5.

DO NOT confuse words

q MOST/ ALMOST
Ø MOST: the greatest quantity, amount, measure, degree,
or number of something
(most + plural Noun/ most of + Noun phrase)
Ø ALMOST: very nearly, not quite, slightly short of
(almost + Adj/N/Adv, almost all + N, almost
everybody/everything/no one/nothing)
q AFFECT/EFFECT
Ø AFFECT: is a VERB
(The storm has affected a lot of cities in the middle)
Ø EFFECT: is a NOUN (Its effects can be felt everywhere)
6. Understand subject-verb agreement
7. Review the use of prepositions
8. Review the punctuation (when to use comma, semi-colon,
point; your periods should be clear at the end of a
sentence)
9. Review the rules of singular/plural nouns,
countable/uncountable nouns
10. Use linking words and transitional phrases at the
beginnin g o f a l l b o d y p a r a g r a p h s a n d c o n c l u s i o n :
Firstly, On the one/other hand, In conclusion
11. Review the use of articles and apply them to every noun
 The DON’TS
• Cohesive devices
Ø Last but not least,
Ø In a nutshell,
• A lot of
• Word like “thing”, “it”
• Use contractions “shouldn’t,
can’t, don’t”
The DOS
• Cohesive devices
Ø Lastly,
Ø In conclusion,
• A large quantity of, a vast
amount of, a significant
number of
• Name the object or
action you are writing
about
• Should not, cannot, do not
 The DON’TS The DOS
• Begin sentences with “And, • Begin sentences with “In
But, Or, Because” addition, However, Since,
As a result”
• More and more, bigger and • Use structures like “an
bigger increase in quantity or
size”
• Pronouns like “We, I, you” • Use “people, students,
should be omitted society, ...” or the passive
tense
 The DON’TS
• Absolutes: all, every,
none, only, always, never,
completely, totally
• Poor children/students/people
• Writing a list: (...), (etc.),
so on
The DOS
• children/people from
impoverished backgrounds,
children/people from
families with low-
economic status
• A and B / A, B, C, and D