NES EAS Writing (NT002) common mistakes
NES EAS Writing (NT002) · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Selecting the answer that sounds most formal or academic rather than the one that follows the sentence's grammar, e.g., choosing "between you and I" or "whom" where "who" is the subject.
Candidates trained to associate test-correct answers with elevated register overcorrect, applying prestige forms in slots that require plain subject or object case; the exam often rewards the plainer correct form.
What to do instead
Before choosing, strip the sentence to its clause core and identify each pronoun's grammatical role (subject, object of preposition, object of verb). Test with a simpler substitute pronoun (he/him) to confirm case. Treat formality as irrelevant to correctness.
Missing subject-verb or pronoun-antecedent agreement when the subject is separated from the verb by a long phrase or when the antecedent is an indefinite pronoun such as each, either, none, or everybody.
Readers anchor agreement on the nearest noun rather than the head of the subject; distance and intervening plural nouns create interference, and indefinite pronouns have idiomatic number rules candidates half-remember.
What to do instead
Cross out prepositional phrases between subject and verb, then match the remaining head noun to the verb. Memorize the singular indefinite pronouns (each, either, neither, everybody, nobody, anyone) and check whether none/either is used with an of-phrase that governs number.
Treating a comma as sufficient to join two independent clauses, or misidentifying a dependent clause as independent when deciding whether a comma is needed.
Comma splices look natural because speech pauses at commas; candidates also confuse subordinate conjunctions (although, because, since) with coordinating conjunctions (and, but, so) and so punctuate them the same way.
What to do instead
For every sentence, locate all finite verbs and their subjects and count independent clauses. Two independent clauses require a semicolon, a period, or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction; a dependent clause attached first takes a comma, attached second usually takes none.
Using a comma to separate a subject from its verb or to set off a restrictive (essential) clause or appositive.
Writers insert commas where they would pause for breath, and cannot distinguish restrictive from nonrestrictive modifiers, so they punctuate essential information as if it were parenthetical.
What to do instead
Delete the clause or phrase and reread: if the sentence's meaning becomes false or unclear, the element is restrictive and takes no commas. Never place a single comma between a subject and its verb regardless of length.
Leaving a dangling or misplaced modifier, especially an introductory participial phrase whose implied subject is not the grammatical subject of the main clause.
The intended actor is obvious to the writer, so the mismatch between the opening phrase and the main-clause subject goes unnoticed; passive main clauses make the mismatch especially easy to miss.
What to do instead
For any sentence opening with a phrase ending in -ing or -ed, name the doer of that action and confirm it is the subject of the main clause. If not, either revise the main clause to name the actor or convert the phrase to a full clause.
Revising by changing wording for variety or sophistication while introducing errors, instead of targeting the specific flaw the prompt identifies.
Candidates equate revision with improvement in general and rewrite broadly; they also fear that a short, plain sentence is a trap answer, so they pick a longer revision that alters meaning.
What to do instead
State the flaw in the original in one sentence (wordiness, faulty parallelism, vague pronoun, shift in tense) before reading options. Eliminate any choice that changes meaning or adds new errors, and accept a plain, shorter revision when it fixes the stated problem.
Failing to maintain parallel structure in a series or comparison, and shifting tense, voice, or point of view within a sentence or paragraph.
Writers match meaning rather than grammatical form, pairing a noun with a clause or an infinitive with a gerund; mid-sentence shifts creep in when the second half is composed after the first.
What to do instead
List the series items or the two sides of the comparison and label each item's grammatical form; make them identical (all nouns, all infinitives, all clauses). Reread the sentence checking that tense, voice, and person stay constant unless a deliberate shift is signaled.
Choosing an organizational pattern or transition that does not match the relationship between ideas, e.g., using "however" for an example or "therefore" for a contrast.
Transitions are selected for tone rather than logical function, and candidates do not classify the relationship (cause, contrast, addition, example, sequence) before scanning the options.
What to do instead
Name the relationship between the two sentences in plain words first ("this is a contrast," "this is a result"), then select the transition that encodes exactly that relationship. Verify by substituting the transition back into the passage and reading for logic, not smoothness.
Writing the constructed-response essay with a thesis that merely restates the prompt, body paragraphs organized by source rather than by claim, and no engagement with a counterargument or qualification.
Under time pressure candidates summarize the passage instead of taking a position, and they treat each source as a paragraph heading; they also omit the counterargument because it seems to weaken their case.
What to do instead
Draft a one-sentence thesis that takes a defensible position and names the reasons. Outline body paragraphs by reason, citing sources as evidence within each, and devote one paragraph to acknowledging and answering the strongest opposing view before concluding.
Running out of time on the essay and submitting an unrevised draft with fragments, missing transitions, and no conclusion, or padding to a length target with repetition.
Candidates spend too long planning or drafting the opening and do not budget time for proofreading; they also believe longer essays score higher and repeat claims to fill space.
What to do instead
Budget fixed minutes for planning, drafting, and proofreading, and reserve the last block for a targeted check of sentence boundaries, transitions, and the conclusion. Aim for fully developed paragraphs with specific evidence rather than added length; cut any sentence that repeats a prior claim.