The Fatal Five
An Online Tutorial
Welcome to the Fatal Five
The Fatal Five is a list of five of the worst and most common errors in English made by students in the TTU College of Business. To help students communicate more clearly and professionally, teachers in the COB may emphasize these errors.
This Web site is designed to introduce you to the Fatal Five errors, to help you recognize and correct them, and to test your understanding of them.
Note on Grammar Terminology
To explain the Fatal Five errors, we have had to use some terms like “independent clause,” “coordinating conjunction,” and so forth. We encourage you not to get bogged down in this terminology; in many cases you will learn these errors best by looking at the examples rather than by studying the definitions. You may link to the definition of terms page for help.
Note on Communication Problems
All writing and speaking errors will not be covered in the Fatal Five list. For example, spelling errors demonstrate a lack of attention to detail. You are encouraged to use dictionaries as well as spell checkers when you edit and proofread your own papers. The Fatal Five list was compiled from the results of ongoing communication assessments and from faculty input. We will make adjustments to the list as we evaluate its effectiveness.
We encourage you to continue to polish your communication skills throughout your career by studying, by listening, by editing your own work, and by paying attention to changes in the language in the years to come.
Suggested References
Webster’s Dictionary
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, Professional English, or Business English, South-Western, Cengage Learning
Hodges’ Harbrace Handbook, latest edition
The Associated Press Stylebook
The Chicago Manual of Style
Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Links to the Fatal Five List, Explanations, and Exercises
The Fatal Five List
Brief descriptions and short examples of the Fatal Five
Definitions of terms
Error 1: Subject-verb agreement
Exercise on subject-verb agreement
Subject-verb Exercise with answers
Error 2: Fused sentence or comma splice
Explanation of fused sentences
Exercise on fused sentences
Fused Sentence Exercise with answers
Explanation of comma splice
Exercise on comma splice
Comma Splice Exercise with answers
Error 3: Apostrophe error
Exercise on apostrophe errors
Apostrophe exercise with answers
Error 4: Confusing pronouns
Explanation of vague pronouns
Exercise on vague pronouns
Vague pronouns exercise with answers
Explanation of pronoun-antecedent agreement
Exercise on pronoun-antecedent agreement
Exercise with answers
Error 5: Incoherent sentences
Explanation of fragments
Exercise on fragments
Fragment exercise with answers
Explanation of misplaced or dangling modifiers
Exercise on misplaced or dangling modifiers
Modifier exercise with answers
Explanation of faulty predication
Exercise on faulty predication
Faulty predication exercise with answers
Acknowledgement
Thanks to Nancy Alexander and the English Department of Methodist University, Fayetteville, NC, for giving us permission to adapt their Dirty Dozen online tutorial.
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