ParaPro Writing Study Guide: Usage Errors

Understanding Usage Errors

Usage errors occur when words or phrases are used incorrectly according to standard English conventions. These errors can affect clarity and professionalism in writing. As a paraprofessional, recognizing and helping students correct usage errors is an important skill.

Key Usage Error Categories

Subject-verb agreement
Pronoun-antecedent agreement
Pronoun case
Verb tense consistency
Commonly confused words
Double negatives

Subject-Verb Agreement Errors

The Rule:

Subjects and verbs must agree in number. Singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.

Common Subject-Verb Agreement Errors

Incorrect	Correct	Explanation
The stack of books were on the table.	The stack of books was on the table.	The subject is “stack” (singular), not “books.”
Each of the students are responsible for their project.	Each of the students is responsible for their project.	“Each” is a singular pronoun requiring a singular verb.
The team are playing well today.	The team is playing well today.	Collective nouns (team, family, class) usually take singular verbs in American English.

Special Cases in Subject-Verb Agreement

Compound subjects with “and” typically take plural verbs:
Example: John and Mary are studying together.
Compound subjects with “or” or “nor” agree with the closest subject:
Example: Neither the teacher nor the students were aware of the change.
Indefinite pronouns may be singular or plural:
- Always singular: each, either, neither, one, everyone, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, somebody, no one, nobody
- Always plural: both, few, many, several, others
- Can be either: all, any, most, none, some (depends on the referenced noun)

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Errors

The Rule:

Pronouns must agree with their antecedents (the nouns they refer to) in number, gender, and person.

Common Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Errors

Incorrect	Correct	Explanation
Each student must bring their own lunch.	Each student must bring his or her own lunch. OR Students must bring their own lunches.	Traditional: “Each” is singular, requiring singular pronouns. Modern: Some style guides now accept “they/their” as singular.
The committee made their decision.	The committee made its decision.	Collective nouns are typically treated as singular in American English.
Neither Jane nor Mary did her homework.	Neither Jane nor Mary did their homework.	When antecedents are joined by “or/nor,” the pronoun agrees with the closer antecedent if they differ in number or gender.

Pronoun Case Errors

The Rule:

Use subjective case pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) for subjects of verbs.
Use objective case pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, them) for objects of verbs and prepositions.

Common Pronoun Case Errors

Incorrect	Correct	Explanation
Me and John went to the store.	John and I went to the store.	Use subjective “I” for subjects. Also, conventionally put yourself last in a list.
Please give the books to John and I.	Please give the books to John and me.	Use objective “me” as the object of the preposition “to.”
Us teachers need more resources.	We teachers need more resources.	Use subjective “we” when it’s functioning as the subject.

Quick Test for Pronoun Case

Remove the other person from the sentence to check which pronoun you should use:

“John and I went to the store” → “I went to the store” (correct)
“Give it to John and me” → “Give it to me” (correct)

Verb Tense Consistency Errors

The Rule:

Maintain consistent verb tenses within a sentence or paragraph unless there’s a logical reason to shift tenses.

Common Verb Tense Consistency Errors

Incorrect	Correct	Explanation
She walks to school yesterday and saw her friend.	She walked to school yesterday and saw her friend.	Keep past tense consistent for past events.
When water reaches 100°C, it boiled.	When water reaches 100°C, it boils.	Keep present tense for scientific principles.
The student raises his hand and asked a question.	The student raised his hand and asked a question.	Use consistent past tense for completed actions.

When Tense Shifts Are Appropriate

Sometimes different tenses are needed to show that some actions occurred at different times:

By the time I arrived, the lecture had already started. (past and past perfect)
She told me she is moving next week. (past and present progressive for future action)
I have lived here since I was a child. (present perfect and simple past)

Commonly Confused Words

Word Pairs That Cause Usage Errors

Word Pair	Correct Usage
Its vs. It’s	Its = possessive pronoun: The dog wagged its tail. It’s = contraction of “it is” or “it has”: It’s going to rain today.
Their vs. There vs. They’re	Their = possessive pronoun: Their books are on the table. There = location or existence: Put it over there. There are many stars. They’re = contraction of “they are”: They’re going to the park.
Your vs. You’re	Your = possessive pronoun: Is this your pencil? You’re = contraction of “you are”: You’re going to love this movie.
To vs. Too vs. Two	To = preposition or infinitive marker: Go to school. I want to learn. Too = also or excessively: I’m coming too. It’s too hot. Two = the number 2: I have two dogs.
Affect vs. Effect	Affect = verb meaning to influence: Weather can affect mood. Effect = noun meaning result: The effect of the medicine was immediate.
Accept vs. Except	Accept = verb meaning to receive: Please accept this gift. Except = preposition meaning excluding: Everyone except John was there.
Than vs. Then	Than = conjunction used in comparisons: She is taller than I am. Then = adverb relating to time: We ate dinner, then watched a movie.
Good vs. Well	Good = adjective: The food tastes good. Well = adverb: She plays piano well.

Double Negative Errors

The Rule:

In standard English, two negatives in the same clause cancel each other out or create an unintended meaning. Use only one negative word to express a negative idea.

Common Double Negative Errors

Incorrect	Correct
I don’t have no money.	I don’t have any money. OR I have no money.
She didn’t say nothing about it.	She didn’t say anything about it. OR She said nothing about it.
We can’t hardly see the stage.	We can hardly see the stage. OR We can’t see the stage well.

Common Negative Words

Recognizing negative words helps avoid double negatives:

Negative adverbs: not, never, no, nowhere, hardly, scarcely, barely
Negative pronouns: no one, nobody, nothing, none
Negative conjunctions: neither, nor
Negative prefixes: un-, in-, dis-, etc. (these don’t typically create double negatives)

Usage Error Practice Quiz

Strategies for Identifying and Correcting Usage Errors

Subject-Verb Agreement: Identify the true subject (ignoring intervening phrases) and match the verb form accordingly.
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Clearly identify what the pronoun is referring to and ensure they match in number and gender.
Pronoun Case: Try removing other nouns from the sentence to hear which pronoun sounds correct.
Commonly Confused Words: Create memory tricks (e.g., “their” contains “heir” – related to possession).
Double Negatives: Remember that in standard English, use only one negative per statement.
Verb Tense Consistency: Create a timeline of events to ensure appropriate tense shifts.

Classroom Applications

As a paraprofessional, you can help students with usage errors by:

Creating visual reminders for commonly confused words
Using simple formulas (e.g., singular subject = singular verb)
Providing consistent correction without overcorrecting
Focusing on one type of error at a time
Encouraging self-correction through targeted questions
Using real examples from student writing for practice