1. Comma Splices
Joining two independent clauses with only a comma: "The study was small, the results are still significant." Fix: use a semicolon, add a coordinating conjunction, or split into two sentences.
2. Apostrophe Misuse
Apostrophes mark possession (the student's essay) or contraction (it's = it is). They never make a word plural. "The study's results" is correct. "The studies results" is missing an apostrophe. "The study's" used for a simple plural is wrong.
3. Dangling Modifiers
"Having reviewed the literature, the gap became clear." Who reviewed the literature? The gap? This should read: "Having reviewed the literature, I identified a clear gap."
4. Subject-Verb Disagreement
"The results of the study shows..." β incorrect. The subject is "results" (plural), so it should be "show." Do not be misled by a singular noun that appears between the subject and verb.
5. Overusing the Passive Voice
Academic writing tolerates more passive voice than other genres, but overuse creates weak, unclear prose. "It was found that..." β "The study found that..." is more direct and easier to read.
6. Incorrect Use of "Which" vs "That"
"That" introduces restrictive clauses (essential to meaning). "Which" introduces non-restrictive clauses (added information, set off by commas). "The essay that received the highest mark used active voice" vs "The essay, which was submitted late, still received a pass."
7. Run-On Sentences
Long is not the same as complex. A run-on sentence joins multiple ideas without adequate punctuation or conjunctions. When a sentence exceeds 40 words, consider whether it can be broken up without losing meaning.
8. Inconsistent Tense
Academic writing about past research uses past tense ("Smith (2019) found..."). Writing about enduring facts uses present tense ("Water freezes at 0Β°C"). Do not switch between them within the same section without reason.