Basic Writing Skills (Review 5)
- Put a period at the end of a sentence. (You can also use a question mark or an exclamation point).
Mistake | Correct |
I went to the store |
I went to the store. |
- Put a space after a period or comma (not before).
Mistake | Correct |
I like running .I like tennis . |
I like running. I like tennis. |
I like cake ,and I like pizza. |
I like cake, and I like pizza. |
- After a question, use a question mark.
Mistake | Correct |
What is your name. |
What is your name? |
Why are you late. |
Why are you late? |
- Capitalize the first word of a sentence.
Mistake | Correct |
you'd be surprised at how many students make this mistake. |
You'd be surprised at how many students make this mistake. |
- Capitalize proper nouns. (Proper nouns are the specific names of people, places, or things).
Mistake | Correct |
I went to france last year. |
I went to France last year. |
I go to presidio middle school. |
I go to Presidio Middle School. |
My best friend is brenda. |
My best friend is Brenda. |
- Use a capital "I" when referring to yourself.
Mistake | Correct |
Last week i felt sick. |
Last week I felt sick. |
- Use an appostrophe to form a possessive. (Possessives are words which indicate ownership.)
Mistake | Correct |
I went to my friends house. |
I went to my friend's house. |
I found Marys hat. |
I found Mary's hat. |
- Use an apostrophe when forming a contraction.
Two Words | Contraction |
I am |
I'm |
I will / you will |
I'll / you'll |
he is / she is / it is |
he's / she's / it's |
do not / does not |
don't /doesn't |
cannot |
can't |
will not |
won't |
could not / would not |
couldn't / wouldn't |
you are |
you're |
they are |
they're |
- Pay attention to these commonly misused words.
Word | Meaning | Correct Usage |
its |
belongs to "it" |
The dog chased its tail. |
it's |
it is |
It's hot outside. |
to |
in the direction of |
I went to school. |
too |
too much; also |
|
two |
2 |
I ate two hotdogs. |
your |
belongs to you |
I love your shoes! |
you're |
you are |
You're my best friend. |
there |
|
|
their |
|
|
they're |
they are |
They're coming for Christmas. |
through |
indicates direction |
The train went through the tunnel. |
threw |
past tense of the verb "to throw" |
I threw the ball to Jerry. |
then |
after that |
I did my homework, and then I went to bed. |
than |
used to make comparisons |
It's hotter than hell. |
are |
a form of the verb "to be" that's used with "you". |
You are beautiful. |
our |
belongs to us |
This is our house. |
accept |
to receive something; to stop fighting something |
I accepted the job. |
except |
make an exception |
Everyone is smart except him. |
here |
at this place |
Let's camp here. |
hear |
listen |
Did you hear that? |
a lot |
many, much |
I ate a lot of candy. |
allot |
to hand out; assign |
The teacher allotted two pencils to each student. |
affect |
to influence; to impact |
The hurricane will probably affect the whole town. |
effect |
the result or impact |
The coach's attidue had an effect on the whole team. |
me / myself / I |
Use I at the beginning of a sentence. Use me at the end of a sentence. Use myself at the end of a sentence that starts with I. |
|
- "Should of" is never correct. Use "should have" instead.
Mistake |
Correct |
should of |
should have / should've
|
could of |
could have / could've
|
would of |
would have / would've
|
shouldn't of |
shouldn't have
|
couldn't of |
couldn't have
|
wouldn't of |
wouldn't have
|
- Spell out numbers that are less than 10.
Mistake | Correct |
I have 2 sisters. |
I have two sisters. |
My family has 3 dogs. |
My family has three dogs. |
- Put a period or a semi-colon between your clauses. (Note: If you use a semi-colon, then don't capitalize the first word of the second clause—unless, of course, it's a proper name).
Mistake | Correct |
We went to Hawaii the hotel was nice. |
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Quiz