Converting Direct Speech into Reported Speech
This post is in response to a recent reader request: I would be grateful if you could write about these […]
A Plumb Interesting Set of Words
When I saw the following passage on the Simon Schuster site, I was plumb surprised: When twelve-year-old Jamie Dexter’s brother […]
Urgency, Exigency, and Moonshots
A reader asks: Can you explain clearly the difference between urgency and exigency? Thank you. Also, any thoughts on the […]
Pronunciation Guides
A reader, wondering about the pronunciation of caricature, asks if I would consider including the phonetic pronunciation of words I […]
A Lie Is a Lie Is a Lie
A web search for the term “crisis of truth” brings up more than a million hits. Public figures have always […]
Seep and Steep
The writer of an article in the Washington Post about the funeral arrangements for the late Queen Elizabeth II remarked […]
Does “Raze” Need “to the Ground”?
A reader asks about the sentence: “Vikings razed many monasteries to the ground.” Is not “to the ground” in this […]
Fringes, Fringes Everywhere
Lately I’ve been struck by the frequency with which I encounter the word fringe in the media. I can recall […]
Career and Careen
A reader asks: Could you clarify whether a car “careens” or “careers” off the road? Are both usable? The original […]
Punctuating Appositives
A reader requests clarification on the punctuation of appositives: I would like to see a piece on the punctuation of […]
Honest, Candid, and Frank
I’m always glad to receive topic suggestions from readers. Sometimes I may not quite understand what is wanted, but comments […]
A Tin Ear for Pronouns
Another of my certainties has been shattered. Like anyone who has tried to explain why we do not say “Jack […]