The Oxford (or Serial) Comma: Using a Comma before “and” in a List
Writers frequently wonder whether a comma should go before the conjunction and in a list of three or more items. Despite the fact that not all...
“You’re Still on My Lawn!”: Our Resident Curmudgeon Bemoans Six Lost Causes
Word confusion and language-related lost causes are no strangers to this site. We have explored the lost distinction between the words nauseous and nauseating, the...
Style Manuals vs. Dictionaries
While there are certainly some hard-and-fast grammar rules (verbs must agree in number with their subjects, for example), many of the guidelines that people regard...
Uncharted vs. Unchartered
The corona-virus disease pandemic, which started late in 2019 (thus the name COVID-19), has given rise to increased use of a few confusing phrases and...
Verb Errors: Can Hardly vs. Can’t Hardly; Suppose To vs. Supposed To; Use To vs. Used to; Could Care Less vs. Couldn’t Care Less
In this article we examine four common verb errors. Can you spot the problem phrase in each of these sentences? We can’t hardly wait for...
