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

Which of these sentences uses literally incorrectly?

I. I have literally no patience for people who don't wipe around the sink after they wash their hands.

II. Don't they realize that those water droplets contain literally millions of germs?

III. It literally makes me want to scream when I have to use the sink after a sloppy hand washer.

(A) I
(B) II
(C) III
(D) None of them.

You're super excited to turn in your first article for the school newspaper. However, you start to doubt your abilities when the advising teacher starts off your meeting by saying that one sentence throws off the tone of the entire article.

The sentence is, "By lunchtime, students are very hungry, and all the cafeteria has to offer them is oily chicken nuggets paired with pounds of coleslaw." How do you respond to the criticism?

(A) I see what you mean. Using "very" is colloquial and unprofessional. It will never happen again!
(B) You're so right. I should be more creative with my adjectives and replace "very hungry" with "ravenous."
(C) Using the word "very" is totally fine, and it correctly emphasizes how hungry students are.
(D) I'm confused. My grammar checks out, so do you have an issue with my facts? Clearly you've never had one of those "chicken nuggets."

Fill in the blanks:


I turn so _______ that my dance instructor says I'll never make it as a professional ballerina. But I don't feel _______ about it, because I'm an excellent knitter.


(A) bad, badly
(B) badly, bad
(C) bad, bad
(D) badly, badly

How would you correct this sentence?


Putting his huge backyard to good use, my friend Roberto rescued 2 3-legged dogs from an animal shelter in Pasadena to keep them from being put down.


(A) Omit the comma after "use"
(B) Change "2" to "two"
(C) Change "3" to "three"
(D) Either B or C

How would you correct this sentence?


I can assure you that our sausages are made only from premium quality offal. Our buyers hand-select it straight from the factory floor, insuring that only the best intestines make it into our casings.


(A) Change assure to insure
(B) Change assure to insure and insuring to ensuring
(C) Change insuring to assuring
(D) Change insuring to ensuring

Here are your results. Want to give it another go?
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