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 ( • )

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

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

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?

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

Be dashing—and do it well

How to Use Accents and Diacritical Marks

You know, the markings above and below letters.

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.

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

A guide to plural and possessive names

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'
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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

The History of 'Ampersand'

How the '&' got its name
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