• Writing Tips From Ms. Bull
     
    Defintion of Paragraph -- a group of at least 3 to 5 sentences that are related in topic and joined together with a topic sentence.
    Definition of an Essay -- a group of at least 3 paragraphs offering a detailed explanation of topic
     
    Proofread all work to catch mistakes before turning it in to me.  Preferably have someone else proofread as well.
     
    Do not write the way you talk.  When writing, you have time to think about your grammar, vocabulary,  sentence structure, and organization.  Please do.
     
    Capitalize I when talking about yourself;capitalize the first letter of a new sentence; and capitalize proper nouns.
     
    Do not use the words "thing" and "stuff."  Be more specific.
     
    "A lot" is 2 words.
     
    Use apostrophes when writing a contraction or a possessive word.
     
    Put a comma where you pause in a sentence.
     
    Make sure you are using the correct form of your/you're, there/their/they're and to/too/two.
     
    Make sure your sentence is a complete thought and not a sentence fragment.
     
    Do not put a comma between two complete sentences.  That is called a comma splice, a form of a run-on sentence. 
    You must separate the sentences with a period or join them with a semi-colon.
     
    These are not words:
          anyways
          themself
          theirself, theirselves
          wich
          gonna
          alot
          hisself
     
    This is incorrect: George he wears blue shirts.
    This is correct:    George wears blue shirts.
     
    This is incorrect: George could of removed the handicaps.
    This is correct:    Geroge could have removed the handicaps. (You should also write should have and would have.)
     
    This is incorrect:  I liked the story cause it was interesting.
    This is correct:     I liked the story because it was interesting.
     
    This is incorrect:  Harrison is different than George.
    This is correct:     Harrison is different from George.
     
    Think about what you are writing and trying to say.  Make sure you chose the correct homophone.  See some problem words below.
    were, we're                                 to, too, two
    which, witch                               it's, its
    suppose to, supposed to          whole, hole
    except, accept
    then, than
    threw, through
    wear/were/where
    there/their/they're
     
    Use "a" before a word that begins with a consonant and use "an" before a word that begins with a vowel.
    Ex:  A monkey, an apple
     
    Put a "d" at the end of and -- Vicki and Rachel, not Vicki an Rachel
     
    It should be Mike and Kevin were, not Mike and Kevin was.
     
    It should be We had gone, not We had went
     
    Comma splice -- when a comma is put at the end of a sentence instead of a period.  It's a type of run-on sentence.
    Ex:  We went to the mall, the shops were closed.
     
    Sentence fragment -- when a period is put at a pause in a sentence instead of a comma.
    Ex:  My mom found out the whole story. After she talked to our neighbor.