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Home Better writing Spelling Common misspellings
Common misspellings
Heres a quick-reference guide to the top misspellings according to theOxford English Corpus an electronic collection of over 2 billion words of real English that helps us to see how people are using the language and also shows us the mistakes that are most often made. The table gives the correct spelling of the word, handy tips on getting it right, and also the most common misspellings that weve found in our research, so you can check to see if any of the same mistakes have been tripping you up. Correct spelling accommodate, accommodation achieve across aggressive, aggression apparently appearance argument assassination basically beginning believe bizarre business calendar Caribbean Spelling advice two cs, two ms i before e one c two gs -ent not -ant ends with -ance no e after the u two double ss ends with -ally double n before the -ing i before e one z, double -r begins with busi-ar not -er one r, two bs Common misspelling accomodate, accomodation acheive accross agressive, agression apparantly appearence arguement assasination basicly begining beleive, belive bizzare buisness calender Carribean
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cemetery chauffeur colleague coming committee completely conscious curiosity defnitely dilemma disappear disappoint ecstasy embarrass environment existence Fahrenheit familiar fnally fuorescent foreign foreseeable forty forward friend further gist glamorous government guard happened harass, harassment honorary humorous idiosyncrasy immediately incidentally independent interrupt irresistible knowledge liaise, liaison lollipop
ends with -ery ends with -eur -ea- in the middle one m double m, double t, double e ends with -ely -sc- in the middle -os- in the middle -ite- not ate-mm- not -mnone s, two ps one s, two ps ends with sy two rs, two ss n before the m ends with -ence begins with Fahrends with -iar two ls begins with fuore before i begins with forebegins with forbegins with fori before e begins with furbegins with g-mor- in the middle n before the m begins with guaends with -ened one r, two ss -nor- in the middle -mor- in the middle ends with -asy ends with -ely ends with -ally ends with -ent two rs ends with -ible remember the d remember the second i: liaisi in the middle
cemetary chauffer collegue comming commitee completly concious curiousity defnately dilemna dissapear dissapoint ecstacy embarass enviroment existance Farenheit familar fnaly forescent foriegn forseeable fourty foward freind futher jist glamourous goverment gaurd happend harrass, harrassment honourary humourous idiosyncracy immediatly incidently independant interupt irresistable knowlege liase, liason lollypop
millennium, millennia Neanderthal necessary noticeable occasion occurred, occurring occurrence pavilion persistent pharaoh piece politician Portuguese possession preferred, preferring propaganda publicly really receive referred, referring religious remember resistance sense separate siege successful supersede surprise tattoo tendency therefore threshold tomorrow tongue truly unforeseen unfortunately until weird wherever
double l, double n ends with -thal one c, two ss remember the middle e two cs, one s two cs, two rs two cs, two rs, -ence not -ance one l ends with -ent ends with -aoh i before e ends with -cian ends with guese two ss in the middle and two at the end two rs begins with propaends with cly two ls e before i two rs ends with -gious -mem- in the middle ends with -ance ends with -se -par- in the middle i before e two cs, two ss ends with -sede begins with surtwo ts, two os ends with -ency ends with -fore one h in the middle one m, two rs begins with ton-, ends with gue no e remember the e after the r ends with -ely one l at the end e before i one e in the middle
millenium, millenia Neandertal neccessary noticable ocassion, occassion occured, occuring occurance, occurence pavillion persistant pharoah peice politican Portugese posession prefered, prefering propoganda publically realy recieve refered, refering religous rember, remeber resistence sence seperate seige succesful supercede suprise tatoo tendancy therefor threshhold tommorow, tommorrow tounge truely unforseen unfortunatly untill wierd whereever
which
begins with wh-
wich
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Commonly confused words - Oxford Dictionaries Online

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Home Better writing Improve your English Commonly confused words
Commonly confused words

Take a look at these two sentences one of them contains a mistake: I poured over book after book. We pored over the catalogues. Are you uncertain which one is right? There are a lot of words in English that look or sound alike but have very different meanings, such as pore and pour or faunt and fout. Its easy to get them confused and most electronic spellcheckers wont be much help in this type of situation: they can tell you if a word has been spelled wrongly but they cant generally fag up the misuse of a correctly spelled word. Heres a quick-reference list of pairs of words that regularly cause people problems. The words follow the accepted British English spelling. Some of them do have alternative American spellings and you will fnd these at the main dictionary entry on this website. Word 1 accept adverse advice affect aisle all together along Meaning to agree to receive or do unfavourable, harmful recommendations about what to do to change or make a difference to a passage between rows of seats all in one place, all at once moving or extending Word 2 except averse advise effect isle altogether a long Meaning not including strongly disliking; opposed to recommend something a result; to bring about a result an island completely; on the whole referring to something
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aloud altar amoral appraise assent aural balmy bare bated
horizontally on out loud a sacred table in a church not concerned with right or wrong to assess agreement, approval relating to the ears or hearing pleasantly warm naked; to uncover in phrase 'with bated breath', i.e. in great suspense a Middle Eastern market a bunk in a ship, train, etc. having started life a branch of a tree a device for stopping a vehicle; to stop a vehicle to break through, or break a rule; a gap to raise a subject for discussion a type of strong cloth to criticize strongly
allowed alter immoral apprise ascent oral barmy bear baited
of great length permitted to change not following accepted moral standards to inform someone the action of rising or climbing up relating to the mouth; spoken foolish, crazy to carry; to put up with with bait attached or inserted strange the emergence of a baby from the womb carried to bend the head; the front of a ship to separate into pieces; a pause the back part of a gun barrel a piece of jewellery to seek peoples votes to ban parts of a book or flm; a person who does this happening in a series
bazaar berth born bough brake
bizarre birth borne bow break
breach broach canvas censure
breech brooch canvass censor
cereal
chord climactic coarse complacent complement
a grass producing an edible grain; a breakfast food made from grains a group of musical notes forming a climax rough smug and self-satisfed to add to so as to improve; an addition that improves something a group of people who manage or advise a signal for action; a
serial
cord climatic course complaisant compliment
a length of string; a cord-like body part relating to climate a direction; a school subject; part of a meal willing to please to praise or express approval; an admiring remark advice; to advise a line of people or
council cue
counsel queue
curb
currant
wooden rod to keep something in check; a control or limit a dried grape
kerb
current
defuse desert
discreet disinterested draught draw dual elicit ensure
to make a situation less tense a waterless, empty area; to abandon someone careful not to attract attention impartial a current of air an even score at the end of a game having two parts to draw out a reply or reaction to make certain that something will happen
diffuse dessert
vehicles (in British English) the stone edge of a pavement happening now; a fow of water, air, or electricity to spread over a wide area the sweet course of a meal separate and distinct not interested a frst version of a piece of writing a sliding storage compartment a fght or contest between two people not allowed by law or rules to provide compensation if a person dies or property is damaged a paper container for a letter to drive out an evil spirit a mythical being, part man, part goat to disregard a rule to fail
discrete uninterested draft drawer duel illicit insure
envelop exercise fawn faunt founder
to cover or surround physical activity; to do physical activity a young deer; light brown to display ostentatiously to move clumsily; to have diffculty doing something to refrain an introduction to a book to turn to ice gruesome, revolting a store to suggest indirectly reluctant, unwilling to unfasten; to set free a measuring device
envelope exorcise faun fout founder
forbear foreword freeze grisly hoard imply loath loose meter

forebear forward frieze grizzly horde infer loathe lose metre
an ancestor onwards, ahead a decoration along a wall a type of bear a large crowd of people to draw a conclusion to hate to be deprived of; to be unable to fnd a metric unit; rhythm in verse
militate palate pedal pole pour practice
to be a powerful factor against the roof of the mouth a foot-operated lever a long, slender piece of wood to fow or cause to fow the use of an idea or method; the work or business of a doctor, dentist, etc. to authorize use of medicine; to order authoritatively most important; the head of a school a person inclined to doubt the ability to see not moving a level of a building to arouse interest full of twists; complex a ring-shaped arrangement of fowers etc.
mitigate palette peddle poll pore practise
to make less severe a board for mixing colours to sell goods voting in an election a tiny opening; to study something closely to do something repeatedly to gain skill; to do something regularly to offcially forbid something a fundamental rule or belief infected with bacteria a location writing materials a tale or account to make more attractive full of pain or suffering to surround or encircle
prescribe
proscribe
principal sceptic sight stationary storey titillate tortuous wreath
principle septic site stationery story titivate torturous wreathe
See also Like Themselves or themself?
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5 High View Newborough NB1 3RS 22 August 2007 Mr R T Black Customer Services Department Sunny Holidays PO Box 4 Brampton BR4 3JH
Dear Mr Black Holiday Reference Number: CT2118M Following our telephone conversation earlier today, I am writing to give details of my dissatisfaction with my holiday at the New Hotel, Los Christianos, Tenerife (10 to 18 August 2005) that I booked with your company for myself and my family. My central complaint is that the hotel fell far short of the description in the brochure. We had booked two double en-suite rooms (numbers 213 and 214); although said to be four-star accommodation, the bedrooms were very cramped and the furnishings worn and dirty. In addition to this, the toilet was blocked in room 214 and the shower wasnt working in room 213. The hotels grounds, described in the brochure as pleasant, tranquil, and spacious were in fact bordered on two sides by a very busy main road, while the swimming pool was closed the entire week for repairs. When we spoke to your representative (Tracey Mills), she promised to try to get the shower and toilet fixed but this took an unacceptably long time to happen 3 days from when we first complained. I asked her to fill out a holiday report form detailing these issues and enclose a copy for your information, together with photos of the bedrooms and the hotel grounds. As stated in my telephone call, I feel that we are due a full refund for this holiday as it failed to meet the description in the brochure, together with compensation to make up for the fact our holiday was ruined. I look forward to hearing from you within the next fortnight. Yours sincerely
Maria Johnson (Mrs)
Jenny Hawkins 8 Dean Close NEWFORD NW3 2NY 11 November 2007 Customer Services Manager Evans Electrical Products 7 Swan Street Brampton BR2 1RW Dear Sir or Madam RE: EasyIron Electric Iron (Model no: 2279) I bought the above iron from The Electrical Store in Newford on 10 October 2005. On using it for the first time, I found that the temperature control was faulty; it was not possible to set it for any temperature apart from the highest (cotton). When I returned the iron to the store, they said that they were unable to replace it or offer me a refund, but that it could be sent away for repair. As I need an iron on a daily basis, and it was not clear how long the repair would take, this option was unsatisfactory. As the iron clearly does not function as it should and therefore does not comply with the legal standards of product quality, I am therefore writing to you to ask for a full refund of the price (35.99). I look forward to hearing from you within the next fortnight. Yours faithfully
Jenny Hawkins (Ms)
Flat 122a Fordham Way Kington KG8 6LP 6 November 2009
Mr G J Warren 18 Hurst Rise Lower Minford MN5 3TR
Dear Mr Warren Essential repairs: Flat 122a Fordham Way, Kington Further to my telephone calls on 1 and 4 November about the leaking radiator in the main bedroom, I am writing to express my concern that repair work has not yet been carried out. As I stressed when we spoke, this leak is causing a very damp patch near to an electrical socket and as a result I have been unable to use the socket for my PC for a week. Apart from the dangerous aspects of this situation, it is also causing me much inconvenience and disrupting my studies, as I have to use the power point in the shared living room instead. I would be grateful if you could arrange for the radiator to be fixed within the next two days. Please contact me as soon as possible to let me know when the heating engineer will arrive, so that I can be at the flat to show him the extent of the problem. Yours sincerely
Daniel Simmons
Patrick Bowles 12 Scuttle Street Fenwick FR1 6MN 7 April 2008 Mr D Hampton Manager Sunshine Blinds 20 Apollo Road Fenwick FR1 7TB
Dear Mr Hampton, Fiesta blackout roller blind I am writing to complain about the faulty installation of the above blackout blind to my bedroom window. This was fitted by Mr Brand from your company on Monday 29 March. That same evening I discovered the mechanism was not working and that it was impossible to either raise or lower the blind. I phoned your company the following morning and Mr Brand returned 3 days later to repair the fault. However, although the blind worked for the first few days after his visit, it then jammed once more. When I phoned again on 6 April to report this fault, I was told that no one would be available to visit me for two weeks. As I regularly work at nights and this blind is the only means of blocking out daylight, it is vital that it is functioning properly so I can sleep during the day. I therefore would appreciate it if you would ensure that someone returns to replace the blind by the end of the week. Yours sincerely
Patrick Bowles (Dr)
Punctuation - Oxford Dictionaries Online

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Home Better writing Punctuation
Punctuation
Why do we need punctuation? Punctuation marks are essential when you are writing. They show the reader where sentences start and fnish and if they are used properly they make your writing easy to understand. This section gives practical guidance on how to use commas, semicolons, and other types of punctuation correctly, so that your writing will always be clear and effective. You may fnd some aspects of punctuation harder to grasp than others (for example, when to use a semicolon or a colon). If so, just click on the relevant heading in the list to the left. There are also handy sections with advice on using punctuation when writing direct speech, lists, or abbreviations. Types of punctuation
full stop comma semicolon colon apostrophe hyphen dash brackets inverted commas exclamation mark question mark bullet point
See also Punctuation in direct speech Punctuation in lists Punctuation in abbreviations
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Apostrophe () - Oxford Dictionaries Online

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Home Better writing Punctuation Apostrophe ()
Apostrophe ()
Are you uncertain about when to use an apostrophe? Many people have diffculty with this punctuation mark. The best way to get apostrophes right is to understand when and why they are used. There are two main cases click on the links below to fnd straightforward guidance:
Using apostrophes to show possession Using apostrophes to show omission People are often unsure about whether they should use its (without an apostrophe) or its (with an apostrophe). For information about this, you can go straight to the section it's or its? Apostrophes showing possession You use an apostrophe to show that a thing or person belongs or relates to someone or something: instead of sayingthe party of Ben or the weather of yesterday, you can write Bens party and yesterdays weather. Here are the main guidelines for using apostrophes to show possession: Singular nouns and most personal names With a singular noun or most personal names: add an apostrophe plus s: We met at Bens party. The dogs tail wagged rapidly. Yesterdays weather was dreadful. Personal names that end in s With personal names that end in -s: add an apostrophe plus s when you would naturally pronounce an extra s if you said the word
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out loud: He joined Charless army in 1642. Dickens's novels provide a wonderful insight into Victorian England. Thomas's brother was injured in the accident. Note that there are some exceptions to this rule, especially in names of places or organizations, for example: St Thomas Hospital If you arent sure about how to spell a name, look it up in an offcial place such as the organizations website. With personal names that end in -s but are not spoken with an extra s: just add an apostrophe after the -s: The court dismissed Bridges' appeal. Connors' fnest performance was in 1991. Plural nouns that end in s With a plural noun that already ends in -s: add an apostrophe after the s: The mansion was converted into a girls school. The work is due to start in two weeks time. My duties included cleaning out the horses stables. Plural nouns that do not end in -s With a plural noun that doesnt end in s: add an apostrophe plus s: The childrens father came round to see me. He employs 14 people at his mens clothing store. The only cases in which you do not need an apostrophe to show belonging is in the group of words called possessive pronouns these are the words his, hers, ours, yours, theirs (meaning belonging to him, her, us, you, or them) - and with the possessive determiners. These are the words his, hers, its, our, your, their (meaning 'belonging to or associated with him, her, it, us, you, or them'). See also it's or its?
Apostrophes showing omission An apostrophe can be used to show that letters or numbers have been omitted. Here are some examples of apostrophes that indicate missing letters: Im - short for I am hell - short for he will shed short for she had or she would pick n mix - short for pick and mix its hot - short for it is hot didnt - short for did not It also shows that numbers have been omitted, especially in dates, e.g. the Berlin Wall came down in the autumn of 89 (short for 1989).
Its or its? These two words can cause a lot of confusion: many people are uncertain about whether or not to use an apostrophe. These are the rules to remember: its (without an apostrophe) means belonging to it: The dog wagged its tail. Each case is judged on its own merits. its (with an apostrophe) means it is or it has: Its been a long day. Its cold outside. Its a comfortable car and its got some great gadgets.
Apostrophes and plural forms The general rule is that you should not use an apostrophe to form the plurals of nouns, abbreviations, or dates made up of numbers: just add -s (or -es, if the noun in question forms its plural with -es). For example: euro pizza apple MP 1990 euros pizzas apples MPs 1990s (e.g. The cost of the trip is 570 euros.) (e.g. Traditional Italian pizzas are thin and crisp.) (e.g. She buys big bags of organic apples and carrots.) (e.g. Local MPs are divided on this issue.) (e.g. The situation was different in the 1990s.)
It's very important to remember this grammatical rule. There are one or two cases in which it is acceptable to use an apostrophe to form a plural, purely for the sake of clarity: you can use an apostrophe to show the plurals of single letters: I've dotted the i's and crossed the t's. Find all the p's in appear. you can use an apostrophe to show the plurals of single numbers: Find all the number 7s. These are the only cases in which it is generally considered acceptable to use an apostrophe to form plurals: remember that an apostrophe should never be used to form the plural of ordinary nouns, names, abbreviations, or numerical dates.
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Brackets ( ) [ ] - Oxford Dictionaries Online

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Home Better writing Punctuation Brackets ( ) [ ]
Brackets ( ) [ ]
There are two main types of brackets. Round brackets Round brackets (also called parentheses) are mainly used to separate off information that isnt essential to the meaning of the rest of the sentence. If you removed the bracketed material the sentence would still make perfectly good sense. For example: Mount Everest (8,848 m) is the highest mountain in the world. There are several books on the subject (see page 120). He coined the term hypnotism (from the Greek word hypnos meaning 'sleep') and practised it frequently. They can also be used to enclose a comment by the person writing: Hed clearly had too much to drink (not that I blamed him). Square brackets Square brackets are mainly used to enclose words added by someone other than the original writer or speaker, typically in order to clarify the situation: He [the police offcer] cant prove they did it. If round or square brackets are used at the end of a sentence, the full stop should be placed outside the closing bracket: They eventually decided to settle in the United States (Debbie's home).
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Bullet points - Oxford Dictionaries Online

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Home Better writing Punctuation Bullet points
Bullet points
Bullet points are used to draw attention to important information within a document so that a reader can identify the key issues and facts quickly. There are no fxed rules about how to use them, but here are some guidelines.
1. The text introducing the list of bullet points should end with a colon. 2. If the text that follows the bullet point is not a proper sentence, it doesnt need to begin with a capital letter and it shouldnt
end with a full stop, for example:
Tonight's agenda includes: annual review of capital gains issues outstanding inheritance tax issues
3. If the text following the bullet point IS a complete sentence, it should begin with a capital letter. A full stop at the end is
technically required but is not absolutely essential:
The agenda for tonight is as follows: We will conduct an annual review of capital gains issues. The senior tax manager will talk about outstanding inheritance tax issues.
4. Lists of bullet points will have more impact if each one begins with the same word class (or part of speech) and if they are all
of a similar length. Action verbs are a good choice for the frst word, i.e. verbs that describe the performing of an action. If you do use verbs, make sure that each one is in the same tense. Heres an example of the effective use of action verbs in a persons CV/rsum:
Duties and responsibilities included: teaching national curriculum to Key Stage 1 pupils reaching attainment targets and improving learning performance
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developing extracurricular sports programme

5. Bullet points tend to have more impact if their text is relatively short. Make sure you use the same typeface and margin
width within each section.
Bullet points are visually attractive and make it easy for a reader to locate important information. Nevertheless, try to use them sparingly: too many bullet-pointed sections in the same document will mean that their impact is lost.
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Colon (:) - Oxford Dictionaries Online

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Home Better writing Punctuation Colon (:)
Colon (:)
There are three main uses of the colon: between two main clauses in cases where the second clause explains or follows from the frst: That is the secret of my extraordinary life: always do the unexpected. It wasnt easy: to begin with, I had to fnd the right house. to introduce a list: The price includes the following: travel to London, fight to Venice, hotel accommodation, and excursions. The job calls for skills in the following areas: proofng, editing, and database administration. before a quotation, and sometimes before direct speech: The headline read: Taxi Driver Battles Gangsters. They shouted: Our families are starving! We need land!
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Comma (,) - Oxford Dictionaries Online

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Home Better writing Punctuation Comma (,)
Comma (,)
A comma marks a slight break between different parts of a sentence. Used properly, commas make the meaning of sentences clear by grouping and separating words, phrases, and clauses. Many people are uncertain about the use of commas, though, and often sprinkle them throughout their writing without knowing the basic rules. Here are the main cases when you need to use a comma: in lists in direct speech to separate clauses to mark off certain parts of a sentence Using commas in lists You need to put a comma between the different items in a list, as in the following sentences: Saturday morning started with a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and French toast. The school has a vegetable garden in which the children grow cabbages, onions, potatoes, and carrots. The fnal comma in these lists (before the word and) is known as the serial comma. Not all writers or publishers use it, but it is used by Oxford Dictionaries some people refer to it as the Oxford comma. Using it can make your meaning clearer. Take a look at this sentence: My favourite sandwiches are chicken, bacon and ham and cheese. It isnt entirely clear from this sentence whether the writer is listing three or four of their favourite sandwich fllings: is ham one of their favourites and cheese another, or is it ham and cheese that they like? Adding an Oxford comma makes the meaning clear: My favourite sandwiches are chicken, bacon, and ham and cheese.
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Using commas in direct speech When a writer quotes a speakers words exactly as they were spoken, this is known asdirect speech. If the piece of direct speech comes after the information about who is speaking, you need to use a comma to introduce the direct speech. The comma comes before the frst quotation mark. Note that the fnal quotation mark follows the full stop at the end of the direct speech: Steve replied, No problem. You also need to use a comma at the end of a piece of direct speech, if the speech comes before the information about who is speaking. In this case, the comma goes inside the quotation mark: I dont agree, I replied. Here we are,' they said. There are two exceptions to this rule. If a piece of direct speech takes the form of a question or an exclamation, you should end it with a question mark or an exclamation mark, rather than a comma: Stop him! she shouted. Did you see that? he asked. Direct speech is often broken up by the information about who is speaking. In these cases, you need a comma to end the frst piece of speech (inside the quotation mark) and another comma before the second piece (before the quotation mark): Yes, he said, and I always keep my promises. Thinking back, she added, I didnt expect to win. See more about Punctuation in direct speech. Using commas to separate clauses Commas are used to separate clauses in a complex sentence (i.e. a sentence which is made up of a main clause and one or more subordinate clauses). The following examples show the use of commas in two complex sentences: Having had lunch, [subordinate clause] we went back to work. [main clause]
I frst saw her in Paris, [main clause]
where I lived in the early nineties. [subordinate clause]
If the commas were removed, these sentences wouldnt be as clear but the meaning would still be the same. There are different types of subordinate clause, though, and in some types the use of commas can be very important. A subordinate clause beginning with who, which, that, whom, or where is known as a relative clause. Take a look at this example: Passengers who have young children [relative clause] may board the aircraft frst.
This sentence contains whats known as a restrictive relative clause. Basically, a restrictive relative clause contains information thats essential to the meaning of the sentence as a whole. If you left it out, the sentence wouldnt make much sense. If we removed the relative clause from the example above, then the whole point of that sentence would be lost and wed be left with the rather puzzling statement: Passengers may board the aircraft frst. You should not put commas round a restrictive relative clause. The other type of subordinate clause beginning with who, which, whom, etc. is known as a non-restrictive relative clause. A non-restrictive relative clause contains information that is not essential to the overall meaning of a sentence. Take a look at the following example: Mary, who has two young children, [relative clause] has a part-time job in the library.
If you remove this clause, the meaning of the sentence isnt affected and it still makes perfect sense. All thats happened is that weve lost a bit of extra information about Mary: Mary has a part-time job in the library. You need to put a comma both before and after a non-restrictive relative clause. Using commas to mark off parts of a sentence Commas are used to separate a part of a sentence that is an optional aside and not part of the main statement. Gunpowder is not, of course, a chemical compound. His latest flm, Calypso Dreams, opens next month. In these sentences, the role of the commas is similar to their function in non-restrictive relative clauses: they mark off information that isnt essential to the overall meaning. Using commas in this way can really help to clarify the meaning of a sentence. Take a look at this example: Cynthias daughter, Sarah, is a midwife. The writers use of commas tells us that Cynthia has only one daughter. If you removed Sarahs name from the sentence, there would still be no doubt as to who was the midwife: Cynthias daughter is a midwife. If you rewrite the original sentence without commas its meaning changes: Cynthias daughter Sarah is a midwife. The lack of commas tells us that the name Sarah is crucial to the understanding of the sentence. It shows that Cynthia has more than one daughter, and so the name of the one who is a midwife needs to be specifed for the meaning to be clear. If you arent sure whether youve used a pair of commas correctly, try replacing them with brackets or removing the information enclosed by the commas altogether, and then see if the sentence is still understandable, or if it still conveys the meaning you intended.
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Home Better writing Punctuation Dash ()
Dash ()
A dash is used: in pairs, to mark off information or ideas that are not essential to an understanding of the rest of the sentence: Thousands of children like the girl in this photograph have been left homeless. My son where has he gone? would like to meet you. to show other kinds of break in a sentence where a comma, semicolon, or colon would be traditionally used: One things for sure he doesnt want to face the truth. Things have changed a lot in the last year mainly for the better. Dashes are especially common in informal writing, such as personal emails or blogs, but its best to use them sparingly when you are writing formally.
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Home Better writing Punctuation Exclamation mark (!)
Exclamation mark (!)

The main use of the exclamation mark is to end sentences that express: an exclamation: Ow! That hurt! Hello! How are you? direct speech that represents something shouted or spoken very loudly: Look up there! she yelled. something that amuses the writer: Included on the list of banned items was 'crochet hooks'! An exclamation mark can also be used in brackets after a statement to show that the writer fnds it funny or ironic: She says shes stopped feeling insecure (!) since she met him. People tend to use a lot of exclamation marks in informal writing such as emails or text messages, but you should avoid using them in formal writing.
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Full stop (.) - Oxford Dictionaries Online

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Home Better writing Punctuation Full stop (.)
Full stop (.)

Full stops are used: to mark the end of a sentence that is a complete statement: My names Beth and I was 18 in July. After leaving school, she went to work in an insurance company. to mark the end of a group of words that dont form a conventional sentence, so as to emphasize a statement: I keep reliving that moment. Over and over again. in some abbreviations, for example etc., Dec., or p.m.: The coffee morning will be held on Thursday 15 Sept. in the Waterfront Restaurant. Theres a wide range of sandwiches, pies, cakes, etc. at very reasonable prices. in website and email addresses: www.oup.com If an abbreviation with a full stop comes at the end of a sentence you dont need to add another full stop: Bring your own pens, pencils, rulers, etc. See more advice about how to write abbreviations.
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Full stop (.) - Oxford Dictionaries Online
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Hyphen (-) - Oxford Dictionaries Online

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Home Better writing Punctuation Hyphen (-)
Hyphen (-)
Hyphens are used to link words and parts of words. They are not as common today as they used to be, but there are three main cases where you should use them: in compound words to join prefxes to other words to show word breaks Hyphens in compound words Hyphens are used in many compound words to show that the component words have a combined meaning (e.g. a pick-me-up, mother-in-law, good-hearted) or that there is a relationship between the words that make up the compound: for example,rockforming minerals are minerals that form rocks. But you dont need to use them in every type of compound word.
Compound adjectives Compound adjectives are made up of a noun + an adjective, a noun + a participle, or an adjective + a participle. Many compound adjectives should be hyphenated. Here are some examples: noun + adjective accident-prone sugar-free carbon-neutral sport-mad camera-ready noun + participle computer-aided power-driven user-generated custom-built muddle-headed adjective + participle good-looking quick-thinking bad-tempered fair-haired open-mouthed
With compound adjectives formed from the adverb well and a participle (e.g. well-known), or from a phrase (e.g. up-to-date), you should use a hyphen when the compound comes before the noun:
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well-known brands of coffee an up-to-date account but not when the compound comes after the noun: His music was also well known in England. Their fgures are up to date. Its important to use hyphens in compound adjectives describing ages and lengths of time: leaving them out can make the meaning ambiguous. For example, 250-year-old trees clearly refers to trees that are 250 years old, while 250 year old trees could equally refer to 250 trees that are all one year old. Compound verbs Use a hyphen when a compound formed from two nouns is made into a verb, for example: noun an ice skate a booby trap a spot check a court martial verb to ice-skate to booby-trap to spot-check to court-martial
Phrasal verbs You should NOT put a hyphen within phrasal verbs - verbs made up of a main verb and an adverb or preposition. For example: Phrasal verb build up break in stop off Example You should continue to build up your pension. They broke in by forcing a lock on the door. We stopped off in Hawaii on the way home.
If a phrasal verb is made into a noun, though, you SHOULD use a hyphen: Noun build-up break-in stop-off Example There was a build-up of traffc on the ring road. The house was unoccupied at the time of the break-in. We knew there would be a stop-off in Singapore for refuelling.
Compound nouns A compound noun is one consisting of two component nouns. In principle, such nouns can be written in one of three different ways: one word aircrew playgroup
two words air crew play group
hyphenated air-crew play-group
chatroom
chat room
chat-room
In the past, these sorts of compounds were usually hyphenated, but the situation is different today. The tendency is now to write them as either one word or two separate words. However, the most important thing to note is that you should choose one style and stick to it within a piece of writing. Dont refer to a playgroup in one paragraph and a play-group in another.
Hyphens joining prefxes to other words Hyphens can be used to join a prefx to another word, especially if the prefx ends in a vowel and the other word also begins with one (e.g. pre-eminent or co-own). This use is less common than it used to be, though, and one-word forms are becoming more usual (e.g. prearrange or cooperate). Use a hyphen to separate a prefx from a name or date, e.g. post-Aristotelian or pre-1900. Use a hyphen to avoid confusion with another word: for example, to distinguish re-cover (= provide something with a new cover) from recover (= get well again).
Hyphens showing word breaks Hyphens can also be used to divide words that are not usually hyphenated. They show where a word is to be divided at the end of a line of writing. Always try to split the word in a sensible place, so that the frst part does not mislead the reader: for example, hel-met not he-lmet; dis-abled not disa-bled. Hyphens are also used to stand for a common second element in all but the last word of a list, e.g. : You may see a yield that is two-, three-, or fourfold.
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Home Better writing Punctuation Inverted commas
Inverted commas
Inverted commas can be single - x - or double - x. They are also known as quotation marks, speech marks, or quotes. Main uses Inverted commas are mainly used in the following cases: to mark the beginning and end ofdirect speech (i.e. a speakers words written down exactly as they were spoken): That, he said, is nonsense. What time will he arrive? she asked. See more information about how to use punctuation when youre writingdirect speech. to mark off a word or phrase thats being discussed, or thats being directly quoted from somewhere else: He called this phenomenon the memory of water. What does integrated circuit mean? Single or double? Theres no rule about which to use but you should stick to one or the other throughout a piece of writing. Single inverted commas are generally more common in British English while American English tends to prefer double ones. If you fnd that you need to enclose quoted material within direct speech or another quotation, use the style you havent used already. So, if youve been using single inverted commas, put any further quoted material within double ones and vice versa. For example: She still sounds amazed when she says: We were turned down because we represented too small a minority of the population. They could still get away with saying things like that then.
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Question mark (?) - Oxford Dictionaries Online

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Home Better writing Punctuation Question mark (?)
Question mark (?)

A question mark is used to indicate the end of a question: Have you seen the flm yet? Note that you dont use a question mark at the end of a question in reported speech: He asked if I had seen the flm yet. A question mark can also be used in brackets to show that the writer is unconvinced by a statement: Im about to get started on the new project, which is apparently quite straightforward (?).
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Semicolon (;) - Oxford Dictionaries Online

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Home Better writing Punctuation Semicolon (;)
Semicolon (;)
The main task of the semicolon is to mark a break that is stronger than a comma but not as fnal as a full stop. Its used between two main clauses that balance each other and are too closely linked to be made into separate sentences, as in these two examples:
The road runs through a beautiful wooded valley; the railway line follows it. An art director searched North Africa; I went to the Canary Islands. You can also use a semicolon as a stronger division in a sentence that already contains commas: The study showed the following: 76% of surveyed frms monitor employee Web-surfng activities, with 65% blocking access to unauthorized Internet locations; over one-third of the frms monitor employee computer keystrokes; half reported storing and reviewing employee emails; 57% monitor employee telephone behaviour, including the inappropriate use of voicemail.
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aloud altar amoral appraise assent aural balmy bare bated

allowed alter immoral apprise ascent oral barmy bear baited

bazaar berth born bough brake

bizarre birth borne bow break

breach broach canvas censure

breech brooch canvass censor

chord climactic coarse complacent complement

cord climatic course complaisant compliment

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wooden rod to keep something in check; a control or limit a dried grape

discreet disinterested draught draw dual elicit ensure

discrete uninterested draft drawer duel illicit insure

envelop exercise fawn faunt founder

envelope exorcise faun fout founder

forbear foreword freeze grisly hoard imply loath loose meter

forebear forward frieze grizzly horde infer loathe lose metre

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militate palate pedal pole pour practice

mitigate palette peddle poll pore practise

principal sceptic sight stationary storey titillate tortuous wreath

principle septic site stationery story titivate torturous wreathe

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