i.e. or e.g.?
This article focuses on abbreviations for two Latin phrases. We often see i.e. and e.g. used incorrectly (and illogically), so it's easy to get them mixed up. (Elsewhere on this site, we have articles on many confusing word pairs, such as effect and affect, lay and...
Who or Whom?
I hope I am dead and gone when it happens, but I fully realize that one day the word whom will be designated by dictionaries as archaic, a relic from a bygone time. Languages are dynamic, and as fewer people make the distinction between the nominative who and the...
Hyphenating Compound Words
When two words come together to create a single new idea that expresses meaning different from that of either of the individual words, the result is a compound word. Sometimes compound words include a hyphen (not to be confused with em dashes or en dashes, which we...
Ending a Sentence with a Preposition
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 preposition." In some cases ending a sentence with a preposition is inappropriate because the preposition has no...
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 arranging them in effective paragraphs. Here we will focus on the humble sentence, with an emphasis on...
The Word ONLY Can’t Go Just Anywhere
Sometimes we aren't careful with the placement of words in our sentences and thus aren't as clear as we could be. Can you spot potential ambiguity caused by the placement of the word only in any of these sentences? The budget can only be balanced if programs are cut...
I or me?
Elsewhere on this site, we address confusion with myself and other reflexive pronouns. This article focuses specifically on knowing when to use I or me. Consider these sentences, which we will address in the discussion below: Harry and I will take the annual report to...
Begging 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 place?” Do they understand what "begging the question" really means? Nearly as common as the impropriety of government...
What Exactly Is Grammar, Anyway?
What Exactly Is Grammar, Anyway? Thanks to Martha Brockenbrough, since 2008 we have celebrated National Grammar Day here in the U.S. every year on March 4. It may not be a national holiday (at least, not yet; perhaps we need to start a petition!). It may be difficult...