grammar

When Less Is More… I Mean Fewer

When Less Is More… I Mean Fewer

So, you’re checking out at the grocery store and you have eight items in your basket. The Express Lane clearly says “10 items or less” and you wait in that line. You stand there staring at the sign. Wait a minute! Was that was how you were taught to write at school? Surely “less” is wrong! Shouldn’t it be “fewer”? You’re(…)

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What on Earth Is a Dangling Participle Anyway?

What on Earth Is a Dangling Participle Anyway?

Some people remember that their teachers told them a dangling participle is a bad thing. But that’s all they remember! It’s hard to avoid dangling participles unless you know exactly what they are. First, a (present) participle is a verb form ending in -ing. Dancing, laughing, eating, drinking, sleeping, dreaming, and so on! (You can also(…)

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Discrete or Discreet

Discrete or Discreet

Perhaps the most difficult words to master are the ones that sound alike but have different meanings. I recently wrote an article about the distinction between compliment and complement. Someone asked me the other day about the words, discreet and discrete. They sound alike, but the spelling can be confusing. Discreet means tactful or unobtrusive.(…)

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E. I. E. I. – Whoa!

E. I. E. I. – Whoa!

Is it just me, or have you noticed that these two abbreviations are often used interchangeably? They shouldn’t be! While i.e. and e.g. are both abbreviations for Latin terms, i.e. stands for id est and means roughly “that is” or “in other words,” while e.g. stands for exempli gratia, which means “for example.” Not the same thing(…)

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Compliment or Complement

Compliment or Complement

Two commonly confused words are compliment and complement. It’s easy to see why. After all, they sound the same. Use compliment when you are talking about an expression of admiration or praise. For example: When I wear my new jacket, I frequently receive compliments. My boss complimented me on my punctuality and orderly approach to my work.(…)

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Apostrophes and Plurals

Apostrophes and Plurals

In a previous article, I ranted about the use of apostrophes for plurals. I hate them! Someone asked me if it was correct to make acronyms plural with an apostrophe. The answer is simple. No. It doesn’t make any difference. You shouldn’t use an apostrophe to make an acronym plural. For example: There are four ATMs(…)

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Ampersands

Ampersands

Just think of all the time you’d save if you could type an ampersand instead of writing out the word “and”! Despite the undisputed benefits, you’d be breaking style conventions and displaying bad taste. The style guide published by Johns Hopkins University makes the point well: Use only when the ampersand is part of the(…)

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Where Are Your Principles?

Where Are Your Principles?

Two words in English often cause confusion: principal and principle. After all, they have exactly the same pronunciation! You can easily figure out which one to use like this. See if the word, chief, would also work. Let’s think about a few sentences: The principal investigator is responsible for submitting the final report. I wouldn’t do that because(…)

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