Italics • Italics are often used interchangeably with underlining. • Italicize titles of magazines, books, newspapers, academic journals, films, television shows, long poems, plays of three or more acts, operas, and musical albums. • Italics should be used for foreign words, a word or phrase to emphasize meaning, or when using a word to refer to that same word. Apostrophe An apostrophe is used to indicate possession. It is also used in a contraction of two words shortened to become one by omission of letters.
SUGGESTIONS FOR EFFECTIVE PROOFREADING
If it’s your own work, allow some time to pass before proofreading so you can observe with a fresh eye. Read it through once without marking any errors. Use a printout of the document instead of viewing it online. Using a different format can allow you to more easily see errors. Next, read it through looking for mechanical problems (spelling, punctuation, sentence fragments, run-on sentences, comma splices, subject/verb agreement, parallelism, pronoun reference agreement, etc.). Finally, read it through looking for stylistic concerns such as faulty logic, sentence variety, sentence flow, and well-developed ideas. Often, many mistakes can be found by reading the piece aloud. A comma splice, for example, becomes glaringly evident when spoken. If you are reading someone else’s work, do so with a critical eye and don’t be afraid of hurting the author’s feelings with your respectful criticisms. It will be more damaging to the author to submit a paper with unnecessary errors and receive a poor grade. One last thing…if you are impressed with anything you read, make sure to let the author know that.
WRITING ASSESSMENT TRAITS
All your writing in high school should exhibit each of these six traits. Ideas: The student writes using details, examples, and anecdotes to develop and enrich ideas. Organization: The student organizes writing to enhance the reader’s understanding and lead to an intended conclusion or insight. Voice: The student writes to involve the reader and to show ownership and commitment. Word Choice: The student writes using words that convey the desired message accurately and that hold the reader’s interest. Sentence Fluency: The student writes material that reads easily and exhibits a smooth transition between ideas. Conventions: The student writes using standard conventions for sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, spelling, and punctuation.
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