Conventions of Composition Rule 26 Practice

1. Wrong: When Bubbe called him a gonif, I had to look up the word to know what she meant.

Better: When Bubbe called him a gonif, I had to look up the word to know what she meant.

Explanation: The two Yiddish words need to be italicized.

2. Wrong: If he had used um one more time, I might have screamed.

Better: If he had used um one more time, I might have screamed.

Also better: If he had used "um" one more time, I might have screamed.

Explanation: Italicizing or putting um in quotation marks both indicate that the speaker is talking about the word itself.

3. Wrong: Tracy wants her perro and her gato by her at all times.

Better: Tracy wants her perro and her gato by her at all times.

Explanation: The two words in Spanish should be in italics.