Chapter 25 Mechanics Punctuation, Capitalization, and Spelling

1. Place a Comma After an Introductory Word, Phrase, or Clause

A comma that appears near the beginning of the sentence after an introductory word or phrase tells the reader where the introductory phrase ends and where the main sentence begins.

• Without spoiling the surprise, we need to tell her to save the date.

In this sentence, without spoiling the surprise is an introductory phrase, and need to tell her to save the date is the main sentence. Notice that they are separated by a comma. Likewise, when a single introductory word precedes the main part of the sentence, a comma follows the introductory word.

• Unfortunately, she already had plans for that day.

Sometimes, the introductory material is an entirely dependent clause. If a dependent clause precedes an independent clause, you must add a comma between it and the independent clause because the dependent clause is not strong enough to support the independent clause without a little help. In the example, the independent clauses are double-underlined, and the dependent clauses are underlined once.

• Because it is cold outside, I wore a warm coat.

However, when the independent clause comes first, it is strong enough to carry the dependent clause at the end without any helping punctuation.

• I wore a warm coat because it is cold outside.

2. Place Commas Between Items in a List

When listing three or more nouns in a series, separate the words or phrases with comma, then add the word and before the last item. This tells the reader that each of the items in the list is separate from the others.

• We’ll need to get flour, tomatoes, and cheese at the store.
• The pizza will be topped with black olives, red peppers, and pineapple chunks.

Notice that the comma comes before and, not after. Also notice that there is no comma after the last item in the list (cheese in the first sentence).

3. Place Commas Between Coordinate Adjectives

Use commas to separate coordinate (equal) adjectives that come before the noun they modify when they are presented in a list-like manner and not joined with and.

• It was a bright, windy, clear day.
• The tired, hungry child asked for water.

Note that commas are not needed between cumulative adjectives.

• The large black male bear stood on its hind legs.

To determine whether adjectives are coordinate or cumulative, consider whether you could, if you wish, insert and in between them. If so, the adjectives are coordinate. If not, they are cumulative.

• It was a bright and windy and clear day. (Coordinate)
• The large and black and male bear stood on its hind legs. (Cumulative)

4. Place Commas Before a Coordinating Conjunction in a Compound Sentence

When two independent clauses are joined with a coordinating conjunction to create a compound sentence, the comma comes after the first independent clause and is followed by the coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).

• He missed class today, and he thinks he will be out tomorrow too.
• He says his fever is gone, but he is still very tired.

Not that the comma comes before the conjunction, not after.

This applies only when the clauses in the two sentences are both independent and could stand on their own as complete sentences.

• He missed class today. He thinks he will be out tomorrow too.
• He says his fever is gone. He is still very tired.

5. Place Commas Before and After Interrupting Words

In conversations, you might interrupt your train of thought by giving more details about what you are talking about or by adding an aside. In a sentence, you might interrupt your train of thought with an interrupting word or phrase. These interrupting elements, also called parenthetical elements, must be set off with commas.

When interrupting words appear in the middle of a sentence, they are separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. You can determine where the commas should go by looking for the part of the sentence that is not essential for the sentence to make sense. This is known as a non-restrictive word, clause, or phrase.

• Galileo, of course, proved that Earth orbited the sun.
• Galileo, an Italian astronomer, proved that Earth orbited the sun.

Interrupting words can also come at the beginning or at the end of a sentence. When the interrupting words appear at the beginning of the sentence, one comma is placed after the word or phrase. When they appear at the end, one comma is placed before the interrupting word or phrase.

• If you can believe it, people once thought the sun and planets orbited around Earth.
• Some people questioned that theory, fortunately.

Sometimes the interrupting words form a non-restrictive clause, also called a nonessential clause. In a non-restrictive clause, the information in the clause is not essential for the reader to understand the meaning of the sentence. Because this information is nonessential, enclose it in commas.

• I’ll wear my warm coat, which is blue, because it’s so cold out.

The main sentence is this: “I’ll wear my warm coat because it’s so cold out.” The fact that the coat is blue is not relevant to the fact that the coat is warm or that it is necessary to wear a coat. Because the clause is not essential and just provides extra information, it is enclosed in commas. Non-restrictive clauses often begin with relative pronouns such as which, who, and whom.

6. Place Commas Between Parts of Dates and Addresses

We also use commas to separate the parts of dates and addresses.

If you are writing out the full date, add a comma after the day and before the year. You do not need to add a comma when you write the month and day or when you write the month and year. If you need to continue the sentence after you add a date that includes the day and year, add a comma after the end of the date.

• The letter is postmarked May 4, 2001.
• Her birthday is May 5.
• He visited the country in July 2009.
• I registered for the conference on March 7, 2020, so we should get our confirmation soon.

Also use commas to separate items in addresses and locations. When a sentence contains an address, place a comma after the street and after the city. Like a date, if you need to continue the sentence after adding the address, simply add a comma after the address.

• We moved to 4542 Boxcutter Lane, Okotoks, Alberta.
• After moving to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Eric used public transportation to get to work.
• Trevor is from London, Canada, not London, England.

7. Use Commas in the Greetings and Closings of Letters

In letters and emails, we also use commas after a greeting and after a closing (the word or phrase before your signature). If you are writing a formal letter that contains the full sender’s and/or recipient’s mailing address in block format at the top of the letter, do not put commas at the end of each line of the address because the line breaks separate the components. Do put a comma after the city. Insert two spaces after the province.

1. A Semicolon Connects Two Independent Clauses

Use a semicolon to connect two closely related independent clauses when they are not already connected by a coordinating conjunction such as and, or, but, nor, so, for, yet.

• I like pizza; I like pasta too.

Because there is no conjunction to hold the clauses together, if you were to try to connect the two independent clauses with a comma, it would create a comma splice.

• Comma splice: I like pizza, I like pasta too.

Although a comma isn’t strong enough to hold two independent clauses together, a semicolon is.

While a period would also be correct, relying on a period to separate the related clauses into two shorter sentences could lead to choppy writing.

• Correct but choppy: I like pizza. I like pasta too.

Using a semicolon to combine the clauses can make your writing more interesting by creating a variety of sentence lengths and structures while preserving the flow of ideas.

Do not use a semicolon between an independent clause and a dependent clause, which would create a sentence fragment.

• Sentence fragment: I like pizza; and pasta too.

Because “and pasta too” is not a complete sentence, the semicolon is incorrect.

2. A Semicolon Connects Two Independent Clauses

Use a semicolon to connect two closely related independent clauses when one independent clause contains a transitional expression. Transitional expressions are words like these:

• besides
• certainly
• consequently
• conversely
• finally
• furthermore
• hence
• however
• in contrast
• indeed
• instead
• meanwhile
• moreover
• nevertheless
• next
• nonetheless
• on the other hand
• similarly
• subsequently
• therefore
• thus

Examine the following example, in which two independent clauses, one beginning with the transitional expression also, are joined with a semicolon. A comma follows the transitional expression.

• I like pizza; also, I like pasta.

If you were to try to connect the two independent clauses with a comma, it would create a comma splice.

• Comma splice: I like pizza, also, I like pasta.

A period would also be correct and would be a better choice if the two independent clauses weren’t closely related.

• I like pizza. Incidentally, I like meat pies too.

If the transitional sentence appears midclause, the semicolon still goes between the two independent clauses:

• I like pizza; I, similarly, like pasta.

Note the commas around the transitional expression.

3. Semicolons Separate Items in a List

Use a semicolon to separate items in a list only when the items in the list already include commas. In this case, semicolons help the reader distinguish between items in the list.

• Confusing: The colour combinations we can choose from are black, white, and grey, green, brown, and black, or red, green, and brown.
• Correct: The colour combinations we can choose from are black, white, and grey; green, brown, and black; or red, green, and brown.

Thanks to the semicolons in this sentence, the reader can easily distinguish between the three sets of colours.

1. Use a Colon to Introduce a List That Follows an Independent Clause

Use a colon to introduce a list of items only if that list follows an independent clause (i.e., complete sentence).

• Correct: The team will tour three provinces: Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
• Incorrect: The team will tour: Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
• Correct: I have to take four classes this semester: composition, statistics, ethics, and Italian.
• Incorrect: I have to take: composition, statistics, ethics, and Italian.

2. Use a Colon to Introduce a Quotation That Follows an Independent Clause

You can use a colon to introduce a quotation only if that quotation follows an independent clause (i.e., complete sentence).

• My mother loved this line from Hamlet: “To thine own self be true.”
• Mark Twain said it best: “When in doubt, tell the truth.”

3. Use a Colon to Introduce an Example or Explanation

Use a colon to introduce an example or to further explain an idea presented in the first part of a sentence only if that list follows an independent clause (i.e., complete sentence).

• There are drawbacks to modern technology: my brother’s cell phone died and he lost a lot of phone numbers.

Do not use a colon after phrases like such as or for example. Doing so creates a sentence fragment.

• Correct: Our company offers many publishing services: writing, editing, and reviewing.
• Incorrect: Our company offers many publishing services, such as: writing, editing, and reviewing.

4. Use a Colon in Formal Correspondence

Use a colon after the greeting in business letters and memos.

• Dear Hiring Manager:
• To: Human Resources
• From: Deanna Dean

1. Quotation Marks Indicate Direct Quotations

A direct quotation is an exact account of what someone said or wrote. To include a direct quotation in a sentence, enclose the words in quotation marks and place a comma after the introductory phrase.

• Direct quotation: Carly said, “I’m not ever going back there again.”

Quotation marks show readers another person’s exact words, so you will want to identify who is speaking. You can do this at the beginning, middle, or end of the quote. Notice the use of commas and the capitalized initial words.

• Beginning: Madison said, “Let’s stop at the farmers’ market to buy some fresh vegetables for dinner.”
• Middle: “Let’s stop at the farmers’ market,” Madison said, “to buy some fresh vegetables for dinner.”
• End: “Let’s stop at the farmers’ market to buy some fresh vegetables for dinner,” Madison said.
• Speaker not identified: “Let’s stop at the farmers’ market to buy some fresh vegetables for dinner.”

In dialogue, always capitalize the first letter of a quotation, even if it is not the beginning of the sentence. When using identifying words in the middle of the quote, the beginning of the second part of the quote does not need to be capitalized unless it is a second independent clause.

Use commas between identifying words and quotations. Quotation marks must be placed after commas and periods. Place quotation marks after question marks and exclamation points only if the question or exclamation is part of the quoted text.

• Question is part of quoted text: The new employee asked, “When is lunch?”
• Question is not part of quoted text: Did you hear her say you were “the next Picasso”?
• Exclamation is part of quoted text: My supervisor beamed, “Thanks for all of your hard work!”
• Exclamation is not part of quoted text: He said I “single-handedly saved the company thousands of dollars”!

An indirect quotation is a restatement of what someone said or wrote. An indirect quotation does not use the person’s exact words. Instead, the writer paraphrases. You do not need to use quotation marks for indirect quotations.

• Indirect quotation: Carly said that she would never go back.

2. Quotations Within Quotations

Use single quotation marks (‘ ’) to indicate a quotation within a quotation.

• Theresa said, “I wanted to take my dog to the festival, but the man at the gate said, ‘No dogs allowed.’”
• “When you say, ‘I can’t help it,’ what exactly does that mean?”
• “The instructions say, ‘Tighten the screws one at a time.’”

3. Quotation Marks Enclose Short Titles

Use quotation marks around titles of short works of writing, such as

• an essay
• a chapter of a book
• an article in a newspaper, magazine, or journal
• a poem or a short story in an anthology
• an episode of a TV show or radio program
• a song

Usually, titles of longer works, such as books, magazines, albums, newspapers, and novels, are italicized, not enclosed in quotation marks. The quotation marks indicate that a short text appears within a larger one.

• “Annabelle Lee” is one of my favourite poems. Did you know it was published in Sartain’s Union Magazine of Literature and Art?
• Did you read the Globe and Mail article “Drone Attacks Hit Moscow”?
• My favourite episode of Friends is “The One with the Jellyfish.”

4. Avoid Misused Quotation Marks

Don’t use quotation marks in these situations:

• • To identify a brand, a company, or a store (these are proper nouns that should be capitalized)
• • To point out slang
• • To enclose idioms or figures of speech
• • To excuse the use of clichés in formal writing
• • To justify or excuse inappropriate irony or humour in a formal essay
  • Incorrect: I like to shop for “Vans” shoes at “Winners.”
  • Incorrect: The participant in the study uses “weed” three times a week.
  • Incorrect: Some people don’t begin to recover until they “hit rock bottom.”

1. Apostrophes Indicate Possession

An apostrophe and the letter s indicate who or what owns something. To show possession with a singular noun, add ’s.

• The student’s exam fell to the floor.
• Jen’s dance routine mesmerized everyone in the room.
• Jen’s dog’s party tricks kept us entertained.
• The dog’s leash is hanging on the hook beside the door.
• Bev Jones’s dog barks all night.
• Jess’s sister is also coming to the party.

Notice that singular nouns that end in s still take the apostrophe s (’s) ending to show possession. To show possession with a plural noun that ends in -s or -es, simply add an apostrophe (’).

• The students’ exams all need to be marked by Friday.
• The drummers’ sticks all moved in unison, like a machine.
• The ladies’ room is down the hall to the left.
• The Joneses’ dog barks all night.

If the plural noun does not end in -s or -es, add an apostrophe and an s (’s).

• The people’s votes clearly showed that no one supported the management decision.
• The women’s retreat filled up the same day registration opened.
• The cattle’s trough is empty.

To indicate joint possession, use an apostrophe with the last subject only. In the example below, one car belongs to both Amal and Sharma:

• Amal and Sharma’s car broke down.

To indicate individual possession, use an apostrophe in all nouns. In the example below, Amal owns a car, and Sharma owns another car:

• Amal’s and Sharma’s cars both broke down the same day!

2. Apostrophes in Contractions

A contraction is a word that is formed by combining two words into one. In a contraction, an apostrophe shows where one or more letters have been left out. Contractions are commonly used in informal writing but not in formal writing.

• I don’t like ice cream.

The words do and not have been combined to form the contraction don’t. The apostrophe shows where the o in not has been left out.

• We’ll see you later.

The words we and will have been combined to form the contraction we’ll. The apostrophe shows where the w and i in will have been left out.

Here are some more commonly used contractions.

3. Its and It’s and Whose and Who’s

Be careful not to confuse it’s with its. It’s is a contraction of the words it and is. Its is a possessive pronoun.

• It’s cold and rainy outside. (It is cold and rainy outside.)
• The cat was chasing its tail. (The tail belongs to the cat.)

When in doubt, substitute the words it is in the sentence. If the sentence still makes sense, use the contraction it’s.

• It is cold and rainy outside.
• The cat was chasing it is tail.

Because the grammar in the second sentence doesn’t make sense, its is required. Likewise, don’t confuse the possessive pronoun whose with the contraction who’s (who is).

• Heather, who’s the chair of our condo board, is ill. (Heather is the chair.)
• Whose cat is that? (To whom does the cat belong?)

When in doubt, substitute the words who is in the sentence. If the sentence still makes sense, use the contraction who’s.

• Heather, who is the chair of our condo board, is ill.
• Who is cat is that?

Because the grammar in the second sentence doesn’t make sense, whose is required.

4. Avoid Misusing Apostrophes

Apostrophes are not required in the following circumstances:

1. A. Do not use an apostrophe to form the plural of a noun.
   • Incorrect: I met the lady’s for lunch.
   • Correct: I met the ladies for lunch.
2. B. Do not use an apostrophe in a plural noun that is not possessive.
   • Incorrect: I met the ladies’ for lunch.
   • Correct: I met the ladies for lunch.
3. C. Do not use an apostrophe to make a number or letter plural.
   • Incorrect: Did you hear Destiny got all A’s this term?
   • Correct: Did you hear Destiny got all As this term?
   • Incorrect: The 1920’s were known as the Jazz Age in America.
   • Correct: The 1920s were known as the Jazz Age in America.
   • Incorrect: I was healthiest in my 30’s.
   • Correct: I was healthiest in my 30s.

1. A Hyphen as Part of a Word

Many words contain hyphens, particularly those with certain prefixes, as well as numbers.

• self-reflection
• self-esteem
• ex-husband
• mother-in-law
• editor-in-chief
• vice-president
• know-it-all
• check-in
• word-of-mouth
• twenty-one
• three-quarters

If you are not sure whether a particular word contains a hyphen, look up the word in a dictionary.

2. A Hyphen Connects Two Modifiers That Work as One

Use a hyphen in compound modifiers, in which two or more words work together to form a single description of a noun.

• The fifty-five-year-old athlete was just as qualified for the marathon as his younger opponents.
• My doctor recommended against taking the habit-forming medication.
• My study group focused on preparing for the mid-year review.
• I just got my first full-time job!

A compound adjective is hyphenated only when it appears before the word it modifies.

• That is a well-organized essay!
• The essay is well organized.

An exception is compound modifiers that contain an -ly word. These modifiers are not hyphenated, even when they come before the noun.

• The nearly finished project was scrapped.
• His poorly defined goals were not achieved.

1. Square Brackets Indicate an Addition to a Quotation

Square brackets indicate a clarifying word has been added to a quotation by the student writer.

• Original sentence: Thomas King writes, “Maybe . . . you don’t think we deserve the things we have. . . . You don’t think we’ve earned them” (147).
• Altered sentence with a clarifying word added: Thomas King writes, “Maybe . . . you don’t think we [Indigenous people] deserve the things we have. . . . You don’t think we’ve earned them” (147).

Square brackets are also used to enclose the word sic, another type of addition to a quotation. Sic (Latin for thus, so) indicates that an error in the quotation is not your own: it appeared that way in the original text.

• A famous typo in a published work is from Karen Harper’s novel The Queen’s Governess: “I tugged on the gown and sleeves I’d discarded like a wonton [sic] last night to fall into John’s arms.”

For more on the nuances of square brackets to indicate additions to a quotation, refer to Chapter 21: How to Alter Quotations.

2. Square Brackets Indicate an Alteration to a Quotation

Square brackets indicate a section of a quotation changed by the student writer.

• Original quoted sentence: “The song never strains or falters” (18).
• Altered quotation: Michaels writes that “[t]he song never strains or falters” (18).

For more on the nuances of square brackets to indicate changes to a quotation, refer to Chapter 21: How to Alter Quotations.

1. A Slash Indicates a Line Break in Poetry

The slash is often used when quoting poetry. The slash represents a line break in a poem. For example, these are the first four lines of William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 138”:

• When my love swears that she is made of truth
• I do believe her though I know she lies.
• That she might think me some untutored youth,
• Unlearnèd in the world’s false subtleties.

When quoting the first two lines of the sonnet in an essay, a student would use a slash to indicate the line break:

• William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 138” begins with irony: “When my love swears that she is made of truth / I do believe her though I know she lies” (1–2).

Notice the spacing before and after the slash (one space on each side).

When quoting three or more lines of poetry, use block formatting, as described in Chapter 21: Long (Block) Quotations.

2. Paired Words

A slash is also sometimes used to connect two closely related paired words:

• producer/director
• editor/publisher

In the two examples above, the slash indicates that one person takes on two roles. Notice that there are no spaces before or after the slash.

The slash can also indicate an alternative between two paired words:

• pass/fail
• cause/effect
• and/or
• he/she
• sir/madam

Use slashes very sparingly in academic writing, and don’t use slashes as a shortcut to avoid making more careful, nuanced choices about gendered language.

1. Italicize for Emphasis

Use italics to emphasize certain words in a sentence.

• Did you hear Drake is not coming to Calgary now?

Use italics for emphasis sparingly in formal academic writing.

Titles of larger stand-alone texts should be italicized.

• Books: The Handmaid’s Tale, Romeo and Juliet, Moneyball
• Newspapers: the Globe and Mail, the Edmonton Journal, the Halifax Chronicle-Herald
• Magazines: Mclean’s, the Walrus, Canadian Geographic
• Scholarly Journals: Journal of Canadian Studies, Ecology and Society, Canadian Literature
• Works of Art: Mona Lisa, The Starry Night, The Last Supper
• Films: Titanic, Avatar, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Television shows and radio programs: Friends, Game of Thrones, Quirks and Quarks

When you are handwriting (during an exam, for instance), you can underline titles. When you are typing, always use italics, not underlining, for a title—and never use both.

The title of a short text that appears within a larger text should not be italicized; it should be enclosed in quotation marks instead. See the section Quotation Marks earlier in this chapter.

Documentation styles differ in their guidelines for italicizing the titles of websites and web pages. Refer to your style guide for more information.

2. Italicize a Word Referred to as a Word

Use italics to indicate a word, number, or letter referred to as a word:

• The word mother has many connotations. Mother can refer to not only a role but an identity.
• The vandal had spray-painted 420 on the gymnasium wall.
• In some Newfoundland dialects, the h is removed from the beginning of certain words.

3. Italicize Foreign Words

Italicize non-English words that have not become part of the English language:

• On Christmas Eve, Baba would serve delicious varenyky, kutia, and holubtsi.

Do not italicize foreign-language words that are now part of English vocabulary:

• dejá vu, per diem, bonafide, poutine, vice versa

If you’re not sure whether a foreign-language word should be italicized, check an English dictionary. If the word appears in the dictionary, it should not be italicized. If it does not appear in the dictionary, it should be italicized.

4. Italicize the Names of Certain Vehicles

Italicize the names of sea craft, aircraft, and spacecraft.

• RMS Titanic, Sputnik, the Hindenburg, Challenger

1. Capitalize the First Word of a Sentence

The first word of a sentence is always capitalized. Also, capitalize the first word of a sentence that appears as dialogue.

• The museum has a new butterfly exhibit.
• Cooking can be therapeutic.
• Johan said, “Tomorrow is a better time to play ball.”

2. Capitalize Proper Nouns

Proper nouns—the names of specific people, places, objects, streets, buildings, events, or titles of individuals—are always capitalized.

• He grew up in Riverdale, Edmonton, Alberta.
• The CN Tower really stands out in the Toronto skyline.

Do not capitalize nouns for people, places, things, streets, buildings, events, and titles when the noun is used in a general or common way. See the following chart for the difference between proper nouns and common nouns.

3. Capitalize Days of the Week, Months of the Year, and Holidays

• On Wednesday, July 1, I will be travelling to Calgary for a music festival.
• Canada Day is my favourite holiday.

4. Capitalize Titles

In titles, capitalize the first word and all nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns. Do not capitalize articles (the, a, an) or prepositions (in, on, with) unless one is the first word of the title or subtitle or unless required by a style guide or publisher, as is sometimes the case for certain prepositions.

• The play Billy Bishop Goes to War, by Eric Peterson and John Gray, is one of my favourites.
• Prime Minister Trudeau will be speaking at my university.

Common Spelling Rules

The best way to master new words is to understand the key spelling rules. Keep in mind, however, that some spelling rules have exceptions. A spell-checker may catch these exceptions, but knowing them yourself will prepare you to spell accurately on the first try. You may want to try memorizing each rule and its exceptions like you would memorize a rhyme or lyrics to a song. For example, you might remember this rhyme from elementary school:

• i before e
• except after c
• unless it sounds like an a
• as in neighbour or weigh

Correct spellings:

• i before e: achieve, alien, friend, field, niece
• except after c: receive, deceive, receipt
• sounds like an a: eight, weight

As always in the English language, there are many exceptions, which simply need to be memorized, including either, heir, height, leisure, their, and weird.

1. 1. When a word ends in a consonant plus y, drop the y and add an i before adding another ending.
   • happy + er = happier
   • cry + ed = cried
2. 2. When a word ends in a vowel plus y, keep the y and add the ending.
   • delay + ed = delayed

     Memorize the following exceptions to this rule: day, lay, say, pay = daily, laid, said, paid.

3. 3. When adding an ending that begins with a vowel, such as -able, -ence, -ing, or -ity, drop the last e in a word.
   • write + ing = writing
   • pure + ity = purity
4. 4. When adding an ending that begins with a consonant, such as -less, -ment, or -ly, keep the last e in a word.
   • hope + less = hopeless
   • advertise + ment = advertisement
5. 5. For many words ending in a consonant and an o, add -s when using the plural form.
   • photo + s = photos
   • soprano + s = sopranos
6. 6. Add -es to words that end in s, ch, sh, and x.
   • church + es = churches
   • fax + es = faxes

Commonly Misspelled Words

Below is a list of some commonly misspelled words. You probably use these words every day in either speech or writing. Refer to this list as needed before, while, and after you write.

• across
• address
• answer
• argument
• athlete
• beginning
• behaviour
• calendar
• career
• conscience
• crowded
• definite
• describe
• desperate
• different
• disappoint
• disapprove
• eighth
• embarrass
• environment
• exaggerate
• familiar
• finally
• government
• grammar
• height
• illegal
• immediate
• important
• integration
• intelligent
• interest
• interfere
• jewellery
• judgment
• knowledge
• maintain
• mathematics
• meant
• necessary
• nervous
• occasion
• opinion
• optimist
• particular
• perform
• personnel
• possess
• possible
• prefer
• prejudice
• privilege
• probably
• psychology
• pursue
• reference
• rhythm
• ridiculous
• separate
• speech
• similar
• since
• strength
• success
• surprise
• taught
• temperature
• thorough
• thought
• tired
• until
• weight
• written
• writing

Homonyms

Homonyms are words that sound like one another but have different spellings and different meanings.

The best thing to do after you proofread and run the spell-checker on an important email is to have an additional set of eyes go over it with you; one of your friends, colleagues, or instructors may be able to read the email and give you suggestions for improvement. Most colleges and universities have writing centres, which may also be able to assist you.

• • Punctuation marks provide visual cues to readers to tell them how to interpret a sentence.
• • Missing or incorrect punctuation marks may make writing harder to decipher.
• • By following punctuation rules, you will avoid creating sentence fragments and comma splices, which will improve your writing.
• • Some punctuation marks have special purposes in academic writing.
• • Capitalization and italicization convey meaning.
• • Missing or incorrect italicization and capitalization may make writing harder to decipher.
• • Learning and applying the basic rules of capitalization are fundamental aspects of good writing.
• • Identifying and correcting errors in capitalization are important writing skills.
• • Accurate, error-free spelling enhances your credibility with the reader.
• • Mastering the rules of spelling may help you become a better speller.
• • Studying a list of commonly misspelled words is one way to improve your spelling skills.
• • Knowing the commonly misused homonyms may help you prevent spelling errors.