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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How would you correct this sentence?


Putting his huge backyard to good use, my friend Roberto rescued 2 3-legged dogs from an animal shelter in Pasadena to keep them from being put down.


(A) Omit the comma after "use"
(B) Change "2" to "two"
(C) Change "3" to "three"
(D) Either B or C

Which sentence is grammatically incorrect?

(A) The town voted for Mayor Draper because he promised to support the fight to save every last tree in the town.
(B) Dr. Spleeni, chairman of the surgery board, knew that the hospital was going to lose a lot of money because of his little mistake in that appendectomy.
(C) San Francisco 49er's President Gideon Yu has an issue with clammy hands that only gets worse as the game progresses.
(D) Mr. Payne, chief director of the school's play, decided who was going to play the lead role, and he was open to any and all bribes involving baked goods.

Which sentence should you cut out of the latest article you wrote for the school newspaper?

(A) The fashion trends going around are "very concerning," according to Mr. Peterson.
(B) Most skirts that girls wear are very short—nowhere near two inches above the knee.
(C) Boys wear some very unique muscle shirts with the sides ripped down to their hips.
(D) Principal Smith is considering a very harsh set of rules to discourage student trendsetters.

Which of these sentences uses literally incorrectly?

I. I have literally no patience for people who don't wipe around the sink after they wash their hands.

II. Don't they realize that those water droplets contain literally millions of germs?

III. It literally makes me want to scream when I have to use the sink after a sloppy hand washer.

(A) I
(B) II
(C) III
(D) None of them.

Fill in the blank:


My mama should be so proud of me! After I knocked over their nest, I rescued __________ baby bumblebee!


(A) each
(B) every
(C) Both A and B
(D) None of the above

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