A Parallel Universe: Writing with Parallel Structure
Writers sometimes cause confusion by failing to make the elements in their writing parallel . . . Read More
Posts related to grammar
However: Where to Place It?
Where to place however when it means “but” or “in spite of that” Read More
Clearing Up the Confusion between You and I
Many writers substitute the phrase between you and I for between you and me . . . Read More
Verbs with Alternative Subjects
Should you use a singular or plural verb after alternative subjects—that is, two nouns joined by or—when one is singular and the other plural? A common practice is to have the verb agree in number with the second subject of the pair—in other words, with the noun that is closer to the verb . . . Read More
Do Like I Say, Not Like I Do
Some writers incorrectly use like in sentences, such as the title of this blog post, that require as. Other writers, wary of like, avoid the term even in sentences that require it . . . Read More
Colons: How to Use Them
Like a semicolon, a colon can connect two independent clauses . . . Read More
Using the Present Tense with Works; or, Othello Still Exists
When to use the present tense in discussing texts. Hint: the key is consistency Read More
Sins of Omission
Writers sometimes ask their readers to understand too much . . . Read More
Serial Commas and Serial Semicolons
Perhaps no mark of punctuation ruffles feathers more than the serial comma Read More
Singular or Plural? Sometimes, It Depends
When each part of a plural subject possesses something individually . . . Read More