2017-03-20 04:31
When crafting “If (this), then (that)” statements, note that several varieties exist, distinguished by tense and probability. This post describes, with examples, various types of… Read More
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Daily articles on grammar, spelling, misused words, punctuation, fiction writing, freelance writing and more!
2017-03-18 04:49
Writers’ efforts to evoke a folksy or quaint sensibility by using a variation on the word old often fail because they use the wrong form. This post discusses the proper use of the vari… Read More
2017-03-17 04:45
A previous post lists words stemming from the Latin verb pendere, meaning “weigh,” and containing the root pend. This follow-up adds disguised words that have the same derivation… Read More
2017-03-16 04:41
Each of the following sentences includes a dangling modifier, a phrase that provides additional information but, because of its erroneous placement, confuses readers about what it is modifyi… Read More
2017-03-15 11:17
Often, the presence or absence of one word, or its location, can change the meaning of a sentence, or at the least affect the statement’s clarity. In each of the following sentences, i… Read More
2017-03-14 04:37
Each of the following sentences below demonstrates a specific type of error involving internal punctuation, usually involving a problem with a comma. Discussion and revision following each e… Read More
2017-03-13 04:35
Semicolons serve one of two purposes: A semicolon can act as a weak period to separate two independent clauses so closely associated that dividing them into distinct sentences might seem exc… Read More
2017-03-11 04:01
A variety of words serve to describe geographical features characterized by low-lying terrain between higher elevations of land. This post lists and defines many of these terms.
Valley, ulti… Read More
2017-03-10 04:56
This post details the permutations of abbreviations for courtesy titles.
As mentioned in this post, mister developed as a variant of master. (Interestingly, the newer title came to pertain t… Read More
2017-03-09 04:43
Each of the following sentences is structurally flawed because an interjected word or phrase is not correctly nested within or attached to another phrase that is itself an interruption in th… Read More
2017-03-08 04:32
Each of the sentences in this post demonstrates a distinct example of superfluous use of quotation marks to call attention to a word or phrase. The discussion following each example explains… Read More
2017-03-07 04:28
Writers are often confused by the complexity of hyphenation rules, mistakenly omitting them when their presence would help clarify meaning and inserting them when they’re superfluous… Read More
2017-03-06 04:27
Several idioms based on the word whistle are associated with politics. This post discusses the origins and meaning of “dog whistle,” whistle-blower, and “whistle-stop tours… Read More
2017-03-04 04:30
Yes, mister and master are related, the one originally being a variant of the other. They, and a number of compounds and some associated terms, all derive from the Latin verb magistrare, whi… Read More
2017-03-03 04:28
Vengeance, vindication, and a few related words are derived from a Latin word pertaining to punishment and retribution. These terms and their definitions are listed in this post.
The forebea… Read More
2017-03-02 04:23
Each of the following sentences demonstrates incorrect style for suspensive hyphenation; revise the style of the number as necessary.
1. For an eighteen or nineteen-year-old, it can just see… Read More
2017-03-01 04:13
The question of whether to use the singular or plural form of a verb in a sentence can be complicated by the distracting presence of a prepositional phrase—one that includes a preposit… Read More
2017-02-28 04:08
Several words available to writers seeking to succinctly refer to the entirety of a person’s artistic or literary works are listed and described in this post.
Canon, often confused wit… Read More
2017-02-27 04:05
Writers often mistakenly believe they are being helpful when, in the act of using a word or phrase in a nonliteral sense, they frame the term in quotation marks intended to alert readers, &l&hell…Read More
2017-02-25 04:14
The Latin verb portare, meaning “carry,” is the basis of many words pertaining to moving things from one place to another, as detailed in the discussion below.
The direct descend… Read More
2017-02-24 04:00
Roll, ultimately derived from the Latin noun rota, meaning “wheel,” is the basis of numerous idioms about movement, many of which are listed and defined below.
1. a rolling stone… Read More
2017-02-23 04:19
Each of these sentences includes an erroneous version of an idiomatic expression based on misunderstanding of the phrase’s meaning. Revise each sentence by using the expression’s… Read More
2017-02-22 04:13
In each of the sentences below, the subject of the main clause is not logically associated with the subordinate clause, so the former must be recast to begin with the noun or pronoun in the… Read More
2017-02-21 04:55
Following up on a post about words that originally pertained (or in one sense pertain) to military units but have developed nonmilitary connotations based on that sense, here are additional… Read More
2017-02-20 04:54
The interrelationship of words or phrases in a list of things set out in a sentence (known as an in-line list, as opposed to a vertical list) is often obscured by erroneous syntax. For each… Read More
2017-02-18 04:53
Guard is the basis of a family of words pertaining to protection; these terms are listed and defined in the post below.
Guard, from the French verb garder (formerly also spelled guarder and… Read More
2017-02-17 04:43
The words featured in this post have a word in common: the Latin adjective sacer, meaning “holy.”
The word’s direct descendant is sacred. Other terms include sacrament, whi… Read More
2017-02-16 04:26
All but one of the following sentences demonstrate incorrect use of a preposition; revise as necessary.
1. She is about to dive in to the pool.
2. I fell onto the platform.
3. When we disagr… Read More
2017-02-15 04:52
Parenthetical phrasing is often punctuated incorrectly, as shown in the following examples, each of which is followed by a discussion and a revision.
1. That’s why they choose to live… Read More
2017-02-14 04:40
The basic rule about referring to numbers, according to The Chicago Manual of Style, is to spell them out when the total is one hundred or less and use numerals for larger numbers (the Assoc… Read More
2017-02-13 03:39
Quotations consisting of complete sentences should always be capitalized, as explained in the discussions and shown in the revisions to the following examples. (Note, too, that each sentence… Read More
2017-02-11 04:03
Two recent posts (here and here) dealt with many of the English words based on the Latin verb vertere, meaning “turn,” focusing on those based on the root vert. This follow-up po… Read More
2017-02-10 04:59
The Latin verb placere, meaning “be acceptable” or “be liked,” is the source of a number of English words pertaining to agreeability. This post lists and defines thes… Read More
2017-02-09 04:49
In each sentence, choose the correct word from the pair of similar terms. (If both words possibly can be correct, choose the more plausible one.)
1. Any business leader with a ______ of sens… Read More
2017-02-08 04:40
There was a time when prefixes were routinely attached to root words with hyphens, but that time has, for the most part, passed. Now, hyphens are the exception, as detailed in the following… Read More
2017-02-07 04:35
Sentences that fail to observe a sound grammatical structure sometimes do so because a key word or phrase is not repeated (or balanced with a similar word or phrase) as part of an element eq… Read More
2017-02-06 04:29
The Latin adjective sanctus, meaning “consecrated” or “holy,” is the root of a family of words that sometimes but not always have a religious context. Definitions of… Read More
2017-02-04 04:28
A recent post dealt with many of the English words based on the Latin verb vertere, meaning “turn,” focusing on those that precede the root vert with a prefix, and their various… Read More
2017-02-03 04:31
Sister, from the Old English word sweoster and cognate with the Latin term soror, means not only “a female with one or more parents in common” but has also come, by extension, to… Read More
2017-02-02 04:34
Each of the following sentences includes a modifying phrase that is incorrectly or awkwardly placed; revise the sentences as necessary:
1. I told my parents I wanted to transfer many times d… Read More
2017-02-01 04:27
This post illustrates several types of sentences that incorporate excessive punctuation. Each example is followed by a discussion and a revision.
1. Much of what happened between the moment… Read More
2017-01-31 04:24
Which method of editing is the most effective one? Which content formats should be employed, and how many iterations are necessary? Ultimately, what works for the publisher is the best appro… Read More
2017-01-30 04:21
Three types of phrasal adjectives are treated according to the same basic rules, as shown in the following (erroneous) examples, which are discussed and revised below each sentence.
First, a… Read More
2017-01-28 04:27
The Latin verb vertere, meaning “turn,” is the source of a number of English words that pertain to shifting one’s position from the status quo. The list below defines many… Read More
2017-01-27 05:42
Brother, from the Old English word brothor and cognate with the Latin term frater and the Greek word phrater (both of which mean “fellow clan member”), means not only “a ma… Read More
2017-01-26 04:53
All but one of the following sentences demonstrate incorrect style for capitalization of place names according to The Chicago Manual of Style and other writing guides; revise as necessary:
1… Read More
2017-01-25 04:18
In each of the sentences below, awkward syntax results in a distractingly clunky flow that obstructs comprehension. Discussion and revision of each example tells and shows how to make the st… Read More
2017-01-24 04:41
Thanks to the Norman Conquest, and to the long dominance of France in European culture and politics, almost half the words and phrases in the English lexicon (including that of its American… Read More
2017-01-23 09:40
An in-line list is a list of related words or phrases within a sentence, as opposed to a vertical list, the items of which are formatted on separate lines, often highlighted by a number or a… Read More
2017-01-21 04:17
The Latin source of the element struct, the basis of structure and other words pertaining to literal and figurative building and unbuilding, is also the root of a couple of unexpected words… Read More
2017-01-20 04:49
Mother derives from the Old English term modor, which is cognate with the Latin word mater and the Greek word meter. (From the Latin term such words as maternal and maternity are derived.) T… Read More
2017-01-19 04:21
All but one of the following sentences demonstrate incorrect style for punctuation of appositives; revise the sentences as necessary:
1. My friend, John, is coming over today.
2. He was comp… Read More
2017-01-18 04:52
Each of the examples below illustrates a distinct strategy for shortening and simplifying sentences. A discussion and a revision follows each example.
1. You can go ahead and turn off the va… Read More
2017-01-17 04:18
n each of the following examples, placement of a phrase obfuscates the sentence’s narrative flow. Discussion and a revision follow each sentence.
1. Ultimately, it isn’t the stro… Read More
2017-01-16 04:17
In each of the sentences below, a phrase is erroneously treated as essential or nonessential to the statement when, based on the context, it should be the reverse. An explanation and a revis… Read More
2017-01-14 04:13
Father derives from the Old English term faeder, which is cognate with the Latin and Greek word pater. (From the Latin term such words as paternal and paternity are derived.) The term refers… Read More
2017-01-13 04:08
The bland verb think (from the Old English word thencan, and cognate with thank) is easily supplanted by any one of an impressive assortment of synonyms, each of which has a precise connotat… Read More
2017-01-12 04:01
In each sentence, choose the correct word from the pair of similar terms. (If both words possibly can be correct, choose the more plausible one.)
1. He runs the _________ from slapstick come… Read More
2017-01-11 04:54
Boldface type, which has a heavier weight than, meaning it is thicker than, roman type, is employed to provide emphasis but has a prescribed set of uses. This post outlines those uses.
In ru… Read More
2017-01-10 04:48
During much of the 1600s, the Netherlands was a world power, especially at sea, and this influence contributed to the English language in the form of borrowings from Dutch into English of va… Read More
2017-01-09 04:44
Here are a handful of tips that will help you produce clean, clear writing regardless of topic, intent, and audience.
1. Insert or Omit Hyphens as Needed
Adjectival phrases that precede a no… Read More
2017-01-07 04:47
The noun (and adjective) bovine, from the Latin term bos by way of the French word bovin, is the scientific word for cattle and related animals; it is one of several words in various languag… Read More
2017-01-06 04:59
The following words are related to each other and to words based on the element prob-, seen in a number of words ranging from probe to probable and derived from the Latin verb probare, meani… Read More
2017-01-05 04:11
All but one of the following sentences demonstrate incorrect style for punctuation and capitalization of quoted material according to The Chicago Manual of Style and other writing guides; re… Read More
2017-01-04 04:56
A family of words ultimately derived from the Latin noun quadrus, meaning “a square,” pertain one way or the other to the number four. Here are those words, more or less common i… Read More
2017-01-03 04:54
Often, when readers stumble on a faultily constructed sentence, the obstacle is merely one seemingly inconsequential word—or, more accurately, the omission of what is actually an essen… Read More
2017-01-02 04:43
The Latin noun probus, meaning “virtuous” or “worthy,” is the ultimate source of probe and probability and their variants, which are listed and defined in this post… Read More
2016-12-31 04:50
Each year, several major lexicographers release their word of the year—the term that, among the most frequently looked-up words during the previous twelve months, has most prominently… Read More
2016-12-30 04:54
Parenthetical marks can cause difficulties for writers—and, as a result, for readers. In each of the following examples, parentheses are misused; discussion and revision of each senten… Read More
2016-12-29 04:57
All but one of the following sentences demonstrate incorrect use of ellipses according to The Chicago Manual of Style and most other style guides; revise the sentence as necessary:
1. But I… Read More
2016-12-28 04:42
This post lists a number of words that were introduced to the lexicon by novelists and other writers during the nineteenth century.
1. actualize: Poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge came up with th… Read More
2016-12-27 04:49
Writers often mistakenly introduce intrusive “colonization” where it is not necessarily. In each of the following examples, as explained in the discussion, the colon is superfluo… Read More
2016-12-26 04:37
Despite the fact that the first two syllables of bogeyman are pronounced just like boogie, the antics of bogeymen, vaguely defined imaginary beings conjured to threaten misbehaving children… Read More
2016-12-24 04:19
The word cede and words with the syllable -cede share an origin with other similarly spelled words that in some sense refer to withdrawal. This post lists and defines those terms.
Cede, mean… Read More
2016-12-23 04:51
Numerous terms, many of them derived from colorful underworld slang, exist to refer to the action of cheating or fooling someone. This post describes the connotation inherent in some of thes… Read More
2016-12-22 04:58
All but one of the following sentences demonstrate incorrect style for treatment of possessives according to The Chicago Manual of Style; revise sentences as necessary:
1. I walked over to t… Read More
2016-12-21 04:27
In each of the sentences below, the omission of one comma (two commas, in one case) obscures the intended meaning. Discussion and revision following each example provides clarity.
1. It&rsqu&hell…Read More
2016-12-20 04:46
This post lists a number of words that were introduced to the English lexicon by novelists and other writers during the twentieth century.
1. beep: Scientist and novelist Arthur C. Clarke ca… Read More
2016-12-19 04:09
The en dash is the oft-neglected middle sibling of the horizontal-line family of symbols that serve to connect words and numbers for various reasons.
The em dash (—) is the dashing mem… Read More
2016-12-17 04:20
Pend, stemming from the Latin verb pendere, meaning “hang,” is used exclusively in legal terminology, as a verb meaning “be awaiting,” but it appears as the root of m… Read More
2016-12-16 04:24
What is a retinue, and do you need one? That depends on whether you need to be retained. This post defines and discusses the term retinue and its synonyms.
Retinue, derived from the French v… Read More
2016-12-15 04:17
All but one of the following sentences incorrectly employs or omits one or more semicolons; revise sentences as necessary to demonstrate correct use of punctuation:
1. We just need to meet t… Read More
2016-12-14 04:06
Because of the bewildering variety of abbreviations for scientific and technological terms and the inconsistency of treatment, writers and editors are advised to consult with publications li… Read More
2016-12-13 04:03
In each of the following sentences, omission of a hyphen hinders comprehension; discussion and a revision follows each example.
1. Two and a half months elapse between when the president el… Read More
2016-12-12 04:00
When a sentence includes a form of parenthesis—a word, phrase, or clause framed by a pair of commas, dashes, or parentheses—writers must take care that the statement surrounding… Read More
2016-12-10 12:38
Earlier this year, the Merriam-Webster website, which, along with its paper-and-ink version, is notorious for its laissez-faire approach to word usage, expressed an intriguing argument in on… Read More
2016-12-09 04:12
Colons frequently crop up as transitional punctuation preceding a quotation, but that particular punctuation mark is usually not a good choice, as explained in the discussions that follow th… Read More
2016-12-08 04:43
All but one of the following sentences incorrectly establishes a relationship between two things with a setup of “not only” followed by a faultily constructed counterpoint; revis… Read More
2016-12-07 04:38
This post outlines the use of abbreviation to refer to geographical locations and other references to location. Note that in general, such references should be spelled out; abbreviation is u… Read More
2016-12-06 04:44
This post outlines major conventions regarding the use of initials and abbreviations in association with people’s names.
Periods are used with initials in names (“W. E. B. Du Boi… Read More
2016-12-05 04:41
1. In a reference to the amount of medication provided to an outpatient, I read “three days’ supply for acute or chronic noncancer pain; seven days for cancer pain or palliative… Read More
2016-12-03 04:38
The word quarter has numerous senses as a noun, verb, and adjective, is the basis of several words beginning with quarter, and shares an origin with quart.
Quart and quarter come from Latin… Read More
2016-12-02 04:33
What’s the difference between an emigrant and an immigrant, and where do migrants fit in? The answer, for both questions, is that it’s a matter of direction.
Emigrant, immigrant… Read More
2016-12-01 04:29
All but one of the following sentences demonstrate incorrect style for numbers according to The Chicago Manual of Style; revise the style of the number as necessary:
1. Last year, 37 aircraf… Read More
2016-11-30 04:27
When should phrases of more than two words be hyphenated, and when should the constituent words stand on their own? The following sentences, and the discussions and revisions that follow eac… Read More
2016-11-29 04:38
This post outlines basic rules about abbreviations. There is a bewildering variety of standards, which will be explained in more detail in subsequent posts about specific categories of abbre… Read More
2016-11-26 04:32
Do the words apostrophe and catastrophe have anything in common besides a couple of syllables? What, if anything, does a punctuation mark have to do with a disaster?
The words, taken from Gr… Read More
2016-11-25 04:30
What, exactly, is dangling in a dangling modifier, and how does it differ from what dangles in a dangling participle? Most important, how does one go about undangling these sentence elements… Read More
2016-11-24 04:24
In this exercise you need to pick the sentence version that correctly uses parallel syntactical structure in providing a list:
1.
a) The resulting story was creative, engaging, and used dial… Read More
2016-11-23 04:21
Sometimes, word order in a sentence does not interfere significantly with comprehension of the sentence, but it does produce an awkward obstacle to clean reading. Here are several flawed sen… Read More
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