I prepared this list after a year or so of reading student papers. It is intended to help and direct students in the art of creative and expository writing in all contexts. Keep checking back for updated suggestions.
"then" vs. "than"
then refers to time (eg. First you write a paper, then you edit it.)
than allows comparison (eg. This paper is longer than that one)
"Can not" should be written as cannot
Contractions:
" ‘t " Don’t write "don’t" write do not in formal writing.
" ‘s " vs. "s"
when there are more than one, it is called plurality. Use "s" (eg. Coffee Cups)
when something or someone owns an object, it is called possession. Use " ‘s " (eg. Mr. Ivany’s coffee cup.)
in words that end with "s," when plurality exists, indicate it by placing an apostrophe after the "s" (eg. This is the students’ rest room)
if a plurality does not end in "s" and you want to indicate possession, use " ‘s. " (eg. This is the children’s rest room)
"Its" vs "it’s"
this is the exception to the rule of plurality vs. possession.
when you use the pronoun it to refer to something (eg. An animal) and you want to indicate possession, use "its" (eg. Watch out for its claws... they’re sharp).
"it’s" is not possessive OR plural... it means "it is" and therefore it is a contraction and should not be used in formal writing.
"They’re" vs. "Their" vs. "There"
"they’re" means "they are," therefore it is a contraction and should not be used in formal writing
"their" indicates possession in a group (eg. This is their equipment)
"there" indicates position (eg. It’s over there by the desk)
"But" and "and"
normally neither of these two start sentences because they are coordinating conjunctions (ie. They link sentences together)
"but" normally does not require a comma (eg. I was going but then I decided not to)
"and" in a sequence usually includes a comma (eg. Mary, Tom, Jim, and Susan.)
"However"
Do not start sentences with however. Instead, place it between the subject and the first verb in a sentence (eg. Planning and centralization, however, have also created problems.)
"Tense"
be sure that you maintain the tense of your writing
eg. Every time they meet or bettered production... = awkwardness
instead, write either : "Every time they met or bettered..." OR "Every time they meet or better..)
"Government" is an it NOT a they.
"Apart" vs. "A part"
apart indicates that two or more things have been separated (eg. They split apart)
a part indicates that something necessarily belongs with something else (eg. My hand is a part of my body)
"alot" is not a word... it is spelled "a lot"
" ; " vs. " : "
" ; " is a semi-colon. It is used when one wants to divide a list in a paragraph (eg. (1)...; (2)...; (3)...; and (4)... .
" ; " is also used when joining clauses in a sentence that otherwise might seem redundant.
(Eg. She ran to the store; all the way to the corner. – in this case, the store is on the corner).
" : " is used to indicate that what follows is what was just discussed. Usually used in definitions/ explanations of meaning. (Eg. There is one dominant religion in the Western World: Christianity.)
When using in-text citations:
(I) if the quote is less than three lines use quotation marks to indicate that the words belong to someone else.
(II) if longer than three lines, single space and indent but do not use quotation marks.
(III) always place the punctuation mark after the citation
(IV) Always place the quotation marks (if used) before the citation.
When using numbers to indicate time periods (i.e. centuries) do not use an apostrophe (eg. Instead of writing 1800's, write 1800s).
"Affect" vs. "Effect"
VERY related terms but not the same term.
affect means to produce an effect (eg. The government affects change)
effect means something brought about by effect (eg. The government’s actions had a profound effect on the citizens)
"Use" vs. "Used" vs. "Used to"
Use means to put into service (eg. I want to use your computer)
Used means already put into service before (eg. I bought a used computer)
Used to means that one is accustomed to/familiar with something (eg. I am used to eating lunch at 12:00 noon)