June 14, 2021

Mens, womens, childrens?

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The only thing harder than plural possessives like kids' is irregular plural possessives like children's. Here's how to put the apostrophe in the right place.

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June 6, 2021

Faulty Parallels

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In the 1988 film Rain Man, Dustin Hoffman's character said his brother, played by Tom Cruise, "yelled and pulled and hurt my neck," suggesting Cruise's character not only pulled his neck and hurt his neck but also yelled his neck. Here's what you need to know about faulty parallels like this one.

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May 31, 2021

Who vs. Whom at the Beginning of a Sentence

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"Whom are you talking to" sound too formal? Good news: the rules on when to use "whom" are even more flexible when it's the first word in the sentence.

"Who" vs "whom" at the beginning of s sentence.

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May 24, 2021

Indefinite Articles 'A' and 'An'

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"An" is what you use instead of "a" when the word that follows starts with a vowel sound. But it's not always eays.

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May 17, 2021

'Than I' or 'Than Me'?

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Is it better to say "He is taller than I" or "He is taller than me"? Both are acceptable, but if you want to stay true to the rules of syntax, "than I" is probably better.

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May 10, 2021

Loan and Lend

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Do you loan someone money? Or do you lend it to him? Good news: Either is correct. But lend is considered more proper.

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May 3, 2021

'Than I' or 'Than Me'?

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The choice between "He is taller than I" and "He is taller than me" can seem difficult. Traditionalists say there are strict rules. But your options are more flexible than that.

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April 26, 2021

Healthcare, Health Care, Health-Care?

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Both healthcare and health care are correct, depending on which editing style you're following.

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April 19, 2021

These ones?

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Some people believe you can't say "these ones" because "one" is necessarily singular. Not so.

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April 12, 2021

Mama or Momma?

Kinship names like Mama raise a number of questions, like how to spell them and when to capitalize them. Here's what you need to know. Spoiler alert: mama and momma are both okay.

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