Grammar Rules & Usage Guide | Merriam-Webster

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'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

How to pick the right one

Putting Adjectives in the Right Order

You do this without even thinking

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

For example, the different ways to use them

What’s the difference between ‘cemetery’ and ‘graveyard’?

Graveyards are sometimes smaller, but not always.

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

And which is the United States?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Inexplicable silent letters, explained

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples

When each letter can be seen but not heard

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Be dashing—and do it well

Usage Notes

Can you end a sentence with a preposition?

Yes, a preposition is something you can end with.

First, Second and Third Person Explained

First, second, and third person explained

Are 'funner' and 'funnest' real words?

We got a whole mess of fun here, folks

Can you use 'comprised of'?

It's been in use for centuries.

Is it 'graduated' or 'was graduated from'?

No, this will not be on the test

Punctuation

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

The shifting role of the apostrophe

A Guide to Using Colons

We'll get to semicolons later.

To Use or Not Use the "?" in Requests

"Would you read this, please."

All About Ellipses ...

How to use them … and talk about them

How to Use Word Division Dots and Syllable Hyphens

Dictionary secrets, revealed!