January 3, 2023

Working with Quotations

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Setting up your quotations properly and knowing what kinds of information do and don't belong in quotes can make your writing more effective.

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December 26, 2022

What Pirate Talk Can Teach Us About the Subjunctive

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"If he be poor" is an example of the subjunctive, and it shows how piratey-sounding speech can teach us about this important grammatical mood.

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December 19, 2022

Is 'Have Got' Another Way to Say 'Have'?

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Some people really hate "have got," as in "I have got a lot of friends." But if you're OK with extra words, "have got" is an acceptable alternative to "have."

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December 12, 2022

It Is I Who Am? Or It Is I Who Are?

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Relative pronouns like "who" agree with their antecedents, like "I." So make the verb match the antecedent: It is I who am.

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December 5, 2022

Modal Auxiliary Verbs

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Unlike the standard auxiliary verbs "have" and "be," modal auxiliary verbs like "must," "can" and "should" have special properties.

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November 28, 2022

The Generic Pronoun 'One'

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One must not use the pronoun "one" in casual contexts or anywhere a conversational tone is required.

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November 21, 2022

'Palm Off' or 'Pawn Off'?

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If you have a Canadian quarter and you're in the USA, do you try to palm it off on an unsuspecting store clerk? Or do you try to pawn it off? The original expression is comes from a sleight-of-hand trick, passing something from one person's palm to another's. Which is why "palm off" should be your preference.

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November 14, 2022

Action Verbs (Not to Be Confused with Active Voice)

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When you want to hold your reader's attention, action-oriented verbs are often better than verbs that contain no action.

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November 7, 2022

Can You Use 'While' to Mean 'Though' or 'Although'?

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It's not always a good idea to use "while" to mean "though" or "although" because, in some contexts, its meaning can be misconstrued.

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November 1, 2022

What's an appositive?

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This is one grammar term that's pretty useful to know. An appositive is a noun that restates another noun, like "a nice guy" in: The company president, a nice guy, throws great Christmas parties. Here's the full story.

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