Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

What you really need to know

The Misspelled Words of the National Spelling Bee

Are these the hardest words in English?

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

The dictionary is always here to help

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

How to pick the right one

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'Bring' vs. 'Take'

We can bring it if you can take it.

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

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

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

The whole truth about a confusing idiom.

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

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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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

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 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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