{"id":1092,"date":"2020-09-13T20:11:24","date_gmt":"2020-09-13T19:11:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.englishforums.com\/blog\/?p=1092"},"modified":"2020-09-13T20:11:24","modified_gmt":"2020-09-13T19:11:24","slug":"the-main-problems-of-written-english-and-how-to-solve-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/the-main-problems-of-written-english-and-how-to-solve-them\/","title":{"rendered":"The Main Problems of Written English and How to Solve Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

Using It<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong>s or Its<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A common mistake among English learners is the confusion between It\u2019s and Its. \u201cIts\u201d, when used without an apostrophe, is a possessive pronoun. For example, \u2018we used its insurance\u2019 is an example of proper usage because it stated that the insurance is possessed by \u2018it\u2019. Whereas \u2018it\u2019s\u2019, with the use of an apostrophe, is the contracted version of \u2018it has\u2019 or \u2018it is\u2019. For example, if we say \u2018it\u2019s a very beautiful day\u2019 we are saying \u2018it is a very beautiful day\u2019. So, when you are trying to determine which one to use, check whether \u2018it has\u2019 or \u2018it is\u2019 does the job. If not, then you probably should be using \u2018its\u2019.
\nSpeaking of \u2018it\u2019s\u2019 versus \u2018its\u2019, another common mistake is to confuse \u2018their\u2019, \u2018they\u2019re\u2019 and \u2018there\u2019. \u2018There\u2019 is a noun for a place, \u2018their\u2019 is a possessive pronoun, whereas \u2018they\u2019re\u2019 is a contraction of \u2018they are\u2019. The same goes for \u2018your\u2019 versus \u2018you\u2019re\u2019. \u2018Your\u2019 is a possessive pronoun, as in the sentence \u2018I\u2019m using your phone\u2019, whereas \u2018you\u2019re\u2019 is a contraction of \u2018you are\u2019, as in \u2018you\u2019re using the phone\u2019.<\/p>\n

See, Watch, Look<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Those three verbs are often confused in meaning while their usage is proper in specific and different situations.
\n\u2018Look\u2019 is used for when you are looking directly at something.
\n\u2018See\u2019 is used for when we weren\u2019t looking for something but it comes into sight.
\n\u2018Watch\u2019 is used for carefully watching something, usually moving.<\/p>\n

Casual Language or Academic Language<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Using casual language in an academic setting and assignments is improper. Don\u2019t use the so-called \u2018texting language<\/a>\u2019 to communicate what you have on your mind. Write out everything. For example, instead of saying \u2018I\u2019m clueless about the origin of the phrase\u2019 or \u2018IDK the origin of the phrase\u2019, write out \u201cI do not know the origin of the phrase\u2019.<\/p>\n

Cliches<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Cliche expressions can be thought of as expressions used by everyone and, thus, not expressing the unique view of a certain person. So, when you are writing an essay and use a cliche, that would be regarded as an underdeveloped style, because you are using someone else\u2019s words rather than speaking with your voice.
\nA common cliche when the essayist says \u2018the author sends a message\u2019. First, authors aren\u2019t sending radio waves to transmit the message, rather, they communicate quite complex ideas using complex methods. Also, they aren\u2019t communicating just one message but instead, they are giving you their thoughts and ideas on many topics, usually quite complex.<\/p>\n

Comma Splices<\/h2>\n

Sometimes the English learners use commas to conjunct complete sentences or independent clauses. The comma cannot separate two independent clauses. Here arise the mistake called \u2018comma splice\u2019. For example, \u2018the desk is dirty, I should clean it\u2019 should be \u2018The desk is dirty. I should clean it.\u201d
\nCommas for independent clauses and complete sentences should be replaced with a period or a semi-colon. Sometimes you can use a dash but that\u2019s not always recommended and you better avoid it if you don\u2019t know when to use one.<\/p>\n

Overuse of <\/strong>\u2018<\/strong>Dummy subjects<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u2018Dummy subjects\u2019 are clauses that stand for real subjects, such as \u2018It is\u2019 or \u201cThere is\u201d. You should not make the reader try to guess who \u2018it\u2019 is, or what is \u2018there\u2019. Sometimes you can write sentences more compact, shorter, and clearer by trying to avoid using dummy subjects.<\/p>\n

Needless Words<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Edit. Edit. Edit. Omit the needless words and get straight onto the subject. For example, instead of writing \u2018The guests arrived late due to the fact that the train was delayed\u2019, say \u2018The guests arrived late because the train was delayed.\u2019 Redundant expressions and repetitions are a common mistake, especially in essay writing – see our best writing services online<\/a> for help – where you should try to stick to the point and communicate your idea clearly and concisely.<\/p>\n

Methods for Improvement<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Read. Read. And read again. To understand the complexity of the English language, you should read a lot. There are many subtle signs that you can use to determine how to avoid making particular mistakes but it\u2019s better if you\u2019ve seen for yourself what works and what doesn\u2019t.
\nTry to say the sentences you\u2019ve written. Do they seem right to you? Do they seem to be clear, on-point, lacking ambiguities? Would you feel comfortable saying them? Those questions can help you spot mistakes and correct them.
\nWrite a lot. Perfection comes with practice. You cannot expect your first written assignment to be perfect. No, you\u2019ll make mistakes but that\u2019s how you can learn.
\nLearn from the masters. Read essays or papers that experts have written, examine their style, their expressions, the way they structure the sentences, how they express their point. That way you can get a sense of what a great essay should look like. Notice the patterns that are required for a particular academic assignment – essay, paper, dissertation, etc. The more such academic readings you read, the better your writing will be. And, if you are keen on writing prose, read fiction literature to get to know what captivates the reader\u2019s imagination and what makes them close the book with frustration.
\nPlease be advised that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this blog are solely that of the author of his\/her sources and do not necessarily reflect those of English Forward. This includes, but is not limited to, third-party content contained on or accessible through the English Forward websites and web pages or sites displayed as search results or contained within a directory of links on the English Forward network.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Using It\u2019s or Its A common mistake among English learners is the confusion between It\u2019s and Its. \u201cIts\u201d, when used without an apostrophe, is a … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1099,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_generate-full-width-content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[293,297,300,305],"tags":[60,83,164],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1092"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1092"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1092\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1092"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1092"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1092"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}