| fragment | an imcomplete sentence (often in the form of a dependent clause) |
| run-on | 2 or more independent clauses without any punctuation or conjunctions |
| comma splice | 2 or more idenpendent clauses joined by only a comma |
| passive | (OVS) that ball was eaten by Jim / Her room was cleaned by her mother |
| tense shift | maintain the same verb tense with clauses unless context clues suggest other wise |
| subject-verb agreement | the verb must agree in number with the subject |
| pronoun reference | the number of the pronoun must agree with antecedent (Each of the boys received his money on friday) |
| faulty comparison | make sure what's being compared is clear (Henry enjoys sports more than Mary...) |
| superlative | use when referring to more than 2 items (proceded most times by "the") |
| comparative | use when referring to 2 items (often followed by "than") |
| adjectives v. adverbs | use adj. form if following a linking verb (remember "sense" verbs are linking) |