"Grammar" Blogs & Blog Posts

The small but potent comma might seem like an innocuous part of English grammar, but sometimes it can radically change the meaning of a sentence — as in the old example, "Lets eat, Grandma," vs. "Lets eat Grandma." And sometimes, a misplaced comma...

Firstly, allow me to apologize for the headline. Nauseating, isn't it? I know it isn't funny and I know it isn't clever. I just couldn't resist. I have already turned myself into the Apostrophe Protection Society for re-education at grammar camp. ...

Reader Sam* recently wrote to me with the following: A usage that surprises me every time I hear it is “meant” in the sense of “supposed” or “should be”.  For example, in a BBC news item today the correspondent said that there w...

The first day at a new job can feel a whole lot like the interviews you went through to land that job. You’re still nervous, excited, and desperate to make a strong first impression. Only now, you also want to get your bearings and figure out how e...

Even if you’re one of the lucky few who truly love their job, you probably don’t want your identity to be defined solely by what you currently do for a living. Jobs and careers change, but there are some core skills and characteristics that you u...

Rep. Jamie Raskin worked overtime on the Floor yesterday, schooling Lauren Boebert not only on basic facts about ex-president Donald Trump's disastrous handling of Covid, but also on basic grammar. Her poor grasp of the English language, he said, was...

HBO’s TV adaptation of the zombie-ridden, post-apocalyptic The Last of Us video game has dominated our Sunday nights as of late, not in small part because of the unlikely duo at its center: 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and the survivalist savv...