Download MUG Shot Concepts

1
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MUG shot Concepts

Abbreviations: Never use abbreviations, signs, or symbols in formal writing. An
abbreviation is the shortened form of a word or phrase.
Abbreviations
H2O (water)
Signs & Symbols
% (percent) & (and)
In Amer., 53.9% of high school students attend college. (incorrect)
o In America, 53.9 percent of high school students attend college. (correct)
o

Articles: Use the correct form of the adjectives a, an, the. See the rules in the
chart below.
a
before consonant sounds (h)
an
before vowels (e)
o
o

An human heart beats about 100,000 times a day. (incorrect)
A human heart beats about 100,000 times a day. (correct)
Adjectives & Adverbs Comparative/Superlative: Use the correct comparative or
superlative form for adjectives and adverbs. For example, you will never use –er and
more; it is always be either –er or more.
Comparative (2)
-er
-est
more
most
o
o
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Superlative (3 or more)
My brother is more better at math than I am. (incorrect)
My brother is better at math than I am. (correct)
Apostrophe: Use an apostrophe to form contractions or to show possession
(ownership).
Contractions
doesn’t (does not)
Singular Possessives
boy’s bike
Plural Possessives
students’ homework
o
Read all contractions out long ways to see if they work in the sentence (it’s
would be read it is).
o
o
My best friends house is right across the street. (incorrect)
My best friend’s house is right across the street. (correct)
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Capitalization: Be sure to capitalize the following:
Proper Nouns
Indiana (names a specific state)
Proper Adjectives
Asian (names a specific group of people)
Names of People
Leah Hernandez
Titles Used With Names
Dr. Silvia Vicente
Words Used as Names
“So, Mom, what are you doing here?” I
asked.
Specific School Subjects
Modern Literature
Official Names
Old Navy
Races, Languages,
Nationalities, Religions
Arab, Spanish, Catholicism
Days, Months, Holidays
Thursday, September, Thanksgiving
Historical Events
World War II
Geographic Names
Europe, Gulf of Mexico, Interstate 80
Particular Sections of the
Country
East Coast
First Words
In many families, pets are treated like
people.
Titles
Where the Red Fern Grows
Abbreviations
Mrs.
Organizations
the Red Cross
Letters
T-shirt
UPS
Colon: Use a colon to do the following:
Introduce Lists
Certain items are difficult to recycle:
foam cups, car tires, and toxic chemicals.
After Salutations
Dear Mrs. Elliot:
For Emphasis
Here’s one thing that can help save
energy: a programmable thermostat.
Between Numbers in Time
11:00 p.m.
Combining Sentences: Combine sentences to make your writing flow smoothly. The
following chart shows three different examples of when you should combine
sentences.
Key Words or Phrases
Bessie Coleman wanted to open a school for
young African Americans. She wanted to open
flight school.
-------------------------------------------------Bessie Coleman wanted to open a flight school
for young African Americans.
Combining Sentences continue on p. 3
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
Series of Words
When the brothers tested the balloon, a sheep
went up in the balloon basket. A duck was on
board. A rooster was also on board.
-------------------------------------------------When the brothers tested the balloon, a sheep,
duck, and a rooster went up in the balloon
basket.
Subjects & Predicates
Orville Wright was an inventor. So was Wilbur
Wright.
-------------------------------------------------Orville and Wilbur Wright were inventors.
Comma (Addresses and Dates):
Addresses: Use a comma to separate the street address from the city, the city from
the state, and the entire address from the rest of the sentence.
o
The address of the King Center is 449 Auburn Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30312.
Dates: Use a comma to separate the day from the year and the year from the rest
of the sentence.
o

Comma (Appositives): Use a comma to separate a word or group of words that
renames (tells who or what) about the subject of a sentence.
o

Many students enjoy working on computers, so teachers are finding new ways to use
them in the classroom.
Comma (Dialogue): Use a comma to separate the speaker tag from the direct quote in
a sentence.
o

Mrs. Hernandez, my English teacher, is in room 607.
Comma (Compound Sentence): Use a comma to combine two complete sentences that
are joined by the conjunction and, or, but.
o
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On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his famous “I Have a Dream”
speech.
The firefighter said, “When we cannot successfully put out a fire, we try to keep it
from spreading.”
Comma (Direct Address): Use a comma if you are directly addressing someone in a
sentence.
o
Sure, Jack, an architect can use a computer to see how light will fall in different
places of a building.
Commas continue on p. 4
4

Comma (Interjections): Use commas to separate an interjection from the rest of
the sentence.
o
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Comma (Items in a Series): Use a comma to separate lists of three or more things
in a sentence.
o
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According to some experts, solar-powered cars will soon be common.
Comma (Unnecessary): Remove commas that are not needed.
o
o
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Comfortable, efficient cars are becoming more important to drivers.
Comma (To Separate Introductory Phrases): Use a comma to separate a phrase
that starts off a sentence.
o
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Melanie Prokat, M.D., is our family’s doctor. However, she is listed in the phone book
only as Prokat, M.
Comma (To Separate Adjectives): Use a comma to separate two or more adjectives
that come before the noun they are describing.
o

More than 104,000 people live in Kingston, the capital of Jamaica.
Comma (Titles and Initials): Use a comma to separate a title or initials that come
after a person’s last name.
o

People get drinking water from surface water or groundwater, which makes up only 1
percent of the earth’s water supply.
Comma (Numbers): Use commas to separate the hundreds, from the thousands, from
the millions, and so on.
o

Chinese, English, and Hindi are the three most widely used languages in the world.
Comma (Nonrestrictive Phrases): Use commas to separate phrase that are not
needed to complete the meaning of a sentence.
o

Uh-huh, and that teacher has other classes that size.
A deaf husband, and a blind wife, are always a happy couple. (incorrect)
A deaf husband and a blind wife are always a happy couple. (correct)
Comma Splice: Avoid comma splices. They result when two sentences are spliced
together with only a comma—and no conjunction.
o
o
I am going to the store, then I need to go home. (incorrect)
I am going to the store, and then I need to go home. (correct)
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Dash: Use a dash to indicate a sudden break, for emphasis, or to indicate
interrupted speech.
Sudden Break
The three of us came down with colds, lost our voices, and
missed the football game—all because we had practiced in
the rain.
Emphasis
Vitamins and minerals—important dietary supplements—can
improve your diet.
Interrupted Speech
Well—yes, I understand.
Double Negative: Avoid double negatives. A double negative happens when two
negative words are used together in the same sentence. Fix double negatives by
removing one of the negative words.
o
o
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Double Subject: Avoid double subjects. A double subject happens when there are
two subjects used in one sentence unnecessarily. Fix double subjects by removing the
less detailed subject.
o
o
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I don’t never want to hear you say you cannot do something. (incorrect)
I never want to hear you say you cannot do something. (correct)
A man he was laughing. (incorrect)
A man was laughing. (correct)
End Punctuation: Always end a sentence with a period, question mark, or exclamation
point.
Period
Use a period if the sentence makes a statement or request.
Question Mark
Use a question mark if the sentence asks a question.
Exclamation Point
Use an exclamation point if the sentence shows emotion.
Hyphen: Use a hyphen to divide words, in compound words, to create new words,
between numbers in a fraction, to form adjectives, to join letters to words, and to
avoid confusion.
Divide Words
If you run out of room at the end of a line. epi-sode
Compound Words
Thirty-three
New Words
Self-cleaning
Numbers in Fraction
Four-tenths
Form Adjectives
Dress-up clothes
Join Letters
U-turn
Avoid Confusion
Re-collect the reports we handed back last week.
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Interjection: Use a comma or exclamation point and capital letter after an
interjection in a sentence. An interjection is a word (set off by commas or an
exclamation point) that shows strong emotion.
o
o
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Italics and Underlining: The following list needs to be underlined or written in
italics. Use italics (slightly slanted type) when typing on a computer and underline
when writing by hand.
Titles
books, plays, book-length poems, magazines, newspapers, radio
and television programs, movies, videos, cassettes, CD’s, and
the names of aircrafts, and ships.
Scientific & Foreign
Words
Many store owners who can help Spanish-speaking customers
display an Hablamos Espanol sign in their windows.
Special Uses
Matt’s hat has a bright red A on it.
Misplaced Modifier: Correct misplaced modifiers. A modifier is a word or group of
words that is describing something that is incorrectly placed in the sentence.
o
o

The girl was walking the dog in red shorts. (incorrect)
The girl in red shorts was walking the dog. (correct)
Nonstandard Language: Slang that should never be used in formal writing.
o
o

Stop! There is a car heading your way!
Hey, how are you?
I would of taken the bus, but I overslept. (incorrect)
I would have taken the bus, but I overslept. (correct)
Numbers: Follow the rules listed below when writing numbers.
Numbers Under 10
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Numbers from one to nine write out in word form
(four)
Numbers 10 and over write out in number form (23)
Numerals Only
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Use numerals to express the following: money,
decimals, percentages, chapters, pages, time, telephone
numbers, dates, identification numbers, addresses, ZIP
codes, statistics, and when abbreviations and symbols
are used (7%).
Very Large Numbers

Use a combination of numerals and words for very large
numbers (17 million)
Spell out large numbers that can be written as two
words. (nine thousand)
If more than two words are needed, use the numeral.
(3,500 instead of three thousand five hundred)
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Comparing Numbers

If you are comparing two or more numbers in a
sentence, write all of them the same way: as numerals
Numbers continue on p. 7
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or words.
Students from 9 to fourteen years old are invited. (incorrect)
Students from 9 to 14 years old are invited. (correct)
Numbers in
Compound Modifiers
 A compound modifier may include a numeral.
The floorboards come in 10-foot lengths.
 When a number comes before a compound modifier
that includes a numeral, use words instead of numerals.
We need eleven 10-foot lengths to finish the floor.
Sentence Beginnings
 Use words, not numerals, to begin a sentence.
9 students had turned in their homework. (incorrect)
Nine students had turned in their homework. (correct)
Time & Money
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Parallelism: Repeating similar words, phrases, or sentences to give writing rhythm.
o
o
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I would enjoy eating a hamburger, a steak, or the taco. (incorrect)
I would enjoy eating a hamburger, a steak, or a taco. (correct)
Parentheses: Use parentheses when adding information or clarifying an idea.
o
o

When time or money is expressed with an abbreviation,
use numerals. (6:00 a.m. or $25)
When either is expressed with words, spell out the
number. (six o’clock or twenty-five dollars)
Cures for diseases (from arthritis to AIDS) may be found in plants in the rain forest.
Only about 10 percent (27,000) of the plant species in the world have been studied.
Period: Use a period to end a sentence, after initials, after abbreviations, and as a
decimal point.
End of Sentence
The Southern Ocean surrounds Antarctica.
After Initials
J.K. Rowling
After Abbreviations
Mrs. Hernandez
As Decimal Points
$1.54
Plurals: Follow the rules listed below when forming plurals.
Most Nouns
The plurals of most nouns are formed by adding –s to
the singular.
cheerleader—cheerleaders
wheel—wheels
Nouns Ending in ch,
sh, s, x, and z
The plural form of nouns ending in ch, sh, s, x, and z is
made by adding –es to the singular.
lunch—lunches
fox—foxes
buzz-buzzes
Nouns Ending in o
The plurals of nouns ending in o with a vowel just
before the o are formed by adding -s.
radio—radios
studio—studios
rodeo—rodeos
 The plural of most nouns ending in o with a consonant
just before the o are formed by adding –es.
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Plurals continue on p. 8
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echo—echoes
The plurals of nouns that end with ful are formed by
adding an s at the end of the word.
three platefuls
four cupfuls
five pailfuls
Nouns Ending in f or
fe
The plurals of nouns that end in f or fe are formed in
one of two ways: If the final f sound is still heard in
the plural form of the word, simply add –s.
roof—roofs
chief—chiefs
belief—beliefs
 If the final sound is a v sound, change the f to ve and
add s.
wife—wives
loaf—loaves
leaf—leaves
Nouns ending in y
The plurals of common nouns that end in y with a
consonant letter just before the y are formed by
changing the y to I and adding –es.
fly—flies
baby—babies
cavity—cavities
 The plurals of common nouns that end in y with a vowel
before the y are formed by adding only –s.
key—keys
holiday—holidays
attorney--attorneys
Compound Nouns
The plurals of some compound nouns are formed by
adding –s or –es to the main word in the compound.
brothers-in-law
maids of honor
secretaries of state
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deer
Irregular Spelling
The plurals of some words are the same in singular and
plural form.
sheep
trout
aircraft
Some words (including many foreign words) form a
plural by taking on an irregular spelling
child—children
mouse—mice
goose—geese

Adding an ‘s

B’s
The plurals of letters, figures, symbols, and words
discussed as words are formed by adding an apostrophe
and an –s.
2’s
Ph.D’s
Pronoun (Reflexive): Make sure the reflexive pronoun agrees with the subject in
number and gender. Itself, myself, himself, herself, and yourself are some example
reflexive pronouns
o
o

tomato--tomatoes
Nouns ending in ful
Plurals That Do Not
Change

hero—heroes
A chameleon protects himself from danger by changing colors. (Incorrect)
A chameleon protects itself from danger by changing colors. (Correct)
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: An antecedent is the noun that the pronoun
refers to. Make sure the pronoun agrees with the antecedent in number and gender.
o
o
Every student needs to take out their book. (incorrect)
Every student needs to take out his or her book. (correct)
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Quotation Marks: Use quotation marks to set off the exact words of a speaker.
To Set Off a
Speaker’s Exact
Words

Place quotation marks before and after a speaker’s
exact words in dialoge. Only the exact words of the
speaker are placed within quotation marks.
Maria said, “ I’ve decided to become a firefighter.”
Placement of
Punctuation

Always place periods and commas inside quotation
marks.
“I don’t know,” said Lac.
Lac said, “I don’t know.”

Place an exclamation point or a question mark inside the
quotation marks when it punctuates the quotation.
Ms. Wiley asked, “Can you actually tour the Smithsonian on
the Internet?”

Place it outside when it punctuates the main sentence.
Did I hear you say, “Now we can tour the Smithsonian on the
Internet”?

Place semicolons outside quotation marks.
First I will read the article “Sonny’s Blues”; then I will read
“The Star Café” in my favorite music magazine.
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Rambling/Wordy Sentence: Be sure to eliminate rambling sentences, which happen
when you join too many sentences with the word and.
o
Rambling Sentence: Air traffic controllers work in the control towers at airports and
they have very important jobs and they must know where all the planes are, both in
the air and on the ground.
o
Corrected: Air traffic controllers work in the control towers at airports, and they
have very important jobs. They must know where all the planes are, both in the air and
on the ground.
Run-On Sentence: To fix a run-on, divide the sentences into two or more complete
sentences or add a comma and a conjunction.
o
This year, I learned what flight attendants do I think I might like to be one
someday. (Run-On)
o
This year, I learned what flight attendants do. I think I might like to be one
someday. (Correct)
o
This year, I learned what flight attendants do, and I think I might like to be one
someday. (Correct)
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
Semicolon: Use a semicolon to join two complete sentences or to separate groups
that contain commas.
o

The United States has more computers than any other country; its residents own
more than 164 million of them.
Sentence Fragment: Do not use sentence fragments, which are incomplete
sentences. They may be missing a subject, a predicate, or both.
o
o
Is a place where airplanes take off and land. (Fragment)
An airport is a place where airplanes take off and land. (Correct)

Spelling: Make sure all words are spelled correctly. You may use a classroom
dictionary.

Subject-Verb Agreement: Singular subjects need singular verbs, and plural
subjects need plural verbs.
Singular Subject
one person, place, thing, or idea
Plural Subject
more than one person, place, thing, or idea
Singular Verb
ends in an –s
Plural Verb
doesn’t end in an –s
o
o

Using the Right Word: Know the difference between two or more words that are
often confused.
o
o

Luis enjoys airport field trips.
My classmates enjoy airport field trips.
I went too the store yesterday. (incorrect)
I went to the store yesterday. (correct)
Verb (Irregular): Irregular verbs do not follow the -ed rule. Instead of adding -ed,
the word might change.
o
o
Yesterday she runned. (incorrect)
Yesterday she ran. (correct)
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Verb (Tense): Use the correct verb tense in all sentences.
Present Tense
Happening now or that happens continually
 It takes my breath away.
Past Tense
Was completed in the past
 The universe reached only as far as the eye could see.
Future Tense
Will take place
 Maybe I will visit another galaxy in my life time.
Present Perfect
Tense
Began in the past but continues or is completed in the
future
 I have wondered for some time how the stars got their
name.
Past Perfect Tense
Began in the past and was completed in the past
 I had hoped to see a shooting star on our camping trip.
Future Perfect
Tense
Will begin in the future and will be completed by a specific
time in the future
 By the middle of this century, we probably will have
discovered many more stars, planets, and galaxies.
Present Continuous
Tense
Not completed at the time of stating it
 Scientists are learning a great deal from their study of
the sky.
Past Continuous
Tense
Was happening at a certain time in the past
 Astronomers were beginning their quest for knowledge
hundreds of years ago.
Future Continuous
Tense
Will take place at a certain time in the future
 Someday astronauts will be going to Mars.
Wordy Sentence: Do not repeat the same thought in writing.
o
o
We won the baseball tournament and became the champions in August of 2010.
(incorrect)
We won to the baseball tournament in August of 2010. (correct)