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Grammar Crammers 1-10. G. Herbst 2011. Dates. Always use Arabic figures (1, 2, 3… not I, II, III…) without st , nd , th , or rd . Spell out all months unless used with a date When used with a date, only abbreviate Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec.
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Grammar Crammers 1-10 G. Herbst 2011
Dates • Always use Arabic figures (1, 2, 3… not I, II, III…) without st, nd, th, or rd. • Spell out all months unless used with a date • When used with a date, only abbreviate Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec. • When months begin sentences they must be spelled out • Examples • The game took place on Oct. 23, 2011. • October 23, 2011 was the date of the game. • Classes began Sept. 6. • Homecoming takes place in October.
Numbers • One through ten are spelled out • 11 and above are written numerically • Unless the number begins a sentence • then spell out
Names • Always use first and last names upon first mention for anyone • For the second mention in the same story, only use the person’s last name • Example: Dr. Gary Woods is the new superintendant for BHUSD. Woods’s last job was in San Marino.
Titles • Confine capitalization to formal titles used directly before an individual’s name • Basic guidelines: • Lowercase and spell out titles when they are not used with an individual’s name • Ex: The president issued a statement. • Lowercase and spell out titles when set off from a name by commas • Ex: The vice president, Nelson Rockefeller, declined to run again. • Capitalize formal titles when they are used immediately before one or more names • Ex: Principal Carter Paysinger, Student Body President Joe Shmoe • Do not capitalize teacher or student
Classes and Sports Teams • Do not capitalize unless using a specific title or if class name is already a proper noun • Ex: English, social studies, Algebra II, algebra, chemistry, AP Chemistry, Spanish, US History, biology, AP European History, drama, Advanced Journalism • Names of sports teams are never capitalized • Only JV is capitalized • If using the gender in the name of the team, the apostrophe goes on the outside of the s • Ex: girls’ varsity basketball, football, track, boys’ JV soccer
Where at • Do not use at to end a sentence using where • Ex: • Incorrect: That was where he was at. • Correct: That was where he was. • Incorrect: Where is the party at? • Correct: Where is the party?
As/like • As • Conjunction • Correct word to introduce clauses • Ex: Jim blocks the linebacker as he should. • Like • Preposition • Use to compare nouns and pronouns; requires an object. • Ex: Jim blocks like a pro.
Double negatives: NO, NO! • I didn’t do nothing is a double negative. • didn’t is negative; nothing is negative • Each negative cancels out the other • This is Colloquial English • does not follow the rules of standard grammar
Because/Since • Because • Used to denote a specific cause-effect relationship • Ex: He went because he was told. • Since • Acceptable in a casual sense when the first event in a sequence led logically to the second but was not its direct cause • Ex: They went to the game, since they had been given the tickets.
Imply/Infer • Imply • Writers or speakers imply in the words they use • Infer • A listener or reader infers something from the words they hear or read
Semicolon • Used to indicate greater separation of thought and information than a comma can convey but less than a period implies. • It is generally best to avoid semicolons to link independent clauses and always opt for separate sentences.
Semicolons • To clarify a series: • use to separate elements of a series when items in the series are long or when individual segments contain material that must also be set off by commas. • Ex: He is survived by a son, John Smith, of Chicago; three daughters, Jane Smith, of Wichita, Kan., Mary Smith, of Denver, and Susan, of Boston; and a sister, Martha, of Omaha, Neb. (Note usage of semicolon before final and)
Semicolons • To link independent clauses: • Use when a coordinating conjunction such as and, but or for is not present • Ex: The package was due last week; it arrived today. • Attempt to avoid this usage by creating separate sentences. • If coordinating conjunction is present, use semicolon before it only if extensive punctuation is required in one or more of the individual clauses • Ex: They pulled their boats from the water, sandbagged the retaining walls, and boarded up the windows; but even with these precautions, the island was hard-hit by the hurricane.
Semicolons • Placement with quotes • Place semicolons outside quotation marks