Mechanics of Writing

Who's It For?

Parents and educators can use these resources to motivate students and reinforce skills. Students can gain a better understanding of writing and grammar as well as boost their confidence and expand their skills with online practice.

Anyone who needs help learning or mastering the mechanics of writing will benefit from the lessons in this chapter. There is no faster or easier way to learn about the mechanics of writing. Among those who would benefit are:

• The Student who is preparing SAT, GMAT, GRE or any other test Writing
• Students who want to learn a broad topic in a short amount of time
• Students who are looking for easy ways to identify the most important information on the topic
• Students who have fallen behind in memorizing rules and practices associated with the mechanics of writing
• Students who prefer multiple ways of learning English (visual or auditory)
• Students who have missed class time and need to catch up
• Students who have limited time to study for an upcoming exam

Students Will Review

This chapter summarizes the material students need to know about the mechanics of writing for a standard English course. Topics of Mechanics of Writing covered include:

• Titles and headlines capitalization rules
• Protocols for comma usage in dates
• Grammar, rules, and importance of email etiquette
• Writing numbers guidelines
• Turning passive voice into active voice and strategies for writing in active voice
• Infinitive phrases and split infinitives
• Rules and usage for single quotation marks
• Gerund phrase identification
• English rules for plural nouns
• Rules for 's'-ending names
• Knowing when to use 'an' vs. 'a'
• Applications of 'i before e except after c'
• Differences and rules for whom vs. who