Style Sheet

Symbols for Correction

?	I don't follow.
??	Really? I'm surprised you would want to say this.
?!	Really?! You ought to know better.
agr	Subject-verb agreement or pronoun agreement lacking.
awk	Awkward sentence construction – may also be indicated by a wavy line under the words
__	Capitalize letter
cite	Citation needed for quote/paraphrase
case	Wrong pronoun case (who/whom, him/his, etc.).
○	Circled word – something is wrong here
comp	Faulty comparison.
cs	Comma splice.
dm	Dangling modifier.
dq	Dropped quotation.
frag	Sentence fragment.
HDYK	How do you know? You have made a statement for which you have provided no support.
lc	Letter should be lower case.
logic	Faulty logic.
mc	Mixed construction.
mm	Misplaced modifier.
PV	Passive voice
PC	Possessive case
red	Redundant.
run-on/ RO	Run-on sentence. You've run two sentences together without punctuation.
SAQ	A stand alone quote. You have introduced a quote into your text without any introduction.
SI	Split infinitive
sp	Spelling error (sometimes the word may be circled instead)
S/V	Subject-verb agreement
tense	Wrong choice of tense/tense inconsistent.
trite	Phrasing is overused and cliche
trans	transition needed here.
WC	Word choice
wdy	Wordy.
w w	Wrong word. This word doesn't mean what you think it does.
x	Something is wrong in the line that needs correction
/ /	Parallel construction faulty or non-existent.
¶	Begin a new paragraph here.
¶ unity	Paragraph doesn't have a single main idea.
Ö	Something good is happening!
______	Underscored words – something good
[ ]	Brackets - look at the margin for an explanation

Avoid the following words:

A lot

Really

Very

Stuff

Things

There is/are

"This" and "that" without a noun following

Avoid writing:

In conclusion…

What I mean is…

I am going to tell you…

This means that…

I think…

I feel…

Don’t start sentences with:

And

But

Well

Don’t end sentences with prepositions.

(at, by, in, of, off, on, to, up, etc.)

One person is not "they."

Numbers ten and under should be spelled out.

All papers should be word-processed. If word-processing is absolutely not an option, you must print in blue or black ink on every other line. Do not write on the back of the paper.

When typing, you must observe the following rules of the Modern Language Association Style Sheet:

Double-space your papers.

Do not provide extra space between the title and the body of the paper.

Do not skip extra spaces between paragraphs.

All words must be in the same font. Please use Arial, Courier, or Times New Roman in 12 pt. font.

Do not print papers in bold or italics or ALL CAPS.

Do not underline your title unless part of the title includes the name of a book or other item that requires underlining.

Title should be in same font and size as the rest of your paper. Do not use word art.

Title should be located on the first line available after the header (name, period, date).

Indent for paragraphs. Use the Tab key on the computer.