The Twenty Most Common Errors
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Wrong shade of meaning: a stench is a disagreeable smell; a fragrance is a pleasing odor.
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Wrong meaning: sedate means "composed, dignified" and sedentary means "requiring much sitting." |
"Wrong word" errors come in many varieties. They can be among the hardest errors to check for, because you may not be able to see what's wrong. They can involve mixing up words that sound somewhat alike, using a word with the wrong shade of meaning, or using a word with a completely wrong meaning. Many "wrong word" errors are due to the improper use of homonyms -- words that are pronounced alike but spelled differently, such as their or there. If wrong words are a problem for you, ask classmates or a teacher to help you scan your draft for them.
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