Rule: Always spell out simple fractions and use hyphens with them.
Example: One-half of the pies have been eaten.
Rule: A mixed fraction can be expressed in figures unless it is the first word of a sentence.
Example: We expect a 5 1/2 percent wage increase.
Example: Five and one-half percent was the maximum allowable interest.
Rule: Hyphenate all [...]

If you question the necessity of punctuation, here is a story that should illustrate its power.
A professor wrote on the chalkboard: A woman without her man is nothing.
He asked students to correct any punctuation errors. While most of the male students saw nothing wrong with the sentence, most of the females rewrote the sentence as [...]

Regardless vs. Irregardless
Some words in the English language are so overused that we don’t notice that they are incorrect or don’t even exist. A perfect example is irregardless. There is no such word as irregardless because regardless already means without regard. The –ir prefix is redundant.
Sneaked vs. Snuck
Sometimes, two forms of a word may be [...]

Can you guess which word I see misspelled most often? Did you guess misspelled? You’re getting warm. Actually, it’s grammar. From my experience, I think it’s safe to estimate that 20 percent of the English-speaking world spells it with an –er ending.
Before anyone points an accusing finger at anyone else, we might want to explore [...]

Using bi or semi in front of time periods can cause tremendous confusion.
Biweekly means once every two weeks or twice a week.
Bimonthly means once every two months or twice a month.
In addition, a biweekly publication is issued every two weeks and a bimonthly publication is issued every two months.
Semiweekly means twice a week.
Semimonthly means twice [...]

Is it necessary to put a numeral in parentheses after you have already written the number in words?
Example: We will need two (2) chairs.
Conversely, is it necessary to write the number in words after you have already used the numeral?
Example: We will need 200 (two hundred) chairs.
If your document is dense, has a lot of [...]

Prepositions are words that often show direction; for example, below, above, over, under, around, through, in, out, between, among, to, toward(s). Other common prepositions include of, for (also sometimes a conjunction), from, with, like (also sometimes a verb).
Rule: You shouldn’t use or end a sentence with an unnecessary preposition, i.e., when the meaning is clear [...]

Let’s work with a few irregular verbs this week. Regular verbs change tense by adding an –ed.
Examples: I like to walk quickly.
I walked to the store.
Note: Do not use has or have with the past tense form.
Example: I went to the store. NOT I have went to the store.
Present Form (used alone or with will)
go
swim
run
Past [...]

This/That
This and that are singular. This points to something nearby while that points to something “over there.”
Examples: This dog is mine.
This is mine.
That dog is hers.
That is hers.

These/ Those
These and those are plural. These points to something nearby while those points to something “over there.”
Examples: These babies have been smiling for a while.
These are mine.
Those [...]

Although some usage guides insist that only farther should be used for physical distance (We walked farther than we planned), farther and further have been used interchangeably throughout much of their histories. However, only further should be used to mean moreover (Further, you hurt my feelings.), more extended (His further comments illuminated the meaning of [...]