Writing College Essays: Silly Grammar Mistakes

No college admissions officer wants to read a college application essay full of spelling and grammar mistakes -- and you can be sure it won't reflect well on you.

But there's also another problem you can run into -- you want to be sure that you say what you mean.

Take a look at the graphic - It seems like the police are getting quite an eyeful peering through that nudist camp wall, doesn't it? Of course, the person who wrote it probably meant the cops were down at the police station filling out boring paperwork. But that's not how it reads, and it's a silly mistake.

Here's another example of a silly mistake - in this case one missing comma changes the entire meaning of a sentence: 

• "Let's eat, Grandpa."
• "Let's eat Grandpa."

In number one, Grandpa is being called for dinner. In number two, Grandpa is dinner (uh oh).

A good way to double-check your essay is to ask someone to read it, especially a teacher or someone you know who's good with grammar.

So remember - always check your spelling, punctuation, and grammar, and make sure that you say what you mean - or you just might end up eating Grandpa for dinner.

helpful links:
15 Grammar Goofs that Can Make You Look Silly
Four Grammar Mistakes You're Probably Making