You must never end a sentence with a preposition! How often did you hear this in school? I have good news: you can end a sentence any way you choose to. Ending sentences with prepositions is something I looked into. Thoroughly.
Let’s define a preposition. It’s a connective word that shows the relationship (in terms of [...]
Have you ever wanted to become an expert on alliteration? If nothing else, it’s such a beautiful word! Seriously, when one uses alliteration properly–especially in publications–it is subtly effective.
If you work on Web sites, e-zines, or print newsletters, this may be a good time for you to brush up on the amazing world of alliteration.
DEFINITION*:
Main [...]
Have you ever wondered if it’s okay to say, “The corporation had their records audited” or whether you should say, “The corporation had its records audited”? This is basically a subject-verb agreement issue. Let’s begin by reviewing what style guides say regarding this issue: “Is a corporation a single entity or a group of people?”
Let’s [...]
Do you get confused when the plural of a word doesn’t end in “s”?
“Criteria” is plural (like “phenomena”), while “criterion” is singular, like “phenomenon.” You have one criterion or many criteria. It’s easy to be confused, since some words (e.g., “data” and “media”) are the same whether singular or plural.
Examples: Elsbeth Oggert detailed the six [...]
The subject of using one space or two between sentences, especially for people used to typing exclusively on typewriters, often creates colorful conflict.
Here’s the history: when monospace (fixed-pitch) fonts, like Courier, were in wide use, it was traditional to leave two spaces between the period and the start of the next sentence. There were definite [...]
Maybe you’ve wondered about how to use the word “maybe.” Okay. Maybe, the compound word, is an adverb meaning “perhaps” or “possibly.”
The two words “may be” comprise a verb phrase meaning “might be” or “could be.”
Examples:
Maybe I will go out tonight.
I may be going out tonight.
If you’re uncertain about using the word [...]
Have you ever seen people get into a heated argument over the right use of the words “lay” and “lie”? It happens.
LAY is a verb meaning “to put” or “to place,” and needs an object to complete its meaning. (Lay, laid, laying.)
Examples
She lay the gift basket on the coffee table.
She had laid several gift baskets [...]
4 Paws for Ability, an organization that trains service dogs to assist people who have developmental or physical disabilities, has accepted six-year-old Tyler Grieb to receive a service dog.
Tyler, son of Scott Grieb and Emily Nehus, has been diagnosed with autism, a mild seizure condition, and a rare brain disorder called agenesis of [...]
Do you often wonder if you’re using dashes properly? Dashes have distinct uses that often seem blurred in today’s society. Here’s what’s best for writers and those involved in business writing.
Q. When do I use a dash in text?
A. A dash usually replaces a comma, semicolon, colon, or parentheses. When used this way, it creates [...]
Have you ever written a report or business letter and felt something was missing, but you couldn’t figure it out? It might be that you didn’t think to express parallel thoughts in parallel form.
Parallelism is very helpful when you’re creating documents that have items bulleted and numbered. It helps the reader quickly grasp your meaning. [...]
