Solid, Basic Writing Skills Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering core grammar rules, MLA formatting standards, and writing perspectives based on the lecture notes.

Subject/pronoun agreement

The rule stating that if the subject is singular, the pronoun following it must be singular, and if the subject is plural, the pronoun following it must be plural.

Contraction

The merging of two words to make one (e.g., do not = don't), which should generally be spelled out in formal writing for school or work.

Who vs. That

The guideline stating that 'who' should follow a subject if the subject is a person, whereas 'that' is typically used for animals.

Feel (Verb)

A verb appropriate for describing emotions or physical states, which should be replaced by 'think,' 'know,' or 'believe' when stating a position in formal writing.

MLA Number Rule

The rule suggesting that numbers beginning a sentence or numbers one-hundred or less be spelled out, with the 'ten and under' rule being acceptable as well.

Word Range

A specified minimum and maximum number of words (e.g., 650-750 words) that a student must maintain for an essay assignment.

Commas in a Series

The punctuation rule requiring a comma before a coordinating conjunction (such as 'and' or 'or') when listing items in a series.

MLA Four-line Heading

A standardized four-line heading required on MLA papers containing the student's name, the instructor's name, the course name, and the assignment due date.

MLA Page Numbers

A header in the top right corner of an MLA paper consisting of the student's last name followed by the page number without punctuation.

First Person

A writing perspective using the pronouns I, me, mine, my, we, and us, appropriate for personal essays but usually too simple for college writing.

Second Person

A writing perspective using the pronouns you and your, which should be avoided in formal college writing unless used in dialogue or direct quotations.

Third Person

A writing perspective using the pronouns he, him, she, her, it, they, and them, which is the expected standard for most college-level writing.