote

THESIS STATEMENTS

Symbol: thesis?

Problems: Weak/incomplete Lack of Misplaced

QUOTATIONS

Setting up your quotations According to some, dreams express "profound

aspects of personality" (Foulkes 184), though others disagree.

According to Foulkes's study, dreams may express "profound aspects of personality" (184).

Is it possible that dreams may express "profound aspects of personality" (Foulkes 184)?

Adding clarification or noting a change you made [ ]

Notifying the reader of an original error [sic] http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/

747/03/

QUOTE BOMBS

Symbol: QB

Problems: No lead in No follow through Irrelevant

MISCELLANEOUS

Too much summary (no balance in CM/CD) Strays from main idea/topic

Need to reiterate concept of thesis throughout Lack of quotes/paraphrasing Audience – remember it! Repetitive (rep.) Special punctuation usage errors (semicolon,

colons, dashes, parentheses) The vagueness of the words “things” and

“stuff” Numbers under 10 should be spelled out

THE END