Grammar & Usage

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

'A historic' night or 'An historic' night?

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

The dictionary is always here to help

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

What you really need to know

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

How to pick the right one

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

The whole truth about a confusing idiom.

Is 'Data' Singular or Plural?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

A learned explanation that is not wicked hard

Words You Always Have to Look Up

The dictionary is here to help

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

A case can be made for either

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

Be dashing—and do it well

Commonly Confused

Commonly Confused

Is it 'home in' or 'hone in'?

Both are used, but 'home in' does a better job of hitting the mark.

Usage Notes

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Can ‘criteria’ ever be singular?

It depends on what you base your decision.

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

A guide to plural and possessive names

Singular Nonbinary ‘They’: Is it ‘they are’ or ‘they is’?

Notes on a conjugation

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

8 Grammar Terms You Used to Know, But Forgot

Plus yodeling
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Spelling & Pronunciation

Spelling & Pronunciation

The Many Plurals of 'Octopus'

But which is correct?

Punctuation

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The Serial Comma Explained

Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?

The History of 'Ampersand'

How the '&' got its name

All About Ellipses ...

How to use them … and talk about them

Comma Splices: What They Are and How to Correct Them (or not)

Adventurous writers pull them off regularly

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

The shifting role of the apostrophe
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