Common English Language Mistakes
In academic writing, writers tend to make the same language mistakes over and over again. These mistakes reduce the quality of your work and you readers will find it difficult to understand. Once you analyze these mistakes and learn how to avoid them, your papers will take a positive turn. They will not only feel more polished but they will also be easier for your reader to grasp.
In this article, we discuss common mistakes made in academic writing and how to fix them.
Table of Contents
- Spelling Mistakes
- Adjectives
- Word Choice
- Capitalization
- Conjunctions and Linking Terms
- Nouns and Noun Phrases
- Pronouns
- Prepositions
- Punctuating Numbers
- Quantifiers
- Citations
- Verbs and Phrasal Verbs
- Commonly Confused Words
1. Spelling Mistakes
Spellcheck features catch many spelling mistakes. However, you cannot entirely rely on them as some words are still frequently misspelled.
Incorrect Correct
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Acheive Achieve
Benifit Benefit
Consious Conscious
Definately Definitely
Dependant Dependent
Existance Existence
Homogenus Homogenous
Imediate Immediate
Ocassionally Occasionally
Payed Paid
Posses Possess
Practicaly Practically
Questionaire Questionnaire
Respondant Respondent
Specificly Specifically
Succed Succeed
Wether Whether
2. Adjectives
Incorrect Correct Example
Are both similar Are similar The dresses are similar, the difference is the color.
Politic Political They must consider all political factors first.
So called So-called The so-called experts arrived quite late.
Specially Especially The girls were especially interested in the designs.
3. Word Choice
Incorrect Correct Reason
We conducted researches We conducted research Research is an uncountable noun
The amount of variables may change The number of variables For countable nouns use number
may change and amount for uncountable
nouns
A HR directive, a MRI An HR directive, an MRI Use ‘’an’’ for abbreviations
starting with vowel sounds.
The women that The women who The word ‘’who’’ is used for
people, ‘’that’’ is for things
4. Capitalization
Incorrect Correct
Results Of The Interviews Results of the interviews or Results of the Interviews
5. Conjunctions and Linking Terms
Incorrect Correct Example
First of all/Firstly First First, he had to run errands before heading home
However However,… However, she got into a bad accident
Like Such as Heavy rainfall is expected in northern cities
such as Oslo and Helsinki
6. Nouns and Noun Phrases
Incorrect Correct Example
Insights in Insights on The expert offered valuable insights on the topic
MNC’s, PC’s MNCs, PCs Most MNCs purchase thousands of PCs annually
One criteria One criterion Out of the many criteria stated, one criterion
stood out
Research conclusion Research conclusions Chapter 8 contains the research conclusions
Two hypothesis Two hypotheses The research paper contains many hypotheses
Taxi’s, umbrella’s Taxi, umbrellas It’s common to find many lost umbrellas in taxis
Two analysis Two analyses The team made several analyses although one
analysis was the most accurate
The childs behavior, the The child’s behavior, Although the child’s behavior was aggressive, the
parents attitude the parents’ attitude parents’ attitude was quite calm
7. Pronouns
Incorrect Correct Example
A person…his A person…their Researchers should cite their sources
A person…his or her A researcher should cite his or her sources
You… One… If one reads the book, one may be convinced
8. Prepositions Or Prepositional Phrases
Incorrect Correct Example
Besides, next to In addition to In addition to building a hall, the minister also
provided meals to the students
From…till From…to From the ages of 12 to 18
In the light of In light of The class was postponed in light of the meeting
Per By The students were grouped by grades
To what extend To what extent It’s unknown to what extent the damage had
been done
9. Punctuating Numbers
Incorrect Correct Example
10,000,00 10,000.00 The jacket cost $10,000.00
1960’s 1960s The evolution happened in the 1960s
10. Quantifiers
Incorrect Correct Example
A couple of A few, two or three, a handful of He added her a handful of apples
A lot of Many, much, several, a great deal of She spent much of her time sewing
11. Terms Used in Citations
Incorrect Correct Example
Et al, Et all. Et al. The mutation is thought to be widespread (Han Et al., 1999)
Et al. has Et al. have Omar Et al. have asserted that the effect is temporary
12. Verbs or Phrasal Verbs
Incorrect Correct Example
Choose Chose The researcher chose his team before the expedition
Divide in Divide into The office is divided into seven sections
Lead yesterday Led yesterday The minister’s current lead in the polls is unexpected as
his opponent led throughout last month
Make a photo Take a photo The timer was set to take photos at intervals of 20
minutes
Send yesterday Sent yesterday The invites were sent to the whole family
13. Commonly Confused Words
Which one to use? Correct Difference
Affect vs effect The effect was strong; the drug affected all the patients Effect- noun
Affect-verb
Personnel vs personal The company’s personnel were advised to discuss their Personnel-noun
personal issues more often Personal-adjective
Principal vs principle The principal speaker focused on the students’ principles Principal-adjective
Principle-noun
Were vs where Where were you? Were-verb
Where-adjective
Awhile vs a while She had to rest awhile because the doctor was coming in Awhile-for a
a while period of time
A while-a
period of time
Use to vs used to He used to work at the firm, be he did not use to feel stressed Used to-verb
Use to-used
with did/didn’t
Empathy vs sympathy I feel sympathy for the family, it’s hard to be empathetic when Sympathy-is
you haven’t been in the same situation compassion for
someone else
Empathy-ability
to relate
Who vs whom I’m not sure who is in charge of the supplies, it depends on Who-pronoun
whom you ask (subject)
Whom-pronoun
(object)
Bear vs bare The bear ran through the bare apartment after the door was Bare-exposed
left open Bear-animal
Then vs than I was visiting my sister then. I like the area more than the new Then-that time
one Than-compare
Apart vs a part The twins were born two minutes apart, when one of the is Apart-distance gone, it feels like a part of the other is missing