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Rules for Formal WritingFirst and foremost, what is formal writing?Formal (adj.)—being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress); following specific rulesFormal writing follows specific rules in order to keep a professional tone. In formal writing, you do not just write the way you would speak. Just like formal dress, formal writing is a little fancier than regular or informal writing!Common Examples:Academic (for school) writingBusiness writingFormal social occasionsWhen doing any formal writing, keep the following in mind.Abbreviations, Symbols, and NumbersAs a rule, when doing formal writing, DO NOT use abbreviations or symbols: SPELL WORDS OUT! Taking the time to spell words out shows that you care about the writing you’re doing. It is unprofessional to use abbreviations and symbols, so they have no place in formal writing!The following symbols and abbreviations are not acceptable in formal writing:Abbreviation/SymbolCorrect Word&andw/withuyourAre, our2To, too, two@at+and4For, fourB4before#numberAdditionally, any sort of texting language (btw, idk, and many others) should NEVER be used in formal writing!NumbersIf you take it upon yourself to study correct procedure when it comes to writing numbers, you will find that rules vary widely depending on the source and the context. For the purposes of this class, the following are the rules I would like you to follow. Spell out numbers from one to one hundredExamples:I own all thirteen Beatles albums.The band was amazingly prolific for having been together only eight years. Their first album, Please, Please Me, was recorded in just one day.Use a hyphen in compound numbers (twenty-one through ninety-nine)Examples:Even though Shelley is twenty-three, many people think she is sixteen. I have told you fifty-six times to be quiet, so please do so!If a number begins a sentence, spell it out even if it is greater than one-hundredExamples:Forty-five percent of American’s don’t know that the sun is a star.Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes are in a year.ApostrophesApostrophes must be used to denote contractions and in possessive nouns. Contractions are abbreviations made when two words are merged together. AN APOSTROPHE MUST GO IN THE PLACE OF THE DELETED LETTERS.I cannot play sports very well because I am not coordinated.I can’t play sports very well because I’m not coordinated.**ANY time you are merging two words, make sure you have an apostrophe.Another way to make sure you follow this rule is to refrain from using contractions altogether. In fact, using contractions is often frowned upon in some types of formal writing.Possessive nouns are nouns that show ownership, and they must follow the apostrophe “s” format. Simply putting an “s” at the end of a noun makes it plural (more than one), not possessive. If you want to show that the noun owns something, you must have an apostrophe. My grandma’s cat is evil. The cat’s behavior is most disturbing.Many grandmas like to garden for a hobby.Some people love cats, but I do notLikewise, if you simply want to make a noun plural (show that there’s more than one), DO NOT include an apostrophe. Its and It’s ConfusionThere is one exception to the apostrophe “s” possessive rule—its. Because “it is” and “it has” can be made into contractions, they need apostrophes. In order to differentiate between the contractions and the possessive pronoun, the possessive pronoun does not use an apostrophe. Its = a possessive pronoun (showing ownership)It’s = a contraction for “it is” or “it has”It is raining outside.It’s raining outside.It has been hot for the past four months.It’s been hot for the past four months. The happy dog is chasing its tail.The demonic cat is baring its claws.CapitalizationYou must capitalize the following: Proper nouns(New Bremen Middle School, Canada, Stephanie)Proper adjectives—adjectives that are derived from proper nouns(English muffin, Sony television, Italian food)Title with a name(Coach Meyer, President Washington, Aunt Brenda)Titles(To Kill a Mockingbird, Guardians of the Galaxy, Parks and Recreation)First word in a direct quotation and the first word in every sentence(Vanessa asked, “What can I write about?”)Letter opening (Dear Mrs. Smith, )First word of a letter closing(Yours truly, Thanks again,)InterjectionsInterjections are words that have no real grammatical function and are typically used to show some sort of emotion. Because they contribute to a casual tone, interjections should not be used in formal writing.Incorrect: Well, the United States got involved in the war because of the Pearl Harbor attack.Correct: The United States got involved in the war because of the attack on Pearl Harbor.Coordinating ConjunctionsIt is improper to begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction in formal writing. In fact, this should be done sparingly in informal wring as well.Coordinating Conjunctions:ForAndNorButOrYetSoCorrect: For that reason, the United States declared war on Japan.Incorrect: So the United States declared war on Japan.Correct: The United States went to war with Germany as well.Incorrect: And the United States went to war with Germany. ................
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