Neither Wesley or nor Elizabeth got a hit in the game.

Not only Meg but but also David got a part in the play.

Sal cannot can neither pitch nor catch.

or

As a rule, don't begin a

sentence with a conjunction.

Tori ate a big dinner, and slept soundly all night.

I will eat my spinach, if you'll

put some butter on it.

I try to hide, whenever my mom serves liver for dinner.

Mom asked me to help her set the table, so I did.

Try not to over use so.  Also there are two time periods listed here, requiring the use of the past perfect tense.

Austin studied hard, so he got a good grade.

Try not to over use so.

The doll was old and torn, so they threw it away.

Try not to over use so.

or

They threw away the old, torn doll.

Notice the ease Carlos hits the ball with.

As a rule of thumb, you should not end a sentence with a preposition, but this is not dogma and can be ignored if your edits sound weird.

I'm the one she's sitting next to.

A senator is someone most people look up to.

As a rule of thumb, you should not end a sentence with a preposition, but this is not dogma and can be ignored if your edits sound weird.

Look up could be hyphenated, one word or two: look-up, lookup or look up.

Most people look up to a senator.

What time should we wake up?

Correct as stands.

This does not violate the rule of thumb not to end a sentence with a preposition because in this sentence up is not a preposition but part of the verb to wake up.  

Some other "double " verbs that sound as if they end in a preposition: to sleep over, to lie down, to throw up, to shut down, to shut up, to shut out, to burn up, to burn down.

Only begin a sentence with a conjunction when

you want to emphasize it. This is not a good

place for that.  Whenever possible avoid

the repetition of words in a sentence.

I want new rollerblades and a new 

computer game for  my birthday.

Don't use a comma every time you see the word and.

Kate ate a plate(?) of spaghetti and a salad.

Kate ate spaghetti and a salad.

Neither Tina or Brian was able to go with us to the game.

It should be:

Which movie are you going to?

This is ok, but as a rule don't end a sentence with a preposition.

To which movie are you going?

We drove in our new car in a hard rain through an open field over an old bridge to the house in the country where my grandmother lives.

This sentence has too many prepositions.

On a rainy day, we drove our new car through an open field and over an old bridge until we arrived at my grandmother's country house.

Whoa is an interjection.  It is also a very

strong feeling, so it is okay for it to stand alone.

I asked whether today is Monday?

The word whether indicates a comparison (whether today is Monday or Tuesday). As the sample sentence does not provide a comparison, it should be rewritten.

This is a statement about a question

and should not have a question mark.

Because there is uncertainty in the possible answer

here, the subjunctive mood should be used.

I asked if today was Monday.

Josh asked whether the game

was likely to be rained out?

This is a statement about a question

and should not have a question mark

Josh asked whether the game

was likely to be rained out.

This is a statement not a question and

should not have a question mark.

I wonder whether the abominable snowman is real.

How could you do that!

This could be correct, depending on what you mean.  If it is a question, it should end with a question mark; but if it is an exclamation, it is correct.

Kate slept late(,) but Meg got up early.

When two independent clauses are very short, you have the option to use a comma before the conjunction or not.

I thought I made a C+ on the test; (,) however, I made a B+.

I was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on Valentine's Day.

She lives at 225 Valley Road, Durham, North Carolina, 27710.

There should be no comma between the state and zip code.

I was born in December 1979, in Boston.

Correct

When you use just the month and

year, only one comma is needed.

I told Ryan that, yes, I'd go with him.

Use a comma before and/or after an interjection.

It was a cold September night.

No comma is used between cold and September.

Although cold and September both describe the noun night, no comma is used.  When do you use a comma, and when don't you?  Use a comma wherever the word and would sound right.

Does this sound okay: expensive and stylish shoes?  Yes, so the comma is needed between them.

Does this sound okay: stylish and white shoes?  That one's iffy.  It's okay to leave out the comma.

Does this sound okay: white and tennis shoes?  No, so don't us a comma there. 

I wore blue tennis shoes.

No commas.

If you can switch the order of the adjectives and the sentences still sounds right, use a comma. If not, no comma.

I ate a beautiful, ripe, delicious, firm, apple.

Do not put a comma between the noun (apple) and the adjective (firm) that modifies it.

I ordered pizza, not lasagna.

correct 

Use a comma to show that two parts

of a sentence are being contrasted.

Ballerina, Katie Stevens, shone

as the star of the evening.

Both commas are wrong.

When a title (Ballerina) comes before a name, it should not be separated from the name with a comma.

 Since the name is not a complement

the second comma is also unnecessary.

World-famous aardvark trainer Joshua Zinn will be

in town next week to demonstrate his great skills.

Capitalize a job title that comes before the person’s name.

If a title precedes a name, it should not

be separated from the name by a comma.

World-Famous Aardvark Trainer Joshua Zinn will be

in town next week to demonstrate his great skills.

Tonight I will study math; tomorrow,Spanish.

Use commas to indicate omitted words.

Today is Wednesday, December 25, 1996.

The sentence needs a comma after Wednesday.

People from Raleigh, North Carolina, often vacation at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Sentence needs a comma after North Carolina.

This is correct if there are several new kids on the tennis team and you're specifically talking about the one you beat last week.  In that case, the clause whom I beat last week is necessary and does not need commas.  If, on the other hand, there is only one new kid on the team, then the clause whom I beat last week is not necessary (it's a by-the-way clause) and commas are needed.

The new kid on the tennis team, whom

I beat last week, won the tournament.

Everyone, who hasn't finished the test, must stay after school to finish it.

There should be no commas.

The clause who hasn't finished the test limits who should stay after school so it is necessary to the meaning of the sentence.  It cannot be eliminated without destroying the meaning of the sentence.  Therefore it should not be set off with commas.

At sunset beach walks are beautiful.

There's nothing incorrect here, but the sentence is a little confusing.  A comma would help.

I know I said I'd be there at 9:00, but, hey,

I didn't count on twelve inches of snow.

Put commas before and after interjections.  

To avoid the pile-up of commas, the

interjection could be set in dashes instead.

I know I said I'd be there at 9:00, but--

hey--I didn't count on twelve inches of snow.

Allison bought a lacy, bright, red dress.

Would you put and's?  Bright red sounds better than bright and red, so let's leave out that comma.  Lacy and bright red sounds fine, so let's leave that comma in.

Allison bought a lacy, bright red dress.

Did the package arrive C.O.D.?

Don't forget the final period.

The ingredients are: flour, eggs,

sugar, milk, and chocolate.

Don't use a colon if the list comes right after a verb.

The ingredients are flour, eggs,

sugar, milk, and chocolate.

These are the ingredients: Apples, olives, sugar, onions, artichokes, and chocolate.  

Apples does not begin a complete sentence, and  therefore should not be capitalized.

I'm sure you know the old saying about apples: an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Capitalize the first word after a colon if it begins an independent clause.

Since this is not a quote, quotation marks are not required. 

My family is Jewish.  We celebrate

Chanukah but not Christmas.

You may use a semicolon between two

sentences that are very closely related.

There is no comma after Chanukah because

but not Christmas is not an independent clause.

"We" in the second clause should be lower case.

When you go to the store, please pick up: apples, bread, and juice.

Don't use a colon after a verb.

Mom said that only one thing will earn me an

increase in allowance: A consistently clean room.

You only capitalize a statement that follows a

colon if the statement is a complete

sentence.  This is not a complete sentence.

Use a colon after an independent clause to direct attenton to a list, an appositive, or a quotation.

I like chocolate cake; my dad cooks great spaghetti.

These two sentences are not closely related, so they should not be separated using a semicolon.

This is the weather report for tomorrow, heavy rain, gusty winds, and a chance of flooding.

You should use a colon here.

I hoped it would snow, finally, it did.

A comma is not strong enough here.  Either use a period or a semicolon.

I took my girlfriend out to dinner (If you can call splitting a hot dog dinner.)

If the parenthetical sentence is embedded in another sentence, it should not be capitalized and the period should go outside of the parenthesis.

Parker said, "I definitely studied enough for the

test, or I think I studied enough, I probably studied nearly enough, well, I hope I studied enough."

Use a dash in dialogue to show hesitation

or a break in the flow of the sentence.

Parker said, "I definitely studied enough for

the test--or I think I studied enough--I probably

studied nearly enough--well, I hope I studied

enough."

Don't even think of trying to buy beer (It's

against the law.) before you're 21 years old.

A parenthetical sentence embedded in another

sentence should not be capitalized or ended in

a period. Spell out numbers of one or two words.

When the age is an adjective and comes before

the noun and modifies the noun or if the age is

a noun, hyphenate.  When the age is part of an adjective phrase after the noun, don't hyphenate.

There is only one thing I need to be happy (or I should say really happy:) chocolate.

It is easier to figure out the punctuation if you take out the parenthetical expression.  It then becomes obvious that the colon belongs outside the parenthesis.

I am excited (really excited!) about the party.

This is okay, but parenthesees "hide" information.  With this much emphasis, dashes might be better.  

I am excited--really excited!--about the party.

Anne re-covered her living room chair

with material her mother gave her.

The hyphen helps the reader to avoid interpreting recover to mean regain or recoup.

His last name is Blake-Adams.

Use a hyphen with double last names.

Twenty-two girls showed up for the trials.

Use a hyphen with compound numbers from 21 to 99.

The bottle of Coke was two-thirds (adverb) full.

Use a hyphen with fractions acting as adjectives or adverbs but not fractions acting as nouns.

Jill drank two thirds (noun, no

hyphen) of the bottle of Coke. 

If the compound adjective comes after the

noun, don't use hyphens.  Also spell out

numbers of one or two words.

The 15 year old girl swam across the river.

Use hyphens in compound adjectives if they come before the noun they describe.

Spell out numbers of one or two words or those that begin a sentence. Use firgures for numbers that require more than two words to spell out.

The fifteen-year-old girl swam across the river.

The students are eighth graders.

If the compoound adjective comes

after the noun, don't use hyphens.

The eighth-grade students trashed the classroom.

Use hyphens in compound adjectives if

they come before the noun they describe.

Classroom is a compound without a hyphen.

My name is spelled K-a-c-e-y.

Use hyphens to spell out words.

"Oh, no!  Y-y-you t-took my plums."

Use hyphens to show faltering speech.

I grew up in the 1980's.

Never use an apostrophe with years.

I grew up in the 1980s.

There are three 9's on this page.

Also right:

Do not use apostrophes with words used

as words, and the pluralizing s 

should not be italicized.

Does he read "The New York Times?"

Does he read The New York Times?

Use italics or underlining for names of books, magazines, newspapers, movies, operas, plays, and other large works.

Add a "?"

Madonna sang "Material Girl."

Use quotation marks (not underlining or italics) for the names of songs, poems, magazine articles, newspaper articles, short stories, chapters of books, and other small works.

Use italics or underlining for emphasis.

The whole sentence should be put

in quotation marks as it is dialogue.

"I really mean it this time: Don't bite the dog!"

I ordered "coq au vin" for dinner.

Use italics or underling for foreign words.

I ordered coq au vin for dinner.

"Pneumonia" is a tough word to spell.

Correct

Use italics or underlining or quotation

marks for words used as words.

I told Tucker to, "Finish his homework."

Indirect quotes don't need quotation marks. This sentence doesn't need the comma nor the capital "F."

I told Tucker to finish his homework.

The newspaper called Josh, "The hero of the game."

If a quotation is half-direct and half indirect, don't use quotation marks unless you want to emphasize the quotation.  If you interpret the quote as being direct, the first letter should be capitalized.  If you consider the quote indirect eliminate the comma and the capital on the first word.

Is this sentence saying that the newspaper is called Josh?  The sentence needs to be rewritten.

Meg referred to her horse as, "A magnificent white steed."

If a quotation is half-direct and half indirect, don't use quotation marks unless you want to emphasize the quotation.

Thoughts or questions in someone' mind

(in other words, ideas not spoken out loud)

do not need quotation marks.

You call this a bicycle?

Use quotation marks to suggest doubt or skepticism.

The words a lot are often incorrectly written as alot.

Use quotation marks, underlining or, best of all, italics for words used as words.

One definition of the word junk is a Chinese flatbottomed ship.

Use quotation marks for definitions.

Use quotation marks for sayings.

  A comma is used, not a colon, because the

first clause is not a complete independent clause.

"Every" should be capitalized.

The stoplight says stop and that one says go.

Use quotation marks or italics for labels,

markings, signs, etc. A comma could be

placed after "stop" to separatethe independent

clauses separated by a conjunction;but when

the clauses are very short, the comma can

be left off.

Ted really spazzed out when the teacher

asked him to recite the preambulator

to the Constitution in front of the class.

Use quotation marks to indicate

the clever or silly use of a word.

The title of the song is "River of Dreams".

Periods and commas always go inside the quotation marks.

Marsha said, "Let's go", and we did.

Periods and commas always

go inside the quotation marks.

Marsha said, "Let's go," and we did.

Catherine said, "I'll clean my room;" now we'll see if she means it.

Colons and semicolons always go outside the quotation mark.

Mom uttered the first rule of "parental law:" just because I said so!

Colons and semicolons always go outside the quotation mark.

Jamal said yes.

correct

If only yes or no is quoted, you don't have to use quotation marks.

also correct:  Jamal said, "Yes."

Are you the person who asked, "Why"?

If both the quotation and the sentence are questions:

Are you the one who yelled, "Help?"

If the whole sentence is a question:

The jury are returning with their decision.

Juries always operate as a whole when they

make decisions thus making them singular.

Five hundred dollars are a lot of money.

Five hundred dollars is a unit, thus singular.

Five hundred dollars is not hyphenated because monetary denominations are not hyphenated. 

The verb should modify the noun closest to it. Mother is singular so the verb should be singular. 

The politics in the presidential

campaign is mighty dirty.

In this instance, politics is plural.

The data shows that boys watch more sports on TV than girls watch.

Data is plural.

One and one are two.

What is addressed here is a mathmatical concept, so one and one is a singular concept.

Five times six is a mathmatical

concept, and, as such, is singular.

The orchestra tunes its instruments.

In this instance, we are talking about the individual members of the orchestra tuning their instruments.  Therefore the verb should be plural.

Standing there looking happy was Wesley and Austin.

Wesley and Austin are plural.

I can't find my catcher's glove; I hope either David or the Joneses has it.

Jonese comes closer to the verb, therefore the verb should be plural.

Tennis, as well as cycling and swimming, are great aerobic sports.

Tennis (singular) is the subject, thus the verb should be singular.

If people want to stay healthy, they must eat well and watch their waistline.

The subject is plural, so waistline must be plural.

If anybody is late, they'll get in trouble.

Anybody is singular.  Avoid a sexism.

Anyone who is late will get in trouble.

There's only three things I need in life:

chocolate, chocolate, and chocolate.

There's = There is.  You need a plural: There are.

There's a lot of things we need to discuss

before I give you a raise in your allowance.

There's = There is.  You need a plural: There are.

Your is verbrose.

There are a lot of things we need to discuss

before I give you a raise in allowance.

Where's all those monsters you said live under your bed?

Where's = where is.  You need a plural: where are.

Almost everyone likes watching fireworks on the Fourth of July, don't they?

Everyone is singular; they is plural.

Everybody loves their mother.

Their needs to be singular, and there is also the risk of being sexist.

Either Kate or Meg might lend me their bike.

Delete unnecessary words.

Body should be plural.

There's a lot of good reasons to

learn the rules of proper writing.

There's needs to be plural.

A lot of is verbose

There are many good reasons

to learn the rules of proper writing.

Always use two words, every one, unless everyone 

is followed by of + a noun or pronoun.

All ready means "completely prepared."  Already means "previously."

With different use from.

The boys are different from each other.

Suppose to is nonstandard.  

I had grown used to seeing the news stand on the corner.

Plan on getting A's on all of your courses.

On getting is non-idiomatic.

Do not use an apostrophe to form the plural

of numbers, letters, abbreviations, and words

mentioned as words. Italicize the letter and use

roman (regular) font for the -s ending.

Do not italicize academic grades.

Plan to get As on all of your courses.

A lot is ALWAYS written as two words.

This is a philips screwdriver, which you are misusing.

The import of the sentence is to tell you that you are misusing the screwdriver; therefore are misusing is restrictive and calls for the relative pronoun that, which is used without a comma.

effect (noun) = the result or outcome

affect (verb) = to influence something

The movie didn't affect me as

much as it did my little sister.

Don't begin a sentence with "to" or "too." 

"affects" is correct  

It is alright to write this way.

There is no such word as alright.  There is nothing all right about alright.

When you write, try and pay attention to your grammar.

A verb (pay) works better with to.

Be sure and study for the test.

A verb (study) works better with to.

Be sure to study for the test.

I don't care if you ate all the chips;

I didn't want them anyways.

Anyways is not a word.

I weigh around 240 pounds.

It is not absolutely wrong to use around to

mean approximately, but it is very informal.

"240 pounds" is not hyphenated because it does

not modify anything as it would in "240-pound pumpkin."

I don't like the affect that Nutrasweet has on me.

If it's a noun you need, usually use effect.

I don't like the effect that Nutrasweet has on me.

but recently I don't like it alot.

Kristen, put your bicycle in back of the house.

In back of is very informal, also you can eliminate the two prepositions.

You had better do your homework.

This is very informal and carries a threat.

You should do your homework.

As I ran out the door, Dad shouted, "Here,

remember to bring your lunch with you to school."

Bring shows movement toward the speaker.

Take shows movement away from the speaker.

Can I have a hamburger, please?

Can = has the ability to do something

May = has permission to do something

May = might do something

May I have a hamburger, please?

Your shoes are different than mine.

Your shoes are different from mine.

This piece of chicken tastes different than that one.

When making a comparison use from.

This movie is different from what I thought it would be.

When making a comparison use different from, but when a non-comparative clause follows use different than.  You can also eliminate what.

This town looks a lot different from

what it did when I grew up here.

When making a comparison use different from, but when a non-comparative clause follows use different than.  You can also eliminate what.

I've looked every place for my social studies book.  There's no place left to look, but it must be some place around here.

These are very informal:  every place, some place, any place, no place.

IT could refer to place or book,

so it should be spelled out.

I've looked everywhere for my social studies book.  There's nowhere left to look, but the book must be somewhere around here.

Kacey lives further from my house than I thought

Use farther and farthest for distance.

Use further and furthest to mean longer or more.

I want to study this farther.

I want to study this further.

This relationship can go no farther.

In Mexico, the dollar goes farther.

In Mexico, the dollar goes further.

There are less kids here than I expected.

If you can count them, use fewer.  If you can't count them, use less.

When I was at Grandma's house, she said, "Here's one of my famous baked hams.  Bring it to your mom."

Bring shows movement toward the speaker.

Take shows movement away from the speaker.

1. Use single quotation marks for quotations within quotations. Note that the period goes inside both the single and double quotation marks. Rule 4. As a courtesy, make sure there is visible space at the start or end of a quotation between adjacent single and double quotation marks. 

My prom dress is different than Erica's.

When making a comparison use from.

The doctor says that, judging by my shoe size, I

should be about six foot tall when I finish growing.

Since this is an indirect quote, you don't need a comma after "that," and you don't need quotation marks.

The bag of chips fell down in back of the refrigerator.

I haven't got enough money to buy the pet python I want.

The word haven't says it all; you don't need got.

I've got a lot of homework tonight.

I've says it all.

If he would of listened to me, this never would of happened.

The word of is often used when have is the correct word.

Stop reminding me how I have

more homework to do.

How is often used as a conjunction

when the correct word is that.

Austin is complaining how there's not enough

peach pie for him to have another piece.

How is often used as a conjunction

when the correct word is that.

Go in the house.

In indicates where something is right now.

Into implies movement from one place to another.

Put the icecream in the freezer.

Ice cream is two words. 

In indicates where something is right now.

Into implies movement from one place to another.

You look like you've seen a ghost.

Like is a preposition used to compare two things:

Red like a rose.  

As and as if are conjunctions used before clauses.

I feel like you should give me a raise in my allowance.

Remember that like is used for comparisons--it is not a conjunction.

I feel that you should give me a raise in my allowance.

Don't throw anything in the shark tank.

Into suggest movement.

I cleaned my room like my mom told me to.

Like is a preposition of comparison, not a

conjunction.  If you say, "as my mom told

me," mom is presumed to be 

your mom so my is  redundant.

 I cleaned my room as mom told me to.

Did I do good on that last exercise?

Good is an adjective; well is an adverb.

I feel like you're trying to bully me into giving you my last nacho.

Like is a comparative preposition not a conjunction.  Red like a rose.

Have you got any cash on you?

Have says it all.

Pablo acted as a prince.

Do you plan on going to the football game?

Plan on is very informal.

I have more homework tonight then you do.

Than is a comparative conjunction.

The way the sentence reads, it means, "I have more homeword than you are accustomed to doing. The word "do" should be changed to "have".

My mom is at home waiting on me to call her.

Unless you're talking about a waiter, who is serving you, always use waiting for.

The class, that I'm doing best in, is algebra.

That is essential and should not be set off with commas. Which is not essential and should be set off with commas. The word algebra should not be capitalized.

What are you doing that for?

How come and what for are very informal.

Why are you doing that?

How come you're not taking the bus to school?

We were already to leave.

Here's a clue for when the proper choice is two words: Can you put other words in the middle?  If so, use two words.

We were all {set and packed and} ready to leave.

Already = adverb

I want pizza everyday for dinner.

I want pizza every {single} day for dinner.

Every day = adj + noun

Everyday = adj meaning common or not unusual

This letter will assure you a hearing.

Assure = to declare earnestly to; inform

or tell positively; state with confidence 

Ensure = to secure or guarantee

This letter will ensure you a hearing.

Did he ensure the car.

of knee socks in funky colors.

I used to go out with Brian, and I think he

might of have asked me to the dance if he

weren't interested in Katie.

Whom are you going to the dance with?

Set down and rest a few minutes.

Correct

Sit down and rest a few minutes.

Marshal is one of my cousins which who live in North Carolina.

My nose, that which has been stuffy all spring, would appreciate a reduction in the pollen in the air.

That has been stuffy all spring is a by-the-way phrase.  Obviously you have only one nose, so we know which nose you're talking about, and the sentence makes sense without his phrase.  By-the-way phrases, which are not absolutely necessary, begin with which has been stuffy all spring, whould appreciate a reduction in the pollen in the air.

The repetition of the word in should be avoided.

...a reduction in the pollen in the air.

...a reduction in the pollen count.

What Why did you bring your racket for?  It's snowing.

This is a what for question which is unduly informal.

Dad, don't leave yet--wait on for me!