Proof Reading for

Grammar Toolkit
Centre for Learning and Study Support

A resource for students who are looking to identify and correct

grammatical errors in their assignment
This Proof Reading for Grammar Toolkit has been produced by
CLaSS (Centre for Learning and Study Support).

©De Montfort University, Leicester, 2017

For comments, further support and/or to receive this guide in

a different format, please contact CLaSS ([email protected]).

An extended web version of this guide is available on the

CLaSS website:
http://libguides.library.dmu.ac.uk/class/home
How to use the Proof Reading for Grammar Toolkit
This toolkit outlines some of the common grammar errors we often find in students’
assignments at DMU. The aim of the toolkit is to help you to identify some of these errors
and to correct them in your own work.

Do take your time. Some of these ideas and terms may be new to you, and each page
will take time to read and put into practice. Remember that not every section in the toolkit
will apply to your own work or context, and you may wish to skip some parts.

You can use the toolkit in the following ways:

• To gain a general understanding of some of the most common grammar errors

• To focus on specific grammar errors that frequently occur in your own work

What is grammar? What is its relationship to language?

Grammar is a semi-structured system of meaning made up

What is grammar? of grammar-words, word-order, and combinations of words
and frozen phrases.

There are rules.

What does that mean? You can learn them.
But there are exceptions.

If I know
Not necessarily. Language is also creative. Even if you can
all of the rules and do all of the exercises in a grammar textbook you might need
exceptions, then can I
use English?
to work on building language to express your own meaning
and ideas.

Proof reading your work will help you to practise using

So why proof read?
grammar as you develop the expression of your ideas.
With practice, you will develop your understanding of how
language works.

Can thinking too Yes, it can. Continue to experiment with your ideas and use
much about grammar of language, but try and get feedback on your work. You can
prevent creativity?
then proof-read afterwards – particularly to polish a final
draft
Table of Contents
Is this a sentence? .................................................................................. 1

Word order ............................................................................................................................................. 1

Student example .................................................................................................................................... 2

The problem [1] ................................................................................................................................... 2
A possible solution: ............................................................................................................................ 2
The problem [2] ................................................................................................................................... 2
Some possible solutions: ................................................................................................................... 2

Sentence structure checklist .............................................................................................................. 2

Should I start a new sentence?........................................................... 3

Example 1: Run-on sentences ........................................................................................................... 3

The problem ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Possible solutions ............................................................................................................................... 3

Example 2: Comma splices................................................................................................................. 3

The problem ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Possible solutions ............................................................................................................................... 3

Linking words ......................................................................................................................................... 4

Linking sentences checklist ................................................................................................................ 5

Is the tense correct?............................................................................... 6

How are tenses formed? ..................................................................................................................... 6

When do I use a progressive form (is filming, has been filming)? ............................................ 6

Common uses of tenses in academic writing ................................................................................. 7

Present Simple and Present Perfect ................................................................................................ 7
Past Simple .......................................................................................................................................... 8
Future Simple ....................................................................................................................................... 8
Consistency ............................................................................................................................................ 8

Use of tenses in different sections of your assignment ................................................................ 8

Tense checklist ...................................................................................................................................... 9

Agree with or agree on-is this the right preposition? ................................................................ 10

Tips ...................................................................................................................................................... 10
Preposition checklist ........................................................................................................................ 11

How many are there? Single, plural and uncountable nouns .. 12

The following steps can structure your practice: ........................................................................ 12

Noun checklist ................................................................................................................................... 12

A/an, the, or no article ....................................................................................................................... 13

A. Choosing between a/an and the: ............................................................................................... 13
B. Choosing between an and a: ..................................................................................................... 13
C. Cases when no article is needed: ............................................................................................. 14

Placing the article ............................................................................................................................... 14

Words which replace the: ................................................................................................................ 14

Recognising a/an, the or no article ................................................................................................ 15

Example .............................................................................................................................................. 15
Explanation ......................................................................................................................................... 15
Article checklist ................................................................................................................................. 16

Punctuation............................................................................................. 17

Common punctuation signs ............................................................................................................. 17

The full stop (.) ................................................................................................................................... 17
The semicolon (;) ............................................................................................................................... 17
The comma (,) .................................................................................................................................... 17
The apostrophe (‘) ............................................................................................................................. 18

Punctuation checklist ........................................................................................................................ 18

Not using ‘I’ ............................................................................................. 19

The passive voice ............................................................................................................................... 19

Passive versus active sentences .................................................................................................... 19
How is the passive voice formed? .................................................................................................. 19
Student example ................................................................................................................................ 20
Problem ............................................................................................................................................... 20
A possible solution ............................................................................................................................ 20

The active and impersonal voice ..................................................................................................... 20

Neutral writing checklist.................................................................................................................... 21

Expressing opinions ............................................................................. 22

Tentativeness ...................................................................................................................................... 22
Examples of tentative and certain language .................................................................................. 22
Tip ........................................................................................................................................................ 22
Tentative writing checklist ............................................................................................................... 23

Proof Reading for Grammar Activity ................................................ 24

A possible solution ............................................................................................................................. 25

Proof Reading for Grammar: Complete Checklist ....................... 26

Bibliography and further reading...................................................... 29

Glossary ................................................................................................... 30
Sentence basics

Is this a sentence?
A sentence is one complete statement about a topic, or subject.

The most important parts of a sentence are the subject and the verb. A verb is an
action word; it explains what is happening in a sentence. E.g. write, swim, argue. To find
the verb in a sentence, we can ask questions such as: what is the subject doing?

A subject is often a concrete or abstract concept such as book (concrete) or idea

(abstract). Such words are called ‘nouns’. However, a subject could be a word like it or
they, which replaces a noun from a previous sentence (a ‘pronoun’). To find the subject
in a sentence, we can ask questions such as: who is doing the action ?

Sentences may have many other components, but the first step to ensure you have
written a correct sentence in English is to check if it has a subject and a verb.

Look at the following sentence and how it is divided into parts:

Students enjoy group work.

Students enjoy group work.

Subject Verb Object

Doer of action Action Receiver of action
(who enjoys group work?) (what do students do?) (enjoy what?)

Word order

The table above illustrates standard word order in an English sentence (often abbreviated
as SVO):

Subject Verb Object

1
 Sentence basics

Student example
Facebook is being used to exchange information and pictures in everyday life.
[1] Conversations with friends and family. [2] Stay in touch with business colleagues.
However, from an educational perspective, the social media website can be seen as a
distraction. This essay…

The problem [1]

We can see that there is no verb in this sentence. There is also no subject.

A possible solution:
• It allows conversations with friends and family.

The problem [2]

This example needs a subject, or connecting to a sentence which shares the same
subject.

Some possible solutions:

• Users can stay in touch with business colleagues.
• Facebook is being used to exchange information and pictures in everyday life, and to
stay in touch with business colleagues.

Sentence structure checklist

✓ Checklist

1. Check if your sentence has a subject, i.e. it is clear who is doing the action.

2. Check if your sentence has a verb, i.e. it is clear what is happening, or which
action the subject is performing.

3. Consider whether the previous sentence should continue.

2
Sentence basics

Should I start a new sentence?

In the previous section we saw that all sentences have a topic, or a subject, and a
verb. However, in our writing we may want to say something else about this subject or
move on to another subject. Whenever the subject changes or is repeated, you can do
either of the following:

• Start a new sentence

• Link the two parts together with a linking word

The following examples demonstrate some of the errors that can occur when we forget
to consider our subjects.

Example 1: Run-on sentences

[1] The class hired a live model we made a sculpture of him/her.

The problem
This error is known as a run-on sentence, which means that two independent sentences have
been merged into one. Each of these sentences has a subject (The class; we) and a verb (hired;
made). Run-on sentences are confusing for readers and grammatically incorrect.

Possible solutions
• This example could be separated into two sentences. Short sentences like these
are more common for stating facts:

 The class hired a live model. We made a sculpture of him/her.

• Alternatively, a linking word could be used in the middle of the

sentence:

 The class hired a live model and we made a sculpture of him/her.

Example 2: Comma splices

Now consider the second example:

[2] My sculpture was better than I had expected, I will use the same techniques in the future.

The problem
This error is known as a comma splice, which means that two independent
sentences have been linked with a comma. Comma splices are grammatically
incorrect.

Possible solutions
• Use a full stop instead of the comma to separate the two sentences:
3
Sentence basics

 My sculpture was better than I had expected. I will use the same technique in the
future.

• Use a semicolon to separate the two sentences:

 My sculpture was better than I had expected; I will use the same technique in the
future.

• Use a linking word like ‘and’:

 My sculpture was better than I had expected and I will use the same technique in
the future.

• It is often a stylistic choice, but the best solution in this case is to use a connector that
shows the logical relationship between the two sentences (cause-effect):

 The sculpture was better than I had expected, so I will use the same technique in the
future.

 The sculpture was better than I had expected. For this reason, I will use the same
technique in the future.

Linking words
Whether you start a new sentence or link two parts of a sentence together, think about
whether the second idea is along the same lines as the first or whether there is some
contrast or limitation. The table below includes examples of linking words that can help
highlight relationships between ideas:

To begin a sentence In the middle of a

sentence

Continuing In addition, and

the same Furthermore, An
idea example of…, Similarly

Contrasting idea However, On the other but, although, despite,

hand, Conversely, yet, whilst
Nevertheless, Alternatively,

4
Sentence basics

Causation For this reason, so, because,

(one thing Therefore, showing,
causes the Consequently suggesting, since
other)
Signposting Firstly, Secondly, Finally,
In conclusion, To
summarise, The topic
of…, Following on
from…,

Linking sentences checklist

✓ Checklist

1. Do you have more than one subject in your sentence, or is the same
subject referred to again? If so, you may need to start a new sentence or
use a linking word.

2. If there is no linking word, the reader will assume that you are going to
continue with a similar topic, until you tell them otherwise. Do you need to
use a linking word?

3. Do you need to express the effect of something; perhaps to show logic or

causation? If so, you may wish to use a linking word to suggest the close
relationship between one idea and another.

4. If you have put one comma into the sentence, is it because a linking word
is needed?

5
 Verbs

Is the tense correct?

Often there are no precise rules on which tense is correct. Native and non-native
speakers often get a feel for the ways in which tenses are used. Tenses show the
relationship between a subject’s actions and time.

How are tenses formed?

Tense is created by using a specific auxiliary verb AND the verb ending IN
COMBINATION. The table below illustrates the four main tenses that are used in
academic writing.

Tense Subject Auxiliary Verb Object

Verb

Present Simple The – films the

(general student event
statement or
regular event)

Past Simple The – filmed the

(event completed student event
in the past)

Present Perfect The has filmed the

(past event with student event
present results)

Future Simple The will film the

(event will happen student event
in the future)

When do I use a progressive form (is filming, has been filming)?

Progressive forms can be used in combination with all of the tenses above to show that an action is
still in progress.

6
Verbs

Tense Subject Auxiliary Verb Object Typical adverb

Verb

Present The is filming the now.

Progressive student event
(event is
happening
‘now’)

Past The was filming the at this time

Progressive student event yesterday.
(event was in
progress at a
specific time in
the past)

Present The has been filming the for two hours

Perfect student event /since 10 am.
Progressive
(event started in
the past and is
currently in
progress)

Future Simple The will be filming the at this time

(event will be in student event tomorrow.
progress at a
specific time in
the future)

Common uses of tenses in academic writing

Present Simple and Present Perfect

• Use Present Simple for general statements:

Halls (2003) argues that…

According to Jackson et al. (2011, p.23), students prefer…

• Both Present Simple and Present Perfect can be used to show that findings of past
research are currently valid:

While Jones, Parks and Johnson (2013) identified high levels of caffeine consumption among
students, more recent work by Hills (2016) shows/has shown that…

7
 Verbs
Past Simple

• Use Past Simple to refer to actions that occurred in the past, or to indicate that research
findings have been superseded by more updated research:

Jones and Keran (2012) conducted an investigation into the food preferences of university
students. They found that…

While Jones, Parks and Johnson (2013) identified high levels of caffeine consumption among
students, more recent work by Hills (2016) shows/has shown that…

Future Simple
• Use Future Simple for actions that are certain to occur in the future, for example when
describing the functions of equipment or formal procedures:

When the valve is closed, the pressure will increase…

After the interview, the candidates will be offered the opportunity to ask questions.

Consistency

It is important that in your writing your verb tenses are consistent and reflect a logical
progression of events or actions. Within a sentence the tenses must match, and within a
paragraph there must be a logical sequence from sentence to sentence.

Use of tenses in different sections of your assignment

While there are no rigid rules, certain tenses may be more appropriate for different
sections of your assignment:

8
Verbs

Tense checklist

✓ Checklist

1. If you use a progressive form (are doing, is happening), think very carefully
about why, because progressive forms are very rare in academic writing.
Will the action be in progress from your reader’s perspective? If not, use a
simple form instead (do, happens).

2. You cannot get enough information about tense from either the auxiliary
verb alone or the verb ending alone. Think about both the auxiliary verb and
the verb ending in combination.

3. Check if you are consistent in your use of tenses. For example, if you have used
the Past Tense to refer to an action at the beginning of a paragraph, make sure you
do not switch to Present Tense half way through.

4. Check if the tense is appropriate for the section of the assignment you are writing.

9
Verbs

Agree with or agree on-is this the right preposition?

In English, some verbs are followed by small linking words called prepositions. Common
prepositions are: in, at, with, on etc. Each verb can be associated with one or several
prepositions. For example: agree (verb) with (preposition). The following example
illustrates some of the errors that can occur when prepositions are not correctly used.

Student example:
Facebook is useful. However, [1] it might affect on students’ concentration in class.
[2] Mobile devices give rise the possibility that students have a constant distraction.
[3] This section explains about the student perspective.

The problem
One of these verbs has not been used with the correct preposition. For
the other two, a preposition was used when it was not needed.

The solution
[1] it might affect on students’ concentration.
[2] Mobile devices give rise to the possibility that…
[3] This section explains about the student perspective.

Tips
As you learn new verbs, make a note of them with the preposition that follows – or
even better, record full example sentences. You may also wish to note when no
preposition is needed.

affect (-) agree on agree with commission (-) determine (-)

(something) (someone)

engage with explain (-) govern (-) give rise to interpret (-)

Sometimes a particle after a verb creates a new verb, called a phrasal verb. Consider the
examples below:

spread suddenly
break to stop working break out
(like a disease)

back support back down stop trying

In general, phrasal verbs are to be avoided in academic writing as they are less
formal than one-word verbs.

10
 Nouns

Preposition checklist

✓ Checklist

1. Find the verbs in your text. Have you used the right preposition (or no
preposition)?

2. Underline any phrasal verbs (i.e. verbs made up of more than one word). To
make your text more formal, can you replace them with one-word verbs?

11
Nouns

How many are there? Single, plural and uncountable

nouns
Nouns are words that refer to things. They can be singular or plural, countable or
uncountable. The singular is used when something cannot be counted (that is, the noun is
‘uncountable’) or there is one of something. The plural is used when there is more than
one of something. Focused practice will form the habit of using the appropriate forms of
the nouns in each of these cases.

The following steps can structure your practice:

For each noun, consider:

1. The word. Is it countable or uncountable? Types of nouns that cannot be counted

include liquids (e.g. water), abstract concepts (e.g. beauty) and processes (e.g.
training). If unsure, a dictionary can help with this. Uncountable nouns only have a
singular form.

2. The meaning. If the noun is countable, decide whether you wish to speak about one
or more than one. If more, add an -s or –es to the word. E.g. chapter becomes
chapters, watch becomes watches.

3. Agreement. English sentences require an agreement between the verb (the

action) and the subject noun (that is, the noun that is doing the action).

For example, if the subject noun is singular, the rule of agreement requires you to
add an –s or -es to verbs in the simple present tense. E.g. argue becomes argues,
touch becomes touches. For a small number of verbs, specific forms need to be
used E.g. have becomes has.

Many scholars argue that…

This scholar argues that…

Noun checklist

✓ Checklist

1. Check your nouns. Are they uncountable or singular, or are they plural? Add
-s or -es if plural.

2. Make sure that the verb agrees with your subject.

12
Nouns

A/an, the, or no article

The article is used to show whether the reader is expected to be able to identify which instance of
the noun is referred to.

The is used when the noun is known to the reader, therefore it can be identified from a
larger group of similar items. A/an or no article is used in cases when no definite
identification is expected. The tables below provide some basic rules to help you choose
between a, an, the, and no article.

A. Choosing between a/an and the:

a/an the used

used
First mention Further mentions

New Known items

General things Specific/unique things

The reader is not expected to know The reader is expected to know

‘which one?’ ‘which one?’

B. Choosing between an and a:

an For words that start with a vowel sound an answer

(a, e, i, o, u) an experiment
an introduction
an operation
an umbrella
an MA* degree

a For all the other words a study

(that is, words that start with a consonant sound) a researcher
a test
a yardstick
a university**

Special cases

* In the word ‘MA’, the first letter is ‘m’, which does not normally note a vowel sound. However,
when pronounced, the word ‘MA’ actually begins with an ‘e’ sound. For this category of words, an
is used as for words starting with a vowel sound.

**In the word ‘university’, the first letter is ‘u’, which normally notes a vowel sound; however, when

13
 Nouns
pronounced, it makes more of a ‘y’ sound (different from ‘u’ in umbrella, for example). For this
category of words, a is used as for words starting with a consonant sound.

Tips
 Read the words aloud to establish if they begin with a vowel sound.
 Check pronunciation in a dictionary if not sure.

C. Cases when no article is needed:

no article used Examples

Proper names
_Guo Wei speaks _English and _Mandarin.
(names, languages, countries)
Uncountable nouns Studying _psychology involves significant
(abstract concepts, processes) _ambition and _dedication.

Plural countable nouns Jones (2014) examines _novels produced by

British women _writers.

Tip
Try to increase your sensitivity to what kind of ideas might be uncountable nouns.

Placing the article

The article attaches to the noun, but is not always next to the noun.

Numbers, adjectives and adverb-adjective pairs also attach to the noun, but go between
the article and the noun:

the question scenario A possible answer _Broad terms The next paragraph
the spectacular effect _Indirect light _2,500 years a visible corona

If other determiners, such as this, that, his, hers, my, John’s, some are used, no other
article is needed.

Words which replace the:

• Demonstrative adjectives (words used to replace specific things or people that are known to
the reader)

singular this that

plural these those

14
Nouns

• Possessive adjectives (words showing possession)

singular my your her his its

plural our your their

• Numbers

E.g. three; a hundred; 2,500 etc.

Example:

This _literature review will critically appraise two _research studies. These _studies are
highly relevant to _my research question.

Recognising a/an, the or no article

The basic skill of recognising nouns – those words that represent things– is essential
here. A dictionary can help if you are unsure!

Example
The example below shows concrete and abstract nouns and their use of a/an, the or no
article. Nouns are in bold; articles are shown in italic, and no article is indicated with _.

_Facebook is being used to exchange _information and _pictures in everyday _life. Many
_people believe that it is a tool to enrich our _lives. However, from an educational
perspective, the social media website can be seen as a distraction. This _essay
examines whether using _Facebook lowers the concentration of second year _students

Explanation

Facebook Facebook is a proper name

information ‘information’ is uncountable. It is an abstract concept.

pictures ‘Pictures’ and ‘people’ are plural. And the reader is not
people expected to know which pictures or people the student is
thinking of. It is general.

Facebook… is a tool ‘tool’ is used generally. There are many tools; Facebook is
one of them.

our_lives ‘lives’ is preceded by ‘our’, which is a possessive adjective (a

word showing possession). Nouns preceded by possessive
adjectives always take no article.

15
Nouns

an educational This is the first mention, so the reader is not expected to

perspective identify which specific perspective.

the social media The reader is expected to know which website this is
website (Facebook). It is known.

This_essay ‘Essay’ is preceded by ‘this’, which is a demonstrative

adjective (together with ‘that’, ‘these’ and ‘those’). Nouns
preceded by demonstrative adjectives always take no article.

the concentration of Concentration here is specific. It is all of the concentration of

second year students, and no other concentration.

second year Second year students is used generally. We cannot say

students definitely who they are.

You could use a similar technique to rigorously check for articles whilst proof reading
your work.

Article checklist

✓ Checklist

1. Find the nouns in your text. Is no article most appropriate?

If not, is a/an or the most appropriate?

2. Place the article before the noun and before numbers and adjectives.

16
 Punctuation

Punctuation
The main function of punctuation is to provide a link between words, parts of sentences and
sentences. Some punctuation signs, such as the apostrophe (‘), also play a more specific
grammatical role (e.g., showing possession). It is important to place punctuation marks carefully, as
this can affect the meaning of your text.

Consider, for example, the differences in meaning between:

The students, who wanted to watch the football match, were given permission to leave the lecture
early. (=all of the students left the lecture early)

The students who wanted to watch the football match were given permission to leave the lecture
early. (=only those students who wanted to watch the football left the lecture early, the others
remained behind)

Common punctuation signs

The full stop (.)

A full stop is often used to separate sentences. The first word of these sentences should start with
a capital letter:

E.g. The lecturer delivered a presentation on Punctuation signs. The presentation was attended by
all of the students in the cohort.

The semicolon (;)

A semicolon is often used to separate sections of a sentence that make sense on their own (often
described as ‘independent clauses’). No capitalization is needed:

E.g. The lecturer delivered a presentation on Punctuation signs; the presentation was attended by
all of the students in the cohort.

The comma (,)

A comma usually links words or different parts of a sentence:

E.g. Today’s presentation described the functions of full stops, commas, semicolons and colons.

The colon (:)

A colon (:) is most commonly used before a list of items or before an explanation.

E.g. Today’s presentation discussed: full stops, commas and colons.

17
 Punctuation
The apostrophe (‘)

• The main function of the apostrophe is to show possession.

 The apostrophe is placed before possessive ‘s’ to show one possessor:

E.g. (1) The lecturer’s glasses were still on the table. (one lecturer)
means the same as
(2) The glasses of the lecturer were still on the table.

 The apostrophe is placed after plural ‘s’ to show more than one possessor:

(3) The lecturers’ glasses were on the table. (more than one lecturer)
means the same as
(4) The glasses of the lecturers were on the table.

• The apostrophe is also used to show a letter has been omitted:

E.g. (1) It’s time to start writing up your essay.

can be re-written as
(2) It is time to start writing up your essay.

N.B. In academic writing, you should avoid the abbreviated form (1), which is considered
less formal.

Common errors using the apostrophe

 Sometimes the apostrophe is informally used to form the plural of nouns E.g. TV’s,
potato’s and computer’s.

 Please note that ALL plural forms using the apostrophe are incorrect.

 The grammatically correct forms are TVs, potatoes and computers.

Punctuation checklist

✓ Checklist

1. Check your full stops, commas, colons and semicolons. Have you used
them correctly to link words and sentences?

2. Have you used an apostrophe to indicate possession? Does the position

of your apostrophes (i.e. before or after ‘s’) show the correct number of
possessors?
3. Do you need to correct any unnecessary apostrophes in plural forms or
informal phrases?

18
 Academic Style

Not using ‘I’

In most academic work you will be expected to use a neutral, impersonal style of writing.
This usually means that you will avoid using ‘I’ (unless you are writing reflectively about
your own experiences).

The passive voice

The passive voice can be useful because it encourages you to use neutral language.
It also means that the focus is on the action rather than the person/thing (the subject)
that is doing the action.

Passive versus active sentences

In normal (active) sentences, the subject does something.

*The criminal arrested the police officer. The subject is the criminal. It is active.
The criminal does the arresting.

The previous example sounds a little strange. More likely:

The criminal was arrested by the police The subject is the criminal. It is passive.
officer. Somebody else does the arresting to the
criminal.
The police officer arrested the criminal. The subject is the police officer. It is active.
The police officer does the arresting.

How is the passive voice formed?

The passive is constructed by using (1) the auxiliary verb ‘be’ and (2) the -ed form of
the verb (also known as the -ed participle):

[Receiver of action] + [be] + [-ed participle of verb] + [by] + [doer of action]

The criminal was arrested by the police officer.

(1) The form of be will vary according to the tense needed in the sentence, for
example:

19
 Academic Style
Present Tense Simple is (singular), are (plural)
Past Tense Simple was (singular), were (plural)

(2) For most verbs, the -ed participle is formed by simply adding -ed:

verb -ed participle

argue argued
check checked
discuss discussed

However, for a small number of verbs, this will be a slightly different form:

verb -ed participle

find found
think thought
write written

Use a dictionary to check if unsure.

Student example
The following example shows some common mistakes in passive sentences.

If [1] mobile phones can used in class, then [2] students can be easily distract. They
might learn less. [3] This concern often cited against encouraging students to use social
media sites. However, is it the website or the mobile phone which causes the problem?

Problem
Each passive sentence needs a form of the auxiliary be and the -ed form of the verb.

A possible solution
[1] mobile phones can be used in class.
[2] Students can be easily distracted.
[3] This concern is often cited.

The active and impersonal voice

It is also possible to use an active and impersonal voice in your work. Using the active
voice can be more direct and easier to understand. Look at the differences between the
examples below:

• My personal argument is that students need to use online resources. (Active and
personal)
• This report is supported by evidence that online resources are useful to students.
(Passive and impersonal)
• This report argues that online resources are beneficial to students. (Active and
impersonal)

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Academic Style
While all of these sentences make grammatical sense, the third example is clear, direct
and written in an impersonal style.

Neutral writing checklist

✓ Checklist

1. Have you removed ‘I’ from your writing?

2. To help you do this, could your report, essay, argument, or research

become the focus of your writing rather than you?
For example:
This essay will argue…
This research addresses the issue of…

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Academic Style

Expressing opinions
In academic writing, when expressing our views or presenting an argument, very few
ideas can be stated as fact. Usually, our ideas contribute to a much wider debate. In this
case, stating that something is a certainty can imply a lack of awareness around a topic
area. Often it is more appropriate to lean towards caution.

Tentativeness
Certain< <- Tentative - > Certain

YES MAYBE NO

Tentativeness refers to the various language choices that can be made between yes/no
(something that is certain) and maybe (something that is not certain). By making certain
choices about language, students can express varying degrees of certainty in their work.
Consider the examples below:

• Group work always benefits students. (Yes, high certainty)

• Group work often benefits students (Yes, Certain)
• Group work may benefit students. (Tentative, low certainty)
• Group work does not benefit students. (No, high certainty)

For academic purposes, writing tends to be more tentative and expresses low certainty.
Therefore, low tentative language is used to convey a reasoned and objective argument.

Examples of tentative and certain language

Below are some examples of the types of language that express both low and high
certainty.

It could be said that… This evidence proves that…

It appears likely that… It is always the case that…
Some evidence suggests that… This view is correct because…

The language used in the tentative box is generally more appropriate for academic writing
unless you are making recommendations for future research.

Tip
A traditional scientific perspective might be concerned with proving or disproving a
hypothesis, in which case more certainty may be required. However, there still needs to
be awareness that further experiments by others (or yourself) may disprove this certainty.

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Academic Style

Tentative writing checklist

✓ Checklist

1. Have you presented your arguments cautiously?

2. Can you use some of the language in the tentative box above to convey a
reasoned and objective perspective?

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Proof Reading for Grammar Activity

Proof Reading for Grammar Activity

Task: In the example below, identify as many grammar errors as you can. There is one
error on each line. The errors refer to grammar issues discussed in the sections of this
guide.

The Writer and Writing

The key traditional understanding of the writer is one that is reactive. Isolated and
removed from the social and political sphere as much as from everyday life. The
contentions here is that although the writer is alone, he/she can access
knowledge that is universally available, it presupposes that the writer dips into
knowledge, extracts of it and then retreats to the process of writing once more.
Confined to this perspective, writing is individualised rather than embedded to a
social context. Writing is not socially situated but utterly removed from any
external factors. Why writing is often thought of in this way is something that will
be explored by the author in this essay.

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Proof Reading for Grammar Activity

A possible solution
The key traditional understanding of the writer is one that is reactive. The writer is
isolated and removed from the social and political sphere as much as from everyday life.
The contention here is that although the writer is alone, he/she can access knowledge
that is universally available. This presupposes that the writer dips into knowledge,
extracts it and then retreats to the process of writing once more. Confined to this
perspective, writing is individualised rather than embedded within a social context.
Writing is not socially situated, but utterly removed from any external factors. This essay
will explore why writing is often thought of in this way.

You may have found other improvements besides those indicated in this possible correction.

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Proof Reading for Grammar Complete Checklist

Proof Reading for Grammar: Complete Checklist

Is this a sentence?

1. Check if your sentence has a subject, i.e. it is clear who is doing the action.

2. Check if your sentence has a verb, i.e. it is clear what is happening, or which
action the subject is performing.

3. Ask yourself whether the previous sentence should continue.

Should I start a new sentence?

4. Do you have more than one subject in your sentence, or is the same subject
referred to again? If so, you may need to start a new sentence or use a
linking word.
5. If there is no linking word, the reader will assume that you are going to
continue with a similar topic, until you tell them otherwise. Do you need to
use a linking word?

6. Do you need to express the effect of something; perhaps to show the logic
of your argument? (For example, this will happen as a result of this) If so,
you may wish to use a linking word to suggest the close relationship
between one idea and another.

7. If you have put one comma into the sentence, is it because a linking word
is needed?

Is this tense correct?

8. If you use a progressive form (are doing, is happening), think very

carefully about why, because progressive forms are very rare in
academic writing. Will the action be in progress from your reader’s
perspective? If not, use a simple form instead (do, happens).

9. You cannot get enough information about tense from either the auxiliary
verb alone or the verb ending alone. Think about the auxiliary verb and
the verb ending in combination.

10. Check if you are consistent in your use of tenses. For example, if you have used
the Past Tense to refer to an action at the beginning of a paragraph, make sure you
do not switch to Present Tense half way through.

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 Proof Reading for Grammar Complete Checklist

11. Check if the tense is appropriate for the section of the assignment you are writing.

Is this the right preposition?

12. Find the verbs in your text. Have you used the right preposition (or no
preposition)?

13. Underline any phrasal verbs (i.e. verbs made up of more than one word).
To make your text more formal, can you replace them with one-word
verbs?

How many are there?

14. Check your nouns. Are they uncountable or singular, or are they plural? Add
-s or -es if plural.

15. Make sure that the verb agrees with your subject.

A, the, or no article

16. Find the nouns in your text.

Is no article most appropriate?
If not, is a/an or the most appropriate?

17. Place the article before the noun and before numbers and adjectives.

Not using ‘I’

18. Have you removed ‘I’ from your writing?

19. To help you to do this, could your report, essay, argument, or research
become the focus of your writing rather than you?
For example:
This essay will argue…
This research addresses the issue of…

Expressing argument and opinion

20. Have you presented your arguments tentatively where necessary?

21. Can you use some of the tentative language introduced in this guide
to convey a reasoned and objective perspective?

27
Proof Reading for Grammar Complete Checklist
This Proof Reading for Grammar Toolkit has looked at some common mistakes that we
find in students’ work at DMU. However, there are many more aspects to writing other
than grammar, and for some students, improving writing can be a life-long commitment.

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 Proof Reading for Grammar Complete Checklist

Bibliography and further reading

CRYSTAL, D. (2004) Rediscover Grammar. 3rd ed. Harlow: Pearson Longman

MURPHY, R. (1994) English Grammar in Use. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University

Press

SINCLAIR, C. (2010) Grammar. A Friendly Approach. Maidenhead: Open University

Press

THOMSON, A.J. and MARTINET, A.V. (1986) A Practical English Grammar. Oxford:

Oxford University Press

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Glossary

Glossary

Active In an active sentence, the subject does the action of the verb.

Auxiliary verb A helper verb. It has abstract meaning (e.g. time, who does
something), not related to an action or event.

Causation The relation of cause to effect. (This will happen as a result

of this.)

Countable Nouns that need to be grammatically singular or plural.

Grammar A system of providing abstract meaning (e.g. time, who does

something, how it is done) in writing.

Passive The subject is the recipient of the verb action, not the
person/thing doing the action.

Plural More than one of something.

Proof reading Noticing and correcting grammar mistakes in a text.

Sentence One complete idea that can stand alone, optionally with
additional information of less importance.

Singular Exactly one of something.

Tense The time of an event or action.

Tentativeness/caution How certain the author presents the factuality of a statement

Uncountable Things that cannot be grammatically counted.

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