10 Common Grammar Mistakes in Academic Writing

Being proficient in grammar takes years of practice and needs deep knowledge. Yet, you will still end up making grammatical mistakes, and that is understandable. However, when we are talking about academic writing, you need to be exceptionally careful that you do not end up making such mistakes. This article gives you 10 common grammatical mistakes in academic writing. If you are someone who tends to make such mistakes frequently, this article will be able to help you pinpoint those mistakes and fix them.

26.10.2021

10 Common Grammar Mistakes in Academic Writing

This article discusses the common grammar mistakes in academic writing. To give you an opportunity to practice proofreading, we have left a few spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors in the text. See if you can spot them! If you spot the errors correctly, you will be entitled to a 10% discount.

Being proficient in grammar takes years of practice and needs deep knowledge. Yet, you will still end up making grammatical mistakes, and that is understandable. However, when we are talking about academic writing, you need to be exceptionally careful that you do not end up making such mistakes.

Therefore, we have here a list of 10 common grammatical mistakes that one makes while writing, editing, and proofreading. If you are someone who tends to make such mistakes frequently, this article will be able to help you pinpoint those mistakes and fix them.

Most common grammatical mistakes

Even if you are good at English, some grammatical mistakes tend to happen no matter how careful you are. Sometimes, you make a mistake without even knowing that you are making one. It takes time to practice and make changes, but before that, you need to be aware of such mistakes. Here are the top 7 common grammatical mistakes that a writer makes with or without knowing:

1. Usage of the comma in the right places

A comma is perhaps one of the most active elements when it comes to grammatical mistakes in academic writing. Many experienced writers still don’t understand when and how to use the comma correctly. A comma is a pause in a sentence that helps in conveying the meaning better. Therefore, when you don’t use a comma, you are essentially changing the meaning of the sentence.

Incorrect usage: We are going to eat Sarah.

Correct usage: We are going to eat, Sarah.

10 Common Grammar Mistakes in Academic Writing  Being proficient in #grammar takes years of practice and needs deep knowledge. Yet, you will still end up making grammatical mistakes, and that is understandable. However, when we are talking about #academic #writing, you need to be exceptionally careful that you do not end up making such mistakes. This article gives you 10 common #grammatical mistakes in #academic writing. If you are someone who tends to make such mistakes frequently, this article will be able to help you pinpoint those mistakes and fix them. https://besteditproof.com/en/academy/10-common-grammar-mistakes-in-academic-writing

2. Comma (,) vs. semi-colon (;)

A comma separates items in a list but does not distinguish two independent sentences from each other. For example:

  • Smith had never ridden on the back of a camel, he tried out of curiosity.

A semi-colon is the correct punctuation mark to use in place of the comma because both clauses are independent, with the second clause providing an explanation for the first. A comma is only appropriate in this instance if conjunction follows the comma. In which case, there would not be a need for a semi-colon.

  • Correct: Smith had never ridden on the back of a camel; he tried out of curiosity.

OR

  • Correct: Smith had never ridden on the back of a camel, so he tried out of curiosity.

3. Subject-verb agreement

Subject-verb agreement is another one of the common grammatical mistakes that many writers get confused over. This mistake is usually because of confusion over the number of subjects and verbs used in a sentence. If the subject is plural, the verb should be in plural form too, and if the subject is singular, the same applies to the verb.

Incorrect usage: There is many grammatical errors in this sentence.

Correct usage: There are many grammatical errors in this sentence.

4. Sentence fragmentation

Another very common grammatical mistake is sentence fragmentation. A sentence needs to have a noun and a verb. Fragmentation should happen only when a new idea is introduced. Other than that, there should not be any fragmentation.

Incorrect usage: You should exercise. Because it is good for your health.

Correct usage: You should exercise because it is good for your health.

5. Preposition at the end of sentences

Grammar mistakes can be tolerated and may not matter when speaking; however, for academic writing, you should be very careful. By nature, a word should follow a preposition. Therefore, using it at the end of a sentence is a mistake.

Incorrect usage: What reasons should you use editing and proofreading for?

Correct usage: For what reasons should you edit and proofread?

6. Using single quotes (‘…’) and double quotes (“…”)

The use of quotation marks is probably the most debated among all punctuation marks. The usage of single or double quotes is predominantly dependent on the preferred type of English in your text. For American English, double quotes are used consistently for all conditions where quotation marks may be needed, whereas British English prefers single quotes. Therefore, the author should be conscious of about the language to make the correct usage of both symbols.

In American English, single quotation marks should be used to enclose a quotation within a quotation and inside quotation marks should be used to place periods and commas.

In British English, single quotation marks should be used to enclose a quotation and double quotation marks should be used to enclose a quotation within a quotation. Also, outside quotation marks are used to place periods and commas.

  • American English: He said softly, “I have a headache.”

  • British English: He said softly, ‘I have a headache’.

  • American English: Many dream images were characterized as “raw,” “powerful,” and “evocative.”

  • British English: Many dream images were characterized as ‘raw’, ‘powerful’, and ‘evocative’.

grammar mistakes in academic writing

7. Incorrect use of the comma

The mistakes with the comma are extreme — one either tends to not use it at all, or they tend to overuse it. This grammatical mistake pinpoints misusing and overuse of the comma. While not using a comma in a sentence can change its meaning, using too much can confuse the reader and make the sentence too complicated to understand.

Incorrect usage: Editing is important, because it helps refine the content

Correct usage: Editing is important because it helps refine the content

8. Title capitalization

One of the most common grammatical mistakes in academic writing is the incorrect capitalization of words in the title. You need to understand when and where you should capitalize words. It is not something random, and you should pay extra attention to it, especially when you are writing in an academic field. Generally, in a title, you capitalize the first and the last words, nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. However, there are specific style guides, so depending on which you are using, you need to follow their rules.

Incorrect usage: Introduction to editing and proofreading style guides

Correct usage: Introduction to Editing and Proofreading Style Guides

9. Incorrect use of similar words

Another common grammatical mistake is using the incorrect word for the wrong purpose. There are several words in the English language that may sound similar but have a completely different meaning. These mistakes are not merely spelling errors. Most of the time, the writer is not aware that these words are different and have different meanings. Some major examples are:

  • Accept and Except

  • Farther and Further

  • Effect and Affect

Incorrect usage: The extra classes had a good affect on my studies

Correct usage: The extra classes had a good effect on my studies

10. Use of colon (:) and semi-colon (;)

These two punctuation marks are similar; they are both combinations of the period sign and comma. In using these punctuation marks, the type of language, whether American or British English, should be considered. However, apart from the subtleties based on language, the colon sign mostly follows a complete sentence before introducing a list of items, an explanation, or a quotation. The semi-colon joins two independent clauses, when the second clause elaborates the first. In most cases, when these punctuation marks are used erroneously, the semi-colon is used to precede a list of items. For example:

  • IncorrectShe bought the following items; grocery and stationery.

This is a punctuation error because the phrase after the semi-colon is not an independent clause. Rather, the appropriate use should be:

  • Correct: She bought the following items: grocery and stationery.

One of the tricky problems many authors deal with when it comes to colons is whether to capitalize the word following the colon. As with so many things in the English language, capitalization with colons can be a complex issue, and many times, it’s more of a style issue than one of correctness. For instance, according to APA style, the first word after the colon is capitalized only if it begins a complete sentence. 

In the British English variant, the first letter after a colon is capitalized when it is a proper noun or an acronym; in the American English variant, the first word after a colon is sometimes capitalized when it begins a complete sentence.

Common grammatical mistakes — conclusion

Grammatical mistakes are pretty common, and these are some of the most common of the lot. However, these mistakes can easily be avoided. You just need to realize the error and rectify it. After all, practice is what makes you perfect.

If you need us to make your Ph.D. thesis or manuscript shine, contact us unhesitatingly!

Best Edit & Proof expert editors and proofreaders focus on offering manuscripts with proper tone, content, and style of academic writing, and also provide an upscale editing and proofreading service for you. If you consider our pieces of advice, you will witness a notable increase in the chance for your research manuscript to be accepted by the publishers. We work together as an academic writing style guide by bestowing subject-area editing and proofreading around several categorized writing styles. With the group of our expert editors, you will always find us all set to help you identify the tone and style that your manuscript needs to get a nod from the publishers.

Thesis/dissertation/manuscript formatting service

You can also avail of our assistance if you are looking for editors who can format your manuscript, or just check on the particular styles for the formatting task as per the guidelines provided to you, e.g., APA, MLA, or Chicago/Turabian styles. Best Edit & Proof editors and proofreaders provide all sorts of academic writing help, including editing and proofreading services, using our user-friendly website, and a streamlined ordering process.

Get a free quote for editing and proofreading now!

Visit our order page if you want our subject-area editors or language experts to work on your manuscript to improve its tone and style and give it a perfect academic tone and style through proper editing and proofreading. The process of submitting a paper is very easy and quick. Click here to find out how it works.

Our pricing is based on the type of service you avail of here, be it editing or proofreading. We charge on the basis of the word count of your manuscript that you submit for editing and proofreading and the turnaround time it takes to get it done. If you want to get an instant price quote for your project, copy and paste your document or enter your word count into our pricing calculator.

Editing and proofreading skills

24/7 customer support | Live support

If you need support for editing and proofreading services, contact us. You can also e-mail us or use the 24/7 live chat module to get direct support. We have a 24/7 active live chat mode to offer you direct support along with qualified editors to refine and furbish your manuscript. Alternatively, you can text us through our WhatsApp business support line.

Common grammar mistakes

Stay tuned for updated information about editing and proofreading services!

Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn,  Facebook, Instagram, and Medium.

For more posts, click here. 

They Also Read

Academic Writing Academic Publishing
Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research
26.10.2021

Whether you are new to academics or have been around for a while, you must understand that research is a critical segment of the academic field. Therefore, it is essential to know the WHATs, WHYs, and HOWs of it. Pertaining to that, this article discusses different types of research methods that you will come across. Namely, they are — quantitative research and qualitative research. Here, we will learn what these types of research are, how they are different, and when they are used. This will be especially helpful for researchers and students who are just starting with their research.

Continue Reading
Grammar Rules Academic Writing
Importance of Punctuation Marks in Academic Writing
26.10.2021

One of the main things that any editor or proofreader looks out for while editing a piece of text is punctuation marks. The reason is simple — they can alter the meaning of your text if you do not use them correctly. It becomes even more prominent when you are writing an academic paper. In academic writing, an author may be easily misunderstood when ambiguous sentences are used. Punctuation marks mainly serve the purpose to disambiguate sentences. While literary or other types of writing will have a certain degree of freedom for using punctuation marks, academic work needs to be precise and correct. This article will cover the importance of punctuation marks in academic writing.

Continue Reading
Grammar Rules Academic Writing
Guide to Avoid Common Mistakes in Sentence Structuring
26.10.2021

Academic writing is the type of writing style that requires a lot of attention to details, rules, and regulations. Mainly used for, as you might have guessed, academic purposes, it is one of the most common writing styles for professional works. However, as regulated and strict it is, it is also easier to make mistakes here. One such very common mistake that happens all the time for several researchers is sentence structuring. Sentence structuring has always been a little tricky, academic writing or not. That is why a great emphasis is made on them during the editing and proofreading phases. This article discusses the most common sentence structuring mistakes and how you can avoid them.

Continue Reading
Academic Writing Dissertation & Thesis
How to Write a Dissertation Methodology in 7 Steps
26.10.2021

A methodology section explains the entire process of data collection and analysis based on logic and philosophy. This section is an unavoidable part of a dissertation or a research paper. Considering errors in the methodology section enervates the entire dissertation. Here, we bring you a general guide on the steps to compose a flawless methodology section for a dissertation.

Continue Reading
Academic Writing Job & Research Application
How to Write an Effective Cover Letter for a Resume: 10 Effective Tips
26.10.2021

There are several naive job seekers who waste their valuable time and energy designing their resumes instead of writing an eye-catching cover letter. It is too often people looking for a job neglect the importance of a cover letter. This article shows you 10 tips to write a persuasive cover letter for a resume and presents a short guide that will help you draft an impeccable cover letter for a resume.

Continue Reading