Download ENG 85 Patterns of Error Chart Pierce College Use this chart to keep

ENG 85
Patterns of Error Chart
Pierce College
Use this chart to keep track of the types of errors you make in your writing. Use tally marks to show the amount of errors
you have of each type. Fill out the column that corresponds to the writing sample that you are revising. At the end of the
semester, you should have accumulated enough data about your weak points in writing.
Error Type
WS1
WS2
WS3
WS4
WS5
WS6
Sentence Structure
Word Order
Fragment
Comma Splice
Run-On
Word Order
Spelling
Comma
Period
Apostrophe
Question Mark
Capital Letter
Verb Tense
Verb Form
Word Form
S/V Agreement
Word Missing
Pronoun
Plural/Sing.
Article
Preposition
SYMBOLS
Frag: Fragment- An incomplete sentence, such as “because my dog ate my homework” was used to function as a complete
sentence. This sentence needs another clause to make it complete, such as “I can’t turn in my homework because my dog at it.”
RO: Run-On sentence- Two incomplete sentences were joined without punctuation or a conjunction (FANBOY), such as, “It is
nearly five we cannot reach town before dark.” This sentence should be, “It is nearly five o’clock. We cannot reach town before
dark” or “It is nearly five o’clock, and we cannot reach town before dark” or “It is nearly five o’clock; we cannot reach town
before dark.”
ENG 85
Patterns of Error Chart
Pierce College
CS: Comma Splice- A comma was used to separate two independent clauses. A period, semi-colon, or a comma + FANBOYS
should have been used. For example, “I want to buy an Xbox, I can’t because I’m broke” could be, “I want to buy an Xbox, but I
can’t because I’m broke.”
SS: Sentence Structure- The structure of your entire sentence does not follow the proper Subj. + Verb + Obj. format. For
example, “Go to the store is what she wanted to do” should be, “She wanted to go to the store.” Or perhaps you have combined
sentences incorrectly, such as in “Even though I like grammar, but it is hard for me to learn.” It should be “Even though I like
grammar, it is hard for me to learn.”
Frag: Fragment- Incomplete sentence. The sentence is missing a subject, a verb, or a complete thought.
CS: Comma Splice- Two sentences are connected with a comma. A comma should not connect sentences. It should be a period
instead.
RO: Run-On- Two sentences are connected without any punctuation. A period should separate them.
WO: Word Order- The order of words is incorrect. For example, “Why you are yelling?” should be “Why are you yelling?”
???: Not Comprehensible- This sentence is not comprehensible. There seems to be a major sentence structure or word choice
error, and it needs to be completely revised.
C: Comma- You are missing a comma or have used one and should not have.
AP: Apostrophe- An apostrophe to show a contraction or possession was used incorrectly or is missing.
QM: You used a question mark inappropriately or need one.
CAP: Capitals- You are missing a capital letter or used one incorrectly.
S: Spelling- A word is misspelled; for example, “piza” should be “pizza.”
VT: Verb Tense- The wrong verb tense was used. For example, simple present, simple past, simple future, etc. all relate to verb
tense. “I’m buy milk at the store yesterday.” This sentence is incorrect because the verb should be in the past tense form.
VF: Verb Form- The wrong form of the verb was used. “I have eating a lot last week.” This sentence is incorrect because the
verb form should be “eaten” since that is the past participle of the verb “eat.”
WF: Word Form- The wrong form of the word was used. “My mother is very intelligence,” is incorrect because the wrong form
of the word was used. It should be the adjective form, which is “intelligent.”
S/V: Subject/Verb Agreement- Incorrect subject and verb agreement, such as “They is coming.” The correct form is “They are
coming.”
WM: Word Missing- A word is missing. (This does not include articles or prepositions.)
PRO: Pronoun-Incorrect pronoun used. “Him and I are friends” should be “He and I are friends.” Or this might mean that there
is an error with pronoun agreement. For example, “Everyone put their keys on the table” should be “Everyone put his or her
keys on the table.”
ART: Article- Either it is missing or incorrectly used. “She bought new cell phone” should be “She bought a new cell phone.”
(These will be counted the same as Sing/PL errors.)
Sing/PL: Singular or Plural- “I love English homeworks” should be “I love English homework”
(These will be counted the same as articles.)
Prep: Preposition-The wrong preposition is used. For example, “The money is to me” should be “the money is for me.”
OK: My mistake- I made an editing mistake, and you are right!