LITERACY IMPROVEMENT RESOURCE (2001)

The following spelling and grammar information was compiled from this class’ current written assignments (i.e., email assignment, exams, papers). Ryan and Michelle prepared a “hit list” of sorts to help you in your future writing.

 

Be sure when you get cozy and comfortable as you prepare to read, gather the following to have within arms reach:

ÿ        Highlighter pen: Be an active reader—yes the bookstores will typically buy back textbooks with writing in them.

ÿ        Pencil or pen

ÿ        Post-it notes (any brand of sticky tabs): For quick referencing

ÿ        Dictionary: A good one! This is a case where you get what you pay for.

 

Reminder:

Ryan is the go-to person for assistance in reading comprehension. He will happy to help you better understand what you are reading.

 

Kara is the go-to person for assistance in writing.

 

Michelle and Steph will also welcome your visits for additional help.

 

The Writing Center on campus is another great source for writing assistance.

 

Other tips: 

ÿ        Whether discussed in class or on your study guide, when the instructions say practice writing your response on a problem solving task, DO IT! And when you are informed that spelling counts, TAKE THIS INFORMATION SERIOUSLY! Everyone benefits from fine-tuning his or her English literacy skills throughout their life-time—you, your parents, your employers & co-workers, your professors, etc. Oh and if you say you can’t spell, well then you’re probably right because with an attitude like that you might as well step aside and allow those who are willing to try (and those who pick themselves up after falling) move on. Yes, this is reality stripped of all its sugar-coating.

 

ÿ        If your mind starts to wander try reading out loud.

 

ÿ        Read with a class buddy and then ask each questions about the reading. Keep the sections manageable—do not wait until the end of the chapter to quiz each other.

 

ÿ        Take breaks.

 

ÿ        Don’t read in bed—your bed needs to serve as a cue for sleepiness.

 

ÿ        Turn off the phone ringer and ignore knocking/doorbell

 

ÿ        Find a place in the library to call your pseudo home and read there when the noise levels are too distracting in your living area.

Spelling

Absence

Absorption

Accessible

Accommodate

Accumulate

Address

Aggressive

Airport

Analysis

Analyze

Annoyed

Apparent

Appreciate

Appropriate 

Assignment

Basically

Believable 

Carrying: I am carrying a heavy load this semester – 18 units.

Category

College

Conscience

Conscious

Convenient

Criminal

Criticism 

Decisions

Definitely

Description

Dilemma

Discrimination

Dissatisfied 

Divorce

Eating

Eligible

Embarrassment

Exceed

Excellent

Exercise

Existence 

Familiar

Fascinated

Flexible 

Gesture 

Harassment 

Illegible

Immigrant

Incidentally

Increased

Independent

Insistent 

Interest

Judgment 

Knowledge

Learning

Legitimate

Leisure

License

Loose

Lose 

Maintenance

Mathematics

Maybe

Mediocre

Minimum

Minutes

Mnemonic 

Necessary

Negotiable

Noticeable 

Occasionally

Occurrence 

Offense: I take offense to that. She plays offense. What offense did you commit?

Parallel

Pastor

Permanent

Perseverance

Persistent

Personalities/personality (Steph abbreviates personality as py)

Personnel

Persuade

Potentially

Precede

Predictable

Privilege

Probably

Procedure

Professional

Psychology, psychologist

Questionnaire 

Receive

Recollection

Recommend

Reinforcement

Repetition

Ridiculous

Schizophrenia 

Secretary

Seize

Separate

Since (since then)

Sophomore

Statistics

Succeed

Sure

Surprise 

Tangible

Technique 

Through: We’ve been through this before and I’m still not going to budge.

Thorough: It is important to be thorough when proofreading.

Typing

Unanimous

Until 

Useful

Vacuum

Variable

Vicious 

Common Grammatical Errors

Misused Words

 

ÿ        Affect and Effect

 

Affect – to influence   (verb)

Affect – mood (noun)

 

(Correct use of verb) We did not think that the new classroom environment would affect our learning capabilities.

(Correct use of noun) The little girl’s affect was flat. She showed no emotion after witnessing her father beat her brother.

 

Effect – a result (noun)

Effect – to bring about (verb)

 

(Correct use of verb) The policy makers wanted to effect change by developing a new advertisement campaign.

(Correct use of noun) The terrorist acts that occurred recently had a tremendous effect on our country.

 

ÿ        There, Their, They’re

There - indicates a place, Their – the possessive from of “them”, They’re - short for “they are”

 

ÿ        Lose vs. Loose

Lose- antonym for win.          Loose- description for jeans, teeth, screws. 

ÿ        To, Too, Two

Too – also or excessive,        To – a preposition meaning toward, Two– number 2

Examples: I ate too much pizza.

I too (also) ate too (excessive amounts of) much pizza.

I too have been to Mexico two times.

 

ÿ        Compliment and Complement

Compliment – to say something nice, Complement – to fit together

 

ÿ        Vary and very

Vary- differ Very- extreme 

 

ÿ        Where and wear and we’re

Were- to be (past tense) We’re- we are

Where- location Wear- clothes 

 

ÿ        Sight and Site and Cite

Sight- to see   Site- a place   Cite- to mention (sources) or summons (citation).  

 

ÿ        Choose vs. Chose

Choose- present tense. Chose- past tense 

ÿ        Right, Write, Rite, Wright

Right- direction and a degree of correctness

Write- to communicate through language (usually on paper,

Wright- the brothers who first flew an airplane (just to name a couple)

Rite- ceremonial act 

 

ÿ        Either-Or   Neither-Nor

The following linked pairs of words are often used incorrectly when we’re comparing things: either…or    neither…. nor

When we use one, we need to use the other.

 

Examples: 

We can study PSY 120 in either the first semester or the second semester.

She’s neither the best player on the team nor the worst.

 

 

Plural vs. Singular

 

Freshman (singular) Freshmen (plural)  [Note: nonsexist language would be First-year student.]

 

There are (not is) many. There is (not are) one.

 

Woman- singular        Women- plural  

 

Verbs

 

ÿ        Be sure not to mix present tense with past tense.

Example:

Correct:           I have lived in Greeley for the past three years.  

Incorrect:         I live in Greeley for the past three years.

 

Example: Tom passed Bryan on the freeway. Let’s put the past behind us. 

 

 Possession

Its – the possessive form       It’s – it is

Were- to be (past tense)        We’re- we are

 A versus An
”A” comes before consonants, and “An” comes before vowels.

EX: I drive a car. My brother is an astronaut. 

 

As a general rule “I”, “he”, “she”, “we”, “they” are subject pronouns

This means that they are placed before the verb in a sentence.

My friend and I are going to Australia with our coach. 

 

As a general rule “me”, “him”, “her”, “us”, “them” are object pronouns

This means they are placed after the verb in a sentence.

Our coach is going to Australia with my friend and me.