Writers and editors commonly misunderstand what we use the apostrophe for and what possession is. And this misunderstanding dates back to the 18th century!
Articles Categorized The Art of Language
Grammar, spelling, usage, style—this section is all about the mechanics of language. Improve your writing and editing by reading on!
Rewriting the Zombies: “Curate” and “Reveal”
Zombie rules seem follow you around like the undead, though some are just stylistic choices. Here’s a breakdown on the outdated rules involving “curate” and “reveal.”
Passersby or Passerbys: Clarifying the Confusion of Plural Compound Nouns
Should you use “attorneys general” or “attorney generals”? Here’s everything you need to know about how to pluralize compound nouns.
Directing Action with Light Verbs
A light verb adds little meaning to the action of the sentence. Interestingly, these verbs have the ability to both help and hinder your writing.
Centering Around Logic
Those who prioritize logic in their writing often avoid phrases like “center around.” However, this common idiom is not as bad as you think.
Is ‘Alternate’ an ‘Alternative’?
Are you taking an “alternate” route or an “alternative” route? We tackle this common grammar debate with a little help from the dictionaries.
2022’s Word of the Year
The end of the year is a good time to celebrate the words that represent the past 12 months. Here’s our breakdown of 2022’s words of the year.
Grammar Bite: “Action” as a Verb
Working with language can be puzzling, especially when dealing with business jargon. In this grammar bite, let’s explore using “action” as a verb.
Rewriting the Zombies: Using “Likely” for “Probably”
In this series, learn why zombie rules don’t work and what rule you can follow instead. This week, we’ll tackle the “likely” and “probably.”
Hyphenating X-Year-Olds Part 2: What We Actually Do
Would you write 56-years-old, or 56 years old? There’s more than one answer, so let’s investigate why so many writers disagree.
