Watch run-on sentences and comma splices.
Run-on example: I love school, English is my favorite class.
Correction: I love school, and English is my favorite class.
Watch fragments.
Fragment example: Because I like to read.
Correction: Because I like to read, I enjoy English.
Know when a comma is necessary.
After a dependent clause or phrase: Because I like to read, English is fun.
Separate elements in a series: I brought a jacket, a water bottle, a blanket, and an umbrella.
NOTE: the final comma in a list is known as an Oxford comma and is dependent on teacher preference.
Separate independent clauses using "and," "or," "but," "nor," "so," or "yet."
To set off parenthetical comments: The Ming dynasty, for example, lasted nearly three hundred years.
Contrasting phrases: Julio, not his mother, sets the plot in motion.
Dates and Locations: April 28, 1953; Paris, France
Introductory word or phrase: In the beginning, I had no idea how to use a comma.
Watch proper semicolon use – complete sentences on both sides.
Example: School is fun; I learn more every year.
For formal MLA papers, indent paragraphs and do not add a space between paragraphs.
For blogs, letters, block paragraphs are appropriate. Indent or block but never both.
Avoid dangling participles
Dangling participle example: After rotting in the cellar for weeks, my brother brought up some oranges.
Correction: My brother brought up some oranges after they had rotted in the cellar for weeks.
Use proper apostrophe usage for possessives and plurals:
Possessive/plural example: The cat’s milk was knocked over by our three dogs.
Plural possessive xample: She had too many students’ essays to grade.
Titles:
Put titles of shorter works in quotation marks. Examples: short stories, articles, book chapters, songs, TV episodes.
Italicize titles of longer works. Examples: novels/books, magazines/journals, websites, newspapers, movies, plays, paintings, musical albums.
Capitalize the first and last words, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, and subordinate conjunctions.
Lowercase articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, prepositions, and the "to" in an infinitive (I want to play guitar).
Writing out numbers:
Spell out numbers that can be written in a word or two. Examples: one hundred; ninety-nine; three
Use numerals when more than two words are needed. Examples: 2 1/2 ; 101 ; 1,275
Numbers should always be written out if they start the sentence.
A LOT (NEVER ALOT)
“Alot" is not a word. Avoid "a lot" in formal writing.
ASSURE VS. ENSURE VS. INSURE
"Assure" is to promise or say with confidence. It is more about saying than doing.
Example: I assure you that you’ll be warm enough.
"Ensure" is to do or have what is necessary for success.
Example: These blankets ensure that you’ll be warm enough.
"Insure" is to cover with an insurance policy.
Example: I will insure my home with additional fire and flood policies.
ARE VS. OUR
“Are” is a linking verb, while “our” shows possession.
Those teams are not as competitive as our group of athletes.
COMPLIMENT VS. COMPLEMENT
You give someone a “compliment.”
Your hair looks nice today. I like your new boots.
Use “complement” when you want to show that two things go well together.
Peanut butter complements jelly.
COULD HAVE (NOT COULD OF)
“Could have” is to refer to something that was not possible in the past.
You could have spoiled the birthday surprise!
"Could of" should never be used. It is a common careless mistake. Please stop this bad habit.
EFFECT VS. AFFECT
“Effect” is most commonly used as a noun meaning “result” or “outcome.”
The effects of my midterm grade were devastating.
“Affect” is usually used as a verb (think “A” for action) meaning “to influence.”
My midterm grade negatively affected by GPA.
Side note: Affect can also be used as a noun in psychology.
This is a helpful LINK if you have any second guesses about whether to use "effect" or "affect."
EXCEPT VS. ACCEPT
“Except” implies exclusion, whereas “accept” means to take or receive something.
I won’t accept use of your Visa except in cases of emergency.
FURTHER VS. FARTHER
Use farther when being literal and discussing a physical distance, as in “He went farther down the road.” Use further when discussing a more symbolic distance or to discuss a degree or extent, as in “I wanted to discuss it further, but we didn’t have time.”
HEAR VS. HERE
“Here” means in, on, or at this place when used as an adverb.
“Hear” means to perceive sounds through the ear when used as a verb.
I hear they are going to give away free burritos over here!
INSURE VS. ENSURE
“Insure” relates to insurance (what you rely on when you crash your car or when your apartment floods), while “ensure” just means to make sure that something happens.
I ensured my mother I had renters insurance before I moved into my new apartment.
IN TO VS. INTO
Use into in the sense of coming toward something, as in:
In defiance of the Roman Senate, Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon and marched into Rome with his army.
In this use, Caesar, with his army, is walking toward and entering Rome.
Use in when you mean that a person, place, thing is located inside a location, as in:
They were already in the stadium.
Using both "in" and "into" in the same sentence can help illustrate the difference between the terms, as in this example:
"In" five minutes, you will come to a gate. Walk through the gate "into" the field, then head upstairs and go "into" the press box.
ITS VS. IT’S
To avoid confusing these two words, you just have to commit them to memory.
“Its” implies possession.
“It’s” is a contraction of “it is.” The apostrophe in a contraction is a visual cue that a word was left out. The apostrophe in “it’s” visually highlights that the word “is” has been removed for the sake of brevity.
It’s a beautiful neighborhood. Every street has its own unique look.
LESS VS. FEWER
Fewer is used to refer to number among things that are counted, as in "fewer choices" and "fewer problems"; less is used to refer to quantity or amount among things that are measured, as in "less time" and "less effort."
LOOSE VS. LOSE
Lose typically functions only as a verb. It means failing to win or hold onto something
One might “lose a game” or “lose one’s temper.”
Loose is used most commonly as an adjective ("not securely attached"), a verb ("to free something or someone".
PASSED VS. PAST
The word past is a BUSY word! It functions as a noun ('the distant past'), an adjective ('thinking of past times'), a preposition ('just past the store'), and an adverb ('running past our house').
Passed, on the other hand, is more simple. It is only ever the past tense of the verb pass, as in 'she passed the test.'
MYRIAD
Myriad is a sophisticated "essay word" that means a multitude. It can substitute weaker descriptors like "a lot" to elevate your vocabulary. However...make sure you are using this word correctly when implementing it as an ADJECTIVE or a NOUN.
If it's an adjective, then you would say “myriad gadgets.” If it's a noun, you would say “a myriad of gadgets.”
THEIR/THERE/THEY’RE
“Their” shows possession, while “there” is a place, and “they’re” is a contraction of “they are.”
They’re heading over to their house, which is over there.
THEN VS. THAN
“Then” denotes a time frame or a sequence of events.
She went to the store, and then she went to the bank.
“Than” is used to compare things or situations.
I am more tired than you are.
TO, TOO, TWO
Put it all together...
It was too late to buy two bottles of water.
WHICH VS. THAT VS. WHO
Use “that” if the words that follow are essential to the meaning of the sentence. Use "who" when referring to a person.
If removing the words that follow “that” or “which” does not change the precise meaning of the sentence, then you can use “which.” Remember, “which” is almost always preceded by a comma because it is part of a non-restrictive clause (removing it wouldn’t change the precise meaning of the sentence) that just adds more information to the sentence.
Incorrect: One aspect of the class which affects my grade is class participation.
Correction: One aspect of the class that affects my grade is class participation. (“Affects my grade” is essential to the precise meaning of this sentence; therefore, use “that.”)
Incorrect: She is a teacher that is really helpful.
Correction: She is a teacher who is really helpful.
Here’s a helpful LINK on the topic.
WHOSE VS. WHO'S
Who’s is a contraction of who is or who has. It can be found at the beginning of a question:
Who’s [=who is] at the door?
as well as with who functioning as a relative pronoun
a teacher who’s [=who is] admired by everyone
Whose is a possessive adjective meaning “of or relating to whom or which.” Grammatically speaking, we use the term possessive to refer to relationships beyond simple ownership.
Whose sunglasses are these?
WHO VS. WHOM
Who functions as a subject, while whom functions as an object.
Use who when the word is performing the action.
Kim is an athlete who enjoys distance running.
Use whom when it is receiving the action.
Asher wrote a letter to a pen pal whom he had never met.
YOUR VS. YOU’RE
“Your” implies possession, while “you’re” is a contraction of “you are.”
I am going to steal your sandwich from the fridge.
You’re going to pay me back for my bread, meat, and cheese.