no red ink
comma rules
-introductory clauses and phrases -parenthetical phrases -commas separating adjectives -direct address -to avoid confusion -dates -locations and addresses -personal and professional titles -items in a series
altogether vs all together
Altogether - entirely, completely All Together - all in one group
MLA citation rule
Period goes after parentheses If author is introduced in the beginning you do not need the author with the page number
advice vs advise
advice - an opinion advise - to give advice
plural pronouns
all both few many agree with plural antecedents
allusion vs illusion
allusion - an indirect reference illusion - an instance of deception
already vs all ready
already - adv : before this time or by this time all ready - fully prepared
altar vs alter
altar - elevated place or structure alter - to make different
among vs between
among - 3 or more people between - 2 people
Pronouns
antecedents match
singular pronouns
anyone everyone nobody someone agree with singular antecedents
anyway vs anyways
anyways - informal and incorrect anyway - correct
beside vs besides
beside - next to besides - also / except
biased vs bias
biased - adj bias - noun and verb
cite vs sight vs site
cite - to quote sight - act of seeing site - location
discreet vs discrete
discreet - under the radar discrete - individual
farther vs further
farther - physical distance further - figurative distance
idle vs idol
idle - not moving idol - object admired
later vs latter
later - after a period of time latter- refers to the second of two things mentioned
lay vs lie vs laid vs lain
lie - to rest oneself down lay - to rest something else down past tense of lie is lay and the past participle is lain the past tense of lay is laid
metal vs medal vs meddle vs mettle
medal - object someone wins in a competition metal - solid material meddle - to interfere in something that is not one's business mettle - a person's ability to overcome challenges
number vs amount
number - quantity you can count individually amount - quantity of items you can count as a whole or in a mass
plain vs plane
plain - ordinary plane - flat surface
prejudice vs prejudiced
prejudice: noun prejudiced: adjective
apostrophes
remember to use an apostrophe after the "s" at the end of a plural noun to show possession ex: all the dogs' toys
scene vs seen
scene - setting or location seen - past tense of to see