Editing by Amanda

Writing Tip #4

Posted Apr 30 2007 by Amanda | Filed under Writing Tips

Here’s a mistake that a lot of people make with quotations:

The punctuation almost ALWAYS goes INSIDE the final quotation mark. This includes commas, periods, etc.

Incorrect: Then he said, “I really love going to dog shows”.

Correct: Then he said, “I really, really love going to dog shows.”

Incorrect: The concept, called “awesomeness”, has nothing to do with Britney Spears.

Correct: The concept, called “awesomeness,” has NOTHING to do with Britney Spears.

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Do you have any examples you want to share?

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Writing Tip #3

Posted Apr 11 2007 by Amanda | Filed under Writing Tips

Here are three words I see misspelled in e-mails, IMs, and personal profiles all the time. Train yourself to spell these and other words correctly, because you don’t want to spell things wrong that will be seen by other people. You never know who could be reading them, and you don’t want to come across as a careless writer to teachers, professors, bosses, potential bosses, and people who pride themselves on flawless spelling. Just work on it a little bit–it’s easy to fix. Train yourself to be a little embarrassed of spelling mistakes. Yours and anyone else’s.

Definately Definitely: We don’t even pronounce this word with an “a” sound, so I don’t understand why people love spelling it that way. This word is spelled how it sounds.

Rediculous Ridiculous: Think of the word “ridicule,” which is the base of this word and always sounds like it’s spelled with an “i.” And try saying to yourself, “Red is not ridiculous,” so you won’t spell it with an “e.”

Genious Genius: This one just looks bad, guys. I don’t really have a trick for remembering this one, other than thinking about it and making sure it’s correct before you post it anywhere.

Any others to add?

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Writing Tip #2

Posted Mar 26 2007 by Amanda | Filed under Writing Tips

If you’re writing an essay during the SAT Writing Exam and you’re discussing something that happened in your own life, it’s OK to elaborate, exaggerate, and modify. During the SAT test, if you’re writing a reflection, an opinion piece, or a personal essay with YOU as the subject, you don’t have to stick to the cold, hard facts. People often worry during the SAT exam that they shouldn’t “make stuff up” about their feelings or experiences. I mean, don’t tell the graders that you are Paris Hilton or Hugh Hefner, but do embellish you own story if it adds to your piece. On the SAT Writing Exam, if you want to talk about how your grandmother taught you how to build igloos or about how you can juggle live lobsters, you can do that. Even if it isn’t necessarily true.

NOTE: This does not apply to cover letters, resumes, bios, or interview materials. Never elaborate your background for a potential employer. If you have questions about this, please do not hesitate to ask.

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Writing Tip #1

Posted Mar 16 2007 by Amanda | Filed under Writing Tips

There is a BIG difference between “your” and “you’re.” “Your” is possessive, which means it pretty much always comes before a noun (i.e. “your face”). “You’re” is the contraction of “you” and “are,” so it is just a short, familiar way of saying “you are.”

Examples:

CORRECT: Sally, your fake eyelashes looked really awesome at the party.

INCORRECT: Sally, your a really fun person to bring to a party.

CORRECT: Fido, you’re such an annoying dog.

INCORRECT: You’re dog barks a lot.

A lot of people confuse these two words, so be sure that you aren’t one of them.

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