Error Correcting

This is not a lesson plan as such. More it’s an exercise or method that you can teach your students in order to improve their writing. By listing the types of errors that they frequently make, they will be able to correct those areas and improve their English. This method can apply to grammar, vocabulary, spelling, syntax, style, or any area of English language learning.

The methodology is:

1. Identify typical errors: Look at your old papers and write down a list of the most common errors you make. Be as specific as possible
   
   For example:
   • Using present simple for past continuous
   • Forgetting commas
   • Misspelling “immigration”
   • Past instead of present simple
   • Using -ed form of verb instead of -ing
   • Arriving at NOT Arriving to
   • Using he for women and objects
2. Look at which errors cost you the most points—or which errors you make most frequently. Put those at the top of the list.
3. Recheck your textbook or ask your teacher about your mistakes so that you understand the right thing to do. Do practice exercises, look for example sentences. Force yourself to learn not to do each mistake on your list.
4. Write the rule, or whatever helps you to understand next to the error on your list. Put it in your own words, make your own example. Whatever works for you! This means you now have a textbook of your own that focuses on your exact problems.

   For example:

   Mistake	Rule
   Using present simple for past continuous	I go to the store=present simple means everyday, in general I am going to the store=present continuous means right now.

5. When you write your paper, don’t worry about errors. Just write concentrating on ideas.
6. Now take a break, get a glass of water, SMS your friend for 10 minutes.
7. Now take your list of errors and go through your paper, looking for each error one at a time. So first, go through and look at every present simple verb. Is it right or should it be Present Continuous? Now go through and look for comma mistakes.

This way you don’t reread the paper a million times. Just focus on the grammar.

Pretty soon you will eliminate these mistakes from your writing!