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

1/5

Fill in the blank:


Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin went ________________ than anyone had ever gone before.


(A) further
(B) farther
(C) more high
(D) Both A and B

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 blank:


I'm so glad that I decided to go out with Max even though his 1984 El Camino's almost never running. He _________ me.


(A) compliments
(B) complements
(C) Neither A nor B
(D) Both A and B

In which of the following options should the word effect be inserted into the blank?

(A) Joan was in such high spirits after knitting club that even her teenage daughter's moody _____ could not bring her down.
(B) Don't let those puppy-dog eyes _____ you. Remember the fate of her first BMW?
(C) If the player didn't let the referees calls _____ her so greatly then maybe she wouldn't get thrown out of every single game.
(D) That caffeine had the desired ______. I feel like I could stay up studying for days!

Choose the grammatically incorrect sentence.

(A) His favorite day of the week is Sunday because that is when his dad brings home a dozen chocolate sprinkle donuts.
(B) Jane and Jared will only consider getting married in January, June, and July, for obvious reasons.
(C) Everyone knows that Autumn is your favorite time of year because of your obsession with everything pumpkin spice-flavored.
(D) She's been anxiously waiting for Halloween to arrive because apparently she has the greatest evil clown costume ever contrived.

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