Zero Tolerance Error List
Certain errors in writing are considered careless to the point where readers who notice these errors discredit the writer’s ideas because the writer is perceived as lazy and uncaring. “If they did not correct this obvious error, then they do not care about this work and therefore why should I care to read it.” Careless errors break the trust of the reader-writer relationship. Such errors are doubly offensive to readers because they are so easily found and fixed. When these obvious errors are pointed out to the writer, they fix them easily, without a second thought, maybe even commenting, “Wow how could I have missed that.” So these are not errors created by a lack of knowledge or some great complexity. They are simply errors of a failed proofreading process. The way to find simple errors is by looking for them in particular, to hunt for them, while looking for nothing else. This hunting for particular errors method takes just a few minutes (depending on the size of the document). Look for an identifying characteristic for the error and then check the entire piece of writing for just that error. Consider using the FIND feature on Microsoft word to speed up the process. Here is the list of zero tolerance errors. This list may increase as the semester goes on.
1. to/two/too
2. there/their/they’re
3. where/were/we’re
4. your/you’re
5. its/it’s
6. sight/site/cite
7. comma splice
8. Capitalize proper nouns
9. Plural possessive
10. Citation Error on works referenced page
In Control of Language and Rhetoric 