Mastering Common English Writing Mistakes

Mastering Common English Writing Mistakes

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson you will be able to recognize and differentiate between the most common English writing mistakes, such as 'to' vs 'too' and 'than' vs 'then'.

Introduce the learning objective of the lesson and explain what the students will be able to do by the end of the lesson.

What do you already know about common English writing mistakes?

Introduction

Writing in English can be challenging, especially if you are not familiar with the most common writing mistakes. In this lesson, we will cover the most frequently made errors and how to avoid them.

Welcome the students and introduce the topic of the lesson.

To vs Too

To is used as a preposition, while too is used as an adverb. To is used to indicate direction, action, or position, while too is used to indicate excess or addition.

Explain the difference between 'to' and 'too', giving examples of how each is used.

Than vs Then

Than is used to compare things, while then is used to indicate a time or sequence of events.

Explain the difference between 'than' and 'then', giving examples of how each is used.

Your vs You're

Your is a possessive pronoun, while you're is a contraction of 'you are'.

Explain the difference between 'your' and 'you're', giving examples of how each is used.

Its vs It's

Its is a possessive pronoun, while it's is a contraction of 'it is'.

Explain the difference between 'its' and 'it's', giving examples of how each is used.

Affect vs Effect

Affect is usually a verb, meaning to have an influence on something, while effect is usually a noun, meaning the result of an action.

Explain the difference between 'affect' and 'effect', giving examples of how each is used.

Their vs They're vs There

Their is a possessive pronoun, while they're is a contraction of 'they are', and there is used to indicate a place.

Explain the difference between 'their', 'they're', and 'there', giving examples of how each is used.

Fewer vs Less

Fewer is used when referring to items that can be counted, while less is used when referring to amounts or quantities.

Explain the difference between 'fewer' and 'less', giving examples of how each is used.

Who vs Whom

Who is used as a subject, while whom is used as an object.

Explain the difference between 'who' and 'whom', giving examples of how each is used.

Misplaced Modifiers

A misplaced modifier is a word or phrase that is in the wrong place in a sentence, making the meaning unclear.

Explain what a misplaced modifier is and give examples of how it can cause confusion in a sentence.

Dangling Modifiers

A dangling modifier is a phrase that is intended to modify a word in a sentence, but is not properly connected to the word it is supposed to modify.

Explain what a dangling modifier is and give examples of how it can cause confusion in a sentence.

Split Infinitives

A split infinitive is when an adverb is placed between 'to' and the verb in an infinitive phrase, such as 'to boldly go'.

Explain what a split infinitive is and give examples of how it can cause confusion in a sentence.

Double Negatives

A double negative is when two negative words are used in the same sentence, which can create confusion and ambiguity.

Explain what a double negative is and give examples of how it can cause confusion in a sentence.

Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement means that the subject and verb in a sentence must agree in number, meaning that a singular subject requires a singular verb and a plural subject requires a plural verb.

Explain what subject-verb agreement is and give examples of how it can cause confusion in a sentence.

Practice

Now that you have learned about the most common writing mistakes, it's time to put your knowledge to the test. Complete the worksheet provided, identifying and correcting any mistakes.

Provide a worksheet for the students to complete, allowing them to practice what they have learned.

Review

In this lesson, we covered the most common writing mistakes in English, including 'to' vs 'too', 'than' vs 'then', and many others. Remember to pay close attention to these mistakes in your own writing to avoid confusion and miscommunication.

Summarize the key points of the lesson and remind the students to keep these common writing mistakes in mind when writing in English.

Conclusion

Congratulations on completing this lesson! You are now equipped with the knowledge and skills to recognize and differentiate between the most common writing mistakes in English. Keep practicing and writing to improve your skills even further.

Thank the students for their participation and summarize the key takeaways from the lesson.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.