The most common LFHS English Final is the thematic essay based off of a short story that 75% of the student body takes. It’s not exactly something you study for, but more of an opportunity for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors to showcase their writing ability to other teachers in the English Department. So, you wouldn’t want to completely misuse or misspell words or disregard the grammatical rules of the English language, right?

Well, you’re in luck. Here are the top 5 most common mistakes seen on the English Department final, as told by Mr. Scott and Mrs. Konz.

1. Definitely vs. Defiantly: Like, really? Do you mean definitely as in “without a doubt,” or defiantly as in “a manner that shows bold disobedience”? That’s what I thought.
2. Losing vs. Loosing: Two O’s designates the word loose, as in “not fitting tightly.” Don’t make this mistake, because if Mr. Scott gets your paper, he will cringe. No character ever looses their innocence.
3. Effect vs. Affect: OK, this one is a bit tougher. But just remember affect is a verb and effect is a noun. Easy as pie.
4. First person writing: Just don’t say “I” or “My” in any analysis… ever. Simple enough.
5. Comma and periods are always BEFORE the quotation mark. No questions asked: When quoting the text, always remember the comma or period before the end quotation. Otherwise, it’s not quoted correctly.

So, there you have it. The top 5 most common mistakes students make on their English finals. Make sure not to make them, and good luck!