Using the right word, spelling right, and having the tense be consistent throughout
Certain mistakes keep cropping up in the stuff I've been reading on journals and whatever else...
The word lose (as in "She will lose her sanity if she continues on her current path.") spelled like this: l-o-o-s-e, and losing (as in "She's losing her temper over a trivial matter.") spelled like this: l-o-o-s-i-n-g.
And then there are many instances of mixing different tenses in the same paragraph or sentence. For example: "She grabbed the burger and eats it." Either write "She grabbed the burger and ate it," or "She grabs the burger and eats it." Pick a tense and stick with it.
A dictionary and thesaurus are some of the most potent tools in anyone's writing toolbox. A writing workshop (an ultimately expensive undertaking) isn't there to teach spelling and grammar; by the time a person thinks of shelling out the bucks to join one, that person should have a good grasp of the basics.
Another good investment: a copy of Strunk and White's Elements of Style.
My own writing may not be perfect, but I make a serious effort to consult a dictionary whenever I write.
The word lose (as in "She will lose her sanity if she continues on her current path.") spelled like this: l-o-o-s-e, and losing (as in "She's losing her temper over a trivial matter.") spelled like this: l-o-o-s-i-n-g.
And then there are many instances of mixing different tenses in the same paragraph or sentence. For example: "She grabbed the burger and eats it." Either write "She grabbed the burger and ate it," or "She grabs the burger and eats it." Pick a tense and stick with it.
A dictionary and thesaurus are some of the most potent tools in anyone's writing toolbox. A writing workshop (an ultimately expensive undertaking) isn't there to teach spelling and grammar; by the time a person thinks of shelling out the bucks to join one, that person should have a good grasp of the basics.
Another good investment: a copy of Strunk and White's Elements of Style.
My own writing may not be perfect, but I make a serious effort to consult a dictionary whenever I write.