Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation

Through: from one point to its end. Preposition: or because of.
If you can suffer through the trials and tribulations of college, you can control your own destiny.

Threw: the past tense of throw, which means to toss or to fling
She threw the Frisbee too high and it landed on the roof.

Cite: a quote, or mention.
A policeman will cite him for speeding if he doesn't slow down.

Sight: seeing or the ability to see.
We went to Niagara Falls. It was a beautiful sight.

Site: a location.
This is the site where the new school will be built.

Advise: to give information or notice to. To offer advice to, counsel.
The police officer advised the robber of his rights.
I will advise her of your decision.

Advice: a proposal for an appropriate course of action
She sought the advice of her school councilor.

Consul: a diplomat who represents commercial interests
Who is the US Consul in England?

Council: a group of people who deliberate issues
The city council will discuss that issue during their next meeting.

Counsel: to give advice
I am going to seek counsel from my attorney.

To: a preposition, which begins a prepositional phrase.
We went to Neopets.com to play games.

Too: an adverb meaning "excessively" or "also".
She really likes chocolate ice cream too.

Two: a number. It comes directly after one and right before three.
He sold two Kiko Morphing Potions yesterday.

Affect: to have an influence on.
The affect of the paint was instant, and the whole house looked better.

The affect of the healing potion on your pet is a gain of 10 health points.

Effect: the result. Effect can also mean to create.
The movie was filled with lots of special effects.

I joined student council in hopes to effect a change.

Their: a possessive pronoun. It shows ownership.
We were amazed when they showed us their collection of Baby Paintbrushes.

There: an adverb meaning "that location".
I went there to see for myself what all the commotion was.

They're: a contraction of "they are".
They're going to be the first people to see the release of the new movie.

Whether: signifies a possibility or choice.
I don't know whether or not to go to stuff my sister in the closet.

I don’t know whether to buy the Island Paint Brush or just bank my Neopoints for now.

Weather: a noun, describes atmospheric conditions such as temperature, rain, wind, etc.
The weather in the desert is warm and dry.

Lose: misplace, or involuntarily relinquish
Did you lose your Neopet password?

Loose: not restrained
The dog is loose.

Personal: particular person, or private
You have some personal messages in your mailbox.

Personnel: group of people associated with an organization
All company personnel must attend a safety briefing.

Then: refers to a time in the future or a result.
I'll play Meerca Chase then.

Than: is to make a comparison.
I would rather have a pet chicken than a little brother.

We're: a conjunction meaning "we are".
We're going to watch our moderator do the Chicken Dance.

Where: an adverb meaning "at" or " in what place".
Where can we go to find answers to the Faerie Crossword Puzzle?

Wear: to have on your person.
If I could, I would wear my favorite jeans every day.

Were: the past tense of the verb "to be".
We were going to go to a basketball game, but we decided to go to the school play instead.

A lot: means "many".     
She gave us a lot of Neopoints in exchange for our help.

Allot: means, "to distribute between or among".
I was allotted three pieces of paper to use.

Alot: not a word.
No example

Towards: it is not recommended to use this out-of-date word unless you're writing a poem in Olde English.

Toward: This is the 21^{st Century word.}

^{Farther: physical distance.
Nick kicked the football farther than any of his teammates.}

^{Further: extension of time or degree.
The private investigator will look further into the rapper's death.}

^{Fewer: a number of individual items.
Lisa made fewer free throws than Cindy.}

^{Less: bulk, amount, sum, or period of time.
Because of her injury, she had less time to complete her homework than the others.}

^{Ability: The quality of being able to do something, especially the physical, mental, financial, or legal power to accomplish something. A natural or acquired skill or talent.}

^{You have the ability to play a musical instrument.
She demonstrated her ability to work mathematical problems.}

^{Capability: is the general power or ability of a machine or organization to do something or be used to do something.
The airplane had the capability to make fast landings.}

^{Capacity: the amounts that something can get, hold, contain, produce carry or absorb. Figuratively, it describes a person's physical or mental power to learn something. It also refers to a person's job, position or duty, though those words are simpler and clearer.}

^{This trunk is filled to capacity.
Elastics have the capacity to stretch.}

Hey. You over there. If you're the first person to PM the word cobrall and your Neopets username to Georgie, you could win a super duper prize!

^{Remember: IE spelling is more common than EI:}

^{The i usually precedes e unless it follows a c that carries an "s" sound (i.e., niece, receive)
Use i before e except after c unless sounding like 'a' sound.. (i.e. neighbor and weigh.)}

<sup>Use i before e after c if it carries an "sh" sound (i.e., deficient).

Use ie not ei on long "e" syllables not preceded by a c (i.e., field, relieve, achieve)

Use e before i after c followed by a long "e" sound (i.e., ceiling, receipt).

Use e before i with words with long "ain" sound (i.e., feign, reign)

Five exceptions: caffeine, leisure, protein, seize, weird</sup>

^{The first word of every sentence.}

^{The first-person singular pronoun, I.}

^{The first word of a quotation, except if quoted text is less than a complete sentence.}

^{(He said it was "wonderful.")}

^{First and last names. (Mr. John Adams)}

^{Military and civilian titles and Academic degrees. (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Doctor Zhivago, General MacArthur, Prime Minister Tony Blair, John Smith, Ph.D.)}

^{Proper nouns such as countries (Greece), cities (London), continents (Europe), streets (Main St.), names (Julia, Mom, Mr. Huffinfluff), institutions (Central Middle School), states (Texas), provinces (Ontario) counties (Hazzard), organizations (Red Cross) religions (Buddhism).}

^{Compass directions only when they are parts of names. (North Korea, South Dakota, Northwest Territories)}

^{Names of races and nationalities. (Caucasian, Japanese)}

^{The names of wars, battles, historical events, historical periods, prizes, treaties, and famous documents. (World War II, the Jurassic Period, the French Revolution, Nobel Peace Prize, Magna Carta, The Declaration of Independence)}

^{The first word and all important words in the names of books, plays, newspapers, journals, and magazines. Do not capitalize unimportant words such as articles, prepositions, and conjunctions. Note: If an unimportant word has five or more letters, you should capitalize it. (The New York Times, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Cirque du Soleil, Catcher in the Rye, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)}

When naming items on Neopets they should be capitalized accordingly. i.e.
"Blue Aisha Plushie" instead of "blue Aisha plushie"

^{Used for:
-ending a statement.
-an abbreviation. (Mister) Mr. or (United States of America) U.S.A.
Not Used for:
-creating the idea of a space or pause such as:
"We need to.........you know...figure something out.........."}

^{Used:
-before a conjunction such as for, and, nor, but, or, yet, or so. When it comes between two independent thoughts.}

^{Correct: We went to the store, and she drove us back home.
Incorrect: She asked us to find her a hammer, and get out the box of nails.}

^{-after an introductory clause, phrase, or word.}

^{Correct: Strangely, no one has suggested the most obvious answer.
In addition to feeling better, she also looked better after exercising.
Incorrect: Since we have gotten more members, things have been busier and better.} 

^{Used: When each item in a series includes commas, a semicolon is used to separate the items.}

^{Correct: The soccer players were delighted that the owners approved the new contract, the one with the pay increase; accepted changes to the benefits package, changes that included travel allowances; and allowed players to play non-profit games.}

^{Incorrect: She purchased from the Neopet shop a Blue Aisha Plushie; a Green Kiko Plushie and two birthday cards.}

^{Used: may be used to separate closely related independent clauses that are not connected by conjunctions.}

^{Correct: The sun shone all day; it was a welcome sight.}

^{Incorrect: Angela was distressed over having to write a term paper; so she asked for extra help.}

^{Used: Hence, however, indeed, moreover, still, therefore, thus are conjunctive adverbs. They belong to the second sentence and are not coordinating conjunctions. When used after a semicolon, commas follow them.}

^{Correct: Karen found it difficult to take advice; however, Andy found it easy to give.}

^{Incorrect: Karen found it difficult to take advice, however; Andy found it easy to give.}

^{Used: used to introduce a complete sentence, the first word of that sentence should be capitalized.}

^{Correct: The announcement caught Neopians by surprise: Today’s Sticks N Stones concert is cancelled.}

^{Incorrect: The editorial caused some excitement, Neopians missed the Sticks N Stones concert.}

^{Used: when the colon is used to introduce a word, phrase or clause that is not a complete sentence, the first word following the colon should not be capitalized.}

^{Correct: David knew exactly what to do if he caught on fire: Stop, drop and roll.}

^{Incorrect: David knew exactly what to do if he caught on fire, stop, drop and roll.}

^{Used: introduce a two-sentence (or longer) quotation. Using a comma instead of a colon is incorrect.}

^{Correct: JFK said: "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country. "}

^{Used: to introduce a list of items.}

^{Correct: When choosing a computer, consider these three factors: speed, memory and cost.}

^{Incorrect: When choosing a computer: consider these three factors, speed, memory and cost.}

^{Used: If a short list is introduced without the use of "the following" leave out the colon.}

^{Correct: The polls selected the Mutant Kacheek, the Red Kiko and the Blue Moehog as the winners.}

^{Used: to notify the reader of a surprising element at the end of a sentence.}

^{Correct: The Ixi gave her friend a coat made of fur - stripped fur.}

^{Used: to announce a list, restatement or amplification. Mainly used in writing stories, news reports for emphasis.}

^{Correct: The Maraquan Restaurant waiter's first recommendation - A Sea Bass baked in a Hazelnut Crust - was sold out.}

^{Incorrect: The diner’s selection, a baked sea bass, was sold out.}

^{Used: Do not use a dash for a simple appositive that doesn't require a dramatic shift.}

^{Correct: Her first car, a Dodge Dart, is still running.}

^{Used: to form compound modifiers aka compound adjectives}

^{Compound Modifiers: (def.) Two or more words are acting as a single modifier for a noun.}

^{The Clue: They belong together. They are not part of a series that can separately describe the noun.}

^{Correct: I think Doug is a well-intentioned forum member.}

^{Incorrect: Dan is a helpful - supportive volunteer.}

^{The Rule: If you can put "and" between the modifiers and it makes sense, it is not a compound modifier.}

^{Correct: Dan is a helpful and supportive volunteer.}

^{Exceptions: If the modifier includes "very" or a "-ly" adverb, these words alone indicate that they are part of a compound modifier, so a hyphen is not needed.}

^{Correct: Most people think they have a well-developed sense of style.}

^{Steve has a highly developed sense of style.}

^{Incorrect: The government made sure it was a quickly-forgotten incident.}

^{Watch out for: Most compound modifiers are hyphenated when they follow the linking verb "to be."}

^{Correct: In 1975, he was board-certified in electronics.}

^{Incorrect: I think his proposal is short-sighted.}

^{Used: to connect numbers or letters used as prefixes to a noun.}

^{Correct: The 18-year-old girl was carded at the gate.}

^{Incorrect: The eighteen-years of corruption came to a head last week.}

^{Used: to connect any prefix to a capitalized noun.}

^{Correct: The ex-Soviet scientist was a runner up for the Nobel Peace Prize awarded last week.}

^{Incorrect: The laser-alignment was not set and missed the Petpet completely.}

^{Note: Be careful to distinguish between a compound modifier and the same words not used as a modifier.}

^{Correct: His too-small effort couldn't save the game.}

^{Incorrect: The coat he gave his mother was too-small.}

^{Used: Set off explanatory expressions with commas. In this example, attribution ("the coach said") is inserted between the dependent clause ("If we...") and the independent clause, ("we will")}

^{Correct: "If we win this game," the coach said, "we will be at the top of the finals."}

^{Incorrect: "If we win this game, the coach said, we will be at the top of the finals."}

^{Used: Correctly place periods and commas within quotation marks.}

^{Correct: "I don't like cabbage," said Dinah’s pet.}

^{Incorrect: Dinah’s pet said, "I don't like cabbage".}

^{Used: Place a question mark inside quotation marks if the quotation is a question. If the quoted material is not a question, put the question mark outside the quotation marks.}

^{Correct: He asked, "Do you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?"}

^{How can you support somebody who is said to be "on the wrong side of every issue"?}

^{Incorrect: She asked, "What did you do with the jelly doughnut"?}

^{Used: Semicolons are placed outside quotation marks.}

^{Correct: The basketball coach introduced his starting lineup as follows: "Daffy Duck, a great defender"; "Pluto, an awesome scorer"; and "Goofy, a ferocious forward. "}

^{Used: A colon goes outside the quotation marks unless it is part of the quotation itself.}

^{Correct: The teenager said, "I have but one hobby: playing Neopets."}

^{The teenager called his best friend "every bad name in the book": Twit, dim-witted and nose-wipe were some of the most common.}

^{Note: The quotation inside the quote marks begins with a capital letter if it is a complete sentence, but not otherwise. Look once more at two versions of the Edison sentence:}

^{Correct: According to Thomas Edison, "Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration."}

^{Thomas Edison declared that genius was "one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration".}

^{Finally: Use quotation marks for titles of books, lectures, movies, operas, plays, poems, songs, speeches, television shows and works of art. Do not use these marks for names of magazines, newspapers, references books or the bible.}

^{Word Choice: The words we choose should communicate just what we mean to communicate--nothing more; nothing less.}

^{Up: avoid unless absolutely necessary. Use alternative words.}

^{Correct: Bob appointed his uncle to head the committee.}

^{His incessant questions only served to slow the meeting.}

^{Incorrect: Bob appointed his uncle to head up the committee.}

^{His incessant questions only served to slow up the meeting.}

^{Avoid those verbs requiring "up" to complete their meaning. These verbs are not wrong; but they are weak.}

^{Strong: She suspected the student was fabricating the excuse.}

^{Business has improved since the street opened.}

^{Weak: She suspected the student was making up the excuse.}

^{Business has been picking up since the street opened.}

^{"Verb'izing' Nouns" Adding the suffix "-ize" to any noun is usually unnecessary, and it often serves to confuse the reader.}

^{Note: some "-ize" words are useful and provide a particular meaning.}

^{Before tacking "-ize" onto a noun, subject it to these three tests.}

^{Correct: A recommended safety practice is to pasteurize milk by bringing to a boil.}

^{Incorrect: I had never viewed a chocolatized page before.}