Double or single quotation marks? Even though each has a purpose, all too often the two are confused. And abusing quotation marks? It’s one of the quickest ways to look like a grammar and writing amateur. Did you see the ‘Remedial Chaos Theory’ episode of Community? It was hilarious! The ‘experienced’ player had only learned … [Read more…]
Nor vs or. Nor is a strange little word, one that I always think sounds a little formal. But it’s also a useful word, and one that it’s important to know how to use correctly. The definition of “nor” is “and not.” It is inherently negative and is used when you have multiple negative things. … [Read more…]
We all know the obvious “bad words,” of course. We often refer to them by letter: the F word, the S word, etc. But when it comes to writing, some surprising terms get lumped into the “bad” category. Two of the biggest offenders? “Was” and “had.” I’m not going to defend “was,” (what a boring … [Read more…]
What language do they speak in Great Britain? English. What language do they speak in America? English. So what’s the problem? Well, it’s not a problem, exactly, but there are a number of subtle differences between British English and American English, many of them involving spelling. Keep in mind that neither spelling is incorrect; it’s … [Read more…]
Irregardless… Is that even a word?!? When I was a senior in high school, I had Mrs. Krieser for my English teacher. She had been teaching for at least 30 years by the time I was in her class and was probably the most eccentric faculty member at my small town high school. I remember … [Read more…]