June 26, 2017

'These Ones'

Of all the language grips I've heard over the here's, this is one of the most surprising: You can't say "these ones." It's illogical because "one" is singular. So is that true? Of course not.

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June 19, 2017

Can 'Apropos' Mean 'Appropriate'?

Sure, the words are similar. But are they interchangeable? Here's the full story.

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June 12, 2017

Peak vs. Pique

Never write that something "peaked" your curiosity. That's a job for "piqued." Here's the full story.

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June 5, 2017

Zero Relative Pronoun

When you drop "that" from a sentence like The car that I was driving is red, there's a term for that. It's called the zero relative pronoun, a reference to the fact that "that" is a relative pronoun, which you're omitting. Here's the full story.

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May 30, 2017

'Different From' or 'Different Than'?

"Different from" is always a safe construction, but "different than" can get you into trouble with sticklers. And it's true that, grammatically, "different than" is a bit questionable. But idiomatically, it might be fine for some situations.

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May 22, 2017

When to Use a Capital Letter After a Colon

Sometimes the first word after a colon starts with capital letter. Sometimes it's lowercase. That's because there are two variables to consider: 1. whether the stuff after a colon is a complete sentence, and 2. whether you're using Chicago or Associated Press style. Here's the full story.

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May 15, 2017

Can You Put a Noun in the Middle of a Phrasal Verb?

A reader once told me she hated hearing structures like "She ran him over." Shouldn't it be, she wondered, "She ran over him"?

No. Phrasal verbs, which are verbs like "run over," "give up," and "take down," derive their meaning from more than one word. But that doesn't mean you can't put an object in the middle. Here's the full story.

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May 8, 2017

Since and Because

You can, if you want, use since to mean because. But it's not always a good choice. In some sentences more than others, since can set your reader down the wrong path. Here's what you need to know.

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May 1, 2017

'The Reason Is Because'

I've been criticized by readers for using "the reason is because." The reason: it's a bit redundant. But that doesn't mean it's wrong. Here's the full story.

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April 24, 2017

Lighted vs. Lit

The hardboiled detective lighted the mysterious lady's cigarette? Or he lit it? Her face lighted up? Or her face lit up? Here's how to choose.

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