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a.m./p.m.
always lowercase with periods, avoid redundant 10 a.m. this morning
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abbreviations/acronyms
use if common person will recognize it, (Dr., Gov., Jr., Sr., A.D., B.C., certain months, No. 8)
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accept/except
accept means to receive, except means to exclude
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adresses
use Ave., Blvd., and St. with numbered adresses, spell them out if no number; lowercase when alone, spell out first through ninth when used as street names, numbers above that; abbreviate compass points in numered adress spell out if not
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admit/acknowlegde
admit implies doing wrong, use acknowlegde
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affect/effect
affestens to influence, effect means to cause
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afterward/toward/forward
not afterwards, towards, forwards
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ages
alays use figures; hyphen when expressed before a noun (5-year-old boy)
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all right
never alright, hyphen when used as a compound modifier
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alumnus, alumni, alumna, alumnae
alumnus (alumni)= man who attended school (plural
alumna (alumnae)= woman who attended school (plural)
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ammendments to the constitution
use First; 10th; plead the Fifth
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among/between
between for two items; among refers to three or more
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bad/badly
bad should not be used as an adverb, but may be used as an adjective
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because/since
use because to denote a specfic cause and effect relationship; since in a more casual sense
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capital/capitol
Capitol is always capitalized when referring to the building
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capitalization
capitalize proper nouns, proper names, popular names and the first word of a sentence
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cents
spell out the word cents for numeral less than one dollar (5 cents); use the $ sign and decimal system for larger amounts ($1.01)
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century
lowercase, spelling out numbers less than 10 (first century, 20th century)
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children/kids
call children 15 and younger by first name on second referece, unless seriousness calls for it
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collective nouns
nouns that denote a unit use singular verbs; team names and band names take plural verbs
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commas in a series
no oxford commas
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complement/compliment
complement is a noun and verb meaning completeness; compliment is praise
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compose/comprise
compose means to create or put together;comprise means to contain
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composition titles
quotes except for the Bible and catalogs of reference
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criterion/criteria
criterion is singular
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dates
always use figures without st, nd, rd, or th
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days of the week
capitalize, dont abbreviate unless in a table
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decades
use figures to indicate decades of history; use apostrophe for numerals left out; show plural by addin the letter s (the mid '30s)
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demolish/destroy
to do away with something completely; redundant to say totally destroyed
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dimensions
use figures and spell out worrd; hyphenate adjectival forms before nouns (the 5-foot-tall man)
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dollars
use figures and $ sign
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each other/ one another
- each other = two people
- one another = more than two people
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each/either
each takes a singular verb; either means one or the other, not both
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emigrate/immigrate
one who leaves emigrates; one who comes immigrates
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ensure/insure
ensure means to guarantee; insure for references to insurance
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hopefully
means in a hopeful manner; not used to mean it is hoped, let us hope, or we hope
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magazine titles
not in quotes
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months
only abbreviate Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.; spell out when using alone
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seasons
lowercase unless part of a formal name
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newspaper titles
not in quotes
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farther/further
farther refers to physical distance; further refers to extension of time or degree
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fewer/less
fewer refers to individuals; less refers to bulk or quantity
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flier/flyer
flier refers to a bill or handbill; flyer refers to a proper name for tains and busses
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gender neutral titles
firefighters, not firemen
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homicide/murder/manslaughter
slaying or killing; malicious, premeditated; without malice
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last/past
do not use last as a synonym for latest; use pasat when talking about previous
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lay/lie
- action word: lay (laid, laying)
- reclining horizontally: lie (lay, lain)
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like/as
like compares, as introduces clauses
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login/log in
always two words in verb form
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media/medium
medium is in singular form
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over/more than
over refers to spatial relationships; more than refers to numerals
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people/persons
person is an individual; people is plural
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percent
one word, written out, with numerals used for numbers
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pore/pour
pore is to gaze intently; pour is a continuos stream
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principal/principle
principal is a rank of authority; principle is found truth
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rebut/refute
rebut is to argue to the contrary; refute is to break down someone's argument
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semiannual/biennial
semiannual is twice a year; biennial is once every two years
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State Names
only 8 not abbrevited (Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah)
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stationary/stationery
ary is to stand still; ery is writing paper
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temperatures
use words to indicate below zero; use figures except for zero; temps fo up and down in numbers not get warmer and colder
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that/which
that is used with essential clauses, no comma; which is used in nonessential clauses, usually with a comma
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under way
always two words
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who/whom
who is the subject, whom is the object of the preposition
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