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Proofreading for common surface errors: Spelling and Punctuation

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1. About In most college courses, instructors expect that your writing will be free of surface errors, but you may be uncertain of the rules for spelling, punctuation, grammar, and word choice. The following rules and examples, taken primarily from The St. Martin's Handbook, 3rd ed., by Andrea Lunsford and Robert Connors, may help you find and correct some of the most common surface errors in your writing. If you have questions about these rules, consult any good grammar book.

2. Spelling Spelling errors are the most common surface errors as well as the most easily corrected. To correct spelling errors, use a spell-checker, regardless of your spelling skill, along with a dictionary to help you find the right alternative for a misspelled word. Remember that the spell-checker won't help with homonyms, words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings. Some words that can cause trouble are listed below.

their there they're accept

except

who's whose its it's your you're affect effect than then were we're where weather whether

(possessive form of they) (in that place) (contraction of they are) (a verb, meaning to receive or to admit to a group) (usually a preposition, meaning but or only) (contraction of who is or who has) (possessive form of who) (possessive form of it) (contraction of it is or it has) (possessive form of you) (contraction of you are) (usually a verb, meaning to influence) (usually a noun, meaning result) (used in comparison) (refers to a time in the past) (form of the verb to be) (contraction of we are) (related to location or place) (climatic conditions)

(conjunction, meaning if)

2. Punctuation

Commas:

U1.seUasecaocmommmaa ttoo ssigignanlaalpaaupseabuestewebeen ttwheeen the intro

introductory element of a sentence and the main part

eolfetmheesnent toenf cae.sentence and the main p??arTFtrFThaoronhaukfolngyut,hkhtghlIyeehg,caIotsvhmgeeemahnivctitmeeoteemhdneimsmtcdaieeitldceti.esedieotan'asdbivldaeifcefdleecdfaiosudriso.vrenicvbiesainffofgl,rehdriesuvdsirs.aifnt ogn,ly

bhecisamdreawftoorsnel.y became worse.

U2s.e aUcsoemamcaowmhemnayowuhjeoinn ytwoouijnodienptewnodeinntdseepnetenndceesntwith a conjunctio (for, asnedn, nteonr,cbeust,wori,thyeat,csoon).junction (for, and, nor, but, or,

yet, so). ? Meredith wore jeans to the hotel, but she changed

before the wedding.

If3t.heIf ttwheotcwloauclsaeuseisninyoyouurrsseenntenncceeaarerebobtohtshhsohrto, rt, howe you hmoawyevbeer, yaobulemtaoyobme aitbtlheetocoommitmthaebceomfomrea and btoherefoocrroe.maYmnodauoamrftoaerry. Yaaonulsinmotraboydeaualcsbtoolberyeteoalbeolmemetointtotihmfetihtceomma afterealenmiennttroisdsuhcotrotr.y element if the element is?? shSAohtrett.hsearwacheetrracchkanHceenaryndlosshtenetoaorlkyiht.is entire

paycheck.

U4s. eUasecoamcommamtaotsoigsinganal lththee pprreesseenncceeofoaf a nonrestrictive elemneonntr,esthtraicttiisve, aelewmoerndt,, pthhartaiss,ea, woor rcdl,apuhsrease, that otghrievceplasruesaceeddtdhiniatgitogpniavareltsionaffdtohdreimtisoaentnaitoleninncfaoebr,mobuuatttiwothnheiacbhporceuatcneding part boef dtheeletseednwteitnhocuet, cbhuatnwgihngicthhecabansbicemdeealneintegd withoothufetthsceehnsateennngtceienn,cguest.heIfeathbceoaemsleimcmamebneetafiosnriiennagtnhodefamtfhtideedr ltseheeonftence. If theeleemleemnet.nt is in the middle of the sentence, u?se Ma acroinma,mwahobewfaosrethaenpdreasfitdeerntthoef ethleemcleunbt,.was

the first to speak. ? Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony until 1898, when

it was ceded to the U.S.

D5.o Dnoontout ussee aacocmommamwiath awrietshtriactirvee esltermicetnitv, e eleme

that is, a word, phrase, or clause that is essential

thattoisth,eamweaonirndg ,ofpthherwaosred ,oroprhrcalsaeuitsmeodifies. thatAchirsaensegtrisincgstitveheneetsleieamnlteetnnotcceta'hsnebnaostmibceemdaeeanlenitinendgg.woitfhout th? e WawfrteoornrgIdw: Ie'olal rrreipttuthornnriatghhsete.swietamtero, tdhiaftieI bso.rArowreeds, trictive e?lemRigehnt:tI'cll arentunrnotthebsewedaetelrettheadt I wboirtrhoowuedt after

I wear it tonight.

c?haWnrgoinng:gThthe peeospelen, wtehno cvaendalsizebdatsheicscmhoeoal, ning.

were never caught. ? Right: The people who vandalized the school

were never caught.

T6ra. diTtiroandaitlilyo,ncaollmy, mcoams mseapsasreaptearaalltethaellittehme isteinmas isnearies (three or mosreeriweso(rdthsr,epehorar smeosr,eowr colraduss,epshrthaaset sa,poprecalar ucsoenssecutively in a stehnatteanpcpee).aSr coomneseincsuttriuvcetloyrisndaosnentternecqeu)i.rSeome a cominmstarubcetfoorrsedtohne'tarnedqouriroerabceotwmemean btheefolraestthtwe o itemsat.enCadchoherecrok'srybpoeruetrwfeteereeanncchtehe,eralnasdstpbtrewecfoeoirnteesnmicseste.,nCathniedncebkietyhoceournr sistent in eithuesirnugsoinrgomoritotminigttitnhgisthlaisstlacostmcmoma.ma.

? Sharks eat squid, shrimp, crabs, and fish

? OOuur rfifsicscaal lppooliclicyyisisnnoot twweellllddeefifnineedd,,aannddititconfuses

mcaonnyfupseeospmlea. ny people.

Apostrophes:

1. TToosshhoowwtthhaattoonneethtihnginbgelboenlgosntgosantootahnero, tehitehre,reither Quotation Marks:

aainsnaaadppdooessdttrrtoooppthhheeeawanondrddanraesnporsersaoenrnataipnnogsattphroeopsthhtreinoagplohthneaet

1.

Use quotation marks to signal Use quotation marks to signal direct quotations, titles, definitions, and words used ironically.

direc

aploonseseissseasdtdheedotthoetr.hAenwapoordstroepphreesaendntaings thaeretuhsinegd ftohrastinpgouslasrensosuenss,thinedeofitnhieter.pronouns

(anybody, everyone, nobody, somebody), and for

Apnluaraplonsoturonps htheatadnodnaont esndarine su.sWehdenfoprlusrianlgular

? qGueoorgteaBtuioshncsall,edtifotlrea s"k,inddeer, gfeinntiletri"oAnmser,ica. ? aMsntaydtdeicowtfioboneairnrdgy adsleofniunee.s"seisodlatiiroon ansi"cthae qlluya.lity or

nnoouunnss, einnddeinfisniotenlyptrhoenaopuonsstr(oapnhyebisoudsye,de. veryone, ? The "fun" of surgery begins before the operation

? nOOovbveeroarmdabymit,iobusistoipomaureesntbps oacardneybne)t,shaacrmnafndulbtfooearhcpahirlldumrfsauwllentllo-obeauinncgh.sTilhde'asccident thwwaaestlnld-obbooedinynogs.t feaunlt.d in s. When plural nouns end

even takes place.

2. PPeerrioidosdansd caomnmdascgoo minsimde calossinggoquoitnatsioinde clos

? inTThhseeaocacncidlceynidttwheanestnawopbaoosdysntorsobfaopudhlt.ye'sisfauuslte. d.

? BBooththddrivreivrsers'cacrasrws ewrerdeadmaamgeadgiendthienatchceidaecnct.ident.

marks; colons and semicolons go outside them.

quotation marks; colons and

? I would use one word to describe the duke in

semicolons go outside them. 2. ThTehweorwd iotsr,dspietlsle,dswpitehloluetdanwaiptohsotroupthae,nisathpeopsotsrsoespshivee,foisrmtohfeit, meaning

Browning's poem "My Last Duchesse": arrogant.

ofpitoosr bseelosnsgiivneg tfooitr.mTheowf oitrd, mitesa, nspienllgedowfitiht aonrabpoesltoronpghein, g

? One of the Beatles' first popular songs was "Love

iusstauoacloliytn.itnrTadchictiaeotnewsoofairtpdiossiostre'sists,hisvaesp.feoErlvmlee,ndththweopuitoghshswaesintshivaneopuinonstshtaisrnocaappshoesetr,ophe

Me Do"; it catapulted the band to stardom.

isitsheaocneownitthroauct tthioenapoosftriotpihseo. r it has. Even though

with nouns an apostrophe usually indicates a

General Proofreading Suggestions

possessive form, the possessive in this case is the

? FaFmailmiariizlieayroizureseylfowuitrhstehelfewrroitrshytohu ecoemrmroonrlsy myoakue cbyolmookminog novlyer writing

one without the apostrophe.

thamt haaksealbreyadlyoboekeinnmgaorkveed.rMwarkeitainligst tohf yaotuhr earrsoras,lraenaddchyecbkeyeonur wrmitinagrfkoreeda.chMoaf ktheema. list of your errors, and check your

? The car is lying on its side in the ditch. It's a white 1986 Buick.

Periods:

A1. coAthmcaotmmcomuaaldsspepaliccliehcosectaconudrcsacwlouhneresnatswwaohsoeernnmteotnrwceecoalarouesresmore

writing for each of them. ? CaCreafurlleyfaundllsyloawnlydresaldoywoulrywrrietinagdoyutolouurd.wOrfitteinnygouor ueatrlwoiull dhe.ar what your

eyOe dfitdennotysoeeu.r ear will hear what your eye did not see. ? ReRaedaydoyuor wurritwinrgitbinacgkbwaacrdksw, aserdntse,nsceenbtyensecnetebnyce, from the last

sesnetenntceentcoet,hferofimrsttsheentleansctes.eTnhtisenteccehntoiqutheeinftierrsrutpts the logical floswenoftethnecper.oTsheiasntdecnheuntirqaulizeeisnatenyrriumpptrsestshioenloogf iccoarrlectness

clauwsriettsentwhiathtocnloyualcdomemaacbhetswteaenntdheaml.oTno e

correct this error, separate the clauses with a

as apesrieodntoer nsecmeicaolroen,wcornitnteecnt thweitchlauosneslywith

arfisloinwg forof mthyeopurroksneowalneddgneeouftwrahalitzeyosuamnyeaimnt ptoressasy.ion of correctness arising from your knowledge of what you meant to say.

a coacomwmombrdinaleikbteheaetnmwd,ienfotero,nobentcehacuelsameu, os.erT.alothocuoghr,reorct

? UsUesyeoyuor udricdtioicntairoyntaorcyhteockcahneycwkoarndys ywoourdsre unsure about, and toycohue'crkefuorncsourrrecat bporeupto,saitniodnsto, vcehrbecteknsfoers,caonrdreircretgular forms.

th? isWWroernorgrn:ogT:hrTe,hsseheipshpwipaaswrhaausgteeh,uittgshem,eaitssct mslatoaousdtstshetiorstyodfwetehtitihrhitgyh.

prepositions, verb tenses, and irregular forms. ? CoCmommams,apse,rpioedrsi,oadnsd, apnodsatrpopohsetsroaprehesosmaeretimseosmmeotrime ceosmplicated

a pefereitohdigho.r semicolon, connect the clauses thmanotrheeceoxmampplilecsatileludsttrhataend tinhetheisxtaemxt.pCleosnsilulultsatrhaatneddbook

? RigRhitg: Thhte: sThhipewsashhipugwe;aitss mhausgt est;ooitdsthmirtyafsetetshtigoho. d thirty

withfeaet hwigohr. d like and, for, because,

foirnatnhyisottheexrtq.uCeosntiosnusl.t a handbook for any other questions.

o?r WarWtolhntrighro:tnToyhgeuf:esTgehhitphehw,isagshohhi.purgwec,aaosndmhitusbgmeian,staesntodotdhitthesirtmmy feaesittnhisgtthoo. od

o?nReiRgcihgtlh:atT:uhTseheemm.asatstofofthtehehhuuggeesshhipipsstotoooddththiritrytyfefetethigh.

high.

F2u. seFudsesdesnentetennccessaarerecrecarteedatwehdenwtwhoeonr tmwooreor more grougapnrosiunpdosefpowef nwodoredrndstssttehhnaattetcnoccuoelduarledeawcehraibttceehnwrwbitietthenowuartsitten

as aannyinpdunecptueantidonenbettsweeenntethnecme. Taoreelimwinriattteena withfsoueuspetadraasnteenytsepennuctnee,cndtciuveiasd,teoiorthnjoeibngertothwuepmeseionnf awthwoeradymsti.hnatto To eslhimowins athteeirarefluastieondshsiepn. tence, divide the

g?roWuWroprnsogn:oOgf:uOrwfuisorcrfaidlspcsoalliicnpyotioslicnsyoteiswpenalol rdtaewftieneelldsdieet fcniontneefdunsietcsemsa,ny

or

?

RpjoeicRgoiohnipgtnl:ehftO.uth:useOrefmsuisrmcfaiialnspncoyaalilpcpwyeooisalpicnylyeot.tiswhenaloltdtsewfhienoelldwd. eIstficnothendfeu.siIerts

many

relapetcoioopnlnef.ussheispm. any people.

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