10 common mistakes in written English and how to deal with them

Original author: Brett Johnson
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In the last couple of years, I decided to actively take up the improvement of my English - I wanted to look for foreign customers on sites like Upwork, but the level of written communication was not up to par. As it turned out, there are quite a few subtle points that are not always obvious to a non-native speaker.

I actively studied the topic and found an interesting article on the TextlyAI project blog - it lists 10 common mistakes that people make when writing in English and how to fix them. I have prepared an adapted translation of this material.

So, here are some common mistakes in written English:

1. People confuse words


Even native speakers can sometimes confuse words: if you carefully read some interviews on English-language sites, it will become clear that this does not happen so rarely. There can be several reasons for such errors:

Words look alike


Then and than are a typical example, as is of and off. This and these are also often confused. It is necessary to notice such words and clearly know the difference between them.

Homophones


In English, there are, without exaggeration, hundreds of examples of homophones, that is, words that sound the same but have different meanings and are pronounced differently. Very, very often problems arise with there and their - even native speakers make mistakes in the use of these words. Other classic examples are to and too, and where and wear. Moreover, although these words do not sound very similar, many non-carriers sometimes confuse where and were when they were written.

To identify such words, you need to be careful when writing - unfortunately, there are no other easy ways.

2. False friends


One of the main sources of errors when using written English by non-native speakers is the need to translate thoughts from their native language into a foreign one. Often this causes syntax problems, but often words are just used differently in different languages. The problem of the so-called false friends is also important - words that look similar in both languages, but in fact are used very differently.

There are a lot of them, for example, if you compare English with languages ​​descended from Latin. A typical example of a false friend in their case is actually the word. In many languages, it denotes a concept that can be translated in English by the word current. But in English, currently means "right now." As a result, foreigners may misuse Actually - it is better to use it in sentences that contain clarification. For instance:
Actually, I'm a teacher, not a nurse. | Actually, I'm a teacher, not a nurse.

3. Punctuation errors


With this, problems arise far from only for people for whom English is not their native language. There are very few people in the world who are really well versed in English punctuation and can correctly use all the punctuation marks. However, there are a number of simple rules, following which instantly improves the situation. First of all, you should not confuse the period and comma - it sounds pretty obvious, but compared to the same Russian language, there is a big difference.

A comma in English indicates a pause in a sentence, and a dot means a full stop, that is, the completion of a thought. In many languages, a comma is used where only a dot is suitable in English. For instance:
I have never been to Italy, I am going next summer. | I have never been to Italy, I will go next summer.
Since there is no connection between the two parts of the sentence, a comma is not enough. If the sentence does not use union, then only a point is needed.
I have never been to Italy. I am going next summer.
I have never been to Italy but I am going next summer.
And, of course, it is important to monitor the use of capital letters - many forget them at the beginning of sentences, and also write various names with a small letter.

4. Excessive use of quotation marks


Quotation marks should only be used if you are quoting someone. They are not used to highlight words. Although they can be used to convey sarcasm. For instance:
Have an “awesome” day. | Have a great day
Such a proposal will confuse any native speaker - he will think that he missed some joke. If the goal is to highlight the word, then the appropriate definition should be used:
Have a really awesome day.

5. Problems with the antecedent


Who is the proposal talking about? The question is actually quite important - errors when using the antecedent (that is, the previous member of the relationship) lead to confusion, it is difficult for the reader to understand who exactly performs the action in the sentence. Here is an example:
Tom and Jerry went to the park, but he lost his wallet. | Tom and Jerry went to the park, but he lost his wallet.
In this sentence, both Tom and Jerry are antecedents, and the pronoun he should clearly indicate who it is. But there are two male representatives, and he is used only once - this does not work like that.
Tom and Jerry went to the park, but Jerry lost his wallet.
Tom and Jerry went to the park, but the latter lost his wallet.
Now the reader will be able to understand exactly who lost the wallet.

6. Errors when using add-ons


It doesn't sound easy, but it's really easy. It is always important to make sure that the words you use in a phrase or sentence complement each other. The easiest way to illustrate this is with examples:
The people is happy.
Sally like pizza.
Both examples are erroneous - they use incorrect additions. People is a plural word, and Sally is a single person. Accordingly, it will be correct like this:
The people are happy.
Sally likes pizza.
Simple mistakes, but if you hurry up and do not re-read what is written, making them is very simple.

7. Errors in the use of modifiers


Modifiers are optional words that are used to change (modify) the elements of a phrase or sentence. If you put the modifier in the wrong place, be in trouble:
Fortunately my sister was in a crash, but she is OK. | Fortunately, my sister had an accident, but did not suffer.
It looks like you don't really love your sister.
My sister was in a crash, but fortunately she is OK. | My sister had an accident, but fortunately everything worked out
So much better!

8. Excessive use of dots


Dots indicate significant pauses, but you should not use them out of place in the desire to catch up with more drama. Text with lots of dots looks weird, and sentences seem incomplete.

If you definitely want to use the ellipsis, then use it in a sentence that is clearly incomplete, or in a quotation, part of which is omitted.
“I don’t know, what will you do if ...” (It can be assumed, for example, that the speaker was interrupted, so he could not finish the sentence.)
“Tomorrow, after many years of waiting, we will be married.”
With much desire, this quote can be reduced using the ellipsis:
“Tomorrow ... we will be married.”
In these examples, the ellipsis is separated from other parts of the sentence by a space. In fact, this is not necessary - there are no clear rules that always require you to do this.

9. Syntax errors


Another type of error, the root of which lies in the need for translation. Very simple - there are very few languages ​​in which, when translating, words line up in a sentence in the same positions. As a result, a situation often occurs when a sentence is obtained from English words, but not a sentence in English.

Classic:
No is good to be too confident.
In English, this is an incomprehensible set of words. There is no subject, and therefore no proposal.

Something like this is needed:
It isn't good to be too confident or
Being too confident isn't good
This is just the tip of the iceberg of syntax errors. You can minimize their number only by studying the structure of simple English sentences and not using literal translation from your native language.

10. Difficulties with paragraphs


Another difficult moment. A new paragraph should begin where a discussion of a new thought begins, or some changes occur in aspects of the previously described idea. Thus, it is impossible to predict the length of a paragraph in advance, just as it is impossible to focus only on the length. It is clear that writing paragraphs with 200+ words is not worth it, but up to this limit paragraphs are quite entitled to exist.

Take a look at an example:
People have been eating pizza for many years, and the pizza as we know it today really became popular with the import of tomatoes to Europe in the 16th century. Originally a peasant food due to its simplicity and economy of cost, the pizza soon caught the imagination of the aristocracy too. Although pizza may not appear to have many obvious health benefits, this really depends on the amount of dough and ultimately cheese that is used, and there is no limit to the types of ingredients that can be used as toppings. Some traditionalists may disagree, however, that pineapple is a suitable ingredient, whatever the situation!
See where you can break this large paragraph into two smaller ones?
People have been eating pizza for many years, and the pizza as we know it today really became popular with the import of tomatoes to Europe in the 16th century. Originally a peasant food due to its simplicity and economy of cost, the pizza soon caught the imagination of the aristocracy too.

Although pizza may not appear to have many obvious health benefits, this really depends on the amount of dough and ultimately cheese that is used, and there is no limit to the types of ingredients that can be used as toppings. Some traditionalists may disagree, however, that pineapple is a suitable ingredient, whatever the situation!
Much better!

Conclusion


The main advice for improving written English is to always think about the reader. It is important to re-read what is written and put yourself in the place of the one who sees this text. Is it easy to understand the ideas presented? If the answer is yes, then it means that at the minimum level you have achieved your goal and managed to write a good text.

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