The most common mistakes in essays by international students are incorrect verb conjugation and using wrong prepositions. There’s also the use of wrong conjoining words and articles. This is according to research by an academic proofreading service. So what are the common university application errors international students need to avoid?
It is well known that application deadlines for universities around the world approach in January and February. Thus research by Proofread My Essay reveals the grammatical rules that international students should double-check to ensure that their personal statements are up to standard. Note that correct grammar could make the key difference in impressing admissions officers so here’s a list of things to watch out for.
- Mistaking “effect” for “affect”.
- Homophone errors. i.e words that sound the same.
- Use of US English as a proofing language for UK university essays and vice versa.
- Misuse of the word “about”.
- Lack or misuse of apostrophes.
Also,
- Multiple-use of “said” or “because” in a single sentence.
- Missing, incomplete or incorrect academic referencing.
- Overly long sentences.
- Syntax issues.
- Missing or misusing articles such as “a”, “an”, “the”.
Furthermore,
- Failing to make sure singular and plural nouns agree with their verbs.
- Incorrect use of conjunctions. eg, “although”, “therefore”, “whereas”.
- Wrong use of prepositions such as “for”, “on”, “at”, etc.
One of the most common university application errors is grammatical errors. When your essay is littered with so many of them, you come off as being incompetent and unprofessional. You need to be serious.
Therefore, it is advisable for applicants to submit their personal statements to several proofreaders to make sure they are error-proof. This way your best foot is put forward and you stand a good chance of being admitted.