Passive Voice and Active Voice
If you use a word processing software’s grammar checker, you have probably seen a green squiggly line at some point indicating that your verb was...
Ending Sentences with Prepositions
Some so-called “rules” of grammar don’t hold up under careful scrutiny. Such is the case with the oft-repeated statement “never end a sentence with a...
Verbs First: Targeting the Crucial Action
We can improve our writing by focusing on any unit of style—from choosing the just-right word to sculpting clauses, sustaining longer sentences with grace, and...
What Does It Mean to “Beg the Question”?
Pardon Me—May I Beg Your Question? Often I hear newscasters say something like this: “Which begs the question—why was the senator naked in the first...
“Which” Craft: The Broad/Implied/Vague “Which”
Communication is difficult enough under the best of circumstances, so we need to do everything possible to ensure that our writing is as clear and...
