Spelling and Mechanics Introduction

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Spelling and mechanics errors: the easiest way to make you a laughingstock (other than slipping on a literal banana peel).

There are fewer things more cringe-worthy than a misspelled tattoo or more hilarious than when people spell "morons" like "morans" or "no offense" like "no a fence." We love to be smug about that kind of stuff.

Spelling and mechanics fails are the stuff of endless Buzzfeed lists and Tumblr blogs. Life is so much more enjoyable when autocorrect becomes auto-incorrect, isn't it?

It's fun to smirk over. It's horrible to do…especially because you just know that your essay on The Dairy of Anne Frank (um, did she really like milk that much?) or your mistake-ridden college admissions essay is not going to be taken seriously.

So let's get serious.

Correct spelling is insanely important in a paragraph or essay. It helps you get your ideas across clearly. Tools like spellcheck are great but not foolproof, so it's important to develop some stellar spelling awareness. When you encounter a new word, take note of how it's spelled and how it's used, and add it to your writing stash.

A mastery of mechanics is also crucial for composing good papers. When we say mechanics, we don't mean the good people that get your car back on the road after you run over a monstrous, sedan-eating pothole. We mean capitalization, abbreviations, and numbers. Knowing these writing standards helps you become a more effective communicator and polishes your writing skills.

It also helps you to not be this guy.

Quiz Yourself on Spelling and Mechanics

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Choose the option that completes the following sentences correctly:

Just ___________ you and me, I had a really hard time choosing ___________ being a bridesmaid in Allison's wedding and going to Hawaii with my sister. But after Allison forced me to select a bridesmaid dress from __________ three styles I hated, I was ready to head down the airplane aisle.

(A) between, among, between

(A) between, among, between

(B) between, between, between

(B) between, between, between

(C) between, between, among

(C) between, between, among

(D) None of these

(D) None of these

You're writing up your report for your science fair project on fall leaves. Which of the following sentences should you probably correct?

(A) The leaves displayed 9 percent yellowing on the first day and forty percent on the 3rd day.

(A) The leaves displayed 9 percent yellowing on the first day and forty percent on the 3rd day.

(B) While I had hypothesized that rainfall would have a strong effect on the rate of yellowing, the three inches of rain that fell did not seem to cause significant change.

(B) While I had hypothesized that rainfall would have a strong effect on the rate of yellowing, the three inches of rain that fell did not seem to cause significant change.

(C) The coloring of leaves is directly proportional to temperature drops over time.

(C) The coloring of leaves is directly proportional to temperature drops over time.

(D) All of these sentences look fine. No corrections are necessary.

(D) All of these sentences look fine. No corrections are necessary.

How would you correct this sentence?

When we past the crate of puppies outside Petco, I knew my cat's days as an only child were over.

(A) Change past to passed

(A) Change past to passed

(B) Change cat's to cats'

(B) Change cat's to cats'

(C) Change child to pet

(C) Change child to pet

(D) What are you talking about? There's nothing wrong with this sentence!

(D) What are you talking about? There's nothing wrong with this sentence!

You're super excited to turn in your first article for the school newspaper. However, you start to doubt your abilities when the advising teacher starts off your meeting by saying that one sentence throws off the tone of the entire article.

The sentence is, "By lunchtime, students are very hungry, and all the cafeteria has to offer them is oily chicken nuggets paired with pounds of coleslaw." How do you respond to the criticism?

(A) I see what you mean. Using "very" is colloquial and unprofessional. It will never happen again!

(A) I see what you mean. Using "very" is colloquial and unprofessional. It will never happen again!

(B) You're so right. I should be more creative with my adjectives and replace "very hungry" with "ravenous."

(B) You're so right. I should be more creative with my adjectives and replace "very hungry" with "ravenous."

(C) Using the word "very" is totally fine, and it correctly emphasizes how hungry students are.

(C) Using the word "very" is totally fine, and it correctly emphasizes how hungry students are.

(D) I'm confused. My grammar checks out, so do you have an issue with my facts? Clearly you've never had one of those "chicken nuggets."

(D) I'm confused. My grammar checks out, so do you have an issue with my facts? Clearly you've never had one of those "chicken nuggets."

What correction would you make to the following passage?

Every afternoon, Paige works on her fantasy novel at the Starbucks on Lincoln Avenue. So far, she's finished fifty pages. Sometimes, she lets the baristas read it. They all agree that the best part is the sword fight between the gnome and the fire dwarf that starts Chap. 2. They also all agree that she should probably order more than one small water if she's going to take up a whole table for five hours every day.

(A) abbreviate Avenue to Ave.

(A) abbreviate Avenue to Ave.

(B) change fifty to 50

(B) change fifty to 50

(C) change Chap. 2 to Chapter 2

(C) change Chap. 2 to Chapter 2

(D) abbreviate hours to hrs.

(D) abbreviate hours to hrs.

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