This content resource is taken from the pre-publication version of the Bedford/St. Martin's Handbook (sixth edition). The excerpt presents the revision by Lunsford of her 1986 findings concerning the twenty most common errors marked by freshman composition instructors. The new study of first-year college composition essays, conducted by Andrea Lunsford and Karen Lunsford, reveals a revised list that differs from the 1986 list of errors. The original list is presented along with notations about changes. In addition, Lunsford points out that today's students are "writing longer, more complex work for their college courses (more than twice as long, on average, as essays written in 1986) -- without a significant increase in the rate of error." (author/cbd)