GRAMMAR BOOT CAMP

Tips For Avoiding

Unacceptable Errors and
Mistakes that Make You Look Foolish
 The Worst Mistake
is Carelessness

Everyone needs an editor—even the professionals.

When You Should Know
Better, It Hurts More!

“A [smart person] is
someone whose
mind watches itself.”
-Thomas Macaulay
 Mr. restaino’s List of
Unacceptable Errors
• The following spelling, grammar, and
usage mistakes will simply no longer be
tolerated.
• If they show up on any written work in
this class, you may well lose points.
 Unacceptable Error 1
• Using text-messaging shorthand.
 Your work for English class should not require a
secret code book. You are trying to clearly
communicate ideas.
 If you use text messaging lingo, you are not
putting the required effort into the work for this
class.
 No “U” for “you,” no “2” for “to,” and if you were
“rolling on the floor laughing,” then say so.
Unacceptable Error 2

• Failure to begin a sentence with a capital

letter and/or end it with an end mark
(period, question mark, exclamation
point).
 Unacceptable Error 3

• Using “gonna”. No one is “gonna”

do anything. You are “going to”.
• For example, if you persist in using “gonna,”
you are going to lose points on the
assignment.
 Unacceptable Error 4

• Using “alot” as one word. (There is

a word “allot,” but that means “to
give” and is not the same as the two-
word phrase meaning “many”.)
• Alternatives to consider include very much,
exceedingly, or many.
Unacceptable Error 5

•Using “cause” or “cuz” when

you mean “because”
•Only slightly more acceptable would be ‘cause—
but only in poetry or dialogue.
Unacceptable Error 6
• Using apostrophes when they are not
called for (or forgetting them when they
are)
• You do not need to use an apostrophe every time you add
an “s” to a word. Plurals DO NOT require an apostrophe.
• The ONLY TWO uses for apostrophes are:
1. To show possession/ownership, as in “It’s
Mikey’s book.”
2. In contractions to indicate missing letters,
as in “don’t,” “can’t,” etc.
Unacceptable Error 7
• Using “could of” when you mean “could’ve” or
“could have”.
• It is understandable why this mistake is made:
The contraction “could’ve” SOUNDS like “could
of”.
• But the phrase “could of” is nonsensical and
should be avoided.
• Oh, and the same goes for “would of” or
“should of”. They are “would’ve” or “should’ve”
 Unacceptable Error 8
• Failure to capitalize proper nouns.
• Proper nouns name specific, often one-of-a-kind
nouns. No matter where they appear in a sentence,
they should be capitalized.
• For example, a common noun is “dog”. A proper
noun is “Spike”.
• Proper nouns include names of specific people (Bob
Marley), specific places (Alaska, Elgin High School,
Chili’s), and specific things (the Declaration of
Independence).
Unacceptable Error 9
• Confusing “don’t” with “doesn’t”

• You should not write things like: He don’t

care about me anymore.
• The contraction “don’t” is a short version of
“do not”.
• The proper contraction is doesn’t, as in
“does not”.
Unacceptable Error 10
• Mixing up these common
homophones and “near” homophones:
•there/their/they’re •lose/loose
•its/it’s •sight/site
•whose/who’s •through/threw
•your/you’re •weather/whether
•accept/except
•then/than
PRACTICE: Spot the errors

• Unnecessary
apostrophes
are bad
enough, but
this sign is not
even
consistently
wrong!
 PRACTICE: Spot the errors

• Homophones: Make sure you’re using the right one

GORILLA

GUERRILLA

or
 PRACTICE: Spot the errors

there = a place
their = ownership
they’re = they are Also, did you notice the
unnecessary apostrophe?
PRACTICE: Spot the errors

your = ownership

you’re = you are

 APOSTROPHE Review
REMEMBER:
• Use to show a letter is missing…
o
isn’t = isn t = is not

• Use to show ownership

Girl’s wagon
OWNERSHIP OR CONTRACTION?
Is there a letter
left out?

Does the burger

belong to the
pie?

Does this sign

really need an
apostrophe?
More Fun . . .
• Sometimes
you get a
lesson in
grammar and
irony at once!
 Who is to blame here?
The tattoo artist or the client?
 ABOVE ALL ELSE:
TAKE CARE WITH YOUR WRITTEN WORK

You may be able to

avoid a real tradgey.
 At ease!
Brought to you by
the Grammar Police