I Before E Except After C: 9 Helpful Spelling Rules

Learning spelling conventions can help you write with confidence. Which of the following rules are new to you?

S or ies?

To make a noun plural, you usually add S. However, you might have noticed that some words that end in Y deviate from the norm. For example, babies is the plural form of baby. How do you know when to change Y to ies? Look at the letter before the Y to find out. If it is a vowel, then add S.

essay → essays ploy → ploys key → keys

If there is a consonant before the Y, replace the y with ies. daisy → daisies sky → skies

V doesn’t…

No English words end with the letter V. If you do see a word that ends in V, you can assume that it’s an abbreviation, acronym, or foreign word. If there is a V sound, the word will end in E. Think of glove, gave, sieve, or mauve. There’s another thing V doesn’t do—double. What about skivvies, a word used to refer to cotton undergarments, and divvy, a verb meaning to distribute or share? Dictionaries categorize them both as informal words. With rare exceptions, you also can’t double the letters K, J, W, or X.

Q is never alone.

Have you noticed that Q seems to have a constant vowel companion? In English, the letter Q is always followed by U. That’s not the case in Arabic and other languages, so borrowed words like Qatar, the name of a country along the Persian Gulf, don’t follow the English pattern.

Is this E a keeper or not?

When the noun fate becomes the adjective fateful, you add -ful to the end without dropping the E. On the other hand, the noun love loses its final E to become the adjective lovable. When do you omit the E? It depends on the suffix. You keep the final E when adding suffixes that begin with consonants. Suffixes that begin with a vowel, such as -able, require you to eliminate the final E.

Adding -ing Do you need to double the final letter of a verb when you add the -ing ending? For certain verbs, like stop, the answer is yes. For others, like go, the answer is no. The determining factors are the number of syllables and whether the last letter of the verb is a vowel or a consonant. If the verb has only one syllable and a consonant at the end, you must double the consonant before adding a suffix that begins with a vowel. These suffixes include -ing, -ed, -er, and -est. This is called the 1-1-1 rule because you double the final consonant of verbs that contain one syllable, one vowel in the middle, and one consonant at the end. If music helps you to memorize information, listen to the 1-1-1 Spelling Rule song featured on the Garden of Praise website.

All aboard?

When adding all- as a prefix, you usually shorten it to al-. All + together → altogether all + ready → already You might want to read up about all right and alright; the controversy is quite interesting.

Specific Words

If one particular word gives you trouble, you might want to search for a mnemonic device. Chances are, you are not the only person who has trouble with that word. For example, lots of people find it difficult to master the c’s and s’s of “necessary,” If you remember the phrase “one coffee, two sugars,” it will remind you that there is one c and two s’s, and that they appear in that order. If you can’t find a suitable mnemonic, make up your own! Rhymes and acronyms work well.

Consciously or unconsciously, you probably use this spelling rule: “I before E, except after C.” Because of this mnemonic, you spell words like achieve, receive, and believe with ease. English language textbooks are full of helpful rules to help people learn to spell. But even native speakers find some words challenging. It doesn’t have to be that way. Why not boost your spelling prowess by using a few of the useful principles you read about today?

6 Commonly Misheard Song Lyrics

You know that embarrassing moment when you’re part of a bar sing-along, and as you confidently wail gibberish lyrics to a classic song, the other patrons turn to look at and silently judge you for being totally clueless? Misheard lyrics, while hilarious, are a sure way to lose your credibility as a music lover. Help prevent a friend or even yourself from ruining a sing-along to a classic hit by finally learning the real lyrics to these often misquoted hits.

“Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix

This is one of Jimi Hendrix’s most famous compositions. However, it also contains one of the most commonly misheard lyric lines in history, “… ‘scuse me while I kiss the sky,” which countless listeners have heard as, “…’scuse me while I kiss this guy.” In fact, this misquote is so ubiquitous, it’s the name of a website devoted to misheard song lyrics.

“Tiny Dancer” by Elton John 

One of the funniest and strangest misheard lyrics of all time comes from Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer.” While the music was composed by Sir Elton, the lyrics were written by songwriter Bernie Taupin, who based the title line, “… hold me closer, tiny dancer” on his then-girlfriend. She was a dancer, not a 1980s sitcom star, as suggested by the popular misquote, “… hold me closer, Tony Danza.”

“Royals” by Lorde

Lorde’s Grammy-winning single “Royals” put her at the forefront of American pop music. However, the lyrics of this song have earned a bit more than top-level music recognition. The line, “Let me be your ruler, you can call me queen bee” is the source of one of the funniest musical malapropisms in recent memory. For some, royalty is not about being “queen bee,” but about being a “green bean.”

“Drunk in Love” by Beyoncé

The true Queen B, Beyoncé, churns out so many hits that it’s difficult to keep up with her newest chart-toppers. “Drunk in Love” is one of her biggest in recent memory. Being such a popular club song, the lyrics “I’ve been drinking, I’ve been drinking…” kept club-goers partying all night long. However, some seem to believe that Beyoncé is a bit of a Game of Thrones fan, as “I’m a dragon, I’m a dragon…” is commonly heard in place of the real lyrics.

“Because of You” by Kelly Clarkson

America’s first American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, is one of the few winning Idols to have a legitimate music career, and it all began with her first big hit, “Because of You.” Kelly reassured listeners that, “Because of you, I never stray too far from the sidewalk,” but many buffet enthusiasts seem only to hear “Because of you, I never stray too far from the salad bowl.”

“Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” by Creedence Clearwater Revival 

Creedence Clearwater Revival is the quintessential classic American rock and roll band, and the famously misinterpreted lyrics in their hit song “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” are equally iconic and memorable. The real lyrics say, “It will rain a sunny day; I know, shinin’ down like water,” but the admittedly anachronistic misheard lyrics go a little something like, “It will rain of Sunny-D; I know, China don’t like water.”

While these are some of the more hilarious misheard lyrics out there, we all know that there are countless songs with even more twisted and hilarious translations. Which of these are you most excited to correct your friends and family about next time you hear them belt out the wrong words?

What Is a Subordinate Clause?

A subordinate clause is a clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence; it merely complements a sentence’s main clause, thereby adding to the whole unit of meaning. Because a subordinate clause is dependent upon a main clause to be meaningful, it is also referred to as a dependent clause.

Whether you use the term subordinate or dependent to describe the clause, this clause’s function is clear: it provides informational support to the main event of the sentence. This main clause will be independent: it can stand on its own as a complete sentence.

We can all go for ice cream.

This sentence is an independent clause. It has a subject and a verb, and on its own, it presents a complete unit of meaning: all of us are able to go out and have ice cream. (Hooray!)

But perhaps this isn’t all we need to convey.

We can all go for ice cream if I can find my wallet.

If I can find my wallet adds substantially to the meaning of the sentence. It is too soon to celebrate about our ice cream outing because there is a task at hand. We have to first find that wallet.

On its own, if I can find my wallet is a subordinate clause; it is not a full unit of meaning. If it was written separately as a sentence, the result would be a sentence fragment—your English teacher’s pet peeve.

If I can find my wallet.

What will happen if I can find my wallet? If a clause in your sentence leaves us hanging like this when set apart on its own, it is a subordinate clause.

Words That Begin Subordinate Clauses

Subordinate clauses will often begin with subordinating conjunctions, which are words that link dependent clauses to independent clauses, such as for, as, since, therefore, hence, consequently, though, due to, provided that, because, unless, once, while, when, whenever, where, wherever, before, and after.

They can also begin with relative pronouns such as that, which, who, whom, whichever, whoever, whomever, and whose. Spotting these words can tip you off that you are dealing with a subordinate clause rather than a main clause.

Why Do I Need to Know Which Clauses Are Subordinate?

Now that you can identify a subordinate or dependent clause, you may wonder how this information can be helpful to you. The answer to that is simple. It will help you to avoid hearing the words (from a teacher, editor, or coworker), “You should put a comma there.” Or the equally delightful, “You shouldn’t have put a comma there.”

Knowing which clauses are main (independent) and which are subordinate (dependent) will help you organize your ideas and place your commas correctly. The best part is, it is actually quite simple. When a subordinate clause begins a sentence, it has a comma after it. When the main clause begins the sentence, there is no comma to separate it from the dependent clause.

If I can find my wallet we can all go for ice cream.

We can all go for ice cream, if I can find my wallet.

If I can find my wallet, we can all go for ice cream.

We can all go for ice cream if I can find my wallet.

Comma Placement Level 2: Restrictive vs. Nonrestrictive Clauses

Punctuating subordinate clauses only gets tricky when they begin with relative pronouns such as that, which, who, when, where, and whose. Conveniently, this type of subordinate clause can be referred to as a relative clause. There are two types of relative clauses: restrictivenonrestrictive.

Restrictive clauses are sometimes referred to as essential clauses. This is because they are essential to the meaning of the sentences they are a part of. Elements of a sentence that are essential should not be set apart with commas.

I enjoy watching movies that employ lots of special effects.

There should be no comma separating the restrictive clause that employ lots of special effects from the main clause I enjoy watching movies because it is essential to the meaning of the sentence.

The opposite is true with nonrestrictive clauses: they can be excised from a sentence without altering its core meaning. Since they are nonessential, they should always be set apart with commas in a sentence. Often, nonrestrictive clauses will “interrupt” a main clause, as in the example below, and when that happens, you should insert a comma both before and after the clause.

Watching Star Wars, which has lots of special effects, is my favorite thing to do.

Without the nonrestrictive clause which has lots of special effects, the core idea of the sentence, Watching Star Wars is my favorite thing to do, is still intact.

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What Is a Coordinating Conjunction?

A coordinating conjunction is a word that joins two elements of equal grammatical rank and syntactic importance. They can join two verbs, two nouns, two adjectives, two phrases, or two independent clauses. The seven coordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so.

Meet the Key Players: FANBOYS

The best way to remember the seven coordinating conjunctions is by using the acronym FANBOYS:

For And Nor But Or Yet So

Of these seven, so can be used as both a coordinating conjunction and a subordinating conjunction. As a coordinating conjunction, so can link two independent clauses in a manner similar to therefore, and as a subordinating conjunction, it can link two unequal clauses (one independent clause and one dependent clause) in the sense of so that.

Coordinating conjunction:

We were out of milk, so I went to the store to buy some.

Subordinating conjunction:

Grace is saving money so she can buy her own horse.

Conjunctions That Connect Two Words

Coordinating conjunctions can join two verbs…

The children ran and jumped all over the playground.

…two nouns…

Would you like cereal or toast for breakfast?

…two adjectives…

The old castle seemed grand yet mysterious.

…two adverbs…

Slowly but surely, the turtle finished the race.

…or any two words with the same syntactical value. And and or can also be used to join the final two elements in a series, with commas separating the rest of the elements.

What I consume the most are candy bars, chips, spicy burritos, red wine, and antacid tablets.

Whether or not you place a comma before the and or or is a matter of stylistic choice. When you do put a comma before the final conjunction in a series, it is referred to as a “serial comma” or an “Oxford comma.” Despite the fact that it is recommended by the Oxford University Press style manual, most writers of British English do not use it. In the United States, however, it is quite common. It is arguable that when writing in American English, using the serial comma is the best choice because it eliminates any possibility of ambiguity and creates order for the reader. If your English teacher was of a certain age, you may believe that it is not acceptable to place a comma before words like and, but this has no true grammatical basis.

Conjunctions That Connect Two Phrases

The rules for using coordinating conjunctions to join grammatically equal phrases are the same.

He seemed poorly groomed yet well mannered.

By covering my past-due bills with a brick, I can put them out of sight and out of mind.

Conjunctions That Connect Two Clauses

Coordinating conjunctions, a.k.a. the FANBOYS, can connect two independent clauses. Independent clauses are so called because each of them can stand on its own as a sentence. We connect them with FANBOYS, however, so that we don’t spit out all our sentences like robots.

I love candy bars.

I know they are not good for me.

My doctor has told me this.

I don’t want to listen.

Coordinating conjunctions make these ideas sound more fluent.

I love candy bars, yet I know they are not good for me. My doctor has told me this, but I don’t want to listen.

When joining two clauses with a coordinating conjunction, always place a comma before the conjunction.

I don’t want to throw away my candy bars, nor do I wish to listen to my doctor.

I adore candy factories, and I want to own one someday.

Starting a Sentence with a Coordinating Conjunction

Perhaps your teacher taught you that you should never start a sentence with the FANBOYS. But the truth is, you can. (I just did.) The reason your teacher may have taught you this was to discourage you from writing sentence fragments. Once you are past that developmental stage, however, there is no reason why you can’t start a sentence with a conjunction. Let’s vary the examples above.

I don’t want to throw away my candy bars, nor do I wish to listen to my doctor. But I adore candy bar factories. And I want to own one someday.

Just remember not to overuse these kinds of sentences, because too many of them can sound punchy.

Conjunctive Adverbs

You might be thinking, “Wait! I know I’ve seen words other than the FANBOYS joining two independent clauses before. When will these words be given the grammatical recognition that they deserve?” Don’t worry, because that moment is now. The words you are thinking of do function similar to coordinating conjunctions, but they are classified as conjunctive adverbs. Some examples of conjunctive adverbs are however, moreover, namely, nevertheless, meanwhile, subsequently, and furthermore.

Off the beaten path: NaNoWriMo Writing Tips

Guest post from Matthew Quinn

It’s been said that everybody has got a book in them, but in these days of the big publishers consolidating, the small presses overwhelmed with submissions, and truly vast offerings available via self-publishing platforms like Kindle Direct and Smashwords, it’s more important than ever that people’s work stand out.

So here are some tips to make your NaNoWriMo project pop:

Draw your reader in. Noted science fiction author Ben Bova had a friend who edited movies for late-night television. In one episode, Bova had the hero throw a punch and then went to a commercial break; the film resumed with the bad guy being hit. This is how chapters should end, since the end of a chapter is often where the reader gives up on the book. Remember the Hardy Boys novels? Each chapter ends on a cliffhanger — and although this may be overkill, when used in moderation it can help maintain reader interest.

Funnel time. Consider writing early chapters in your novel to cover longer periods of time, while later chapters may cover progressively shorter periods. Michael Crichton’s Andromeda Strain is a great example. It’s last fifty pages cover a race against time to defuse a complex’s nuclear self-destruct device.

Be descriptive. Stephen Hunter’s Dirty White Boys is a great example of detailed writing. Passages such as, “a large dragonfly flashed in the sun” or “a starburst had fractured the left lens of Ted’s Ray-Bans; blood ran in a snaky little line from down the obscured eye” are descriptive examples of how an author can bring text to life. Be sure to use all five of your senses — authors tend to rely heavily on visual. Rather than repeat, “It’s cold,” describe many different things associated with the cold — including a character’s breath steaming on the air, the crunch of snow beneath his boots, etc.

Avoid characterizations. Villains should not be mindlessly evil, but have distinct motivations and personalities. Remember the credo, “Everyone is the hero of their own story.” For example, General Zod in the film Man of Steel wants to save the Kryptonian race, while in the musical Les Miserables, Inspector Javert believes himself to be enforcing law and order (both by hunting the fugitive Jean Valjean and infiltrating the student rebels to spy on them).

Engage the environment. In the novel, The Killer’s Game, the hero accidentally shoots a nearby electrical transformer. This leads to lots of sparks, dangerous loose cables, the lights going out, etc. that complicate an already-tense situation. Whether you’re writing a fight scene or a love scene, make sure that you think about the unique environmental complications that can make your story more vibrant.

All of these things will help your NaNoWriMo project shine. But don’t forget the most important thing of all — write! It’s better to write and revise later than write so slowly that you don’t get the project done.

About the Author

Matthew W. Quinn blogs at The World According to Quinn and has several stories available on his Amazon author page. Those interested in free samples can check out his Viking horror tale “Nicor.”

Spotlight: How Khan Academy Is Transforming Education

In mathematical language, a transformation changes a form without changing its value. If that doesn’t mean much to you, let Sal explain it to you in a short video complete with examples and diagrams. Salman (Sal) Khan is the founder of Khan Academy, an online academy that offers math, science, art, and other courses free of charge. Though there are no English grammar classes yet, students seeking to sharpen their skills can still benefit from the academy’s offerings.

Test Prep

Khan Academy helps prepare students to take many of the standardized exams required for higher education in the United States. One of these exams, the SAT, assesses “academic readiness for college” and tests students’ reading and writing skills. Anyone, even those not taking the test, can benefit from the videos, exercises, and full-length practice exams offered by Khan Academy in partnership with the College Board, the creators of the SAT. In one video, Sal addresses a sample question from the grammar section of the writing exam. In less than two minutes, he shows how to pick out the essential information to decide if the sentence is grammatically correct or requires modification. Students are no longer limited to preparing for the SAT by taking a paper sample exam and checking their answers with a key. With Sal’s videos, they learn why a particular answer is the correct one and the process that Sal followed to arrive at the right conclusion.

Admissions Essays

One of the most intimidating aspects of applying to a college can be the admissions essay. Khan Academy features a twelve-video series to help students write essays with confidence. The series opens with videos about how to write compelling essays, mistakes to avoid, how to brainstorm, and how to “take your college essay to the next level.” Actual admissions officers give feedback on sample essays in two videos. The series closes with writing tips and real-life stories from student applicants. One student commented, “This really helped. I was working on an essay as I read it. I made some changes based on this article.” For this student, Khan Academy was like a writing coach that guided him during the creative process.

Language Advocates

One of Khan Academy’s missions is to offer free education “for everyone.” Language advocates are a huge part of making this possible. Advocates are volunteers who translate Sal’s videos into their native languages or caption the videos with subtitles so that people the world over can enjoy the valuable lessons. Translators gain professional experience while helping an important cause. Rumor has it that Khan Academy plans to add English to its course catalog. Volunteers to review new grammar content, such as articles, quizzes, and videos, are signing up now.

Khan Academy is a nonprofit organization focused on making education accessible to all students. Did you learn what a transformation means in mathematical language from Sal’s video? Video technology and the Internet are now making it possible to share quality education with a wider scope of students. Like Room to Read, Khan Academy is changing how students in poor or remote areas receive their education. What other noteworthy nonprofit is impacting the educational community? Please check back next month to find out.