Grammar & Usage

Words in Disguise: Do these seem familiar?

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

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

A learned explanation that is not wicked hard

Putting Adjectives in the Right Order

You do this without even thinking

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

How to pick the right one

Using Bullet Points ( • )

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?

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

When each letter can be seen but not heard

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

We're here to help

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

Be dashing—and do it well

Commonly Confused

Commonly Confused

'Awhile' vs. 'A While'

There are rules, but who's listening?

Usage Notes

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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

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

Beyond 'simile' and 'metaphor'

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.
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Spelling & Pronunciation

Spelling & Pronunciation

10 Words You See But Don't Hear

How to pronounce 10 words with unpredictable stress and vowel sounds

Punctuation

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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!
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