Common Errors in

Academic Writing
20 OKTOBER 2020
 • English verbs agree in number (singular or
plural) in the present simple, present perfect,
and all progressive and passive forms.

• When the subject and verb are separated, the

1. S-V verb always agrees with the head noun. This
agreement may not be the closest noun to the verb.
Generally look to the left to find the head noun.

S1. After WWII, the rapid advancement of

military and space technologies was deemed
crucial to countering Soviet threat.
2. Fragments and run-on

Fragments and run-on are not acceptable in most academic

writing, although they might common in other places (email,
newspapers, and spoken English).
• Fragments are sentences that are not grammatically
complete.
• They do not contain a complete idea and are not connected
to an independent clause.
• For instance, they may be phrases or subordinate
(dependent) clauses that are punctuated as if they are
complete sentences.
S5.* Because the new culture may seem familiar.
Seharusnya
S6. Because the new culture may seem familiar, it is easy to miss
important differences.
S7.* The man who sat next to me on the bus. He talked the whole way.
seharusnya
S8. The man who talked to me on the bus talked to me the whole
way.
Run-on sentences occur when two independent clauses are joined
with a comma and no conjunction. Run-on sentences can be
corrected by:
• adding a conjunction
• changing the comma to semi-colon
• adding a period after the first sentence.
S1.* Culture shock is not unusual, it happens to almost
everyone who moves to a new place.
Seharusnya:
S2. Culture shock is not unusual. It happens to almost
everyone who moves to a new place.
S3. Culture shock is not unusual, for it happens to
almost everyone who moves to a new place.
S4. Culture shock is not unusual; it happens to almost
everyone who moves to a new place.
 • A clause in English always has only one main
verb. However, many non-native speakers of
3. Double English tend to insert another main verb.
verbs S1.* In addition, it is also contain various
minor element.
Seharusnya:
S2. In addition, it also contains various minor
element.
 • Relative clauses are often reduced
to non-finite (-ed and –ing) clauses
in academic writing to produce a
4. Reduced clause more concise but denser style.
• When reducing relative clauses, be
sure to delete the relative
pronoun and either delete or
change the verb.
a. Reduced clause with passive verb

S1. The basic quantum computation scheme which is

envisioned here requires the ability to separate and
shuttle ions.
S2 The basic quantum computation scheme envisioned
here requires the ability to separate and shuttle ions.
S3* The basic quantum computation scheme which
envisioned here requires the ability to separate and
shuttle ions. (past simple active)
b. Reduced clause with
active verb
S4. This paper proposes a line of work which attempts to
incorporate the effects of emotion on cognition.
S5. This paper proposes a line of work attempting to
incorporate the effects of emotion on cognition.
seharusnya
S6* This paper proposes a line of work which
attempting to incorporate the effects of emotion on
cognition.
 • Selecting appropriate prepositions may be
difficult for non-natives of English because
there is no pattern for their uses.
• For example, Indonesians writers tend to use
preposition with regardless the verbs used
5. Prepositions most of the time.
different with, seharusnya different from
depend with, seharusnya depend on
between x with y, seharusnya between x and y

TRY GRAMMARLY, https://app.grammarly.com/

• I prefer to read in the library.
1. He climbed up the ladder to get ….. the attic.
A. TO
B. IN
C. INTO
D. AT
2. Please sign your name …. the dotted line after you read the contract.
A. ON
B. IN
C. AT
D. OF
3. We are going on vacation _______ August.
A. On
B. At
C. In
D. Since
4. Please put the vase ________ the table
A. In
B. On
C. For
D. Over
5. I received a present ________ Janet.
A. From
B. Of
C. By
D. About
• 6. School begins ________ Monday.
A. In
B. On
C. From
D. Since
 Articles are words that define a noun as specific or
unspecific. Consider the following examples:
After the long day, the cup of tea tasted particularly
good.
By using the article the, we’ve shown that it was one
6. specific day that was long and one specific cup of tea
that tasted good.
ARTICLES After a long day, a cup of tea tastes particularly
good.
By using the article a, we’ve created a general
statement, implying that any cup of tea would taste
good after any long day.
English has two types of articles: definite and
indefinite. Let’s discuss them now in more detail.
The Definite Article

• The definite article is the word the. It limits the

meaning of a noun to one particular thing.
• For example, your friend might ask, “Are you
going to the party this weekend?” The definite
article tells you that your friend is referring to a
specific party that both of you know about.
• The definite article can be used with singular,
plural, or uncountable nouns. Below are some
examples of the definite article the used in
context:
Examples
• Please give me the hammer.
• Please give me the red
hammer; the blue one is too small.
• Please give me the nail.
• Please give me the large nail;
it’s the only one strong enough to hold
this painting.
• Please give me the hammer
and the nail.
The Indefinite Article

• The indefinite article takes two forms. It’s the word a when

it precedes a word that begins with a consonant. It’s the
word an when it precedes a word that begins with a vowel. 
• The indefinite article indicates that a noun refers to a
general idea rather than a particular thing.
• For example, you might ask your friend, “Should I
bring a gift to the party?” Your friend will understand that
you are not asking about a specific type of gift or a specific
item. “I am going to bring an apple pie,” your friend tells
you.
• Again, the indefinite article indicates that she is not talking
about a specific apple pie. Your friend probably doesn’t even
have any pie yet. The indefinite article only appears with
singular nouns.
• Consider the following examples of
indefinite articles used in context:
Please hand me a book; any book will do.
Please hand me an autobiography; any
autobiography will do.
a. My mother is a honest woman.
b. My mother is an honest woman.
Which one is correct? a/b
a. She is an United States senator.
b. She is a United States senator.
Which one is correct? a/b
• an/a LCD display
•  an/a UK-based company, 
• an/a HR department, 
• an/a URL.
 Article Before an Adjective

• Sometimes an article modifies a noun that

is also modified by an adjective. The usual
word order is article + adjective + noun. If
the article is indefinite,
choose a or an based on the word that
immediately follows it. Consider the
following examples for reference:
• Eliza will bring a small gift to Sophie’s
party.
• I heard an interesting story yesterday.
 Indefinite Articles with Uncountable
Nouns
• Uncountable nouns are nouns that are either difficult or
impossible to count.
• Uncountable nouns include intangible things (e.g., information,
air), liquids (e.g., milk, wine), and things that are too large or
numerous to count (e.g., equipment, sand, wood).
• Because these things can’t be counted, you should never
use a or an with them—remember, the indefinite article is only
for singular nouns. Uncountable nouns can be modified by words
like some, however.
Consider Please give me a water. Incorrect
the Please give me some water. Correct
Please give me a bottle of water. Correct/incorrect
examples Please give me an ice. Correct/incorrect?
below for Please give me an ice cube. Correct/incorrect ?
reference: Please give me some ice. Correct/incorrect?
 Possessive pronouns can help identify whether you’re
talking about specific or nonspecific items. As we’ve
seen, articles also indicate specificity. But if you use
Using Articles both a possessive pronoun and an article at the same
time, readers will become confused. Possessive
with pronouns are words like his, my, our, its, her, and their.
Articles should not be used with pronouns.
Pronouns Consider the examples below:
• Why are you reading the my book? incorrect
• Why are you reading the book? Correct
• Why are you reading my book? Correct
Omission of Articles
• Occasionally, articles are omitted altogether before
certain nouns. In these cases, the article is implied but
not actually present. This implied article is sometimes
called a “zero article.” Often, the article is omitted
before nouns that refer to abstract ideas.
• Look at the following examples:
• Let’s go out for a dinner tonight. incorrect
• Let’s go out for dinner tonight. correct
a. I like to play the baseball.
b. I like to play  baseball.
Which one is correct? a/b
a. My sister was always good
at the math.
b. My sister was always good
at math.
Which one is correct? a/b
 PLEASE CORRECT THESE SENTENCES

1. An important part of my life have been the people who stood by me.
2. The two best things about the party was the food and the music.
3. In spite of everything, he gave his mother an extravagant gift after the argument.
4. She was beautiful and she was happy and she was full of life.
5. She tried to sneak out of the house her mother saw her leaving.
6. She tried to quickly finish the book before she had to leave.
7. He wanted to learn more about careers in programming, engineering, biochemist,
and research scientist.
8. Sam knew immediately, what was going to happen next.
9. Can you give me an information?
10. The bouquet of flowers on the table belongs with Mary.
1. I jumped in to the river. into
2. I made sure to study my exam.
3. I will call you when the dinner will be ready.
4. The teacher want to talk to you.
5. A minibus can hold of fifteen people.
6. I have been working from morning and I am getting tired.
7. Castro's communist principles inevitably led to an ideological conflict between he and President
Kennedy.
8. Scientists report no human deaths due to excessive caffeine consumption. Although caffeine does
cause convulsions and death in certain animals.
9. The recession had a negative effect on sales. 
10. I like cows, however, I hate the way they smell. 
1. Where is post office?
2. I went to the Japan in 2010.
3. I went to work with the bus.
4. Smelling like rotten fish, my sister took the trash out
5. Your going to need you’re notebook.
6. He is best player in the team.
7. I receives the information I requested.
8. Everyone at the meeting is responsible for a presentation.
9. Cows, though their bovine majesty has been on the wane in recent millenia, are still one of
the great species of this planet, domesticated, yet proud, they ruminate silently as we
humans pass tumultuously by. 
10. Mary is the only one of our students who have achieved national recognition.