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Study Aids – Common Errors
There are common problems most students experience as they are learning how to write an
analytic essay. In fact, as most people begin to concentrate more on making an argument in their
paper (that is, on the paper's content), they often suffer problems with paper mechanics they
didn't have before. This problem is normal and easily understood: as you focus on one task, you
tend to neglect other aspects of the paper. But it is easy to fall into a pattern and then repeat a
mistake over and over.
Fortunately, such problems can also easily be fixed by carefully proofreading your paper.
Writing is a process that continues after getting to the end of the first draft. Don't just look for
typos when you proofread, also look for unclear language or unclear thought. Don't be afraid to
radically reorganize the paper. Often, until a full draft is completed, the argument of the paper is
not clear in your mind. Many passes are sometimes necessary to iron out the problems in a paper.
I have listed the most common problems I encounter below along with the phrases I usually write
on the paper to indicate that the paper has this problem. These problems vary from student to
student and some are more easily fixed than others.
Phrase / Error
No thesis / Get to
the point
Use past tense
about past events
Analyze don't just
describe
Citation needed /
learn when and
how to cite
"This" is not a
subject
Ten Common Errors
1. The paper lacks a clear thesis statement in the introductory paragraph
or simply does not offer an argument at all. Be sure to get to the point (the
argument) as quickly as you can. Have a thesis which proposes an
idea/argument separate from that of the reading.
2. Be sure to use past tense verbs when explaining events in the past.
They are over and done with and the people involved are dead; the
present tense implies ongoing events and actions. Stay in the past tense
consistently.
3. Spending a lot of your paper simply describing what a source says or
what the author argues is not advisable unless it serves to prove a
particular point. It is also not the way to write a good, convincing paper.
Try to limit narrating events or description of the source to only what is
needed to prove your argument fully and completely. Do not waste time
with unnecessary information.
4. Faulty citation mechanics can be fixed by adopting a consistent system
of reference. However, one must also know where and how to provide a
citation. Every direct quotation requires a reference. Any paraphrase of a
source requires a reference. Any analysis of a source which summarizes
the content of a long section should have a reference. See Citing Sources
and Plagiarism and Academic Conduct for further clarifications or consult
a style manual.
5. Words like "this" are indefinite pronouns and should not be used as the
main subject of sentence to avoid confusing the reader. Use a real noun
instead. If you must, say "this strategy" or "this emperor" or use some
2
Phrase / Error
(Too) Colloquial
Quotation marks/
Block quotations
Avoid using
"I"/"you"
Learn to use
apostrophe/
it's ≠ its
unclear wording/
wrong word/
awkward
phrasing
Ten Common Errors
other noun to clarify what the subject is. In general, this problem results
from writing too similarly to how one speaks (see next item).
6. Many inexperienced writers write as they speak in everyday life. This
tendency often produces phrases or sentences that do not read well in
formal writing, even though they may sound fine when read aloud. Avoid
such "colloquial" expressions and replace them with more formal prose.
For example, do not say "Augustus was doing his own thing...", say
instead "Augustus had his own plan..."
7. The convention when quoting a source is to place the material in
quotation marks if the material is three full lines or less. If it is more, the
convention is to indent the quotation by half an inch on both sides and
separate it from the text in a different single-spaced paragraph. Such
longer quotations are not given quotation marks! Also, learn to use
punctuation within quotations marks correctly.
8. Formal historical writing uses the third person voice, except on rare
occasions. Avoid using "I" or "you" (the first and second person voices),
except for strong emphasis of a personal opinion.
9. Possessive words ending in "s" take an apostrophe after the s and don't
add another "s". For example: "Augustus' reign established the empire...".
An exception is the word "its", which has no apostrophe (“it's “ = “it is”
and is a contraction)
10. Something about the sentence (usually circled or underlined) either
doesn't make sense, is so poorly worded as to be unclear, or simply is the
wrong word for what you mean to say. If necessary, look up words in a
dictionary to understand their meaning. This problem is worst when it
occurs with verbs, which completely twists the meaning of the sentence.