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Than and Then: What’s the Difference?
Welcome! Last week we discussed lie and lay. We also tackled every day and everyday. So this week, I thought we’d take a look at than and then. For this lesson, let’s imagine that we’re in England,...
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Wherever you are today, remember to separate the city and the state—or the...
Welcome back! I hope you’re having a happy holiday. When I began this blog, I promised that I would focus on punctuation this summer. We’ve already covered commas and direct address, and today we will...
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When all is said and done, one punctuation mark is usually enough.
Welcome back! Today we are going to discuss one of my favorite pet peeves: Ending a sentence with more than one punctuation mark. Really, one is usually enough. Take these examples: • I wrote the...
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Do you know how to compare?
Welcome back! Pizzaioli, pizzerias, and pizzas! Whether talking about pizzaioli (people), pizzerias (places), or pizzas (things), we’re always comparing. Here’s how we compare three pizzerias, for...
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On behalf of . . .
Welcome back! Today we will discuss a popular phrase: on behalf of. We say it, but do we know what it means? Well, let me tell you. On behalf of means “as a representative of.” I bring this up because...
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The sign on the bus . . .
Dear Reader, There’s a new cable channel in town: Antenna. It airs many of my favorite TV shows from the 20th century. I recently watched an episode of The Partridge Family, and when that colorful bus...
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Wheel of Fortune: Is It a Sentence or a Phrase?
Dear Reader, Recently, while solving a puzzle on Wheel, I noticed a problem: The name of the puzzle (PHRASE) didn’t match up with the actual solution (SENTENCE). The solution was as follows: We would...
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Numbers and hyphens in compound adjectives: In the ad for Silk soy milk,...
Dear Reader, I recently saw this ad on TV: The manufacturer of Silk soy milk is asking consumers to make the switch from cow’s milk to soy milk. I have no opinion regarding the challenge itself (but...
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Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
Dear Reader, In honor of Dr. Seuss, I’m posting a special rule about punctuation and possessives today. And here it is! —Plural nouns, abbreviations, and indefinite pronouns that end in s show...
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Is it Light-Reflecting (Or: Light Reflecting) Properties? That Is the Question.
Before breakfast this morning, I checked my email and made my way through some trending topics and discovered the secret to glowing without makeup. One of the tips involves moisturizing: “Keep skin...
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