Writing: The Rules to Live By
Source: Professor Jay's Rules for Funny Writers
The following rules are from this site: https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/gjay/www/writingrules.htm
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Other Rules to Live By..
- When numbers start sentences, spell them.
- Numbers from one to twenty must be spelled out.
- One sentence does not equal a paragraph.
- Avoid substandard English.
- Avoid trite expressions.
- Avoid using "etc."; just list examples.
- Pronouns must agree with their antecedent in gender and number.
- Avoid redundancy.
- Punctuate titles correctly…
- Book titles and web sites are underlined – The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.
- Poems, articles and short stories are enclosed in quotation marks – “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe.
Don't Forget to Capitalize
- Source: http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/capital.asp
- Remember your rules for capitalization: (1) Capitalize the first word of a document and the first word after a period (2) Capitalize proper nouns--and adjectives derived from proper noun (2) Capitalize the first word of a document and the first word after a period (2) Capitalize proper nouns—and adjectives derived from proper nouns .
- Brand names
- Companies
- Days of the week and months of the year
- Governmental matters
The Senate, the Canadian Constitution (but constitutional), Department of Education. - Historical episodes and eras
the Inquisition, the Great Depression - Holidays
- Institutions
Oxford College, Vancouver Island University - Manmade structures
the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower, the Titanic - Manmade territories
Berlin, British Columbia - Natural and manmade landmarks
Mount Everest, Hell's Gate - Nicknames and epithets
Andrew "Old Hickory" Jackson; Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat - Organizations
BC Ministry of Environment - Planets
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, but policies vary on capitalizing earth, and it is usually not capitalized unless it is being discussed specifically as a planet: We learned that Earth travels through space at 66,700 miles per hour. - Races, nationalities, and tribes
Eskimo, Navajo, East Indian, Caucasian (Note: white and black in reference to race are lowercase) - Religions and names of deities
Note: Capitalize the Bible (but not biblical), God. Do not capitalize heaven, hell, the devil, satanic. - Special occasions
the Olympic Games, the Cannes Film Festival - Streets and roads
Confusing Words
Homonyms and other confusing words
Ad -- an appeal to purchase a product.
Add -- to find the sum of numbers; to join something to an already existing set.
Addition – to put in, insert or include something more (Ex: In addition to serving rice and bean tacos, grandma served cake.)
Affect/Effect -- Effect is a noun. Affect is a verb. Read through the website (link) to learn more about spotting the difference between affect and effect.
Edition – a book, newspaper, magazine or journal (Ex: First edition books with an author’s signature are most valuable to book collectors.)
A lot – much -- and note this usage includes two words. (Ex: Do you have a lot of homework tonight?)
Allot – to give a portion to; to ration (Ex: The family will allot how much money should be spent on necessities before they decide how much they can spend on their vacation.)
To – used as a preposition (to+ a noun. Ex: Sammy went to the store); or used as an infinitive (to + a verb. Ex: To be or not to be)
Too – means also (Ex: You have too much catsup on those fries.)
Their – possessive third person. (Ex: The books are theirs.)
There – indicates a location. (Ex: The book is there, on the table.)
They’re – a contraction which means they are. (Ex: They are going to lunch.)
Where: indicates a location. (Ex: Where are my keys?)
Were: a verb (Ex. You were my friend before and you still are.)
Hear: a verb that is used with the aural sense. (Ex: I hear you calling me.)
Here: indicates a location. (Ex: He left his coat, right here on the couch.)
Right: correct; a direction. (Ex. You have the right to turn right after stopping at the red light if no one is coming.)
Rite: a ritual (Ex. Driving, attending the prom and attending college are all rites of passage on the way to adulthood.)
Ad -- an appeal to purchase a product.
Add -- to find the sum of numbers; to join something to an already existing set.
Addition – to put in, insert or include something more (Ex: In addition to serving rice and bean tacos, grandma served cake.)
Affect/Effect -- Effect is a noun. Affect is a verb. Read through the website (link) to learn more about spotting the difference between affect and effect.
Edition – a book, newspaper, magazine or journal (Ex: First edition books with an author’s signature are most valuable to book collectors.)
A lot – much -- and note this usage includes two words. (Ex: Do you have a lot of homework tonight?)
Allot – to give a portion to; to ration (Ex: The family will allot how much money should be spent on necessities before they decide how much they can spend on their vacation.)
To – used as a preposition (to+ a noun. Ex: Sammy went to the store); or used as an infinitive (to + a verb. Ex: To be or not to be)
Too – means also (Ex: You have too much catsup on those fries.)
Their – possessive third person. (Ex: The books are theirs.)
There – indicates a location. (Ex: The book is there, on the table.)
They’re – a contraction which means they are. (Ex: They are going to lunch.)
Where: indicates a location. (Ex: Where are my keys?)
Were: a verb (Ex. You were my friend before and you still are.)
Hear: a verb that is used with the aural sense. (Ex: I hear you calling me.)
Here: indicates a location. (Ex: He left his coat, right here on the couch.)
Right: correct; a direction. (Ex. You have the right to turn right after stopping at the red light if no one is coming.)
Rite: a ritual (Ex. Driving, attending the prom and attending college are all rites of passage on the way to adulthood.)
Tips for Writing a Paper
Ms. Kennedy will be thrilled when I:
- Use in the objective third-person point of view in all formal papers.
- Type.
- Write legibly if I can not type.
- Double space (that means leave a blank space between every line).
- DO NOT start my paper with a question.
- Do start with a strong statement that generates interest.
- Compose a thesis statement in the first paragraph.
- Support the thesis statement throughout the paper.
- Conclude the thesis statement.
- Do not use abbreviations.
- Do not start a sentence with an indefinite pronoun.
- Do not use indefinite pronouns in any sentences.
- Write out an acronym the first time
- Example: The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) arrested three locals.
- Use the acronym every time after the first time.
- Correctly write in-text citations.
- Write my works cited page in alphabetical order.
- Avoid plagiarism.
- Proof my paper before I turn it in.
- Make sure I work with all suggested revisions.
Glossary of Writing Terms
Clarify: make it plain
Clarity: clearness
Comma/splice sentence: a run on sentence that has a comma instead of a period between two complete sentences.
Direct quote: a section of the document that belongs to another writer; has quotation marks around it; has an in-text citation behind it.
Indefinite pronoun: a pronoun that has no clear antecedent.
In-text citation: a listing in parentheses that comes after a direct quote or an idea that belongs to another writer. The parentheses contain either the author’s last name or in the event of not knowing an author, the article or title (whichever comes first on the Works Cited page) should be listed.
First person point of view: writing which uses the pronouns I, me, my, mine, we, us and ours. This is appropriate only for autobiography or some forms of fiction. First person pronouns should only appear in formal writing if they are part of a quoted source.
Paraphrase: rewriting the ideas of another author into the words of the researcher.
Redundancy: repetition that has no literary value; boring reptition.
Second person point of view: the use of you, your, and yours. Fine usage for ministers. There is no place for this style of writing in formal usage.
Summary: a synopsis; a brief statement of a longer work.
Summarize: to reduce the works of another writer into brief, concise language.
Thesis statement: a sentence that explains the purpose of the research paper. The reader will find this in the first paragraph of the paper. The following paragraphs will support the statement. The conclusion will sum up the paper and prove the thesis statement.
Third person point of view: uses the pronouns he, she, it, they, them, his, hers, its and theirs. Best point of view for formal papers. Required point of view for formal papers.
Transitions: words and/or sentences that bridge or connect the reader from one idea to another.
Works cited page: the page after the research paper that lists all works used within the paper in alphabetical order according to the first word in each citation.
Clarity: clearness
Comma/splice sentence: a run on sentence that has a comma instead of a period between two complete sentences.
Direct quote: a section of the document that belongs to another writer; has quotation marks around it; has an in-text citation behind it.
Indefinite pronoun: a pronoun that has no clear antecedent.
In-text citation: a listing in parentheses that comes after a direct quote or an idea that belongs to another writer. The parentheses contain either the author’s last name or in the event of not knowing an author, the article or title (whichever comes first on the Works Cited page) should be listed.
First person point of view: writing which uses the pronouns I, me, my, mine, we, us and ours. This is appropriate only for autobiography or some forms of fiction. First person pronouns should only appear in formal writing if they are part of a quoted source.
Paraphrase: rewriting the ideas of another author into the words of the researcher.
Redundancy: repetition that has no literary value; boring reptition.
Second person point of view: the use of you, your, and yours. Fine usage for ministers. There is no place for this style of writing in formal usage.
Summary: a synopsis; a brief statement of a longer work.
Summarize: to reduce the works of another writer into brief, concise language.
Thesis statement: a sentence that explains the purpose of the research paper. The reader will find this in the first paragraph of the paper. The following paragraphs will support the statement. The conclusion will sum up the paper and prove the thesis statement.
Third person point of view: uses the pronouns he, she, it, they, them, his, hers, its and theirs. Best point of view for formal papers. Required point of view for formal papers.
Transitions: words and/or sentences that bridge or connect the reader from one idea to another.
Works cited page: the page after the research paper that lists all works used within the paper in alphabetical order according to the first word in each citation.