Note: Most examples used come directly from student work (with permission). Notice lack of BW’s in revised versions.

1. Follow directions. Do what the assignment says to do! Meet criteria to avoid mark loss.

2. Proofread good copy scrupulously . Why have the teacher find your avoidable errors?
Remember COPS:
C _apitalization
O _missions
P _unctuation
S _pelling

3. Reread your drafts and good copy aloud and listen. Better yet, read your work aloud to a parent or friend, and both of you listen . Does everything make completely clear sense?

4. Titles: a) Underline or italicize book titles. Ex. The Outsiders or The Outsiders
b) Place quotation marks around titles of short stories, poems, essays. Ex. “The Raven”

5. Numerals or words? 5 cats? or five cats? 100 donuts? or one hundred donuts?
a) Use words if you need only one or two words. Ex. five cats. one thousand donuts
b) Use figures when more than two words are needed. Ex. The boy counted 237 red cars.
Ex.: I owe my mom $14.23.
c) Use the word if the sentence begins with a number. Ex. Sixteen presents awaited Joe.
One hundred fourteen accidents were reported. (The inspector reported 114 accidents.)
d) Use figures for dates, street numbers, book chapters, dimensions. Ex. Sal plans to move to the moon on May 12, 2109. Her spaceship cabin en route will measure 16 feet by 14 feet. She’ll live at 601 Moon Glow Way.

6. Combine short sentences to avoid choppiness.
Ex. I plan to go to Australia. I’ll go after I graduate. I’ll find employment there.
Revision: After I graduate, I plan to go to Australia, where I’ll find employment.

7. Avoid fragments (a group of words pretending to be a sentence).

8. Avoid run-ons. (R-O’s are N-O’s!!) Two types:
a) comma splice: Bob hates donuts, he ate ten.
b) fused sentence: Bob hates donuts he ate ten.
Four remedies:
i) Use a period and make two sentences. Bob hates donuts. He ate ten.
ii) Separate the two sentences with a semi-colon. Bob hates donuts; he ate ten.
iii) Join the two sentences with a comma and conjunction. Bob hates donuts, yet he ate ten.
iv) Make one sentence into a dependent clause and add a comma. Though Bob hates donuts, he ate ten .

9. Provide specific details to avoid vagueness and boredom for yourself and for your reader!
1st In this story, there is an eleven year old boy who is imaginative.
2nd (Revision): In “Fall of a City” by Alden Nowlan, eleven year old Teddy creates a vivid imaginary world in order to escape his caregivers’ abusiveness.
Which statement would provide more impetus for you to read further? 2nd
Which contains power words and no bewhiched words? 2nd

10. Pronoun reference: Ex. Fred wanted George to go to the lake with him so he could teach him how to swim. Who was to teach whom? Ex. Lynn told Lisa she’d won the contest. Who won?

11. Agreement: Ex. Each student needs to return their text books. “Each” is singular; “their” is plural.
Revision:
a) Each student needs to return his text books. OR
b) All students need to return their text books. Choosing to use this plural construction helps writers to avoid this problem.

12.Diction, aka word choice (“power writing”): Avoid W.W.’s (“weak words”) and B.W.’s (“Bewhiched Words”), including:lots, a lot, get/got, really, very, kind of, sort of, all that stuff, um.
1st Ex.: If I don’t do my homework, I’ll get bad marks.
Revision: If I neglect my homework, my marks will suffer. OR Neglecting my homework will lead to poor marks.
2nd Ex.: Although I didn’t like math, I still got a lot of B’s on tests.
Revision: Although I disliked math, I still managed to earn B’s on many tests.
3rd Ex.: Some of my strengths are that I am always on time and that I am a very hard worker.
Revision: My strengths include [provide two nouns here] punctuality and industriousness.

13. Redundancy (adj. redundant: repeating ideas using different words):
1st Ex.: Sometimes I get writer’s block and can’t think of any ideas to write about.
Revision: Sometimes I suffer from writer’s block.
2nd Ex.: I’m a quiet person who doesn’t say much.
Revision: I’m a quiet person.
3rd Ex.: I also like basketball too.
Revision: I like basketball too.

14. Awkwardness: 1st Ex. Activities I would like to do is instead of grammar and doing spelling, I think we should watch videos and do short written reports.
Revision: I would rather watch videos and write short reports than study grammar and spelling.
2nd Ex.: The thing I would enjoy the most would be the projects where you have to be creative and use a lot of colour.
Revision: I would most enjoy projects requiring creativity and the use of much colour.

15. Wordy & weak (may be combined with the above). AKA “gobbledegook”!! (“BLAH!”)
Consider: “What doesn’t add subtracts”!!!
Ex. The effort that I am willing to put into this class as well as my school work is about all the effort I have because I would really like to put in enough effort to earn myself an ‘A’ or at the very least a ‘B.’

16. Parallel Structure (aka parallelism): Repetition of the same structure provides “balance” and smoothness. Often used to show likenesses and emphasize differences.
Ex. I like swimming and to dive. Revision: and diving.
Ex. He told me to return at once and that I should start work. Revision: and to start work.
Ex. This year I’d like to become a better speller as well as improve on my handwriting.
Revision: I’d like to improve on my spelling and handwriting.
Ex. She is interested neither in sewing nor cooking. Revision: neither in sewing nor in cooking.
OR interested in neither sewing nor cooking.
Ex. I admire Steinbeck not only for his fine imagery but also because he creates such compelling plots. Revision: but also for his compelling plots.

17. The Givens:
a) write legibly & neatly in ink (preferably dark blue) or type.
b) compositions are double spaced and double margined unless otherwise specified
c) in top right corner: your full name, block, and date