When examiners read your essays, it’s a bit like a film playing in their minds. Whenever a grammatical error comes up — a spelling mistake, an incomplete sentence, an innocent comma where there should be a full stop — that film suddenly stops or scratches.
Imagine watching a film where, every two minutes, the projectionist puts their fingers over the lens. Annoying, right?Getting your grammar right matters for exactly that reason. You want your examiner focused on your sophisticated literary techniques and your well-considered analysis — not on the mechanics. The VCAA states that your written responses must show “precise and expressive language.”
With that in mind, here are ten common grammar pitfalls to look out for.
1. Incomplete sentences
An incomplete sentence (a “fragment”) is a group of words that looks like a sentence but doesn’t express a full idea — usually a subject, a verb, or a complete thought is missing.
- “Because the protagonist couldn’t forgive himself.” → Because the protagonist couldn’t forgive himself, he isolates himself from the rest of the town.
- “Such as the destruction of the community’s trust.” → The novel explores several key consequences, such as the destruction of the community’s trust.
- “A moment of clarity during the climax.” → This event provides a moment of clarity during the climax.
How to avoid them: check for a subject and a verb; watch words like because, although, when, if and such as, which need an idea attached; read your writing aloud (fragments sound like you’ve stopped mid-thought); and combine short fragments into one clear sentence.
2. Subject-verb agreement
If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular. If it’s plural, the verb must be plural.
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The character struggle with guilt. | The character struggles with guilt. | “Character” is singular → singular verb. |
| The themes is confronting. | The themes are confronting. | “Themes” is plural → plural verb. |
| Either option were acceptable. | Either option was acceptable. | “Either” is treated as singular. |
3. Tense consistency
Switching tenses mid-paragraph distracts the reader and weakens your argument. In Text Response and Language Analysis, the literary present is standard — you discuss the text as if it is happening now: “Fitzgerald reveals the emptiness of wealth…” It also creates a consistent, authoritative, active voice. You can hear it in our Language Analysis breakdowns and the analysis in every VCE Text Guide.
Creative writing is more flexible, but consistency still matters. Intentional tense shifts — moving to past tense for a memory, or to future tense to foreshadow — should happen at clear structural points (usually new paragraphs) and serve a clear purpose.
4. Article and preposition misuse
Pay close attention to “a,” “an,” “the” and prepositions like “on,” “in,” “at.” Use “a/an” for something general or unnamed and “the” for something specific or already known. Use “in” for larger areas or longer time periods, “on” for surfaces and days, and “at” for precise locations or times.
5. Overly long sentences (run-ons and comma splices)
Rambling sentences are an extremely common mistake. Some quick pointers:
- Read your sentence aloud. If you lose your breath, it’s too long.
- Excessive commas are a clue that many independent parts have been glued together.
- Every sentence should make one core point. Multiple purposes = break it up.
- If a sentence runs beyond two lines on the page, a warning should go off. Beyond four lines, you’re in dangerous territory for clarity.
6. Its vs it’s
It’s = it is / it has (“it’s clear”). Its shows possession (“its significance”). If the apostrophe isn’t marking a missing letter, don’t use it.
7. Their / they’re / there
Their shows possession (“their argument”). They’re = they are. There indicates place or existence (“there are several themes”).
8. Affect vs effect
Affect (verb) = to influence: “the writer’s tone affects the reader.” Effect (noun) = result: “the effect of the metaphor.” You affect something to create an effect.
9. Your vs you’re
Your is possession (“your interpretation”). You’re = you are. Extra tip: in formal writing, avoid contractions — write “the reader will not respond…” rather than “won’t.” Creative writing can be more fluid and stylistic.
10. Then vs than
Than is for comparisons (“more nuanced than”). Then shows sequence or result (“first analyse, then write”).
How to build your grammar muscle
- Practise targeted edits: pick one paragraph and correct grammar issues only.
- Use proofreading tools — but still read it yourself.
- Read out loud: if it sounds awkward, it probably is.
- Keep a grammar error log: record your common mistakes and revisit them weekly.
- Peer review: swap drafts and mark each other’s grammar, not just ideas.
- Practise under pressure: our study strategies post explains how to build timed edits into your routine.
- Ask: get your teacher, or our essay marking service, to flag the patterns you need to work on.
Your analysis of sophisticated techniques may wow your teacher — but your writing has to let them see it.Fix these ten hotspots and your ideas will shine, and your language will follow.
Check your writing in seconds
Our free readability scorer flags overlong sentences and passive constructions instantly. For line-by-line feedback against the VCAA criteria, try essay marking.