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The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

Burned vs. Burnt: Which Is Grammatically Correct?

Posted on Monday, May 8, 2023, at 6:00 am

If you leave something in the oven for too long, it's probably going to burn. That's frustrating, but even worse is having to make a note about it later. Was your food burned, or was it burnt? What's the distinction between the words? In this quick post, we'll discuss the differences between burned and burnt …

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How to Use Only Correctly

Posted on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, at 6:00 am

Any language has its accepted daily misuses, even as they miff the grammatical purist. In English, we might often deal in statements with solecisms such as: Please inform Sheila and I about the tickets. I must of left my backpack on the bus. Every dog has it's day. We're still in awe of the enormity …

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What Is a Sentence Modifier?

Posted on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at 6:00 am

A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause used to provide additional information in a sentence. The information is not vital to the sentence's meaning, but it often gives details that offer readers extra clarity. Examples I love when Samantha wears that jacket. Josef waited patiently for two hours. Kathy plans to work as a …

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What Is the Plural of Money?

Posted on Monday, April 24, 2023, at 6:00 am

We all want more money, but having lots of it stuffed into one sentence can become a grammatical issue. A common question we receive concerns how to treat the plural of money. In this review, we'll get to the bottom of how to treat money when we're referring to more than a single bill in …

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Should We Use There Is and There Are?

Posted on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at 6:00 am

There are too many orange M&Ms in this bowl. There is a lot of congestion on I-88 into the city. There's a piece of confetti in your hair. If you're an American communicating in American English, such statements are as common as corn in the Midwest. There is, there are, and the contracted there's are …

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A While vs. Awhile: Is There a Grammatical Difference?

Posted on Monday, April 17, 2023, at 6:00 am

If you want to write about an unspecified period of time, is it better to use a while or awhile? Is one version correct? Do they both mean the same thing? We've seen versions of this question appear in comments on our website. In today's post, we'll guide you through awhile and a while so …

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Compound Subject: Definition and Examples

Posted on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at 6:00 am

Michael plays basketball. Jeremiah doesn't trust pirate radio stations. Hailey dances in a ballet company. You likely recognize these statements as simple, declarative sentences that include basic components of grammar—namely a singular subject and a verb that agrees. When the subject position has two or more nouns or pronouns joined by a coordinating conjunction, we …

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Blond or Blonde: Which Is Correct?

Posted on Monday, April 10, 2023, at 6:00 am

Imagine that you are walking down the street and you accidentally bump into someone coming from the other direction. That person continues walking. Moments later, you realize there is a fifty-dollar bill taped to your jacket. You turn around, but the person has already disappeared into a sea of others. Shortly after, you text your …

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What Is a Comma Splice?

Posted on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at 6:00 am

Imagine you are driving down the road in your car. Picture the signs, lights, and symbols you see on the way to help you know where to go at which speed, as well as when to stop and go. Now envision what your route would be like if those indicators were absent or misplaced. Punctuation …

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Organization vs. Organisation: Which One Is Correct?

Posted on Monday, April 3, 2023, at 6:00 am

Let's say you're starting a group at your school or in your industry. You know you have a gathering of like-minded students or professionals. Would you refer to your group in writing as an organization or an organisation? On that note, why do we have two separate but similar spellings floating around? Let's answer that. …

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