plainwritingAffect vs. effect

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USAGE · 2 MIN READ

Affect vs. effect, in one line

A is for action. E is for the end result.

MBy Mara Ellis · Updated last week

affect

verb · to act on

→

effect

noun · the result

The rule

If something is doing it, you want affect. If you’re naming what happened, you want effect.

✓The rain affected the game.

✓The effect was a two-hour delay.

✕The rain ~~effected~~ the game.

The rare one. Effect can be a verb that means to bring about: the new manager effected real change. If you’re not sure, you want affect.

QUICK CHECK

The noise ____ my focus all afternoon.

affectedeffected

Something is acting on her focus: action, so affect.

plainwritingLess or fewer

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USAGE · 2 MIN READ

Less or fewer? Count it.

One question settles it: can you put a number in front of it?

MBy Mara Ellis · Updated last week

fewer cups

you can count them

less coffee

you can’t

The rule

Use fewer for things you can count, and less for things you can’t.

✓fewer calls, fewer emails, fewer than ten items

✓less noise, less time, less water

✕~~less~~ mistakes than last time

Money and time. We think of them as amounts, so they take less: less than $20, less than an hour.

QUICK CHECK

____ people came than we expected.

LessFewer

You could count the people: fewer.

plainwritingParallel structure

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GRAMMAR · 3 MIN READ

Parallel structure, simply

Things in a list should match, the way rails run side by side.

MBy Mara Ellis · Updated last week

readinghikingcooking✓ matched

readinghikingto cook✕ off the rails

The rule

Every item in a list takes the same form: all ‑ing, all to ___, all nouns.

✓She liked reading, hiking, and cooking.

✕She liked reading, hiking, and ~~to cook~~.

Pairs want matching halves

✓not only fast but also cheap

✓either by bus or by train

QUICK CHECK

He likes running, swimming, and ____.

to bikebiking

Running, swimming, biking: three -ing words.

plainwritingIts or it's

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PUNCTUATION · 2 MIN READ

Its or it’s?

Read it as “it is.” If that works, it gets the apostrophe.

MBy Mara Ellis · Updated last week

it’s=it is · it has

its=belonging to it

The rule

It’s means it is or it has. Its shows ownership, and like the other possessive pronouns it never takes an apostrophe.

hishersitsourstheirsno apostrophes, ever

✓It’s late.

✓The dog wagged its tail.

✕The phone lost ~~it’s~~ signal.

QUICK CHECK

The phone lost ____ signal.

itsit’s

“The phone lost it is signal” doesn’t work, so no apostrophe.

plainwritingComma before and

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PUNCTUATION · 3 MIN READ

When and needs a comma

Put a comma before and when it joins two complete sentences.

MBy Mara Ellis · Updated last week

I called,andshe answered

two complete sentences · comma + and

The test

Cover the and. Can each side stand alone as a sentence? Then the comma goes in, however short they are.

✓I called, and she answered.

✓I called and left a message. (one subject, no comma)

✕The line went dead and I tried again. (two sentences need the comma)

The list comma. In a list of three or more, a comma before the last and is common: red, white, and blue.

QUICK CHECK

The line went dead ____ I tried again.

and, and

Both sides stand alone: comma, then and.

plainwritingThe semicolon

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PUNCTUATION · 2 MIN READ

The semicolon in one rule

A semicolon joins two complete sentences that belong together.

MBy Mara Ellis · Updated last week

The line went dead;I tried again

a hinge between two whole sentences

Three ways it shows up

Between two sentences: The line went dead; I tried again.
Before however or therefore: It rained; however, the game went on.
In lists that already have commas: Austin, Texas; Boston, Massachusetts; and Reno, Nevada.

✕I tried again; but it rang out. (after a semicolon, no and or but)

QUICK CHECK

It was late ____ the café was closed.

late, thelate; the

Two whole sentences, no and: a semicolon.

mathsheetGeometry formulas

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mathsheetPrintable

Geometry formulas you actually use

Area, perimeter and volume, with the picture next to each one.

Circle

A = πr²

C = 2πr

Triangle

A = ½ · b · h

Right triangle

a² + b² = c²

Rectangle

A = l · w

P = 2l + 2w

Box

V = l · w · h

Cylinder

V = πr²h

Try it. A circle has radius 3. Its area is 9π, about 28.3.

You’ll see most of these printed at the start of a test’s math section; knowing them saves time.

mathsheetSlope

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Slope, the formula

Rise over run: how much the line climbs for each step across.

m = y₂ − y₁x₂ − x₁ = 7 − 15 − 2 = 2

positive

negative

zero

undefined

Slope-intercept form. y = mx + b, where m is the slope and b is where the line crosses the y-axis.

You’ll see most of these printed at the start of a test’s math section; knowing them saves time.

The browser, r2

1 · Her searches

2 · The SAT concept pages

Affect vs. effect, in one line

The rule

Less or fewer? Count it.

The rule

Parallel structure, simply

The rule

Pairs want matching halves

Its or it’s?

The rule

When and needs a comma

The test

The semicolon in one rule

Three ways it shows up

Geometry formulas you actually use

Slope, the formula

3 · Other sites, polished