7 Typical Syntax Errors in Writing to Avoid

Even if you’re quite proficient in writing and have a lot of experience, you probably still encounter some mistakes in your texts. This problem is even more relevant for beginner writers, for example, college students in the USA who’ve just started to develop their writing skills. Sometimes these mistakes seem unavoidable, but they can significantly damage your text and alter the reader’s impressions, preventing you from expressing your thoughts freely.

Hence, having adequate knowledge of the most common syntax errors is necessary to become an expert writer. Though altogether avoiding them feels like an impossible task, you’ll become much more adept in this aspect with time and practice. After all, only by developing your expertise and building your abilities, you’ll reach your goals.

The Dangers of Errors in Your Academic Writing

Sometimes syntax errors seem insignificant–after all, are they really so unpleasant that you have to spend more time proofreading your texts? Don’t your readers understand your thoughts well enough despite those pesky mistakes? However, errors can hurt the persuasiveness of your writing, confuse the audience, and even completely change the meaning of your sentences. A custom text with abundant syntax errors might seem entirely unintelligible, defeating your goal of sharing your opinions with the world.

Furthermore, depending on the type of text you are writing, mistakes can significantly influence your future. For example, if you are trying to develop an application paper for a university, you should thoroughly proofread it before submitting it–otherwise, your text might seem sloppy and inadequate. The same goes for academic writing, where you’ll need to be as precise as possible to present your thoughts before your readers so they’ll easily understand everything. Moreover, most professors require following at least basic grammar rules in order to receive high marks for your written assignment. Hence, syntax errors can become a challenge that you’ll need to overcome to reach your goals.

Most Common Syntax Errors in Writing

  • Inappropriate use of commas

If you aim for clear and easily understood writing, pay appropriate attention to your commas. Excessive use of them makes your sentences harder to follow, while lack of commas can lead to disarray.

  • Squinting modifiers

Make sure that your modifiers are placed beside the words they explain so that readers can understand your intended meaning. Don’t overindulge in modifiers–otherwise, your sentences will sound stilted and cumbersome.

  • Inconsistent pronouns

Pronouns are essential–they indicate who or what you are writing about, and that’s why mixing them up can seriously mess up your writing. Thoroughly check who you describe in the sentence and select an appropriate pronoun to avoid confusion among your readers.

  • Fragmented sentences

The sentences that end abruptly or are forcefully split in the middle make your text much more challenging to read. To make your writing flow smooth and natural, finish your thought in one sentence and ensure it is grammatically complete–attentiveness will do you a good service here!

  • Incorrect parallelism

When you compare or match similar terms or concepts in a sentence, you should create a proper parallel between them by using the same grammatical elements. For example, you can match a noun with a noun, but you can’t do the same thing with a noun and adjective.

  • Apostrophe confusion

Another mistake in this Top-7 list is using an apostrophe in personal pronouns like “your” or “its,” or to indicate plurality. This small error might confuse your readers and make you look like an inattentive and careless author.

  • Misspellings

Misspelled or inappropriately used words can completely change the meaning of a sentence and create puzzlement among your readers. After all, your audience will probably be more impressed if they won’t struggle to comprehend what you want to say in your writing.

What Should You Do to Avoid Such Errors in Your Writing

As you can see, syntax errors in writing can be really irritating and confusing. However, remembering all the rules is pretty challenging even for a native speaker–and what if you are only just starting to learn English? Thankfully, there are some convenient tools at your disposal that will help you proofread your papers and essays and ensure that they are perfect. You can take a look at specialized websites online like Grammarly, which detect errors in text and offer corrections instead.

Furthermore, you can ask for help from a more experienced peer or a teacher or hire a tutor–learning in someone’s company is more fun and efficient. Quite an efficient way to avoid mistakes is practicing with professional essay assistance – for example, custom paper writing service CustomWritings.com and similar companies can support you with proofreading. They also provide quality examples of texts (all according to your instructions!) that you can buy and follow to improve your academic writing. However, in this case, we recommend you to be careful and check the ratings and reviews from any previous customers of your chosen website to ensure that you’ll receive quality results.

How Can You Improve Your Writing Skills?

Of course, the best way to avoid mistakes at is to improve your writing skills and English knowledge. But this process seems so time-consuming and challenging! However, you don’t have to limit yourself to studying grammar (though it will be very helpful), and the process of learning can actually be fun and exciting. For example, an excellent and cheap way to improve as a writer is to read–the more good books and articles you consume, the more your knowledge base expands. It will also provide you with new interesting and original ideas to use in your texts!

Another helpful approach is constant practice–write as much as possible. You can dedicate some time each day to developing papers from scratch to ensure that you train regularly. Don’t restrict yourself–you might choose any free topic that you like and start writing. After all, the main objective is developing a steady personalized routine of practicing that will reflect on your skills. Regularly review your progress and soon you’ll notice how much your abilities improve with exercise!

Conclusion

Errors in writing can diffuse the effectiveness of your writing, its clarity, and its impact. Hence, avoiding them is a must–especially if you develop a research essay, a business proposal, or other formal papers. Pay attention to the most common errors, proofread your texts, use the assistance of expert services, and practice as much as possible to improve the quality of your writing. Don’t forget–your future is in your hands, and by developing your writing skills, you open new opportunities for personal and professional growth.

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Lisa has been covering Netflix since 2014, and has spent up to 10 years covering the comings and goings of the Streaming library. Currently resides in the United Kingdom. Outer Banks, Ozark, Black, and On My Block, and Stranger Things are among my favourite Netflix series.