拼写检查并不能查出一切问题。一定要细读文章，以发现那些不是自己的或荒唐的意思。以下面这些不恰当的文章错误为例：
“I am proud to be able to say that I have sustained from the use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco products.”
“For almost all involved in these stories, premature burial has had a negative effect on their lives.”
“Going to school in your wonderfully gothic setting would be an exciting challenge.”
“He was a modest man with an unbelievable ego.”
引言空洞乏味
Example: Art is a reflection of one’s self-identity in the most unaffected manner. Because art is very personal, it has no right or wrong. The type of art that has influenced me most is music.
该引言的前两句定下了你要在整篇文章中保持的调子：内省的和富有创新的。然而，接下去的第三句却十分空洞，而且把句子结构框死。要保持富有创新的语气，你可用这样的句子来代替：
Although artistic expression can take many forms, it is music that has captivated me.”
(虽然艺术表现可有多种形式，但能使我入迷的只有音乐。)
缺少细节
含有有趣故事的一篇文章结果往往会变成这样一连串的句子，这些句子是在讲述而不是将作者的品质展现给读者。学生们误以为读者不会“知道”如果他们自己不把主要的论点框死。这样，文章就不能不充满陈腐用语、套语，什么“努力奋斗和坚持不懈的价值”，“从错误中吸取教训”等等。下面的例子能说明这种区别。
在一篇平庸的文章：I developed a new compassion for the disabled.
在一篇好的文章：The next time Ms. Cooper asked me to help her across the street, I smiled and immediately took her arm.
第一个例子没提供细节，而第二个例子却能使人想起一个真正发生过的生动场面，因此使读者置于申请人的经历之中。
句子冗长
因为个人的文章有一定的字数限制，所以你必须非常有效地利用所给的篇幅。有时需要删减一些想法或细节，尤其是那些重复或无关的想法或细节。与故事事件无关的细节只能干扰读者，模糊了更重要的文章主题。下面是个交错复杂的例子：