Punctuation isn’t just minutia—it shapes tone and clarity. Let’s analyze the suspensive hyphen, which is supported by major style guides and helps simplify compounds.
Articles Tagged usage
Hyphenation Headaches: Navigating -ly Adverb Rules
Should “cost effectively” be hyphenated? Learn the rules for compound modifiers, -ly adverbs, and hyphenation from The Chicago Manual of Style and beyond.
The Descriptivism–Prescriptivism War, Part 1: Battlelines
A tweet from Merriam-Webster defending “mad” as “angry” sparked backlash, emphasizing the descriptivism vs. prescriptivism debate that has long fueled heated language arguments.
Allow Me to Explain
Are you using “allow” and “allow for” correctly? Discover the nuances of these phrases and avoid common pitfalls in your writing with practical examples.
AP Style and the Serial Comma
It’s well-known that the AP Stylebook rules omit the serial comma, however, there are some lesser-known but important exceptions that help avoid confusion.
Grammar Bite: To Have and to Had
For writers and editors alike, understanding the nuances of the phrase “to have” and its past participle “had” reveals deeper connections between subjects and actions.
Grammar Bite: Bored With or Bored Of?
In this grammar bite, learn how your choice of preposition to use with the word “bored” can affect the tone and formality of your written work.
CMOS 18: A Deep Dive into the Latest Edition’s Updates
The 18th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style is finally out! To help you navigate the updates, here’s an overview of some of the most important changes.
The Copyeditor’s One-Reference-Work Challenge
Books—especially style guides and dictionaries—are a copyeditor’s best friend. If you could only afford one reference book, which would you choose?
Righting “More Wrong” and “Wronger”
My sons once asked me to settle their argument over whether it was correct to say “more wrong” or “wronger.” According to grammar rules, they were both right!
