alice quinn // writing help

grammar, dialogue, point of view, etc.

This is a one stop shop chapter of pretty much everything writing related.

COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS

You're: You are
Your: Possessive, means something belongs to you

There: Referring to a place
Their: Possessive, means something belongs to them
They're: They are

Great: Good
Grate: To shred something

Where: Referring to a place
Wear: Referring mostly to clothing
Were: Past tense of be
We're: We are

Accept: To agree to receive
Except: Does not include something

Affect: To change or make a difference to
Effect: The result

Board: Long, thin, flat piece of wood
Bored: Weary because of being unoccupied

Aloud: Out loud
Allowed: Permitted to do something

Desert: Dry sandy area, also to abandon someone or something
Dessert: Last course of a meal

Loose: Not fixed in place
Lose: Something is unable to be found

Bare: Uncovered
Bear: To put up with, also an animal

Brake: Brakes in a car to stop it
Break: To separate into pieces

TENSES

Past tense: Refers to actions happening in the past. For example, I watched Gotham.

Present tense: Refers to actions happening right now. For example, I am watching Gotham.

Future tense: Refers to actions that are going to happen. For example, I will watch Gotham.

Personally, I cant read something if it's not in past tense. It drives me crazy. I will straight click out so fast. Sounds dramatic, but it's true.

PARTS OF SPEECH

Nouns: Persons, places, things, ideas, or qualities

Pronouns: Substitutes for a noun, e.g. she, he, they

Verbs: Actions, occurrences, or states of being

Adjectives: Describe or modify nouns or pronouns

Adverbs: Describe or modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs

Prepositions: Relate nouns or pronouns to other words in a sentence, e.g. with, for, of

Conjunctions: Link words, clauses, and phrases

Interjections: Express feeling or command attention, either alone or in a sentence, e.g. hey, oh, wow

ORDER OF ADJECTIVES

The correct order of adjectives when describing something:

- Quantity or number
- Quality or opinion
- Size
- Age
- Shape
- Color
- Proper adjective (e.g. nationality, place or origin, or material)
- Purpose or qualifier

Correct: There were seven small young Native American children standing there.

Incorrect: There were young small seven Native American children standing there.