Does it happen that even with solid research and brilliant arguments, the assignment grade comes back lower than you expected? This can be because the best ideas are often undermined by simple and avoidable grammar errors.
Perfection can be hard to achieve under the pressure of deadlines. This is why many students engage a professional assignment writing service in the UK to ensure that their final work is technically flawless. If you want to learn about 10 common grammar mistakes that impact assignment grades, keep reading.
1. Subject-Verb Agreement Mistakes
This is a fundamental error and one of the most obvious. The rule is simple; a singular subject pairs with a singular verb, while a plural subject requires a plural verb. But mistakes commonly happen with collective nouns or words like “data.” For example, “data ARE” is correct, and “data IS” is incorrect.
More challenging errors happen when components are separated by phrases. For example, “The TEAM of researchers, despite the delays, WAS successful” (not WERE). Mistakes like this can immediately confuse your readers (the assessor) and affect your professionalism. So, always isolate the core subject and the core verb first, and then check for singular-plural harmony.
2. Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
Modifiers are descriptive words or phrases, and their placement matters a lot. Even the smallest error can radically change the meaning of your sentence. Misplacement happens when the modifier added is too far from the word it describes.
For example, “She served the sandwiches to the guests on paper plates.” It sounds like the guests were standing on the plates when the sandwich was being served. You fix the mistake by placing the description next to the noun. So, the correct sentence will be “She served the sandwiches on paper plates to the guests.”
A dangling modifier is about entirely missing the word being described. An example of the use of a dangling modifier is “Having finished the experiment, the data was analysed.” Here, you can fix the mistake by specifying an actor (someone taking the action). The right sentence will be “Having finished the experiment, the student analysed the data.”
3. Fragmented Sentences
A sentence fragment is an incomplete idea trying to be a full sentence. It is often a phrase or a dependent clause that is structurally missing a subject, a verb, or both. An example of a sentence fragment is “Because the temperature rose unexpectedly during the final phase.”
Fragmented sentences will leave your readers waiting, wanting to know what happened next. Readers perceive fragments as incomplete thoughts, will severely impact the clarity of your content. They cannot stand alone as a complete idea. To fix a sentence fragment, you must simply connect the fragment to a nearby independent clause and turn the two pieces into one strong, complete thought. For example, “Because the temperature rose unexpectedly during the final phase, I had to exit the facility.”
4. Run-On Sentences and Comma Splices
Your readers will feel overwhelmed if you cram too many independent clauses together. It will lead to run-on sentences, which will either be fused (no punctuation at all) or comma spliced (two complete sentences joined incorrectly by only a comma). For example, “The study ran for six weeks the data were then processed and published the findings were controversial.”
The mistake can be fixed by breaking the continuous stream into smaller, clearer sentences. You can do so using a full stop, a semicolon, or a comma with a conjunction. Remember that your readers will need some room to breathe. For example, “The study ran for six weeks, the data were then processed and published, and the findings were controversial.”
5. Incorrect Punctuation for Flow
Incorrect use of punctuation will destroy the flow and coherence of your content. Semicolons are perfect for linking two closely related, independent clauses. For example, “The microscope was functional; the slide was prepared correctly.”
You must put a comma before a coordinating conjunction that joins two independent clauses. For example: “The microscope was functional, and the report was compiled.” Punctuation marks act as crucial signals. So, if you miss or misuse punctuation, your argument will not flow logically.
6. Confusing Homophones
Homophones are words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings. So, if you use the wrong one, your academic credibility will be instantly undermined. Spell-checkers can often miss such semantic errors.
An example of a common confusing homophone is “their” (possessive) or “there” (place), or they’re (contraction). Another example is “affect” (verb, to influence) or “effect” (noun, the result). Even if you understand grammar well, mistakes with homophones can happen when typing fast. Proofread specifically for the homophones.
The clarity of meanings depends on the right use of homophones. This is why biology assignment help services are sought by many students to ensure the use of correct terms for complex concepts.
7. Improper Tense Consistency
Switching tenses randomly within a paragraph or across closely related ideas can severely disrupt the chronology of the flow of narrative and confuse your readers. For example, if you are reporting experimental findings, you must use the past tense (The results indicated that…).
When you are interpreting results or stating universal truths, the use of the present tense is required (The data support the hypothesis…). Maintain the same tense unless there is a chronological shift in your argument is clearly required.
8. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Errors
A pronoun replaces a noun, which is the antecedent. If the two don’t match in number or gender, the subject will immediately become ambiguous. An example is, “Every student must bring their own laptop.” In formal writing, “student” is singular, while “their” is plural, thus creating a mismatch.
To fix the mistake, you can either make the antecedent plural (“All students must bring their own laptops”) or keep both singular (“Every student must bring his or her own laptop”). You must make sure that every pronoun clearly and unambiguously points back to a single noun.
9. Overuse of Passive Voice
The active voice is direct, while the passive voice is indirect. So, overusing the passive voice makes writing vague and wordy. It also hides the actor. Passive voice is necessary in methodology sections where the action is more important than the actor. But for most other academic writing, the active voice is more appreciated for clarity and authority.
10. Misuse of Apostrophe
Apostrophes indicate either possession or a contraction. Remember that “It’s” always means “it is.” On the other hand, “Its” is possession. You must also keep in mind that apostrophes are never used for making nouns plural. So, do not write “The finding’s contradicted the conclusion’s.” The right sentence is “The findings contradicted the conclusions.”
Ready for Assignment Writing Service in the UK?
Strong grammar is what will ultimately secure higher grades when your research and argument is strong. Correct grammar will allow your professors to focus on the depth of your ideas instead of the technical flaws in your sentences.
Make proofreading a separate, critical step in your assignment writing process. If you need final technical polish or specific biology assignment help, you can reach out to professional academic writing services. Prioritize clarity and correctness in your work and maximise your grades. Reach out to an assignment writing service in the UK today!
