Syllabus Errorum
Some of the most common rhetorical, composition and communication errors (Check off errors )
1. Style too low—inappropriate use of contractions in academic writing.
2. Style too low—slang, online lingo, vulgarities, street language.
3. Inappropriate use of 2nd person ("you") in academic writing.
4. Calling people “that” in academic writing.
5. English fluency / ESOL problems—have text checked over!
6. Verb tense formation problems—get a verb book!
7. Problems with formation and use of plurals, missing "s" for plurals.
8. Switching person (1st, 2nd, 3rd) unnecessarily in a paragraph.
9. Lack of or weak thesis statement or standpoint.
10. Excess use of passive verbs and constructions.
11. Concluding with “In conclusion,” or similar.
12. Failure to clearly establish your “right to write” on subject.
13. Lack of your own voice in writing, parroting others.
14. Works Cited problems, failure to cite sources in text, plagiarism.
15. Lack of coherence, babbling, unclear or nonsense writing, changes of standpoint. .
16. Trying for too high a style, using “fancy” thesaurus words inappropriately.
17. Writing fails the “Who cares?” test, boring, lacks visible purpose or interest.
18. No audience is evident, or fails to serve intended audience, tries for "universal audience.".
19. Text includes fallacies or relies on unreliable sources or arguments.
20. Verbal “fat,” excess wordiness, contains unnecessary repetition.
