Single Quotes or Double Quotes: A Grammar Guide
Just because we communicate in English doesn’t always mean we use punctuation the same way. Americans use a colon to denote time (4:30) while the British use a period (4.30). Titles such as Mr., Mrs.,…
Tag: syntax
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National Punctuation Day: What It Is
September 24 is National Punctuation Day! Discover what this literary holiday is and how you can celebrate this grammar day in punctuating fashion.
Slash vs Backslash: A Grammar Guide
Not all punctuation marks have a long list of nicknames. Stroke, virgule, diagonal, right-leaning stroke, oblique dash, solidus, slant, separatrix, forward slash—all can be used for the slash. And there’s the backslash. No nickname required.…
Every Way You Can Correctly Use a Question Mark
Yes, I wrote an entire blog post about how to use a question mark and it wasn’t a waste of my time. Because, in truth, we all are afraid to ask our friends and peers…
For Real?! How You Can Correctly Use the Interrobang
When it comes to punctuation marks, the interrobang has by far the coolest name. But like its function, the word interrobang came from a merging of two words based on its two roles within a…
Holiday vs Holidays: A Grammar Guide
Happy holidays! Or is it holiday? With season’s greetings being shared so often throughout this time of year, it can be hard to remember whether you should write and say holiday or holidays. You want…
Are Split Infinitives Grammatically Correct?
Is it really okay to intentionally split an infinitive? That all depends on how you feel after reading the previous sentence.
Hyphens, En Dashes, Em Dashes — And How to Use Them
Hyphens, en dashes, em dashes — oh my! Let’s get the three versions of the dash straight once and for all.
This Word Makes You a Very Lazy Writer
We’ve all used this word when we think, when we speak and when we write. It’s very easy to do. See? I just used it. Didn’t catch it? Let’s try this again. It’s not an…