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Common Errors To Avoid

On Term Papers

Different instructors have different expectations for term papers. What follows is a list of common errors that most instructors would agree should be avoided. If you want more information, browse through these other resources.

Errors of Grammar

Problem: Multiple Personalities

 

This error arises when people try to avoid awkward phrases such as "his or her", "he or she", "him or her". Often, the author will turn his singular subject into a plural later in the sentence in order to get around the problem. For example:

 

A mountie always gets their man.

 

In this example, the single mountie at the beginning of the sentence has become several mounties by the end of the sentence. One way around the problem is to use "his", but this assumes that a woman cannot be a mountie. "A mountie always gets his or her man" does not have much of a ring to it, either.

 

Solution: Change the subject to a plural to avoid discriminatory language. The sentence should be rewritten as

 

Mounties always get their man.

 

In this case, the mounties in question can be either men or women, and their pronoun agrees with their number.

 

Problem: Dehumanization

 

This happens when writers turn people into objects. For example:

 

A mountie is a person that rides a horse.

 

"That" should refer only to inanimate objects, not people who live and breathe and appear in sentences.

 

Solution: "That" should be changed to "who":

 

A mountie is a person who rides a horse.

 

A person is a who, not a that.

 

Problem: Possession

 

It's difficult to explain the apostrophe and its uses, primarily because of the word "it". "It's" is a contraction that is short for "it is". The apostrophe in the case of "it's" does not indicate possession. "Its", however, does indicate possession, even though it does not have an apostrophe. Nevertheless, most words do require an apostrophe to indicate possession.

 

But where do you put the @%#! apostrophe?

 

Solution: Form the possessive of a singular noun by adding 's. For words that end in s, just add the apostrophe.

 

There is some disagreement about adding just the apostrophe to words that end in s. If you do not like the look of Herodotus' book, then you may prefer to use Herodotus's book. Either is acceptable, so pick one and use it.

 

Problem: I tend to run on for too long.

 

Run-on sentences result from improper use of punctuation. For example:

 

The mountie rode out on his horse got his man and put him in jail.

 

This sentence just needs some commas:

 

The mountie rode out on his horse, got his man, and put him in jail.

 

Sometimes a run-on sentence must be broken up to form two or more independent clauses or even two or more sentences. For example:

 

The mountie rode into town found his man but when he returned he found that the man was the wrong one, later he went back into town and found the right one.

 

This should be recast as follows:

 

The mountie rode into town and found his man; but when he returned, he found that the man was the wrong one. Later, he went back into town and found the right one.

 

Solution: Use punctuation markers such as commas, semicolons, or periods to break large sentences into manageable units.

 

Problem: Did you just end that proposition with a preposition?

 

It has become acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition in conversational speech. Term papers, however, should not be written in conversational language.

 

Often the mistake arises from uncertainty about the usage of the pronoun "whom". This is the result:

 

Who did the mountie give his man to?

 

The preposition "to" can be placed with "whom" to avoid the problem:

 

To whom did the mountie give his man?

 

The same applies to the preposition "with". A word of caution is appropriate here. Sometimes it is better to give in than to end up with a sentence such as the one Winston Churchill is said to have uttered in jest about the issue: "Ending sentences in prepositions is a habit up with which I will not put."

 

Solution: Avoid the problem by recasting the sentence.

 

Whatever you do, do not pile on the prepositions, or you will end up with a sentence like this:

 

What did you bring that book that I don't want to be read to out of up for?

 

Finally, never use "at" at the end of a question that begins with "where". "Where is it at?" is redundant, since "where" means "in which place" or "at what location". In other words, "at" is already covered by "where".

 

Problem: I sound like a newscaster.

 

Tragedy. It strikes when people write one-word sentences. Or if they add on a clause after the period.

 

Newscasters and other media types have ruined our ears for punctuation by overusing dramatic pauses that turn into audible periods. The example above, properly punctuated, should be recast as follows:

 

Tragedy: it strikes when people write one-word sentences, or if they add on a clause after the period.

 

Solution: Commas, colons, semicolons: they are all there for you to use, so use them.

 

Related Problem: But I don't know how to use a semicolon.

 

A semicolon should be used to separate two complete clauses within a sentence.

 

Today we are studying mounties; tomorrow we will study their horses.

 

A comma can be used in a similar way, but you must use a conjunction (e.g. "and", "or") after it.

 

I enjoy studying mounties, and I hope to become a mountie in the future.

 

Errors of Style

Problem: I am wearing white after Labor Day.

 

Solution: Don't. Besides, we are not talking about that kind of style.

 

Problem: I'm having contractions!

 

Contractions are appropriate in giving birth, not in the writing of formal papers. Contractions should be reserved for informal assignments or creative writing, not analytical papers.

 

Solution: Do not use contractions in formal papers.

 

 

Problem: Why ask questions when you can answer them?

 

Solution: Asking questions can be useful during the writing process, but keep them out of the paper that you are writing. Remember, your job is to answer questions, so do it.

 

 

Problem: The reason is because ...

 

Sentences that begin this way quickly become awkward. "The reason is" and "because" say the same thing, so leave one of them out and rewrite the sentence. For example,

 

The reason why mounties always get their man is because they are persistent.

 

By taking out "the reason is", the sentence becomes:

 

Mounties always get their man because they are persistent.

 

Solution: Avoid being redundant by deleting one of the phrases.

 

Problem: Achilles is all that and a bag of chips.

 

Solution: Avoid colloquial language in formal papers. It is good to write in language that is familiar to you, but remember that your audience is your teacher, not your buddies.

 

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