Aug 3, 2007 · The rule of putting a period at the end of every thought would be simpler, except that in English, we’re allowed to include more than one thought in the same sentence. These thoughts are …

Jan 4, 2011 · Conversely, lists consisting of items more than one sentence long are cumbersome, and these elements are usually more effectively presented within paragraphs or as separate paragraphs. …

May 6, 2013 · Which symbol should be used with numbers: a hyphen (-), or an en dash (–)? The question may seem trivial -- a dash is a dash, right? -- but using the correct

Two words that sometimes get confused are “disparate” and “desperate”. They have quite different meanings, but they can sound very similar in some accents, and if you’re using autocorrect, you …

Sep 19, 2014 · “This is a picture of Sam and Jill and John and Mary’s time-share cottage.” (All four have joint ownership of the cottage.) “Sam’s, Jill’s, John’s, and Mary’s boats are tied to the dock.” (four …

Aug 30, 2011 · Where do the commas go in references to days, months, years, and time of day? Take some time to note these punctuation rules:

May 19, 2009 · The Washington State University language site says: These two spellings [cannot/can not] are largely interchangeable, but by far the most common is “cannot” and you should probably …

Aug 25, 2009 · Julius Caesar’s boast of Veni, vidi, vici is usually translated as I came, I saw, I conquered. The insertion of an and or of semicolons would spoil the effect by slowing it down or …

Oct 15, 2009 · Marshall’s grades have slipped, but he plans to apply to Harvard anyway. “Any way” is a paired adjective and noun meaning any particular course, direction, or manner: Chloe is willing to …

Jul 30, 2007 · How do you express numbers in your writing? When do you use figures (digits) and when do you write out the number in words (letters)? That is, when do you