In no particular order and with abbreviations teachers commonly use:

1. SP - Spelling: Spell check alone is insufficient, you probably know.
2. Commonly mixed up words: spell check will not catch words that are correctly spelled but misused. Most common examples are there/their/they’re; it’s and its; to/too/two; and affect/effect.
3. S-V - Subject-Verb Agreement: Simply put, they must agree in number. Example: All of the examples in this document is correct. (Verb should be are.)
4. Fragments: Incomplete sentences. Example: Because I saw so many movies this month.
5. CAP - Capitalization: Words that begin sentences and proper nouns ARE capitalized; seasons of the year ARE NOT capitalized.
6. P - Punctuation: Without giving a lengthy lesson here, below are the most common errors involving commas and semi-colons.
   Commas used before a conjunction to separate two independent clauses.
   Example: I went to visit my grandfather yesterday, and I was struck by his wisdom.
   Commas used after an introductory subordinate clause:
   Examples: If you are going to win the Ironman, you will have to get some good running shoes, a comfortable bathing suit, and a smooth-running bicycle. When you go downtown, you should look for Halloween decorations on the houses.
   Semi-colon used to separate two independent clauses that are related in idea:
   Examples: The visitors were delighted with what they saw at Fay; they complimented the faculty and students profusely. I did not get enough sleep last night; I was dreading the cross-country race that loomed in my future.
7. WC - Word Choice: Students are fond of using overly advanced words that end up making the writing sound silly.
8. Indent paragraphs and don't add extra spaces between paragraphs. The entire paper, including bibliography, should be double spaced.
9. Period at end of sentence.
10. Don’t use bold type or all capital letters to make your point even clearer.

updated 09/21/2007