Spelling, Grammar, & Vocab Lesson (APPROVED!) OPEN!!!

[Seaz The Day]

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OOC thread!

Introduction of lesson:
This lesson will focus on how to improve your spelling, grammar and vocabulary. I will begin with a wall of text. You don't have to read it, but it defeats the purpose if you come here to learn and don't bother to read what I have given you to learn from.

If you only want help with one or two of the three, let me know. I'll take note not to correct you on the other areas.

Please read:
The reason I'm creating pre-made characters is because I want to focus on the lesson being taught. I will allow the option of creating your own, but it won't really matter. BUT RIGHT NOW I HAVE AN EXCESS OF PRE-MADES. PLEASE CONSIDER THEM. THEY FEEL UNLOVED...

To reserve a pre-made character, PM me your request titled "Study Group Request". It is first come, first serve and I will create characters in excess of demand so there is plenty of choice.

Otherwise, send me a brief profile of your own character with their name, age, looks (can be picture, anime or written description), personality and a little history. I'll format it correctly, so don't worry.

You can pick a text colour for your character or I'll assign one for you. I like to have different colours for each character as it helps differentiate between people. You can opt out of this.

If you intend to participate in this lesson as a student, please indicate as such in the above poll. I'm also allowing for others to give input as assistants, so please indicate this intention also in the poll. I'll give it a week and after the poll has ended, that will indicate how many pre-made characters I need to make.

Wall of text O.o:
Vocabulary:
Please see the examples of 'extended' vocabulary use in the following post, all which are bolded. Some vocabulary is more extensive than others, but both serve to add interest to the description and prevent it from becoming too boring.
I'll be helping you out as we go, but my universal tip is 'Use the synonym/thesaurus option found on any word processor, but DON'T go overboard'. If you don't have one or can't find it, either use the fabulous internet or use the help function on your word processor to learn how to use the synonym/thesaurus option.

If you know a word, but can't remember the definition or aren't sure if it's the right one, look it up in a dictionary! Even I do this and it really helps stop me making a fool of myself for using a word which I thought meant one thing but actually meant something else. Note from Blackbird: There's always reference.com for your dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopedic needs.


Spelling
Spelling is mostly a matter of proof reading, but it is never just a job for the spell checker. While it's good practice to run everything through a word processor or online spell checker, there are several things that any roleplayer should keep in mind.

Firstly, while most of us speak English, there are different ways of spelling certain words when you are from a different country. The most commonly seen example is 'color' versus 'colour'. While most people here will probably be using the 'American' way to spell most words, we must make an exception for other people such as myself who live in places like Australia or Britain and therefore spell some words a little differently. This is why I'll be overlooking any 'misspellings' which occur because of cultural differences.

Secondly, BEWARE! You must beware of Homonyms, Homophones and others like them. I'll give a brief definition.
Homonyms: Words that are spelt the same but mean different things. Can also sound differently (Example - Tie: 'I will tie the string' or 'He is wearing a tie'. Another - Tear: 'The tear drop fell from her eye' or 'The child likes to tear up paper')
Homophones: Words that sound the same but are spelt differently. (Example - Break/Brake: 'I will break the world record' or 'The driver applied the hand brake')

These kind of words will usually make it past the spell checker because they ARE real words and are spelt correctly, you've just used the wrong one. This is why you should always read anything you've written a few times before posting it and maybe even get someone else to check it too.
Sometimes you get a helpful Spelling and Grammar Nazi (like myself, naturally) who will point out small mistakes they might notice and thanks to the wonders of the edit button, you can either leave it as it is and remember it for next time or go back and fix it up.


Grammar:
This is more of an ambiguous subject in that there are many ways to write a grammatically correct sentence. I'll be focusing on the major stuff ups, so any assistants who see something I've left alone are welcome to politely point the error out and suggest a better way.


On Assistants:
I won't be requiring much help, but I would be happy to allow non-students to join in as assistants if you are: wanting to help out, wanting to join the roleplay but don't want help with spelling, grammar or vocabulary, curious about the lesson or myself as a brand new 'teacher' or any other valid reason.


Content outline:
This post - Introduction of lesson
Post 2 - Explanation of story
Post 3 - Pre-made characters
Post 4 - List of participants
Post 5 - Non pre-made characters
Post 6 - Also reserved

ATTN CREW: After waiting a decent amount of time for the mods who may have been planning a lesson themselves, I decided I may as well start creating a study lesson myself.

I won't start the actual lesson until I have approval, but I'll get everything ready.  

[Seaz The Day]

Explanation of story:
I'm picking a pretty basic setting for the story. It'll just be something very simple with a bare storyline. Find here a few examples on the use of vocabulary.

Location: "Lizzie's Coffee Shop". Somewhere in anonymous suburbia. ((Just a note, anonymous suburbia is NOT an actual place name. Many people seem to think it is.))

Description: Lizzie's Coffee Shop has both regular customers and a steady trickle of random caffeine chasers who've only been there once or twice.The decor is warm and homey while the beverages are exquisite. Lizzie herself often serves along with her coterie of friendly staff. The store also serves dainty desserts and hearty savouries which have gained a great reputation.

Weather: Sunny and pleasant, the weather doesn't look like it'll be bothering anyone any time soon.

Current events: Opening time! It's early morning and time for the customers to start rolling in. Today is the day the local food critic plans to visit. The critic is highly respected and is currently working on an article judging the best and worst small food businesses in the area. Lizzie has been under pressure from the bank and needs a good review to assuage their concerns.


Content outline:
Post 1 - Introduction of lesson
This Post - Explanation of story
Post 3 - Pre-made characters
Post 4 - List of participants
Post 5 - Non pre-made characters
Post 6 - Also reserved  

[Seaz The Day]

Pre-made characters:

Elizabeth Sillar ~ TAKEN
23, Female

Brown hair cropped just below the shoulders. Grey, piercing eyes. Pale skin. Long, oval shaped face. Black, thin rimmed glasses.

Wears white shirt with her nickname “Lizzie” sewn into the collar. She wears a long brown apron with her store name in white writing all down the front. All of her workers also wear this type of apron, though they wear name tags rather than their names sewn in like Lizzie.

She is often covered in flour, egg and/or coffee.

Lizzie is warm and friendly by nature. She speaks sweetly to people, calling them ‘hun’ or - if they’re a regular - ‘love’. It would be almost patronizing if she wasn’t so genuinely kind.

She started her business after her late mother’s cake store went under. She was devastated, so she sought to honor her
 memory.

Staff:
Ian Bruckman ~ TAKEN
17, Male
Black hair kept short. Green eyes, like olives. Tanned skin.
Thin face with a strong jawbone. Often unshaven but never has a full beard as he is too young.
Wears white shirt, apron and his nametag.
Likes to wear boots to work rather than the black, sensible shoes he’s supposed to wear. Is often affectionately told off by Lizzie.
He admires her, but there is no relationship between himself and Lizzie.
Is outwardly a typical ‘punk kid’, but to his boss and co-workers he likes to show his softer side. He would never tell his friends, but he finds a quiet kind of peace when baking and is the one who usually makes all the ‘girly’ muffins and cakes.
He got his job mainly because he broke the vase holding his grandfather’s ashes and had to work to pay for a new one. He paid for it months ago, but liked it too much and never left.

Jess Mitchells ~ FREE
20, Female
Blonde, curly hair reaching down to her lower back, but usually kept in a hairnet at work. Very light blue eyes and pale skin like Lizzie.
Heart shaped face and freckles across her nose.
Wears a black shirt to work, just to be different, but still wears her apron with pride.
She’s the best barista in the shop, whipping up mocha and cappuccino with ease and speed. Most regulars request her specifically and she knows their favorites off by heart.
She likes to pretend to be a dumb blonde when in actual fact, she is very smart.
She is Lizzie’s cousin and they are very close.


Customers:
Edith Marsden ~ FREE
73, Female
Grey, curly hair with a single dark strip down the back. Blue eyes and very pale, wrinkly skin.
Edith is your typical granny in looks, but she’s not a sweet old girl. She’s exceptionally grumpy, but as a regular at Lizzie’s store, has tempered out and is usually passably nice to the staff. She’ll often berate young men with her walking stick and find a bizarre joy in their discomfort. She always likes to wear her blue cardigan and any kind of eye-wateringly floral skirt.

Jack Cincinnati ~ FREE
32, Male
Somewhere between brown and black hair, balding and has the odd grey streak. Watery brown eyes and has an average tan.
Jack is very much the serious businessman. He doesn’t often stop in here, but managed to find time today as he missed his train and has to wait for his next one. Is usually pretty polite but today is feeling snappy because he has an important meeting he is going to miss because of the train.

Sophie Beckit ~ FREE
24, Female
Blonde, straight hair pulled back in a smart bun. Green eyes and light skin.
She is the food critic. She is under stress because of her cheating boyfriend and wants to take it out on whatever business she critiques next.
She tries to blend in with the other customers, so she likes to dress casually in jeans and a shirt.

Sam Cunninham ~ TAKEN
16, Male
Sam is one of Ian’s friends.
He has brown hair, which he lets grow wild and messy and matching brown eyes.
He lives up to the image of a careless teen in his baggy jumper and ripped jeans. He left his skateboard outside, but still wears his backpack. He likes to tease Ian about being a ‘sissy’ and won’t let up about it. He also has a huge crush on Jess, who is totally oblivious and doesn’t return the feelings.
His parents split and he lives with his mother half the time and his dad the other. She’s pretty controlling, so he prefers his dad and consequently plays one off the other.


Content outline:
Post 1 - Introduction of lesson
Post 2 - Explanation of story
This Post - Pre-made characters
Post 4 - List of participants
Post 5 - Non pre-made characters
Post 6 - Also reserved  

[Seaz The Day]

List of participants:

(I use my native Australian spelling of things like colour. You may use your own Note, your colour is picked at random. If you want to change it, let me know. Please try and keep only one person per colour. If someone else has your colour, speak to them politely in the ooc thread or via PM.)

Guide to post formatting:

[color=YOURCOLOURHERE] [i][size=18]YOUR NAME ~ YOUR CHARACTER[/size][/i]

YOUR POST
__
__
__[/color]

Teacher:
{darkblue} Seaz The Day ~ Elizabeth (Lizzie) Sillar

Assistants:
[Your name could go here] ~ [Your character's name goes here]

Students:
{green} Caliber Mengsk ~ Sam Cunningham
{blue} dragonhealer ~ Ian Bruckman
{red} xXMahou_NekoXx ~ Casey Allen
{darkred} Nekochild08 ~ Rena Hikari
{indigo} Ranryu_Santos ~ Daniel Skye
{olive} Xing Lynx ~ Hymesis Browning
[Your name could go here] ~ [Your character's name goes here]

Other/Unknown:
[Your name could go here] ~ [Your character's name goes here]


Content outline:
Post 1 - Introduction of lesson
Post 2 - Explanation of story
Post 3 - Pre-made characters
This Post - List of participants
Post 5 - Non pre-made characters
Post 6 - Also reserved  

[Seaz The Day]

Non pre-made characters:
Coming soon as you create them! (PM them to me titled "Study Group Character" please)

xXMahou_NekoXx
Casey Allen
17, female
Red ringlets sprouting up all around her head, usually tamed into a modest ponytail where the curls instead explode out of the scrunchie. Very light skin which gets sunburned easily and just plain turns red in the summer, mostly around the cheeks. She has pale gray eyes and a modestly curvy body.
Casey is a young little reformed party animal, she's let her hair grow back out and is trying to repair her tarnished reputation. She's never given the reason for this change, only that it's irreversible and that if someone wants to see green-duck-butt-haired Casey again, they should look in the year book. She's very sweet and friendly until you mention her previous life. She can get rather smart with you if she sees any weakness. She hides the fact that she imagines elaborate romantic situations with nearly every male she meets.

Ranryu_Santos
Daniel Skye
26, Male
Daniel has short dark brown hair that can be easily mistaken for black. His light blue eyes had a touch of gray in them, often being described as “stormy” or “smoky.” Today is his day off so he forgo his white lab coat and instead wore a simple white polo shirt/blue jeans combo.
Daniel is currently a second year resident at [edit] the local [/edit] General Hospital. Three months into his residency, one of the nurses he worked with recommended the "Lizzie's Coffee Shop" and he has been going there ever since if he has time. Personality wise, he is naturally friendly but can be professional when the situation calls for it.

Nekochild08
Rena Hikari
9, Female
At 3' 5'' and 45 pounds, she's smaller than normal and has a cheerful personality. She has long light red hair that falls down to the small of her back and dark green eyes. Usually wearing her school uniform, she can also be seen wearing a pair of shorts and a simple t-shirt, usually with a cute picture on the front.
History: Rena was born in and grew up in anonymous suburbia and has always made lots of friends with the other kids with her cheerful personality. Happy and polite, she's a bit of a tomboy and prefers running around with the boys over talking with the girls. Her favorite place to visit during the day is Lizzie's Coffee Shop since they make her favorite kind of sweets there, though she doesn't like the taste of coffee unless it has a lot of sugar in it. She visits the shop both before and after school; before to pick up a sweet treat for lunch and after to talk with the older customers while munching on a piece of cake and doing her homework.


Xing Lynx
Hymesis Browning
30, Male [To look at later. Xing Lynx, please see edits. Some spelling, grammar and punctuation was altered. Good work with the vocabulary, just need to work on the best way to use it and how to form sentences better.]
[edit] At 6'9" - a goliath in size compared [/edit] to the regular bunch of coffee fiends, Hymesis was born into a pretty wealthy,[edit][/edit] well off family that filled him with many [original=oppertunites] [correct=opportunities] in his line of career. It's not the Hymesis dream to work in a coffee shop, it's a money thing. His parents refuse to pay for his college entirely so he can get good morals[edit].That is why [/edit] he works there to pay his tuition. The Hymesis dream however, is to be an [original = architectual][correct = architectural] designer in San Fransisco and provide his favorite palace[palace or place?] [edit]with a more[/edit] [original = delicated][correct = delicate] look.
Not [edit] a very articulate person[/edit], Hymesis is a rather muffled speaker. Some people associate it with his curls that droop over his blank visage and his rather plump, pursed lips. It's no physical aspect of why [edit] he mumbles so much [/edit], he just isn't a social butterfly [edit][/edit].


Content outline:
Post 1 - Introduction of lesson
Post 2 - Explanation of story
Post 3 - Pre-made characters
Post 4 - List of participants
This Post - Non pre-made characters
Post 6 - RESERVED  

[Seaz The Day]

RESERVED

Content outline:
Post 1 - Introduction of lesson
Post 2 - Explanation of story
Post 3 - Pre-made characters
Post 4 - List of participants
Post 5 - Non pre-made characters
This Post - Also reserved