Category: Usage
-
Do we add an s to words like anyway, regard, and toward? Rather than give the noncommittal response I love to use, “It depends,” I will dive into the topic with a bit of detail. Some may say that it is all about American and British usage, but this is not always the case, and…
-
Whether to spell out numbers or use numerals is a matter of two things: context and style preference. Today, I highlight some things to consider when including numbers in your work. For clarity, in this post, words means spelling out numbers, as in four or nine, and numerals means using the numeric form (figures), like…
-
Cannot and can not are technically the same. The closed form is most common and usually considered correct. However, there are instances when can not (yes, two words) is preferred. This is what I’ll get into today. Along with today’s topic, I’ll also introduce some information related to comma usage. I encourage everyone to read…
-
Controversy, argument, debate—some people love serial commas, and others hate them, and generally neither side is quiet about their opinions. I’ve actually seen arguments get pretty heated—granted, no fisticuffs but close enough. Today, I’ll go over a few common points related to using or not using commas with a series of items. Perhaps this information…
-
Abbreviations, shortened words or phrases used in written work, come in many varieties. Today, I cover four—acronyms, initialisms, clippings, and contractions. (Terminology varies from one source to another, and if you think my four broad classifications are excessive, check out the more than thirty classifications here.) In this post, I review different abbreviated forms and…
-
Recently, I wrote about awkward plurals used in English, focusing mostly on the linguistic history related to why we say the things we do. Today’s post is a touch different. While there is some information about etymology, there are several other practical tips that can be used daily with plurals derived from Latin.
-
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my—this is easy to understand. But what about wolves and mice and geese, and why is it moose not meese? Awkward plurals in English are the bane of EFL and ESL students the world over. Even native English speakers can sometimes struggle to understand the confusing mess our language…
-
Few things are more upsetting than having an editor or proofreader “correct” something that is already correct. Yes, hypercorrections are as real as they are bothersome. Here are a few common misunderstandings that lead to hypercorrections. Consult the references at the end for further reading.