Dependent or Dependant?
The Grammar Guru has learned something today, and she’s here to pass it on to you. The Grammar Guru was taught that dependant was not a word — that it was an all-too-common misspelling of dependent, and that dependent was always the correct spelling. Imagine the Grammar Guru’s surprise when, upon checking her references prior […]
A Question of Agreement
I’ve received an odd e-mail, but it raises a very good question. I’m answering it here because I just can’t believe it’s for real. A professional journalist would not be e-mailing me to answer such an elementary grammatical question. I’m pretty sure that the e-mail was a phishing expedition. So, editing out all the live […]
To Clench or To Clinch … That Is the Question
The Grammar Guru has received a request to explain the difference between these two words, to settle a fellow-editor’s dispute with her typesetter. Always glad to oblige — we editors need to keep those uppity typesetters in their places. According to Fowler, clinch is a variant of clench that appeared in the sixteenth century and […]
Subject-Verb Agreement With Intervening Prepositional Phrases
A fancy title for a simple concept. Another blogger asked the Grammar Guru, “Will you please teach people about proper subject-verb agreement — especially in cases where the subject may seem to be plural, but really isn’t . . . as in a flock of seagulls? I am getting quite sick of seeing things such […]
Do You Wear Your Everyday Jeans Every Day?
If so, I hope you wash them at least every third day. The Grammar Guru has been asked to address the confusion between the usage of the compound word everyday and the phrase every day. Yes, they are two totally different things. Everyday is an adjective used to describe something that is commonplace or not […]
And I Wondered: Is It All Right to Start My Sentence That Way?
An erudite reader has asked my opinion on the permissibility of beginning a sentence with a conjunction. This is an interesting case, as it’s one of the few times when I will tell you that your high school grammar teacher was wrong: It is not always wrong to start a sentence with and, but, or […]
Every Beach Was Crowded, and Each of Us Drank Something Different
When to use each; when to use every. Sometimes it’s hard to know for sure. I hope these guidelines are helpful. Each is a singular word that may be used as a pronoun, adverb, or adjective. When functioning as a noun, it always takes a singular verb. Examples: as a pronoun: Each of the girls has a […]
Now, Where Does that Period Go? End Stops and Quotation Marks
Dear Grammar Guru: Please tell us how to punctuate around quotation marks. I get confused, particularly if I have a word or phrase at the end of the sentence that I am setting off with quotations. This is a common concern to all who wish their writing to reflect knowledge of proper grammar. It’s not […]
When You Need Advice, Ask Someone to Advise You!
The Grammar Guru has been asked to explain the difference between advise and advice, two frequently misused words that should be easy to tell apart. Advise is a verb, meaning “to tell someone what they ought to do.” It is pronounced /ad-VIZE/. Someone advised him not to invest in widgets. Advice is a noun, meaning […]