NOT ALL ARE and ALL ARE NOT Are Not the Same

NOT ALL ARE and ALL ARE NOT Are Not the Same

Precision in language is critical. If we misplace even a single word or phrase, we risk changing the meaning of our sentence significantly. Such is the case with the difference between the phrases “not all are” and “all are not.” Often we hear...
Split Infinitives: Are They Really So Bad?

Split Infinitives: Are They Really So Bad?

Most of us were taught never to split infinitives, but writers have been splitting them anyway—even long before Star Trek provided us with perhaps the most famous split infinitive, “to boldly go.” Those of us taught to regard the split infinitive as anathema...
Ending a  Sentence with a Preposition

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...
Verbs First: Targeting the Crucial Action

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...
Begging the Question

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...