Avoiding common errors and Paragraph writing

introduction
Communication is an art, and like any other art one must be properly trained to do so. There are ample of writers and speakers who do numerous mistakes while writing & speaking and dont even know where they are falling short. Here, we have tried to investigate all the common faults done by writers and now putting them here. Bad writing may be negated at initial stages but only by practice and conscious efforts they can be removed.

Aint
Some people believe that we should never use the word "ain't" in the English language. It is, however, a legitimate and valid word if it is used in the right place. It is a contraction for "am not." The sentence, "I ain't going to school today," is therefore correct. It means, "I am not going to school today." It can be used only for the first person singular (I). It can not be used with "we," "they," "you," "thou," "he," "she," or any proper noun.

Advice versus Advise

Advice is a noun, something that you give. It is a thing. Say, "Please give me some advice." Advise is a verb, something that you do. It is some action. Say, "Please advise me."

Affect and Effect

As verbs, they differ. To affect some thing is to have some influence upon it. To effect some action is to cause it to happen. As nouns, they also differ. Affect is like affection, related to emotion. Effect is a result.

Slash
A slash (/) can be used as "either or" when the choice is between "and" and "or." Say: "She is bringing chocolates and/or wine." Do not use the slash, however to make the same statement about nouns (do not say chocolates/wine) or in other places where the two concepts are interchangeable.

Apart and a Part

One is a single word; the other includes two words. "Apart" means two things are separate or away from each other. A "part" means one thing is a portion or an element of another. A wall is usually seen as a "part" of a house, for example, while a fence is seen as "apart" from the house.

Complement and Compliment

The change from an "e" to an "I" makes a big difference in these two words. The word "complement" is related to the word "complete." If one thing complements another, then the two together make a whole. In contrast, the word "compliment" is an observation of some good quality in a person. It is considered more sincere than flattery.

Datum and Data

The word "data" is a plural noun, like "facts." Do not use it as a singular noun (like fact) or as a collective (like water). Right: "There are many data in that report." If you want the singular of data (one bit of information) then use the word, "datum." Right: "I need only one datum from that report." This is very seldom used nowadays.

etc
End of thinking creatively (E.T.C.). Avoid using "etc.

Revert
To revert means to degenerate to an earlier condition. Say, "They reverted to barbarism." It does not mean to reply, as in "reply to a message." Say, "Please reply to this email message."

Opposed to
Do not use "opposed to" when you mean "contrasted with". Opposed means there is a conflict between the two. Contrast means there is a difference.

Forum and For a

A forum is a place being used for communication within a group or collection of persons. Historically it was a physical gathering place, but metaphorically it could be in a newspaper or on the internet. More than one "forum" is not "forums." They are "fora." The word has a Latin origin so we do not make the plural by adding the letter "s." The word "fora" refers to several places for discussion. Few people use the word "fora" any more.

Hippopotomonstrousquipedalianism
Do not use long words.

Substantive and Substantial

Do not say substantive when you mean substantial. Substantial refers to a large amount. Enough or more than enough for the purpose. Substantive refers to content, in contrast to form or superficial characteristics.

Hopefully
Do not use "hopefully" unless you state exactly who is doing the hoping. Say: "They stood hopefully in the rain waiting for the rock star to appear." Do not say: "Hopefully the bear will stay out of the village," or "Hopefully I will come in time." Say "We hope that the bear will stay out of the village," and "I hope that I will come in time. *Avoid all "...fully" words if you do not specify who is doing the action.

Kindly
Be careful when you use the word "kindly." It is used to begin a request that the listener or reader do something or refrain from doing something. It is polite and appropriate to use it on public notices, posters or broadcasts. It is rude to use it when talking to a single person. It implies that the listener is in an inferior class or is your servant and you are annoyed with him or her. When asking an individual to do something, it is best to use the word, "Please."

Quotation Marks
English is not a logical language. We would think, if we are logical, that we should put a full stop, as the end of a sentence, after the closing set of quotation marks. Not so. We first put the full stop (period) to end a sentence, then we put the closing quotation marks. The same with a comma. When we use quotation marks, the second set of marks are put after the comma, not before, as we might logically assume. For other punctuation marks, they go inside the quotations if they refer to the content of the quotation, or outside the quotation marks if they refer to the sentence as a whole.

Their, Their There and They're

"Their" is an adjective. It describes something that belongs to them. "There" is a place; further away from here. "They're" is a contraction for "they are."

Should of
the phrase "should of" is wrong. It must be "should have.

Upholding and Holding Up

When you uphold something, you support and help to maintain it. When you hold something up, you hinder it or prohibit it from continuing or developing.

Paragraph
What is a paragraph?
It is a group of sentences that introduces, presents and develops one main idea about the topic. And it can be divided into three major parts.

A. The Topic Sentence

It is normally the first sentence of the paragraph. It conveys the overall point of the paragraph. It helps the writer focus on the idea written about. It helps the reader know about what the paragraph is all about.

B. The Supporting Details

They are sentences used to support the main idea stated in the topic sentence. They give more information about the main idea through examples. They say in details what the topic sentence says in general. They should be clear evidence that what the topic sentence says is trustworthy. They should be strong convincing points on which the topic sentence can rely upon.

C. The Concluding Sentence

It is a reflection of the main idea pronounced in the topic sentence. It sums up what the topic sentence and the supporting details talk about. It is the closing sentence that reminds the readers of what they have to value. It is compulsory for the completion of the paragraph unity. It eventually indicates the end of a paragraph. It prepares the reader for a smooth transition to the next paragraph if there is one.

how to write a paragraph

Paragraph writing consists of many necessary elements to be taken into consideration before, while and after writing.

I. BEFORE WRITING:
In this stage it is important to specify the topic you are intending to tackle. Take a sheet of paper and just start jotting down notes that have tight connection with your topic. In this stage, mistakes and word-order are to be overlooked momentarily. After you gathered the data necessary for your topic the next step is to be taken.

II. WHILE WRITING:

Topic Sentence : Choose a topic sentence for your paragraph that states the main idea of your topic. The topic sentence is a statement that generally introduces the topic and thus it is often referred to as: the opening statement. Keep in mind that the readers will greatly rely on what it says so as they can decide if the paragraph is worth reading or not. Supporting Details: These are sentences that support the topic sentence. They give information that reinforces the main idea stated in the topic sentence. So there should at least be three supporting details because one or two make the paragraph less convincing and not worth the effort done to build it.

Concluding Sentence : This is the last sentence of your paragraph and it should reflect what you have talked about in your paragraph and it should echo the topic sentence in a way or another.

III. AFTER WRITING:

Reviewing: This final step can be called the editing step. This is a very crucial stage of your work process as you should review what you have done and make sure the paragraph is eligible, technically speaking. Among the things that this stage is about are: Coherence and cohesion of the content The stability of the form The linking words Grammar, spelling and punctuation. Clear handwriting.

Apart from these essentials, other factors are to be mulled over: Your main idea should be expressed in the topic sentence in a full, clear declarative sentence. Your topic sentence should in no way be a purpose statement such as:  The purpose of this paragraph is  I will prove in this paragraph  In this paragraph, I will tell  Show but dont tell. Dont repeat yourself now then thinking that you are reinforcing your point. Dont use complex or far fetched terms that may puzzle the corrector.

 Dont use long winding sentences. Keep simple. Instead of giving definitions, its better to explain and give examples. Your supporting details shouldnt be too excessive. Try not to be redundant or out of point. Stick to your topic. Never introduce or present new ideas. Irrelevant supporting details should immediately be discarded.

thank you

-Shubham sinha -amant kumar -nikhil dhar -wilander everett