c12Spell.htm
A compilation by U Kyaw Tun and staff of TIL (Tun Institute of Learning, http://www.tuninst.net ). Not for sale.
In the United States, periods and commas go inside quotation marks regardless of logic.
In the United Kingdom, Canada, and islands under the influence of British education, punctuation around quotation marks is more apt to follow logic. In American style, then, you would write: My favorite poem is Robert Frost's "Design." But in England you would write: My favorite poem is Robert Frost's "Design".
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Spell checkers will catch some kinds of errors, but not all. For example, they tend to miss homonyms -- words which are pronounced the same way but spelled differently, such as site/ sight, there/ their/ they're, and its/ it's. Most spell-checkers, for example, would report no error in the following sentence, despite the fact that there are three serious spelling mistakes:
Their looking for a new sight when the gopher can build it's home.
The joint influence of British and American spelling on Canadian usage has provided an additional challenge to Canadian students: Canadians tend to follow standard British spelling for certain words (axe, cheque), to follow American spelling for others (connection, tire), and to allow either for yet more (programme/ program, labour/ labor, neighbour/ neighbor). The important thing to remember is to be consistent in usage and to follow a regular pattern when you spell. Don't mix neighbour with labor, for example. Choose one or the other pattern, and follow it closely. The best way to avoid problems with mixed British and American spelling is to keep a dictionary handy that shows Canadian usage.
Although spelling correctly is largely a matter of practice and the common-sense use of reference materials, there are four standard spelling rules. Although each has exceptions, if you study these rules carefully, you will be able to avoid most common errors, even without a spell-checker.
1201.
Spelling words with "ei" and "ie"
1202. Spelling final "y" before a suffix
1203. Final Silent "e"
1204. Spelling Words with Double Consonants
1251. Review: "ei" and "ie"
1252: Review: Final "y" before a suffix
1253: Review: Final Silent "e"
1254: Review: Double Consonants
When the sound is a long "e" (as in feed), write "i" before "e", except after "c". After "c" reverse the spelling ("ei"):
After other letters
believe, yield, reprieve
After c
ceiling, perceive, conceit
The problem with this rule is that it works only when "ei" / "ie" sounds like the "ee" in feet. If it has any other sound, you should write "ei" even after letters other than "c":
foreign, vein, freight
Editor's note:
This rule is for words that rhyme with "feet". There are three similar
sounds in Bamah (written in RomaBama): e. / e / e:
/ Examples in Bamah:
te. as in tha te. - meaning 'presence of mind';
te - meaning 'earthworm';
te: as in te: mhoat - meaning `to play musical instrument'.
To apply this rule effectively Myanmars should also note that the English "c" is
pronounced in two ways:
as Myanmar ka. in cat
as Myanmar sa. in ceiling.
Margaret Elliot wrote
(personal communication):
"One of the few things I remember from my elementary school days was the
rule : 'i' before 'e' except after 'c'. I suppose the teacher said something
about the 'long e' sound, but for a native speaker it's not a problem."
Editor's note: This rule depends on pronunciation: from pronunciation you derive at the spelling. Since Myanmar students have problems with pronunciation itself, this rule is useless for them. However, you can still use the rule backwards: learn the spelling and derive the pronunciation.
When a word ends in "y" preceded by a consonant, you should usually change
the "y" to "i" before adding the suffix:
curly becomes curlier
party becomes parties
thirty becomes thirties, thirtieth
However, if the suffix already begins with "i", keep the "y" (except before
the suffix "-ize"):
thirty becomes thirtyish
fry becomes frying
agony becomes agonize
memory becomes memorize
When the ending "y" is preceded by a vowel ("a"
"e" "i" "o" or "u"), "y" does not change to "i":
journey becomes journeying
trolley becomes trolleys
If a word ends in a consonant followed by a silent "e", drop the "e" before
endings beginning with a vowel, but keep the "e" before endings beginning with a
consonant:
engage becomes engaging but engagement
care becomes caring but careful
fate becomes fatal but fateful
scarce becomes scarcity but scarcely
Double the final consonant before a
suffix beginning with a
vowel if both of the following are true: the consonant ends a stressed
syllable or a one-syllable word, and the consonant is preceded by a single
vowel:
drag becomes dragged
wet becomes wetter
occur becomes occurred, occurring
refer becomes referral, referring
Choose the proper spelling of the following words.
01. Question: Which of the following is correct?
greif or grief
02. Question: Which of the following is correct?
conceit or conciet
03. Question: Which of the following is correct?
counterfiet or
counterfeit
04. Question: Which of the following is correct?
heir or hier
05. Question: Which of the following is correct?
niece or neice
Answers to Review questions:
01. Question: Which of the following is correct?
greif or grief
Answer: The answer grief is correct.
Explanation: Write "i" before "e" . . .
02. Question: Which of the following is correct?
conceit or conciet
Answer: The answer conceit is correct.
Explanation: . . . except after "c".
03. Question: Which of the following is correct?
counterfiet or
counterfeit
Answer: The answer counterfeit is correct.
Explanation: The "ei" / "ie" sound does not rhyme with "ee" in feet,
so you should always write it as "ei".
04. Question: Which of the following is correct?
heir or hier
Answer: The answer heir is correct.
Explanation: The "ei" / "ie" sound does not rhyme with "ee" in feet,
so you should always write it as "ei".
05. Question: Which of the following is correct?
niece or neice
Answer: The answer niece is correct.
Explanation: Write "i" before "e", except after "c". In this case, the
sound does rhyme with the "ee" in feet, so the rule applies.
Choose the proper form of the following words.
01. Question: Which of the following is correct?
applying or appliing
02. Question: Which of the following is correct?
defyance or
defiance
03. Question: Which of the following is correct?
studying or studing
04. Question: Which of the following is correct?
easyer or easier
05. Question: Which of the following is correct?
worryer or worrier
Answers to Review Questions:
01. Question: Which of the following is correct?
applying or appliing
Answer: The answer applying is correct.
Explanation: The final "y" in apply should remain, because the
suffix "-ing already begins with "i".
02. Question: Which of the following is correct?
defyance or
defiance
Answer: The answer defiance is correct.
Explanation: The final "y" in defy should change to "i" before
the suffix "-ance".
03. Question: Which of the following is correct?
studying or studing
Answer: The answer studying is correct.
Explanation: Since the suffix "-ing" already begins with "i", you should
keep the "y" at the end of study.
04. Question: Which of the following is correct?
easyer or easier
Answer: The answer easier is correct.
05. Question: Which of the following is correct?
worryer or worrier
Answer: The answer worrier is correct.
Choose the correct form of the following words.
01. Question: Which of the following is correct?
safely or safly
02. Question: Which of the following is correct?
argueing or arguing
03. Question: Which of the following is correct?
guideance or
guidance
04. Question: Which of the following is correct?
excitement or excitment
05. Question: Which of the following is correct?
hopeful or hopful
Answers to Review Questions:
01. Question: Which of the following is correct?
safely or safly
Answer: The answer safely is correct.
02. Question: Which of the following is correct?
argueing or arguing
Answer: The answer arguing is correct.
03. Question: Which of the following is correct?
guideance or
guidance
Answer: The answer guidance is correct.
04. Question: Which of the following is correct?
excitement or excitment
Answer: The answer excitement is correct.
05. Question: Which of the following is correct?
hopeful or hopful
Answer: The answer hopeful is correct.
Choose correct "-ed" form and "-ing" form of the following words.
01. Question: Which of the following is correct?
admit ("-ed" form): admited or admitted
02. Question: Which of the following is correct?
admit ("-ing" form): admiting or admitting
03. Question: Which of the following is correct?
stop ("-ing" form): stoping or stopping
04. Question: Which of the following is correct?
stop ("-ed" form): stoped or stopped
05. Question: Which of the following is correct?
rob ("-ing" form): robbing or robing
06. Question: Which of the following is correct?
rob ("-ed" form): robed or robbed
07. Question: Which of the following is correct?
return ("-ing" form): returnning or returning
08. Question: Which of the following is correct?
return ("-ed" form): returnned or returned
09. Question: Which of the following is correct?
unwrap ("-ing" form): unwrapping or unwraping
10. Question: Which of the following is correct?
unwrap ("-ed" form): unwrapped or unwraped
Answers to Review questions
01. Question: Which of the following is correct?
admit ("-ed" form): admited or admitted
Answer: The answer admitted is correct.
02. Question: Which of the following is correct?
admit ("-ing" form): admiting or admitting
Answer: The answer admitting is correct.
03. Question: Which of the following is correct?
stop ("-ing" form): stoping or stopping
Answer: The answer stopping is correct.
04. Question: Which of the following is correct?
stop ("-ed" form): stoped or stopped
Answer: The answer stopped is correct.
05. Question: Which of the following is correct?
rob ("-ing" form): robbing or robing
Answer: The answer robbing is correct.
06. Question: Which of the following is correct?
rob ("-ed" form): robed or robbed
Answer: The answer robbed is correct.
07. Question: Which of the following is correct?
return ("-ing" form): returnning or returning
Answer: The answer returning is correct.
08. Question: Which of the following is correct?
return ("-ed" form): returnned or returned
Answer: The answer returned is correct.
09. Question: Which of the following is correct?
unwrap ("-ing" form): unwrapping or unwraping
Answer: The answer unwrapping is correct.
10. Question: Which of the following is correct?
unwrap ("-ed" form): unwrapped or unwraped
Answer: The answer unwrapped is correct.
End of TIL file