COMMON WRITING PROBLEMS
Name __________________________ Date __________
LESSON 1 PUNCTUATION
As You Write . . .
Activity 1.1 Using Correct Punctuation
It’s easy to overuse
commas in writing.
Make sure you have
a reason to use a
comma. Avoid using
a comma because it
sounds correct.
Directions: The following sentences are lacking punctuation. Rewrite the
sentences using the correct punctuation.
1. Jenna my favorite cousin took the pizza out of the oven and said Who
wants a slice?
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2. Miss Munson said Your quiz grades show me one thing we need to review the chapter.
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3. Looks like I’ll be working until 1100 this assignment is due tomorrow.
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4. Robert Frost’s poem Nothing Gold Can Stay is in the book The Outsiders.
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5. Spanish speaking immigrants and even those who speak a little English can gain self confidence
from that night class.
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6. Derek washed the car and then waxed it but he forgot to vacuum the inside.
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7. My grandma always used to say A stitch in time saves nine Gina said.
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8. I’ve asked you several times four to be exact to turn down that music Mrs. Blevins said.
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COMMON WRITING PROBLEMS
Name __________________________ Date __________
LESSON 2 CAPITALIZATION
As You Write . . .
Activity 2.1 Using Correct Capitalization
Directions: Rewrite the sentences using the correct capitalization.
1. My Mom’s favorite book is Gone With The Wind.
In general, nouns that
refer to specific things are
capitalized. General nouns
are not.
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2. Last autumn, two Lieutenants who served in the Vietnam war toured the west, speaking at
Universities.
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3. Tell grandma that uncle Tim’s house is just East of here.
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4. I need to finish my assignment for science and then read a chapter of the Giver for english
class.
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5. The Senator witnessed president Obama signing the bill.
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6. My neighbor graduated from King memorial high school when it was located on the Southwest
corner of main and state streets.
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7. Henry’s band played the song “Wake me up when September Ends” at the school’s Talent
Show.
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COMMON WRITING PROBLEMS
Name __________________________ Date __________
LESSON 3 VERBS
As You Write . . .
Activity 3.1 Making Subjects and Verbs Agree
Compare your subjects
to their verbs. Make sure
both are either singular
or plural. Don’t confuse
an interrupting phrase
with the subject of your
sentence.
Directions: Underline the subject of each of the following sentences.
Then underline the correct form of the verb from the choices in
parentheses.
1. An announcement about the new rules (has, have) been made.
2. Ross’s gym bag, as well as his shoes and watch, (was, were) stolen
last week.
3. A forest of evergreen trees (covers, cover) the north side of the mountain.
4. The coach, as well as several team members, (was, were) quick to protest the call.
5. A collection of all the band’s hit singles (is, are) available on one CD.
Activity 3.2 Using Correct Moods of Verbs
Directions: Correct the problems with mood in the following sentences.
1. If I was you, I’d wear safety goggles.
2. Cut off three inches of wood, and then you should sand the end with sandpaper.
3. We could travel to Arizona where we will see the Grand Canyon.
4. If we want to buy tickets, we can purchase them today.
Activity 3.3 Using Active and Passive Voice Verbs
Directions: Rewrite each sentence that you think should be in active voice. If you think that passive
voice is correct in the sentence, write C.
1. The car wash was sponsored by the Spanish club.
2. The early-dismissal announcement was made right after lunch.
3. The preschoolers were taken to see the new tiger cub at the zoo.
4. Running is not allowed in the halls.
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COMMON WRITING PROBLEMS
Name __________________________ Date __________
LESSON 4 FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ON SENTENCES
Activity 4.1 Fragments and Run-ons
Directions: The following paragraph contains several sentence
fragments and run-on sentences. Revise the paragraph so that it contains
complete sentences.
I think vending machines should be allowed in schools to help schools
As You Write . . .
Check your sentences to
see where one thought
ends and the next one
begins. Remember that
the punctuation you’ve
included should match
the thoughts you’ve
expressed.
raise money. There never seems to be enough money for education
no one wants to pay more taxes. If a school was allowed to keep a certain percentage of its vending
machine sales. That amount would add up over the school year. The money could be used for programs
that the school couldn’t afford otherwise, like extracurricular activities. This would be a way to raise
money without raising taxes students and teachers would feel good about buying food from the
machines. Because they would know that part of their money was going toward school expenses.
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COMMON WRITING PROBLEMS
Name __________________________ Date __________
LESSON 5 VERBALS
Activity 5.1 Identifying Verbals
Directions: Underline the verbal phrase in each sentence. On the line
identify it as a gerund, participle, or infinitive phrase.
1. Our plans include crossing the Rio Grande.
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As You Write . . .
Using a variety of verbal
phrases can make
your writing more
interesting. Using them
at the beginning of some
sentences can help you
vary your sentence style.
2. I have learned to find many rivers on maps.
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3. Stretching for 210 miles, the Thames River flows through southern England.
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4. The Congo, known also as the Zaire, is very long.
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5. To raft on the Colorado River is a dream of mine.
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Activity 5.2 Using Verbals
Directions: On the lines, finish the following sentences by inserting the verbal phrase indicated in
parentheses.
1. (Infinitive phrase) is a very hard thing to do.
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2. (Participial phrase), she hit a home run.
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3. I would never want (infinitive phrase).
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4. (Gerund/gerund phrase) is one of my hobbies.
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5. (Participial phrase), Margo fell and broke her leg.
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COMMON WRITING PROBLEMS
Name __________________________ Date __________
LESSON 6 POINT OF VIEW
As You Write . . .
Activity 6.1 Third-Person Point of View
Directions: The following paragraph is supposed to be written
from a third-person point of view. Circle the numbers of the
sentences that contain a point-of-view shift. In the space
above the sentence, edit the writing so it reflects the thirdperson point of view.
Look for shifts in point
of view. Maintaining a
third-person point of
view means eliminating
pronouns like I, you, and
we, and replacing them
with neutral terms such
as one, a person, or most
people.
(1) Students who participate in sports should not have to take P. E.
(2) If you’re out for a sport, you’re probably getting lots of exercise. (3) For example, I’m out for
basketball, and we have to practice every night after school for two hours! (4) Also, if athletes
were not required to take P. E., they could use that period as a study hall. (5) Sports take up
a lot of your time. (6) Besides practices, you have games a couple of times a week. (7) Finally,
students who participate in sports need all the rest they can get. (8) Making students participate
in P. E. will make them more tired and possibly open them up to more injuries. (9) I say, if you’re
out for a sport, you should be able to sit out P. E. “on the bench”!
LESSON 7 EFFECTIVE DETAILS
Activity 7.1 Vivid, Specific Words
Directions: Rewrite the following details, using the method indicated in
parentheses.
1. The coach was thrilled with her team’s performance. (Use specific
words.)
As You Write . . .
Make sure your details
provide readers with the
same “picture” that you
have in your mind.
2. Mrs. Marsalis keeps her classroom spic and span. (Avoid clichés.)
3. The puppy is so clumsy! (Provide examples.)
4. The noise from the basement scared me half to death. (Avoid clichés.)
5. My cell phone is my connection to the world. (Provide examples.)
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COMMON WRITING PROBLEMS
Name __________________________ Date __________
LESSON 8 PARALLEL STRUCTURE
Activity 8.1 Faulty Parallel Structure
Directions: Correct the faulty parallel structure in the following sentences.
1. My aunt is a talented violinist, a generous friend, and good at cooking.
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2. The driftwood was dry, smooth, and had a silvery color to it.
As You Write . . .
Check for parallel
structure by skimming
your paper, pausing
at the words and and
or. Check on each side
of these words to see
whether the items
joined are parallel. If
not, consider rewriting
them.
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3. When she enters high school, Alyssa plans to study painting, drawing, and how to make
prints.
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4. To be or not being; that is the question. —Shakespeare’s Hamlet
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5. Years later, Marcus would remember the smell of the fire and seeing the leaping flames.
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LESSON 9 PRONOUNS
Activity 9.1 Using Pronouns Correctly
Directions: Underline the correct pronouns, nouns, and verbs from the parentheses in the items
below.
1. Anyone (is, are) eligible to enter the drawing as long as (he or she, they) (attend, attends) the
school.
2. Several of the volunteers (was, were) rewarded for (his or her, their) outstanding service to the
community.
3. Either Vince or MacKenzie will ride (his or her, their) bike in the parade.
4. Some merchants offered to close (his or her, their) (store, stores) an hour early.
5. The announcement read, “All campers (is, are) responsible for making (his or her, their) (bed,
beds) every morning.”
6. If students want to succeed in college, (he or she, they) must study hard.
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COMMON WRITING PROBLEMS
Name __________________________ Date __________
LESSON 10 SENTENCE VARIETY
As You Write . . .
Activity 10.1 Editing for Sentence Variety
Directions: The following paragraph lacks sentence variety and specific
details. Rewrite the paragraph. Vary the sentences by combining specific
details and using conjunctions and subordinate clauses. Replace general
words and phrases with more specific ones.
The day was bright outside. The sun was shining. The birds were
Check your sentences
for length and structure.
Vary your sentences by
adding phrases or clauses
and by starting them
in different ways. Try
combining short, choppy
sentences for a smoother
effect and breaking up
sentences that are too
long.
singing. I walked along, thinking of all the things I was going to do that
day. In the afternoon I was going to a game with my sister, and then we were going out to eat. That
night there was a party at this one boy’s house. But before all that I had to do this school project that
involved some complicated things. So even though the day was nice, I could not really enjoy it.
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COMMON WRITING PROBLEMS
Name __________________________ Date __________
LESSON 11 TRANSITIONS
Activity 11.1 Appropriate Transitions
Directions: Read through the paragraph. Write appropriate transitions in the blanks. Possible
transitions include: for example, in fact, however, in addition, therefore, as a result, and consequently.
Your body needs special cells to fight germs; otherwise, you would be overcome by viruses and
bacteria.
, every day your body makes billions of white blood cells. These
defender cells travel throughout your bloodstream;
, they can attack germs
anywhere in your body. Some white blood cells will attack any germ along the way.
, these cells often die quickly. Other blood cells attack only a certain type of
germ. They carry special weapons called antibodies. Antibodies stick to the germs.
, they also have a kind of memory that helps them attack that kind of germ
next time it attacks your body. Your defender cells,
, sometimes need help from
outside the body. This is why vaccines were introduced. Vaccinations introduce harmless germs into
the body.
, your cells make antibodies that fight off the germs and prevent the
body from getting the disease.
LESSON 12 SPELLING
Activity 12.1 Spelling Correctly
Directions: Cross out 10 misspelled words in the paragraph below. Write the correct spelling above
each mistake.
If you are adventureous, try rideing the swift-moving waves at the beach with a surf board. A
fast-paced volleyball game can provide both eggercise and excitment. Additionally a skillful cast of a
net might bring a reward of live bait. Nothing is more challenging than battling the surf to reel in a fish.
All ages injoy the task of building a mighty sand castle before the tide washs it away. With so many
exciting things to do, its almost imposible to expereince boredom at the beach.
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