Correction Symbols you might find on your papers….

ab

Abbreviation inappropriate or needed

ad

Misuse of adjective or adverb

agr

Incorrect agreement in number between subject/verb or pronoun/antecedent

awk

Awkward construction of sentence

ca

Case of noun or pronoun incorrect

cap

Capitalization inappropriate or needed

cit

Missing citation or error in form of citation

coh

Sentence (or ¶ ) not coherent (usually misplaced elements)

cs

Comma connects (splices) two independent clauses

coord

Coordination needed or faulty

d

Diction (inappropriate level of language -slang, jargon, sexist or trite expression, etc.)

dev

Idea (or paragraph) needs development

div

Incorrect word division

dm

Dangling modifier (usually an unclear or illogical relationship to other parts of the sentence)

doc

Documentation (source needed or in incorrect form)

eff

Effectiveness of sentence doubtful

frag

Fragment- (incomplete sentence)

fs

Fused sentence

met

Check use of metaphor (ineffective use)

n

Number (inappropriate use of figures or words)

ns

Needless or confusing shift in tense, person, tone, style, perspective

obl

Oblique reference

pv, pass

Inappropriate or ineffective use of passive voice

p, punc

Punctuation needed, unnecessary, or wrong

pl

Plural needed, or error in plural form

red

Redundant

ref

Pronoun reference ambiguous, too broad, unclear; inappropriate use of "it" or "you"

rep

Needless repetition

sex

Check for sexist language

sing

Singular needed

sp

Spelling error

sub

Ideas of unequal importance not expressed in subordinate form

t

Inappropriate tense or sequence of tenses

trans

Transition needed

usg

Usage inappropriate or wrong

w

Wordiness

wc

Questionable Word Choice

ww

Wrong word (meaning wrong)

Paragraph

coh

Paragraph not coherent

¶dev

Paragraph needs development

delete

#

Number (as in page numbers)

/\

Something omitted

//

Parallel structure needed

~

Transpose

This list was adapted from the Western New England College Writing & Reading Program, Lunsford & Connors; The Everyday Writer (St. Martins Press, 1998), and Fowler, et.al., The Little, Brown Handbook, fifth ed. (HarperCollns Publishers, 1992).