Grammar & Usage

A Guide to Using Semicolons

You too can become a semicolon master!

Hypercorrections: Are you making these 6 common mistakes?

When your 'correction' is incorrect

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

Be dashing—and do it well

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

How to pick the right one

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

The dictionary is always here to help

Using Bullet Points ( • )

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

'Lose' or 'loose'?

Keep this somewhere you won't forget it

How to Use Accents and Diacritical Marks

You know, the markings above and below letters.

Commonly Confused

Commonly Confused

The Difference between 'Race' and 'Ethnicity'

How they differ and overlap

Usage Notes

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Can You End a Sentence with a Preposition?

Yes, a preposition is something you can end with.

Is 'data' singular or plural?

Information is power

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'

Words in Disguise: Do these seem familiar?

Some words resemble other words enough to make you think you know them. You might not.
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Spelling & Pronunciation

Spelling & Pronunciation

The Many Plurals of 'Octopus'

But which is correct?

Punctuation

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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

To Use or Not Use the "?" in Requests

"Would you read this, please."
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