l2 Grammar

Common
Writing Errors
Learning to identify and correct common writing errors
can elevate your writing and make it more clear, concise,
and impactful. This presentation focuses on four
common errors: run-on sentences, sentence fragments,
redundancies, and lack of parallelism.
EFREN B. ASTROLOGO JR.
ENGLISH
What are run-ons
sentences?
• A run-on sentences or a “fused sentence”
occurs when two or more independent clauses
(also known as complete sentences) are
connected improperly.
Example of run-on
sentence.
• Run-on: I was hungry I ate lunch.
Correction #1:
I was hungry. I ate lunch.
Correction #2:
I was hungry; I ate lunch.
Correction #3:
I was hungry, so I ate lunch.
TYPES OF RUN-ON
SENTENCES
1. IC 1 + IC 2 (comma splice)
2. IC 1 + transitional expression +
IC 2
3. IC + IC (pronoun for same noun
in IC)
1. IC 1 + IC 2 (COMMA SPLICE)
Independe + , Independe
nt clauses + nt clauses
You were you were

Romeo ,
throwing
pebbles.
2. IC 1 + TRANSITIONAL
EXPRESSIONhowever,
+ IC 2
Independe + moreover, Independe
nt clauses + therefore, nt clauses
meanwhile,
indeed, then, also,
subsequently,
You were , moreover, you were

Romeo throwing
pebbles.
3. IC + IC (PRONOUN FOR
SAME NOUN IN IC)
+ , Independe
Independe
+ nt clauses
nt clauses
This love is , it’s real.

difficult
FIXING A RUN-ON
SENTENCE
1.+ conjunction
2.Comma ➡️semicolon
3.Comma ➡️period
4.+ subordinating conjunction
OPTION + CONJUNCTION
1
Coordinator
For
And
Nor
But
Or
Yet
So
You were Romeo,

and you were throwing
pebbles.
You were Romeo, and you were throwing
pebbles.
OPTION Comma ➡️semicolon
2
, you were throwing pebbles.

You were Romeo
You were Romeo
; you were throwing pebbles.
You were Romeo
; moreove you were
throwing pebbles.
r,
OPTION Comma ➡️period
3
. You were throwing pebbles.

You were Romeo
You were Romeo.
Moreove you were throwing
pebbles. r,
OPTION+ subordinating conjunction
4
Subordinati Independent Independe
ng Clause nt
+ clauses
Conjunctio
Thisn,love is difficult, it’s real.
incorrect
This love is difficult; it’s real.

correct
This love is difficult, it’s real.

incorrect
Although this love is difficult, it’s real.

correct
Even if this love is difficult, it’s real.

correct
Choose the best
# 1.sentence
A. You’ll be the prince; meanwhile, I’ll be the princess.
B. You’ll be the prince, and I’ll be the princess.
C. You’ll be the prince: I’ll be the princess.
Correct: You’ll be the prince; meanwhile, I’ll be the

princess.
# 2.
A. I talked to your dad. so go pick out a white dress.
B. I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress.
C. Since I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress.
Correct: Since I talked to your dad, go pick out a white

dress.
PA R RA L L E L I
SM
WORDS FORMS, PHRASES, OR CLAUSES WITHIN

A S E N T E N C E S H O U L D B E M AT C H I N G T O I M P R OV E
CLARITY
Parallelism: definition and importance
Parallelism is the use of similar grammatical
structures to express related ideas. It improves
clarity, readability, and the overall impact of your
writing.
Clarity Readability Impact
Parallel structures help Parallelism makes Parallelism strengthens

readers understand the writing more enjoyable your writing and creates
relationships between to read. a more memorable
ideas. impression.
WORD FORMS
To To
Jeehan is doing her best to learn new things and

(pass)
to pass
________ the Exam.
WORD FORMS
+ ing + ing
Irishel is focused on learning new things and
(pass)
passing
________ Exam.
PARTS OF SPEECH
Mohaimen will get a high

ad ad
score. j j
ad
He
X
is focused,
hardworki
learn,
j
and
eager to
ng.
working hard.
PARTS OF SPEECH
Rachelle enjoys reading

books x
watching movie.
more than (watch a movie)
_________
QUICK QUIZ
entertaining
1. Our new puppy is tiny , cute, and it entertained.
creating content
2. Ian likes making jokes, content creation, and acting.
Spending time
3. Devine used to enjoy playing dress-up with her nieces as well as quality
time with her nephews.
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS? Redundanc
ies
Don’t allow and give permission to your
past Same meaning Same meaning
Same meaning
Same meaning
history to completely destroy your
coming future.
Don’t allow your past to destroy your future
REDUNDAN
CY
E XC E E D I N G W H AT I S N E C E SS A RY O R N O R M A L ;
U S I N G M O R E W O R D S T H A T N E C E S S A R Y.
REDUNDANCY
Redundancy in writing is the unnecessary repetition

or duplication of words, phrases, sentences, ideas
and information etc. - anything that could be
omitted without loss of significance or meaning.
Example:
We also went to Cambodia too.
TYPES OF REDUNDANCY
1.Lexical Redundancy:
1. This occurs when words with similar meanings are used together unnecessarily.
For example, “burning fire” or “end result.”
2.Syntactic Repetition:
1. Involves unnecessary words, sentence structures, or grammatical elements that
add nothing meaningful to a text.
2. For instance, phrases like “close proximity” or “final outcome.”
3.Logical Redundancy:
1. Happens when an idea or concept is repeated unnecessarily.
2. An example would be saying “free gift” or “end result” (since “gift” and “result”
already imply the idea).
COMMON REDUNDANCY
• End result
• Future plans
• Past memories
• moral lesson
• HIV virus
• I woke up at 7 a.m. in the morning.
• Now, I am currently working.
• She’s a liar and doesn’t tell the truth.
EXCESSIVELY DESCRIBING SOMETHING
“He was a young boy, a child in fact. As a four-year-old kid, he was not yet an
adult. Because he was a child, he played with other children. He didn’t have any
adult friends because he was not yet an adult. He was 48 months old, which is 12
months more than 36 and one year more than three. He was young at heart and
in age. He was not yet old, for he was born only four years ago.”
USING TWO (OR MORE)
WORDS/PHRASES THAT BOTH
SERVE THE SAME PURPOSE
• We also need to consider the impact of

environmentalism as well.
OTHER FORMS OF REDUNDANCY
(TECHNICAL REDUNDANCY,
UNCREATIVE REPETITION, ETC.)
Foucault (1977:24) argues scholars must ‘rid [them]selves of the

illusion that penality is above all (if not exclusively) a means of
reducing crime’ (Foucault, 1977:24).
YOUR TURN
•The small dwarf was shockingly

surprised by the evident
appearance of the enormous
giant.
F RA G M E N T S
A S E N T E N C E F RA G M E N T I S A G R O U P O F W O R DS T H AT A P P E A R S T O B E A S E N T E N C E
D U E T O C A P I TA L I Z AT I O N A N D P U N C T U AT I O N , B U T I T L AC K S T H E N E C E S S A RY
C O M P O N E N T S T O F O R M A C O M P L E T E T H O U G H T. S P E C I F I C A L LY , A S E N T E N C E F R A G M E N T
IS MISSING ONE OF THREE CRITICAL ELEMENTS: A SUBJECT, A VERB, OR A COMPLETE
IDEA.
Here are some examples:
Walking down the street. (Missing a subject or verb)

(Missing a subject or verb)
Before the movie starts.
Because he was late. (Missing a subject or verb)
To fix sentence fragments, you can either provide the missing components or attach
them to an independent clause.
Original fragment: “Because of the rain. (Incomplete)

Revised: Because of the rain, the party was canceled. (Complete)
Sentence fragments examples and correction
Missing verb Missing subject Incomplete
thought
Fragment Fragment Fragment
sentence: sentence: sentence:
A time of wonder Shows no Because it was
and amazement. improvement in raining.
your efficiency.
Revisions: Revisions: Revisions:

That was a time The evaluation We cancelled the
of wonder and shows no picnic because it
amazement. improvement in was raining.
Sentence fragments examples and correction
Sentence fragments Complete sentence
Running through the park.

I was running through the
park.
After finishing my After finishing my
homework. homework, I watched TV.
Without my hesitation.
Without any hesitation, she
jumped into the pool.
THANK
YOU!

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Common

EFREN B. ASTROLOGO JR.

You were you were

You were , moreover, you were

This love is , it’s real.

You were Romeo,

, you were throwing pebbles.

. You were throwing pebbles.

This love is difficult; it’s real.

This love is difficult, it’s real.

Although this love is difficult, it’s real.

Even if this love is difficult, it’s real.

Correct: You’ll be the prince; meanwhile, I’ll be the

Correct: Since I talked to your dad, go pick out a white

WORDS FORMS, PHRASES, OR CLAUSES WITHIN

Clarity Readability Impact

Parallel structures help Parallelism makes Parallelism strengthens

Jeehan is doing her best to learn new things and

Mohaimen will get a high

Rachelle enjoys reading

Redundancy in writing is the unnecessary repetition

• We also need to consider the impact of

Foucault (1977:24) argues scholars must ‘rid [them]selves of the

•The small dwarf was shockingly

Walking down the street. (Missing a subject or verb)

Original fragment: “Because of the rain. (Incomplete)

Revisions: Revisions: Revisions:

Sentence fragments Complete sentence

Running through the park.

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