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

Fill in the blanks:


I told my overbearing eye doctor that he did not have to _________ statistics to convince me of the importance of caring for my ___________.


(A) site, sight
(B) sight, site
(C) cite, sight
(D) cite, site

Fill in the blanks:


At the end of every summer, Mayor Murray _________ an award and several lovely _________ to the palest lifeguard at Lake Ironcheeks.


(A) presence, presents
(B) presence, presence
(C) presents, presents
(D) presents, presence

Your history teacher enjoys papers that are factually accurate, but he also tends to award extra style points for papers that are easy to read. Which of the following sentences should you avoid at all costs in order to get the extra boost?

(A) 1929 was the year the stock market crashed, sending the United States into a downward economic spiral.
(B) Six hundred and twenty thousand men died during the Civil War, with over 51,000 of those casualties coming from the Battle of Gettysburg alone.
(C) In the colonial period, teenagers were busy learning how to farm, not moaning about getting up at 7:00 a.m.
(D) Fifty-six delegates signed the Declaration of Independence, even though it was considered treason at the time.

Can you spot the style faux pas in the following sentence?


Five thousand three hundred fifty-six contestants entered the marathon on Saturday, but due to extreme temperatures and a water main break on part of the route, only 104 completed it.


(A) Five thousand three hundred fifty-six
(B) due to
(C) part of
(D) 104

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