Style Guide | Common Grammar & Style Issues
Life University Brand Standards
To / Two / Too “ To ”— Relates to direction :
He went to school . “ Two ”— Is the number :
He has two tests today . “ Too ”— Means also :
Mary has a test too . Or relates to a generic comparison amount :
He has too many tests today . NOTE : When it comes to placing a comma before “ too ,” the preferred style is to omit it unless it adds wanted emphasis or clarity to the sentence : I would like to attend the meeting too . I , too , find the meetings helpful .
There / Their / They ’ re
“ There ”— Relates to direction / location : Before Lyceum Park was there , the area was a parking lot . There are several other campus improvement projects underway .
“ Their ”— Is a plural possessive : Their offices are just down the hall .
“ They ’ re ”— Is the contraction of “ they are ”: They ’ re going to the café later .
Here / Hear “ Here ”— Relates to position :
Here is the brochure you requested .
“ Hear ”— Relates to listening : I always hear so many great things about Life University .
Its / It ’ s
“ Its ”— Is the possessive form : Its purpose is to involve and engage students in their own learning .
“ It ’ s ”— Is the contraction of “ it is ”: It ’ s called the Quality Enhancement Program ( QEP ).
Affect / Effect “ Affect ”— Is a verb meaning “ to influence ”: Attitude affects performance .
“ Effect ”— Is a noun meaning “ result ”: Overall , the effects of the workshop were very positive .
Farther / Further “ Farther ”— Relates to physical distance :
Public Safety is housed farther down Barclay Circle . “ Further ”— Is a definition of degree :
We ’ re taking health one step further .
Lay / Lie
“ Lay ”— Takes a direct object : Just lay the paper on my desk . The past tense is laid : He laid the paper on my desk .
“ Lie ”— Is the act of reclining in a horizontal position : I need to lie down . The past tense is “ lay ”: I asked the patient to lay face down on the table . The present participle version is “ lying ”: He is lying down . “ Lie ”— Also means not telling the truth . Past tense is “ lied .” Present participle is “ lying .”
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