Grammar

Knowing when to use commas with names and titles in sentences is easy once you know two simple grammar rules. 1. If a name or title is essential to the meaning of a sentence, and you can’t remove it, you don’t use commas. 2. However, if the name is not essential, and you can remove…

Limiting adjectives, like limiting modifiers, are words or phrases we use to modify nouns by including specific information about them. These adjectives limit or narrow the scope of the noun they describe. Unlike descriptive adjectives, limiting adds precision to all forms of writing. You probably use them all the time without knowing what they are…

I’m always reminding myself to stop using so, so often in my writing. But it’s not so easy. It is, along with for, and, nor, but, or and yet, one of the main coordinating conjunctions we use all the time. It’s rare that you would find writing advice to limit the use of the first…

The adverb especially, is a very common word we use in writing to add emphasis or precision to a sentence. We use it to say that something is particular or above all else. However, it can cause a little confusion when it comes to using correct punctuation. It’s not always easy to decide on the…

Is it worth taking the time to learn grammar for new writers? Today, you have so many online tools to correct, rewrite, and even auto-generate text, so why bother? But writing is more than simply being correct. It’s about developing your style, voice, and clarity and learning what works with your readers. The best way to…

Correct verb agreement with group nouns, or collective nouns, is usually quite easy because, generally, they are grammatically singular. For a singular collective noun, it needs a singular verb to agree with the noun. For example, The team is celebrating its World Cup victory. But sometimes, you can use a plural collective noun that needs…

Why do we pronounce the last E in recipe but not in the word recite? Only one letter is different in the two words, so they should sound the same. But that’s not always how English works. Unlike other languages, spelling and pronunciation in English are sometimes not the best of friends. Think of words…

It’s very common to use sentences that begin with there is and there are. But using these two structures too often can weaken your writing. Whenever you see one, it’s always a good idea to consider editing the sentence. Sometimes, it’s as simple as deleting the word there and moving the verb. There is a…

Phrasal verb redundancy is a common issue in writing. It occurs when the prepositions after the main verb serve no actual use or purpose. In most cases, it’s easy to fix by removing the extra words or replacing the phrasal verb with a single-word verb. When speaking, phrasal verbs add color, nuance, and flexibility to…

We all know that an ellipsis is a punctuation mark that consists of three dots (…). You can use it to indicate a pause, a trailing off, or an omission of text. But can it be four dots? Yes, and it’s grammatically correct because you usually need a period (full stop) if it occurs at…