VOCABULARY Grammar Guru Grammar rules vary by time, Reading is one of the best ways culture, and circumstances. to build your vocabulary. Write Regional dialects make some down words that you do not grammar styles acceptable for know, guess their meaning of speech but not for college words from the context, and then writing. For example, people confirm both the meaning and might say “have ran,” but present pronunciation by looking it up. perfect tense should be written A thesaurus can help you find “have run.” (Note the period is other words with the same inside the quotation mark.) meaning.

Common Errors: Most American vocabulary has Except / Accept You accept roots in other languages. Here (take) money but you might are some common prefixes: gladly accept all except (but) Bene means good or well as in pennies. benefactor or beneficial Tele means far off as in Effect / Affect Effect refers to telescope, telephone intent or outcome; affect refers to Non, a, im, in, il, un prefixes emotion, presentation, or change. usually mean not as in amoral, Her affect was euphoric. The immature, infallible, illegal, medicine affected her mood. The unworthy effect of the medicine was to Super means over; sub means change her affect. below. E, Ex, or Ec means from as in There / Their There refers to elicit, expunge, or ecstasy place, their is a possessive Cir or peri means around as in pronoun. circumference or perimeter Co means with as in coexist It’s / Its It’s is a contraction for it is. Its is a possessive pronoun. For ESL help, go to . http://owl.english.purdue.edu/han douts/esl/eslstudent.html#vocab Online grammar, and vocabulary quizzes: You can have new vocabulary http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/ words sent to your email list daily grammar/quiz_list.htm through many websites including http://www.grammarphobia.com/ http://www.m-w.com/ grammar.html http://www.how-to- http://www.studygs.net/ study.com/Building http://www.testprepreview.com/a %20Vocabulary.htm ccuplacer_practice.htm http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/ grammar/vocabulary.htm It is hard to proofread one’s own papers. Make an appointment at Just in time student series Dr. the ARC (539-4312) for free help Susan Weaver, Center for before submitting your papers for Teaching and Learning 606 a grade. 539-4325