No one is perfect, and we all make mistakes from time to time. When students write their academic papers, they surely make them too. It’s nothing special; you have time to fix what is wrong when revising your papers. Unfortunately, many folks don’t like to edit and proofread. They are confident that their texts are perfect and get disappointed when their teachers lower grades because of many mistakes.
As a result, many students give heed to possible solutions. They wonder – Who can revise my essay online? They hope on custom writing agencies that quickly check every essay or other assignment, spot the errors, and correct them. You cannot rely on professionals too often. You need to steadily improve your revision skills. To speed up this process, you need to know the common mistakes made by students in their essays. Our blog post highlights them.
Grammar Mistakes
We guess the most common mistake of all students is their grammar. They are not perfect with it and commit certain mistakes that deprive them of grades. The most typical grammar errors are related to:
- Tenses;
- Irregular verbs;
- Comma placement;
- Other punctuation marks;
- Spelling, etc.
Unreadable Texts
The second big issue is the low readability of texts. Students want to discover every aspect of the problem, but they stuff their texts with too many examples, explanations, unnecessary words, long parts, and something of the kind. Let’s check the typical issues that lower the readability of texts:
- Over-explanations;
- Slang, jargon, technical terms, etc.;
- Overuse of the passive voice;
- Illogical transitions;
- Watery sentences;
- Too long sentences and paragraphs.
A smart tip for learners: When you write essays, you should stick to the active voice because it uses more dynamic words and such sentences are shorter. As a result, you solve 2 issues at once. You shorten long sentences and do not overuse passive constructions.
Unnecessary Lexicon
Oftentimes, youngsters add words that don’t belong to a certain lexicon. You cannot use words from the lexicon of movies and theater in essays about technology. Besides, students add words from everyday life that are also forbidden. The lexicon you need to avoid is as follows:
- Jargon;
- Slang;
- Technical terms;
- Abbreviations;
- Acronyms, etc.
An additional tip for learners: In case the use of an unknown term is inevitable for your essay, be sure to explain this term in one sentence. Make sure you are straight to the point and do not over-explain.
Abrupt Transitions
Many students go to another theme without “closing” the previous one. It is a serious mistake because you must disclose a certain argument entirely to start another one. Moreover, different arguments are supposed to be related to one another and reflect the main purpose of the topic.
For example, you write about technology. One part of your essay may be devoted to its advantages, and the second part to its disadvantages. Make smooth transitions to keep your story logical and consistent.
Junk Sentences
Let’s be honest! When students lack ideas, they commonly write irrelevant sentences just to reach the demands for word count. It is a serious mistake that will cost you a lot of grades. Experienced teachers and professors easily detect those sentences.
If you face this issue, give yourself some time. Reread the text to understand what sentences are not related to the topic. Review your notes to be sure you didn’t miss some vital facts that can be used in the paper. Perhaps you will have to continue your research to fill in the gaps.
Repetition
Another common mistake is to repeat yourself, as well as certain words, too many times. It is a critical sign that the lexicon of a student is limited, or he/she does not have enough facts to disclose the main question properly. Repetition makes students add junk sentences. To avoid them, you can just use the tips described in the chapter above. In case you simply lack synonyms, you will have to learn them as fast as you can. Learn about new 10-15 words daily.
Overuse of Some Parts of the Language
Students frequently use too many parts of the language in their papers. Their numbers are sometimes unnecessary because it draws away the attention of a reader. These are as follows:
- Adjectives;
- Adverbs;
- The passive voice.
Additional tip: To keep an eye on these peculiarities, apply the Hemingway Editor. This online editor shows when you overuse adverbs, adjectives, and the passive voice. It offers other editing tips to boost the readability of your texts. You can use it for free!
The Final Thoughts
You should always complete the revision stage because it helps to identify weak argumentation and grammar mistakes. Keep in mind the list of common mistakes to be sure you never make them in your papers. Thus, you will not lose vital grades.
Published on Dec 28, 2022
