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6 Common ESL Errors: an Infographic

One thing I have become acutely aware of while working on the VirtualWritingTutor.com ESL grammar checker is just how common some errors are in college students' writing. I see the same errors day after day, year after year. I could easily come up with a list of about 100 common errors that college students should avoid, but for the sake of brevity, here's an infographic with six undisputably common glitches in ESL writing.

Which is correct, "I am 6 feet" or "I am 6 foot"?

Which of the following do you think is correct?

1. I am 6 foot 2 inches.
2. I am 6 feet 2 inches.
3. I am 6'2".
4. I am 6 ft 2 in.

Answer

In fact, all 4 are correct, but we use them in different situations. 

1. I am 6 foot 2 inches. Use "6 foot" for informal speaking situations.
2. I am 6 feet 2 inches. This is the correct form for any situation.
3. I am 6'2". Use 6' as a short way to express 6 feet. Use double-prime (") for inches. Most people understand this shorthand for feet and inches. 
4. I am 6 ft 2 in. The standard international abbreviation for feet is ft and inches is in. 

Errors

Sometimes learners make the mistake of confusing the single prime (') and double prime (") and use the prime for inches and the double prime for feet. For example.

I am 6"2' tall. (Incorrect) 

Other times, learners use both the prime and the word, which is redundant.

I am 6' feet 2" inches tall. (Incorrect) 

Furthermore, learners sometimes use two apostrophes for a double prime instead of the " symbol. This should be avoided also.

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