It is . . . that; or, How Not to Edit Jane Austen
The formula it is . . . that is common in academic writing Read More
Posts related to usage
MLK Day the MLA Way
Martin Luther King Day? Martin Luther King, Jr., Day? MLK Day? . . . Read More
When Not to Include
On the use of include to mean are . . . Read More
Overhedging
Some writers are timid—or pretend to be—about making a statement, so they hedge Read More
Former and Latter
There are many stylistic sins worse than using former and latter Read More
Critique versus Criticize
Claire Kehrwald Cook noted that critique as a verb “has not yet won full acceptance” Read More
Liberate Those Verbs!
Some phrases in English lengthen a sentence while adding nothing to its meaning . . . Read More
A Regrettable Shortcut: The Pseudo Conjunction With
The use of with as a pseudo conjunction weakens prose . . . Read More
Many or Multiple?
Multiple is often not a good synonym for many Read More
“Why Should We Sweat This Small Stuff?”
The notes posted here don’t concern small points . . . Read More