Points Deduction for Every Occurrence No Exceptions

Taboo List (*)

Points deduction for every occurrence—no exceptions

First Semester – 10 points each Second Semester – 20 points each

No Name—Let us not belabor the obvious.

2.Incorrect Paper Heading—Your name (first AND last), class period, assignment name, and date must appear in the upper LEFThand corner ofthe first page (see sample on board) for both written and typed assignments.

3.Illegible Handwriting—You may use manuscript or cursive, but your work must be readable. (Of course,you may also type or use a word-processor).

4.Unacceptable Paper—Use the front side only of standard notebook paper. Paper will be unacceptable if itis fringed, two-sided, or abused. (Trees occur in abundance on planet Earth and are currently safe from extinction)

5.Unacceptable Writing Implements—Use blue or black ink only for all regular assignments. You shouldbring two pens to class in case one runs out of ink.

6. Unacceptable Margins—Respect the margins provided on notebook paper and observe one-inch margins all

around on all typed papers

7.Incorrect Punctuation of a Title—When in doubt, ask. Otherwise, follow these guidelines:

“Quotation Marks” Underlining or Italics

short story novel

short poem book-length poem

chapter in a book full-length book

article in a magazine name of magazine

article in a newspaper name of newspaper

entry in an encyclopedia name of encyclopedia

episode of television series name of television series

song opera

essaymovie

√Also direct quotations, words √Also names of ships, airplanes, trains,

used in a special sense, slang, works of art, words or numbers used

or dialogue as such, and foreign words and phrases

8.Mechanical Errors Which Are Gross Illiteracies–Proofread carefully for the following:

Failure to capitalize the pronoun “I”
Incorrect use of its or it’s
Incorrect use of they’re, their, or there
Incorrect use of two, to, or too
Incorrect use of your or you’re
Use of the words hisself, theirselves, alot
Failure to capitalize a proper noun (specific person, place, thing)
Failure to capitalize the first word of a sentence
Failure to punctuate the end of a sentence
Failure to indent for a paragraph
Failure to supply an antecedent to identify a pronoun

9. NOAbbreviations—The use of any form or type of abbreviation is never permitted in formal writing. Spell out

everything. If in doubt, spell it out—especially words like road, television, street, state names, and numbers.

Spell out all numbers zero to ninety-nine (except dates and times). For example: The celebration party for

the five winners aged five to fifteen will be held on Tuesday, August 24, 2012, at 10:00a.m.

(*) taboo (tuh-boo) [adj/noun]: Polynesian word for a sacred prohibition put upon people, things, or actsmaking them untouchable, unmentionable, and absolutely forbidden.

No-Excuse Spelling List

a lot

a while

accidentally

accommodate

acknowledge

advertise

again

alliteration

allusion

amateur

ambiguous

ambivalent

apostrophe

apparent

argument

arithmetic

assignment

atmosphere

author

autumn

because

beginning

believe

brochure

business

calendar

camouflage