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 unambiguous as possible. One extremely common mistake that hampers clarity and can result in ambiguity is failing to have...
One of our newsletter subscribers wrote to ask us which phrase—”the reason is because” or “the reason is that”—is correct. Here are two examples of those constructions in a sentence: The reason we were late is because there was an accident on...
Which sentences correctly use between or among? I am having trouble choosing from among the three candidates we interviewed for the manager’s position. The contract dispute was to be settled in negotiations between the subcontractor, the electrician, the...
We talk about hyphens in several different articles on this site. One article distinguishes hyphens from en and em dashes. Another talks about open, closed, and hyphenated compound words. This article focuses on using a hyphen with adjectives. Start with a Quiz on...
Which of these sentences using the words criteria, media, or memoranda are correct? We will use several criterias in selecting our new office manager. Our most important criteria for an office manager is organizational skill. Before I interview applicants, I tell them...
Before we begin, let’s see what you already know. Can you tell which sentences correctly use drug and dragged? She dragged me to the doctor last week because I had been sick for such a long time. Until she was four years old, my daughter drug her blanket behind...
