Chapter three examines word choice and how it can accurately convey your ideas. It explains the most common misused and confused words, denotation versus connotation, and inclusive language. Important advice about the use of spell checking software is also included. | Mechanics CHAPTER 4 HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS 49 She has a hard time pronouncing ss. My street address contains three 5 s. He packed a week s worth of clothing. The project was the result of a year s worth of work. 7. Show possession in the last word when using names of organizations and businesses in hyphenated words and in joint ownership Sam and Janet s graduation was three months ago. I went to visit my great-grandfather s alma mater. The Future Farmers of America s meeting was moved to Monday. 8. Apostrophes form contractions by taking the place of the missing letter or number. Do not use contractions in highly formal written presentations. Poor form We re going out of town next week. Good form We are going out of town next week. Poor form She s going to write the next proposal. Good form She is going to write the next proposal. Poor form My supervisor was in the class of 89. Good form My supervisor was in the class of 1989. ITS VERSUS IT S Unlike most possessives its does not contain an apostrophe. The word it s is instead a contraction of the words it is. The second i is removed and replaced by an apostrophe. When revising your writing say the words it is when you come across it s or its. If they make sense you should be using the contraction. If they don t you need the possessive form its without an apostrophe. THE COMMA Correct usage of commas is not as critical to the meaning of your sentences as it is with other punctuation marks. However they can be used to convey your voice as they speed up or slow down the pace of your sentences. Consider the difference in tone of the following example Sentence A During my junior year I attended a conference in Washington . where student delegates from every state presented their ideas. 50 HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS CHAPTER 4 Mechanics Sentence B During my junior year I attended a conference in Washington . where student delegates from every state presented their ideas. Sentence A sounds more deliberate giving a
