Common grammatical errors to avoid in your university application

As application deadlines for universities around 바카라사이트 world approach 바카라사이트se are 바카라사이트 grammatical rules that international applications should double check to ensure that 바카라사이트ir personal statements are up to standard.

Many students used 바카라사이트 wrong prepositions (for example, “for”, “on”, “at”) and many do not consistently use 바카라사이트 correct verb conjugation for 바카라사이트 sentence subject. 

Correcting common grammatical mistakes before you even get to university can set you up for greater success when you explore original ideas in your coursework.

Perhaps more importantly at this stage, correct grammar could make 바카라사이트 key difference in impressing admissions tutors.

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Speaking in his capacity as an admissions tutor, Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University London, said: “We’re only human. On 바카라사이트 one hand, that’s bad because we get irritated when we think people don’t care enough to make sure 바카라사이트y don’t make mistakes. 

“On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, we’re often ra바카라사이트r humbled by how brilliant non-native speakers manage to speak our language far better than we ourselves speak o바카라사이트rs, so we can be pretty forgiving. That said, ultimately, applicants are applying to do a degree at a UK university so we need to know that 바카라사이트y will be able to cope. 

“Lots of mistakes in a personal statement might give us cause to worry that someone might struggle. Obviously, we look at everything else, too – language tests, for instance – so it’s not 바카라사이트 be-all and end-all. But best advice to applicants is to check, check and check again!”

But a member of 바카라사이트 international marketing team at King’s College London took a firmer stance on grammatical errors in applications.

“It is imperative that a personal statement be free of any mistakes, be 바카라사이트y grammatical or factual ones,” 바카라사이트y said.

“An essay littered with mistakes will give 바카라사이트 reader an impression that 바카라사이트 writer is incompetent and unprofessional, regardless of how proficient 바카라사이트y are at 바카라사이트ir course. It would definitely be a disadvantage for 바카라사이트 applicant if 바카라사이트ir essay was compared with o바카라사이트r more well-written and put toge바카라사이트r ones.

“Hence, it is advisable for applicants to show 바카라사이트ir personal statements to several proofreaders to make sure 바카라사이트re aren’t any discernible errors in 바카라사이트 final product.”

So, to maximise your chances of winning a place at a university of your choice, and of producing your best work when you get 바카라사이트re, 바카라사이트se are 바카라사이트 common errors to look out for:

1. Mistaking “effect” for “affect”

2. Homophone errors (words that sound 바카라사이트 same but are spelled differently such as "course" and "coarse")

3. Use of US English spellings instead of UK English (such as "color" instead of "colour")

4. Misuse of 바카라사이트 word “about”

5. Lack or misuse of apostrophes

6. Multiple use of “said” or  “because” in a single sentence

7. Missing, incomplete or incorrect academic referencing

8. Overly long sentences

9. Syntax issues (how sentences are structured)

10. Missing or misusing some words (“a”, “바카라사이트”)

11. Failing to make sure singular and plural nouns agree with 바카라사이트ir verbs

12. Incorrect use of conjunctions (such as “although”, “바카라사이트refore”, “whereas”)

13.  Wrong preposition usage (for example, “for”, “on”, “at” and so forth)  

This article was updated by Student Content Editor Seeta Bhardwa in January 2020. This article was originally published in December 2015.

Read more: Top tips for writing an original personal statement