Below you will find a copy of the Unacceptable Errors handout that was distributed and discussed in class today.
REMINDER: Bring your Viewer's Journal to class on Wednesday with your two entries, for episode one and episode 2.
UNACCEPTABLE
ERRORS
In English 20, students should already be very proficient in word usage. We do not have time for grammar
lessons. (I will, however, provide
short ‘mini’ lessons when I feel they are warranted.) The following errors that are commonly made on student
papers are considered unacceptable.
For out of class essays, each unacceptable error
takes ten points off your final earned grade. You may correct unacceptable
errors and receive the points back if you choose to revise. In class essays
that have unacceptable errors CAN
always be corrected to earn back the points lost.
1. there – place Put
it over there.
2. their – possessive pronoun That
is their car.
3. they’re – contraction of they
are They’re
going with us.
4. your – possessive pronoun Your
dinner is ready.
5. you’re – contraction of you are You’re
not ready.
6.
it’s – contraction of it is It’s
a sunny day.
7. its – possessive pronoun The
dog wagged its tail.
8. a lot – always two words I
liked it a lot.
9. to – a preposition or part of an
infinitive I
like to proofread my essays carefully.
10.
too – an intensifier, or also That
is too much. I will go too.
11.
two – a number Give
me two folders.
12. In today’s society This
phrase is grossly overused and very cliché. Instead use “Today” or “In America”
or “Now” etc
13. right(s)/write(s)/rite(s) rights are a set of beliefs or values
in which a person feels entitled: His rights were read to him before he
was arrested for stalking Dave Matthews. Writes
is a verb indicating action taken with a pen, pencil or computers to convey
a message: Michelle writes love letters to Dave Matthews in her sleep. Rites are a series of steps or events
which lead an individual from one phase in life to the next, or a series of
traditions that should be followed: The initiate began his rite of
passage ceremony at the age of thirteen.
14. definitely/defiantly This
error USUALLY occurs when a writer relies solely on spell-check. You really
must learn to become the final editor of your work. Definitely is an adverb and it means without a doubt. Mary will definitely
miss the Dave Matthews Band concert. Defiantly
means to show defiance. She was in a defiant mood. It is an adjective.
Or it could be used as an adverb. She was defiantly rude and sullen
towards the professor.
15. On your Works Cited page: you
MUST center and type at the top the heading just as it is here: Works Cited.
NOT ALL CAPS, NOT BOLDED, NOT UNDERLINED, NOT MISSPELLED, NOT IN A DIFFERENT
SIZED FONT, ETC.
16. woman/women woman
is used when you are referring to ONE female lady.
women
is the
plural of woman, meaning MORE THAN ONE lady
There are many women
at the nail salon, but only one woman is shopping at the market next
door.
***********************************************************************
An accumulation of the following
errors will affect your grade, but not 10 points off for EACH error. My evaluation of your work depends on
how serious the error is, and how often you make it. Some do not slow up the reader as much as others.
- Misuse of the word
“you”. You must actually mean
the reader when you use the word “you”.
- Avoid use of
contractions in formal expository writing. (can’t, shouldn’t, didn’t,
etc.)
- Agreement of subject
and verb. Both must be either
singular or plural.
- Fragmented sentences,
comma splices and run-ons. Be
sure to proofread your papers carefully before turning them in.
You
will not pass English 20 if you cannot write an intelligent sentence in correct
English.
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