The document discusses the common mistakes made by English language learners in writing, highlighting mechanical, grammar, and usage errors. It emphasizes that while mistakes are a natural part of language acquisition, they should be addressed appropriately without excessive focus. It also outlines strategies for teachers to help students improve their writing skills, particularly in subject-specific contexts.

1. LEARNER ERRORS
Understanding mistakes in written language
Learning a language involves becoming proficient in the four skills of
speaking, listening, reading and writing. Mistakes are an inevitable part
of this process and neither the teacher nor the student should become
fixated on them. It is useful for both, however, to have an understanding
of the variety of typical errors in written English, since these are the
most amenable to correction. Written errors can be categorized as errors
of mechanics, grammar and usage.
Mechanical Errors
Mechanical mistakes are those of orthography (spelling and
capitalization) and punctuation. Everyone who writes in English makes
such mistakes, whether native speaker or ESL student. In many cases
mechanical errors are the consequence of quick writing where the focus
is on the content rather than the form. Although English spelling is
difficult, it is possible with diligent use of a dictionary and/or computer
spellcheck for every writer to eradicate all or almost all of the spelling
mistakes in a piece of writing.
As far as punctuation is concerned, there are a very few occasions when
a non-native speaker is more prone to make a mistake than a native
speaker (for example, the German student who puts a comma before
the subordinate clause in reported speech.*) The most common
punctuation mistakes, however, arise when the student does not
correctly end a sentence (producing either a fragment or a run-on.)
These are typical of immature writers who do not understand the
concept of a sentence, and are neither more nor less likely to be found
in an ESL student's work.
Mechanical errors seldom interfere with comprehension, but can reflect
negatively on the writer, particularly in formal/academic settings.
Mainstream teachers can be sure that ESL teachers will have identified
students who make a large number of mechanical errors and will be
working with those students to rectify the problem. Mainstream teachers

2. are probably best advised not to make a big issue of general mechanical
errors but it is not unreasonable for them to insist on the correct spelling
of the key subject-specific words that are currently being learned by the
whole class - photosynthesis, deforestation, hypothesis, etc. These
words will no doubt have been written on the board and will appear in
class and homework worksheets.
* "Reagan said, that the USSR was an evil empire."
Grammar mistakes rarely occur in native speakers' writing but very
commonly do in the work of less proficient ESL students, whose mother-
tongue "interferes" with the production of correct English*. ESL students
make numerous mistakes in the use of verbs (for example, incorrect
tense choice, incorrect tense form), the articles (a/an, the - particularly
Asian students in whose languages these words do not exist), and word
order.
* A typical interference mistake of a German learner of English is: "I am
here since 2 weeks" instead of "I have been here for two weeks". A
further example is: "I tell you tomorrow" instead of "I'll tell you
tomorrow."
Grammar Errors
Grammar mistakes in writing occasionally disrupt comprehension, but
usually they do not. The student who writes "I putted beaker on tripod",
for example, will have conveyed his meaning perfectly intelligibly. Since
there is no clear evidence that ESL students benefit from correction of
grammar mistakes, even in contexts where the explicit focus of the
teaching is grammar, the mainstream teacher is advised not to make a
big fuss about such mistakes in pieces of science or history homework,
etc. Such mistakes will disappear as the learner's interlanguage (implicit
grammar system) begins to approximate the intuitive grammatical
knowledge of a native speaker.
On the other hand, there is no reason why it could not be made clear to
ESL students who are writing an account of a historical event, for

3. example, that they are expected to write verbs in the past simple tense,
and mistakes in this aspect of their homework will be identified.
Usage Error
Usage mistakes A usage mistake is a word or a string of words in a
sentence that is grammatically possible*, but not usual in standard
English. Hence native speakers rarely make usage mistakes, but ESL
students very often do. Such mistakes frequently occur in ESL students'
work when they look up a word in their own language and select the
wrong English equivalent for the meaning they wish to express.
Conversely, failure to use the dictionary can result in the false friends
usage mistake. For example, kontollieren in German means to check
(over), so the following problem in the German student's writing is not
surprising: "It is important to control (i.e. check) the results carefully."
Faulty usage in larger passages of writing is often the consequence of
the attempt to render word-for-word into English the mental or written
version that the ESL student has in the native tongue. It is such mistakes
in an ESL student's work that can make it difficult to understand what
meaning is being conveyed.
Usage mistakes, like grammar mistakes, are not particularly susceptible
to eradication by direct correction. And like grammar mistakes they will
eventually disappear, particularly if the student reads extensively in
English. However, the mainstream teacher is advised to alert an ESL
student to usage mistakes in the way he or she conveys a meaning that
is common or integral to the subject. For example: "The dictator was
thrown over (overthrown) in a people's revolt
Of course, a student may turn in a piece of written work that contains
no mistakes of mechanics, grammar or usage, but is a long way from
meriting a good grade. This is usually because the student has not
understood or complied with the writing task, has given no thought to
organization and structure, has made no effort to string sentences
together in a coherent way, has plagiarized, and so on.

4. Most mistakes of mechanics, grammar and usage will disappear
automatically as the ESL student becomes more proficient in English, so
mainstream teachers need not focus too much attention on them.
However, it is a primary task of the mainstream teacher to help ESL
students (indeed all students) to improve in the more fundamental
aspects of writing well, as listed in the previous paragraph. This applies
particularly to subject-specific genres such as lab reports, persuasive
essays, critical assessments of historical figures, etc.
The Eleven Most Common Errors in Student Writing
1.John felt badly when he received a low grade on the final
examination.
Adjective/adverb confusion
-The statement means the mechanism that allows you to feel is broken.
-feel, smell, taste—the word following these verbs describes the subject
( a noun or pronoun), not the verb.
-“Badly” here refers to the verb “felt,” which implies that John’s ability to
feel is impaired.
Corrected version: John felt bad when he received a low grade
on the final examination.
2. There are no secrets between Mary and I.
Pronoun case
-Mary and me—me is the object of the preposition between; prepositions
are followed by the object form of pronouns
-You should be able to take out the words “Mary and” and still be able to
read the sentence.
-Cut out the name; would you use I or me?
Corrected version: There are no secrets between Mary and me.

5. 3.One of the many students who come from the Scandinavian countries
are enrolled in my composition class.
Subject-verb agreement
-One is singular; are is plural.
-A singular subject (one) should be followed by a singular verb (is, not
are)
-Prepositional phrases (of the many students) are not an important part
of the sentence when looking at verb agreement; the main idea (S + V)
is One is enrolled.
Corrected version: One of the many students who come from
the Scandinavian countries is enrolled in my composition class.
4. Trygve can’t hardly get out of bed for his 8:00 class.
Double negative
--two negatives in a row—can’t hardly
-“Hardly” is already negative—either He can hardly or He can’t.
-The sentence literally (or mathematically) means that Trygve can easily
get out of bed; two negatives = a positive
Corrected version: Trygve can hardly get out of bed for his 8:00
class.
5.Entering the bakery, the smell of fresh pastries and coffee
overwhelmed her.
Dangling construction
-It sounds like “the smell of fresh pastries and coffee” is “entering the
bakery.”
-As a reader, I am unclear as to what was entering the bakery—a woman
or a smell?

6. -The actor of the sentence must be at the beginning of the independent
clause.
Corrected version: Entering the bakery, she was overwhelmed
by the smell of fresh pastries and coffee.
6.In Strindberg’s Miss Julie an aristocratic woman pays a nighttime visit
to the servants’ quarters and slept with the family valet.
Verb tense shift
-Pick a verb tense and stick with it; present tense is the standard for
writing about literature.
-Avoid verb tense changes—The woman pays/ The woman sleeps.
-Verb tenses should stay consistent within a sentence.
Corrected version: In Strindberg’s Miss Julie an aristocratic
woman pays a nighttime visit to the servants’ quarters and
sleeps with the family valet.
7.The Senator voted for the health care bill to the delight of the
opposition. Although he had to admit that there were certain provisions
with which he disagreed.
Sentence fragment
-Although indicates that the segment following should be joined to the
main clause.
-Things that sound like afterthoughts or additions are rarely complete
sentences.
-These two ideas can be combined to form one complex sentence;
otherwise, the second clause is a fragment.
Corrected version: The Senator voted for the health care bill to
the delight of the opposition although he had to admit there
were certain provisions with which he disagreed.

7. 8.Dairy farmers should of received a larger subsidy from the Federal
government because of the increased cost of operation.
Wrong verb form
-This sentence should read “should have” because “of” is a phonetic way
of saying “have” in spoken English.
-Should’ve = should have
-“Of” is a preposition while “should have” is a helping or auxiliary verb.
Corrected version: Dairy farmers should have received a larger
subsidy from the Federal government because of the increased
cost of operation.
9.Anne rode her bicycle to the meeting in the -40 temperatures,
everyone else either drove or stayed home
Comma splice
-A comma doesn’t correctly join two sentences (or two independent
clauses).
-You have two complete sentences here; use a semi-colon or a period
rather than a comma.
-There is no putting two sentences together with just a comma.
Corrected version: Anne rode her bicycle to the meting in the -
40 temperatures; everyone else either drove or stayed home.
10.Warren and Alice spent at least $5000 on their Hawaiian vacation the
trip could have been less expensive if they had stayed at hotels away
from the beach.
Run-on sentence
-A new subject and a new verb after “vacation” – a new sentence
-There are two complete sentences here not separated by punctuation.

8. -This sentence contains two complete thoughts without the necessary
punctuation.
Corrected version: Warren and Alice spent at least $5000 on
their Hawaiian vacation; the trip could have been less
expensive if they had stayed at hotels away from the beach.
11. Ellen quit her job not only because of the long commute but also
because she did not respect her supervisor.
(Lack of) Parallel construction
-If you want to use not only … but also, the word group following each
part (phrase or clause) must be parallel in construction.
-Because + Prepositional phrase is grammatically different from because
+ S + V.
-Match the form of items joined by coordinating conjunctions or phrases.
Corrected version: Ellen quit her job not only because she had a
long commute but also because she did not respect her
supervisor.
Reference
https://www.uaf.edu/english/writing-center/common-errors.php
http://esl.fis.edu/teachers/support/mistakes.htm