The Everyday Writer


20 errors
1. Missing Comma after Introductory Element
2. Vague pronoun reference
3. Missing comma in a compound sentence
4. Wrong word
5. Missing comma(s) with a nonrestrictive element
6. Wrong or missing verb ending
7. Wrong or missing preposition
8. Comma splice
9. Missing or misplaced possessive apostrophe
10. Unnecessary shift in tense
11. Unnecessary shift in pronoun
12. Sentence fragment
13. Wrong tense or verb form
14. Lack of subject-verb agreement
15. Missing comma in a series
16. Lack of agreement between pronoun and antecedent
17. Unnecessary comma(s) with a restrictive element
18. Fused sentence
19. Misplaced or dangling modifier
20. Its/It's confusion



Book-Specific Resources / 20 Most Common Errors /
Error #19




Who was wearing the binoculars—the eagles?





What kind of a doctor could he be at age ten?





Did the architect only consider but then reject pine paneling?

Check every modifier (whether a word, phrase, or clause) to make sure that it is as close as possible to the word it describes or relates to. Be on the lookout for misplaced modifiers that may confuse your readers by seeming to modify some other word, phrase, or clause.



Check your draft for dangling modifiers: phrases hanging precariously from the beginning or end of a sentence, attached to no other word in the sentence. The word that the phrase modifies may exist in your mind but not on paper. Proofread carefully to ensure that each modifier refers to some other word in the sentence.

For practice recognizing and editing this error, go to Exercise Central.


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