Basic Grammar and Punctuation   Tags: apostrophes, capitals, commas, commonly confused words, complex sentences, compound sentences, grammar, pronoun antecedent error, pronoun tense error, proofread, run-on sentences, sentence fragments, simple sentences, subject verb agreement, verb tense er  

Explore gramar with these fun websites. They're off-the-wall practice, even raising money for charity!

Has your instructor told you to proofread your papers? Have you run spellchecker but don't know what else to look for? This checklist can help!

Learn which common errors you make with, and then learn how to avoid them in the list below or the matching tab above.

1) Check for run-on sentences - two or more independent clauses joined without a conjunction.

2) Check for sentence fragments - A phrase or clause that is not a complete grammatical sentence.

Note - if you're having trouble with sentences, review the 3 types above - Simple, Compound, and Complex.

3) Check to make sure you have used the correct verb:

• Does your verb agree with your subject?
• Do you stay in the same tense throughout?

4) Check that you use pronouns correctly.

• Is it clear who or what you refer to?
• Have you used the correct form?
  

5) Check for commonly confused words such as their, there, and they're.

6) Check your punctuation. Try circling every punctuation mark on your rough draft to make it stand out as you read it.

• Check for too many commas or not enough. How about quotation marks or semi-colons?
  
• Check that apostrophes show possessive instead of plural.
• Have you capitalized only proper names?