September 16, 2019

Preventive or Preventative?

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The choice between "preventive" and "preventative" can stop you in your tracks. But choosing is easy.

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September 9, 2019

Evacuate

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Is evacuate a transitive verb, taking an object as in: evacuate a town? Is it intransitive, taking now object, as in: the residents evacuated? Are there ways to use this verb wrong? Here's everything you need to know about evacuate.

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September 2, 2019

Why 'Aren't I'?

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Every notice that "aren't I" doesn't follow the usual grammatical formulas? More logical would be "amn't I" or "am I not." That's why "aren't I" is a great lesson in the interplay of grammar and idiom.

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August 26, 2019

Sentence Fragments

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When you use sentence fragments on purpose, more often than not, they're a good choice. But when one slips in by accident, it's a big problem. Here's what you need to know.

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August 19, 2019

How to Write Academic Degrees

 

In writing, sometimes the little things are the most troublesome — minutia like how to write academic degrees. Here are some guidelines you can follow to make it easier to stay consistent.

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August 12, 2019

The Reason Why

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Should you choose "the reason that" over "the reason why" every time? Some people say yes. But it's not that simple. Here's what you need to know.

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August 5, 2019

Neologisms and When to Use Them

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Newly coined terms can be extremely useful, but you take a risk by using them. Here are guidelines for using them well.

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July 29, 2019

Mexico Take Gold Cup? Or Takes?

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Making verbs agree with teams and groups can be tricky. Here's what you need to know.

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July 22, 2019

The Power of 'The'

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The definite article "the" puts a burden on your reader. It says, "I already expect you to know which thing I'm talking about." That's why "the" should be handled with care. Here's a good way to understand it.

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July 15, 2019

Gauntlet vs. Gantlet

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You throw down the gauntlet and run the gantlet. But can you also run the gauntlet? Actually, yes. Here's the full story.

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