Choose the correct pronoun to fill the blank. 1. Neither Bill nor _______ showed up for the concert. a) him b) he 2. The boys brought _______ girls flowers that they’d picked in the meadow. a) us b) we 3. Just between you and _______ let’s not repeat the rumor that’s going around. a) me … Read more
How should references to amounts of money be styled? The key to answering that question is context. Casual, isolated references, as well as approximations, are generally spelled out, as in the examples below: “I’m just putting in my two cents’ worth.” “Remember when a candy bar cost twenty-five cents?” “I have only five dollars in … Read more
As a conjunction, that is often optional. But when two or more corresponding phrases are involved, employ it consistently or omit it altogether, as explained in the discussion and shown in the revision following each of these examples. 1. It is healthy to recognize that biases exist and everyone has them. In this sentence, “everyone … Read more
A few weeks ago, an acquaintance visited me, and as my visitor exited the parked car, I saw that it was still occupied. My visitor, standing before me, made a reference to “they,” but only one person sat in the vehicle, and I was momentarily puzzled. I have written here before about my support for … Read more
It may not surprise you that price and prize are cognates, but two other common words pertaining to value, and additional words derived from them, share their common ancestor. Price and prize stem from the Latin noun pretium, meaning “prize” or “reward,” or “value” or “worth.” Price is both a verb meaning “set value” and … Read more
An introductory adverbial phrase is often set off by a comma, but the comma can be omitted if no misreading will result. Short adverbial phrases do not always need a comma. The following sentences are written without punctuation. Insert a comma if you think one is needed. 1. After hearing the news the woman fainted. … Read more
1. A man’s home is his castle: a sentiment that a man should have freedom to do what he wants in his home (originally “An Englishman’s home is his castle”) 2. A woman’s place is in the home: a largely outdated notion that a woman’s activities should be limited to child-rearing and housekeeping 3. At … Read more
Finding the best writing apps for iOS can be challenging. Arguably the best word processor in existence, Microsoft Word, was designed with Windows in mind. Still, developers have answered the call and diehard Apple fans can still find several high-quality writing apps to help them write down their ideas. Whether you need a full-scale word … Read more
Many writers seem to assume that all verbs in a sentence must be in the same tense, but the tense for each verb should be appropriate to the context. Here are three examples of sentences in which a statement about a past event should reflect a continuous state. Discussion after each sentence explains the reasoning, … Read more