CORRECTION SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS USED IN MARKING ESSAYS

Symbol Unabbreviated Example/Explanation

Too much summary. Assume the reader is already familiar with the text.
sum Summative
summarize only to prove a point.
Awk indicates that there is something wrong with your sentence that
awk Awkward cannot be repaired by simply changing a few words. The teacher is
suggesting you rewrite the entire section indicated.
? Confusing Confusing statement or hard to understand

This indicates that an idea, point, or subject needs to be further developed,

Development
dev expanded upon; revise by supplying details, examples, or illustrations, by
needed
defining or explaining.
Academic Compared to social language, or the words we use every day, academic
al
language language and style should be formal, objective, precise, clear and concise.
log: His job was one way to become independent. (A job is not a way.)
log Logic faulty
Cor: Getting a job was one way to become independent.
not needed or useful. For example, I believe, I feel, I sense, I think are all
red Redundancy
redundant. Your paper should be evidence enough that you are thinking.
rel Relevance The comment may not directly relate to your main topic.

qi Quote Quotations marks or the quote itself, and its integration mishandled.

✓ Check mark Good point, or aptly put

This indicates a failure to put any punctuation between two independent

ro Run-on clauses. This can be corrected by using a semi-colon when the two are
closely related or a period if they are not.
Frag means that a group of words does not have all the elements necessary
frag Fragment
to make and independent clause that can stand alone.
Lanaguage used in ordinary or familiar conversation; not formal or
col Colloquial
literary. Contractions. Using pronouns “you” “I” or “We”
Dangling Dm: Running for the bus, my book fell in the mud.
dm
modifier Cor: I was running for the bus when my book fell in the mud.
rep Repetitious Words or ideas are repeated without significant effect

¶ Paragraph Paragraph indentation needed (—>) or start a new paragraph.

This indicates that your sentence contains a grammatical error that is not
gr Grammar
defined by one of the other symbols.
ill Illegible Your writing is impossible to read.

wc Word choice or WW for wrong word. The word does not suit your intention.

sp spelling error also = as an underline for capitalization

Subject verb sv: There wasn’t many students in class today.

sv
agreement Cor: There weren’t many students in class today.