How to Check for Grammar Mistakes
With the advent of text-messaging and word processors that contain spelling and grammar checkers, proper grammar and usage may seem obsolete. Good grammar, however, is still valued in both academic and professional writing. Furthermore, computer programs do not catch and correct every mistake. When writing is error-free, its grammar is invisible; when it is full of mistakes, the problems distract the reader.
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Instructions
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Re-read the piece once---either silently or out loud---and some problem areas will become obvious before you even identify the broken grammar rule. You don't have to be an English scholar to identify and fix common grammatical errors. Trust your instinct; if a sentence sounds incorrect, it probably is.
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Identify and break up run-on sentences, which contain at least two independent clauses that can stand alone. A run-on sentence can be corrected three ways: by separating with a comma and conjunction (such as "and," "but" or "yet"), by separating with a semicolon, or by breaking the sentence into two and separating with a period. If two sentences are combined using only a comma and no conjunction, this is considered a comma splice and should also be treated as a run-on.
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Fix sentence fragments. A fragment is merely a piece of a sentence and lacks either a subject or a verb. Most fragments can be fixed by combining phrases with other sentences, often using similar techniques as with correcting run-ons. For example, "We flew into Columbus. Which is the capital of Ohio," contains an independent clause in the first sentence and is followed by a dependent clause that has no subject in the second sentence. Combining these sentences so they become one, or, "We flew into Columbus, which is the capital of Ohio," makes one correct sentence.
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Make subjects agree with verbs. Sentences may appear to contain two subjects if the actual subject is being modified by another noun. Diana Hacker suggests removing any modifiers in order to identify the real subject. Her example sentence is, "The samples on the tray in the lab need testing." While 'tray' is a noun and could potentially serve as a subject in another sentence, the actual subject is 'samples.' The samples need testing---not the tray---therefore, the verb 'need' is plural.
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Use only adverbs to modify adjectives and verbs, and adjectives to modify nouns. Adverbs, such as happily, surprisingly or silently, provide more information about an action or description. Adverbs either explain how an action is performed or show the degree to which a noun fits a description. The mistake of using adjectives to modify verbs is common in everyday speech, but not correct. The sentence, "The dog ate quick," for example, should be, "The dog ate quickly." Don't forget that 'good' is an adjective and 'well' is an adverb, so "She swims good," should be, "She swims well."
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Tips & Warnings
Spelling and grammar checkers in word processors don't always recognize mistakes, so don't rely on them too much. A sentence fragment that is an independent clause may register as a complete sentence because it appears to have a subject, for example.
Sentences that are technically correct may still be too awkward, wordy or disruptive of a paragraph's flow. Use your best judgment; employ the same techniques as you would use for run-ons and sentence fragments to break up sentences.
References
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