Writing Conventions: Sentences, Punctuation and Spelling

Methods in this video

Tap a time to jump to where the video teaches that method.

1. 1

   Sentences: ask who, does what, when

   ▶ 0:47

   When to use it: When you read back each sentence you wrote; or the score report lists incomplete sentences, subject–verb agreement or tense changes.

   • Ask three questions about every sentence: Who (the subject)? Does what (the verb)? When (the tense)?
   • A complete sentence needs a subject and a verb.
   • A part that starts with because, when or if can't stand on its own: join it to the sentence before, with no full stop.
   • Subject–verb agreement: the verb agrees with the subject, singular or plural; in a sentence that starts with There, the real subject comes later.
   • Consistent tense: the tense matches the time of the action, and it stays the same.
2. 2

   Punctuation: end every sentence

   ▶ 3:49

   When to use it: Two sentences run together with no punctuation (run-on); two complete sentences joined by only a comma (comma splice); a lower-case letter after a full stop or in a name; a missing apostrophe in a contraction or possessive, or an apostrophe on a plain plural.

   • Every sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop, a question mark or an exclamation mark.
   • A comma on its own can't join two sentences: use a full stop, or keep the comma and add and, but or so.
   • Names of people, places and books are proper nouns, and they need capitals too.
   • Use apostrophes for contractions and possessive nouns (it's = it is, the dog's collar); its (belonging to it) never takes one, like his and their.
   • A plural that doesn't show ownership takes no apostrophe.
3. 3

   Spelling: split it, swap it, read it through

   ▶ 7:43

   When to use it: When you look back over your writing and see your, there, its or of; or the score report lists similar-sounding words or everyday word spelling.

   • Homophones sound the same but have different spellings and meanings: split it, swap it, read it through; the one that makes sense is right.
   • your / you're: split it into you are; if that makes sense, it's you're.
   • there / their: swap in our; if that makes sense, it's their. There is often about a place, and it also starts There is / There are, to say something exists.
   • of / off: of ends with a v sound; off ends with an f sound and means away from or down from.
   • When you finish, hunt for your, there, its and of, and for the words you often get wrong.