English Writing Errors
(and Correction Symbols)


Compiled by: Daphne Lin, Jennifer Chiu, Tina Kuo, Thomas Nash, Wen-ling Su, Kate Liu

Editing & Expression Symbols

Symbols
Examples and Related Web Pages
Close up space
-- College fresh men
# Insert a space Take#home
^ Omission
-- A cup ^ tea
~ Transpose The house green effect
The job wasn't very interesting, on the other hand, it was well paid.ì
? I don't follow.
?? Really? I'm surprised you would want to say this.
?! Really?! You ought to know better.
! Attempt at humor successful.

 

Words and Phrases

Types of Error (& Correction Symbols)
Examples and Related Web Pages
X Obvious mistake
Cap

Faulty capitalization: explanation

http://web.uvic.ca/wguide//Pages/Capitals.html  (from The UVic Writer's Guide)

Div

Faulty word division

. . . natio-
nal . . . .

(contr) Do not use contractions in formal writing.
Sp

wrong spelling; check dictionary 

http://web.uvic.ca/wguide//Pages/MarkSp.html (from The UVic Writer's Guide)

lc Use lowercase
Ab

Faulty abbreviation

WTO for WHO (World Health Organization)

   
Article (a/an) -- a air condition / have a illusion / a 8-year-old little girl / it traces back to 16th century /
Prepositions

To, On (to), In (to);
At, In, On
 oprep of Time, of Place, and to Introduce Objects
Spatial Relationships of Prepositions (with pictures!)

Noun: Sing/Pl
-- Many tall building
-- many year ago

-- many tree

f/WF

wrong word form

-- They set out in the extremely bad weather and kept talked with the guy through radio.
-- We also have to ask ourselves if we often ignore things happen in our home.
-- I believe there are some inner elements that are more important than those outward achievements, just like self-satisfaction, and being freed from guilty. (also //)
-- There is not absolutely right or wrong about the issue.
-- ¡Kas long as people feel a sense of secure and belongedbeing in that certain place.
-- Her pray took her granddaughter back to her.
-- It can be a truly triend.
-- The sky was liked a beautiful painting.
-- Parents are the keys to influence a child in a family.
-- You will eager to love.
-- They tried hard to squeezed themselves into the small space. 
--Shi Men Ding's unique can be seen by the juxtaposition of the new and the old.
-- I was lack of courage.
-- Everything seemed to against me.
V

Wrong verb form

-- Many things were happened.
-- They feel relaxing during the whole journey.

-- I was awaken by the fresh sea breeze.
-- It made me feeling uncomfortable and very embarrass.
-- It didn't annoyed to me. 
-- Many pictures were took here.
-- The China Mall was tore down.
-- It is mostly seen either on a piece of a flag or a board decorated and hang on the front door of a household.
--I will get succeed at the end. 
--They tried hard to squeezed themselves into the small space. 
-- I was awaken by the fresh sea breeze.
-- It didn't annoyed to me. 
-- Many pictures were took here.

U--W/

Dict. #3

wrong word usage--see dictionary;check your dictionary-definition # 3

-- -- They are lack of courage.
-- -- There have many old style restaurants

http://web.uvic.ca/wguide//Pages/MarkWW.html   (from The UVic Writer's Guide)
http://www.bartleby.com/141/strunk3.html(from Elements of Style)
http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/conford.html(from Writer's Web)

http://www.english.uiuc.edu/cws/wworkshop/grammar/homophon.htm(from UIUC's Grammar Handbook)
http://vweb1.hiway.co.uk/ei/sect20.html

http://vweb1.hiway.co.uk/ei/sect22.html

U -- V

Others -- See; Make

Verb Usage

-- You might see many people waited in line for the painter-artists to do the sketches for them.
-- I saw the Kuan Yin Mountain stood there and looked upon the Tamsui Town steadily and tenderly. (Who looked upon Tamsui Town?)
-- -- It made me feeling uncomfortable and very embarrass.

Adv. 

Improper use of adverb

http://www.english.uiuc.edu/cws/wworkshop/grammar/adverbdef.htm(from UIUC's Grammar Handbook)

Adj. 

Improper use of adjective

http://www.english.uiuc.edu/cws/wworkshop/grammar/adjectivedef.htm(from UIUC's Grammar Handbook)

D or ww
WC: wrong word;Faulty diction

-- Tall building are built along two sides of the harbor.  stretch
-- It spent me one to two hours to get there.took
-- Entering the most important part of Kinmen, ¡Kthe downtown Kinmen
-- Piles of worn-out tires were placed in the corner. dumped
-- They give their anger in her, blaming her for no reason.vent their anger on

wc

poor word choice 

http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/diction.html(from HyperGrammar)
http://www.ruthvilmi.net/hut/help/grammar_help/wordchoice.html

case/
Pro (Ca)
pronoun case
Ref

confusing pronoun reference

-- It is depressing because it never happens in my home. 

("It" here refers to the indifference of the writer's roommate.)

-- Thge paper proposed to link cancer and secondary smoke. This was established.
The paper proposed to link cancer and secondary smoke. This connection was established.
The paper proposed to link cancer and secondhand smoke, whose connection was established in . . . .
http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/pronoun.html (from Writer's Web)

s/p

shift in person

As soon as a man goes steady with a woman, you start to see that she has many faults.
As soon as a man goes steady with a woman, he starts to see that she has many faults.

In fact, I really loved the feeling when I sang. Everyone liked to be the focus of a crowd and hoped to be the center of attention. It showed that we were different from others and even were better than others. At that time, I thought that being a singer might be a great job for me.

In fact, I really loved the feeling that when I sang, I became the focus of a crowd, the center of full attention. It made me sense how different I was from others, or I should say, how much better than others. At that moment, I even began to imagine that being a singer might be a great job for me.
Explanation & More Examples
num

form of numbers 

http://www.bartleby.com/141/strunk2.html(from Elements of Style)
http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/numbers.html(from Writer's Web)

Bibl

Faulty bibliography form "Pride and Prejudice"

Fig

Inappropriate use of figurative language.

Her hair is as dark as muffin.

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