Be Your Own Editor
Written and Compiled
by
Anita J. Ghajar-Selim
Table of Contents
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Disclaimer……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Writing Error Symbols……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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MP……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
WP……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
MA……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
MC………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
MPu……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
WF…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………
Frag.…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…
RO………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
WTr…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…
WW……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
PL……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………......
VT……………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………….…………………………
C……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………
SP…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
SVA………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
CS………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………………
Independent vs. dependent clause………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Coordinating Conjunctions…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Subordinating Conjunctions…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Clause vs. Phrase……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Suggested Reading…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Contact Me……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Disclaimer
• In the following slides, you will see some of the
error symbols I have been using over the years
with my students. Your teacher might use other
symbols, or you might come across different
symbols on the internet. No matter what the
symbol, the error and the explanation for it will
be the same.
• All the examples are real sentences taken from
my students’ essays.
Writing Error Symbols
Click on the symbols that you saw on your essay.
MP
WP
MA
MC
MPu
WF
Frag.
RO
WTr
WW
PL
Pl.
VT
C
C
SP
SVA
CS
MP/ WP
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Missing Preposition/ Wrong Preposition
Example:
I waited {MP} her for a long time, but she never showed up.
I waited for her for a long time, but she never showed up.
I used to listen at {WP}my grandmother when I was a kid.
I used to listen to my grandmother when I was a kid.
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Lesson:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/594/02/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/594/01/
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Quiz:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/Grammar/quizzes/preposition_quiz1.htm
Error Symbol List
MA
• Missing Article:
Example:
 Also, men in {MA} Gulf wear a long white dress called “Thoub”.
Also, men in the Gulf wear a long white dress called “Thoub”.
• Lesson:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/540/01/
• Quiz:
http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_articles1.htm
Error Symbol List
MC
• Missing Comma
• Example:
On the other hand {MC} education now is of very high quality and
...
On the other hand, education now is of very high quality and . . .
• Lesson:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/commas.htm
• Quiz:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/commas_fillin.htm
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/comma_quiz.htm
Error Symbol List
MPu
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Missing Punctuation
Example:
Nowadays, we have a lot of facilities, unlike our grandparent’s {MPU}
 Nowadays, we have a lot of facilities, unlike our grandparent’s.
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Lesson:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/marks.htm
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Quiz:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/punct_fillin.htm
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi- shl/quiz.pl/punct_quiz.htm
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/punct2_quiz.htm
Error Symbol List
WF
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Wrong Form
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Example:
People don’t change that much considered {WF} what they grew up with and learned
from their grandparents.
People don’t change that much considering what they grew up with and learned from
their grandparents.
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Lesson:
http://www.athabascau.ca/courses/engl/155/support/word_forms.htm
http://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/verb-noun-adjective-or-adverb
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Quiz:
http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/blvocabquiz_wordform1.htm
http://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/word-forms-quiz
Error Symbol List
CS
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Comma Splice: Joining two sentences ONLY with a comma and no coordinating
conjunction is called comma splice.
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Example:
These two people are my most favorite people in the world, {CS} they may be alike in
many things but very different at the same time.
Those two people are my most favorite people in the world; they may be alike in many
things, but very different at the same time.
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Lesson:
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/exercises/grammar/grammar_tutorial/page_07.ht
m
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Quiz:
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/exercises/grammar/grammar_tutorial/page_47.ht
m#commspliceex
Error Symbol List
Frag.
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Fragment: A fragment is an incomplete sentence. It doesn’t have an independent
clause.
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Example:
In addition, the kind of food is still the same as it in the past {frag}.
In addition, the kind of food is still the same as it used to be in the past.
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Lesson:
http://depts.dyc.edu/learningcenter/owl/exercises/fragments_ex1.htm
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/620/01/
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Quiz:
http://www.isu.edu/ctl/writing/handouts/docs/editing/fragment-exercises.pdf
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgishl/quiz.pl/fragments_add1.htm
Error Symbol List
RO
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Run-on Sentence: Fused (Run-on) sentences happen when there are two independent clauses not separated by
any punctuation. You can fix this problem by adding a period, semicolon, or comma and FANBOYS to separate the
two sentences.
S
V
S V
Incorrect: My friend is very knowledgeable I've learned a lot from her.
Correct: My friend is knowledgeable. I've learned a lot from her.
or
My friend is knowledgeable; I've learned a lot from her.
or
My friend is knowledgeable, and I've learned a lot from her.
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Example:
Our grandparents lived in a simple way {RO} theywere in small tents or in a small room built with mud.
Our grandparents lived in a simple way; they were in small tents or in a small room built with mud.
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Lesson:
http://www.punctilious.org/grammar/runons.htm
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/598/02/
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Quiz:
http://www.punctilious.org/grammar/quizzes/runons_quiz.htm
Error Symbol List
WTr.
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Wrong Transition Word
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Example:
Women in the Gulf wear “Abaya”. On the other hand {WTr.}, they wear a
veil, too.
Women in the Gulf wear “Abaya”. In addition, they wear a veil, too.
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Lesson:
http://larae.net/write/transition.html
http://www.bookrags.com/articles/11.html
http://www.class.uidaho.edu/adv_tech_wrt/resources/sentence_style/transitions_words.htm
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Quiz
http://jc-schools.net/write/trans-quiz_files/frame.htm
Error Symbol List
WW
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Wrong Word
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Example:
At university, it is harder to find English doctors {WW} in their office hours.
At university, it is harder to find English professors in their office hours.
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Tips:
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Be careful when using words you are unfamiliar with. Look at how they are used in context and
check their dictionary definitions.
Be careful when using the thesaurus. Each word listed as a synonym for the word you're looking
up may have its own unique connotations or shades of meaning. Use a dictionary to be sure
the synonym you are considering really fits what you are trying to say.
Don’t try to impress your reader or sound unduly authoritative. For example, which sentence is
clearer to you: "a" or "b"?
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Under the present conditions of our society, marriage practices generally demonstrate a
high degree of homogeneity.
In our culture, people tend to marry others who are like themselves. (Longman, p. 452)
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/word_choice.html
Error Symbol List
Pl. & Pl
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Pluralize & Don’t pluralize
• Example:
 There are a lot of thing {Pl} that they are different in.
 There are a lot of things that they are different in.
I didn’t receive any informations {Pl} from them for a long time.
I didn’t receive any information from them for a long time.
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Lesson:
http://punctilious.org/grammar/plurals.htm
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Quiz:
http://punctilious.org/grammar/cgi-shl/par_numberless_quiz.pl/plurals_quiz.htm
http://punctilious.org/grammar/quizzes/cross/plurals_gap.htm
Error Symbol List
C&C
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Capitalize & Don’t capitalize
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Example:
Finally, the gulf {C}people did not change that much if . . .
Finally, the Gulf people did not change that much if . . .
I have known my best Friend {C} since I was in high school.
I have known my best friend since I was in high school.
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Lesson:
http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/capital.asp
http://www.libraryonline.com/default.asp?pID=48
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Quiz:
http://www.punctilious.org/grammar/cgi-shl/par_numberless_quiz.pl/caps_quiz.htm
Error Symbol List
SVA
• Subject Verb Agreement
• Example:
High school days was {SVA} full of fun and innocent behaviors.
High school days were full of fun and innocent behaviors.
• Lesson:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/Grammar/sv_agr.htm
• Quiz:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/Grammar/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/sv_agr_quiz.htm
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/599/01/
Table of Contents
VT
• Verb Tense
• Example:
I know {VT} my second friend since high school.
I knew my second friend since high school.
• Lesson:
http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/grammar/tenses.html
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbtenseintro.html
• Quiz:
http://www.eflnet.com/grammar/verbtense.php
Error Symbol List
SP
• Spelling
• Example:
You can’t stop laughing when you set {SP} with her.
You can’t stop laughing when you sit with her.
• Lesson:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/words/spelling/
• Quiz:
http://eslus.com/LESSONS/SPELL/SPELL.HTM
Error Symbol List
Independent/Dependent Clause
• An independent clause is a group of words that
contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete
thought. An independent clause is a sentence.
– Example: Aisha studied hard for her IELTS exam.
• A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a
subject and a verb but does not express a complete
thought. A dependent clause cannot be a sentence. A
dependent clause is often marked by a dependent
marker word.
– Example: Because Aisha studied hard for her IELTS exam . .
.
Practice
Error Symbol List
Coordinating Conjunctions
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Coordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases, and clauses. Coordinating
conjunctions talk about the things which are equally important unlike subordinating
conjunctions. In order to remember them you can memorize them as FANBOYS. To
punctuate FANBOYS, you should put a comma before them ONLY if they join two
independent clauses (the sentences before and after them have subject and verb). If
one of the sentences doesn’t have subject and verb, don’t put any commas.
Example 1: I was sick, and I had to prepare for an exam.
Example 2: I was sick and had to prepare for an exam.
• F = for I like my level 4 grammar, for it is much easier than level 3.
A= and He studies at Qatar University, and he works for QNB.
N= nor My son refuses to eat meat, nor does he show any interest in chicken.
B = but Her dad is Qatari, but her mom is from Oman.
O= or We can eat at home, or we can pick up something from the drive through.
Y = yet Our plane is leaving in an hour, yet my brother is still in the shower.
S = so Maryam was sick, so she went to the doctor.
Practice
Error Symbol List
Subordinating conjunction
To subordinate means to introduce something which is less important. Subordinating Conjunctions introduce the
dependent clause (the less important information) and join it with the independent clause. They also introduce an
adverb clause. Here is a list of the most common ones. IMPORTANT! To punctuate the Subordinating
Conjunctions, you should put a comma ONLY when they are used in the beginning of a sentence as an introductory
phrase. If they come in the middle of the sentence, you won’t need any punctuation for them.
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after
although
as
as soon as
because
before
by the time
even if
even though
every time
if
in case
in the event that
just in case
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now that
once
only if
since
the first time
though
unless
until
when
whenever
whereas
whether or not
while
Practice
Error Symbol List
Clause vs. Phrase
• Clause: A clause is a pair of words put
together which has a subject and a verb: I am
hungry.
• Phrase: Some words put together without a
verb. For example, an expression: as light as a
feather.
Table of Contents
Suggested Reading
Look for the following files at:
http://www.qu.edu.qa/students/services/writinglab/Online_Resources/OnlineResources.php
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Essay
Paragraph
Be Your Own Editor
Sneaky Grammar
Research
IELTS
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If you have any questions or suggestions, please
do not hesitate to contact me at:
[email protected]
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