Category: Grammar Repair Shop

Which unforgettable writing lesson did you learn in school? Are there any you still use today? See if any of these ring a bell:

Correct any punctuation errors in the following sentences. Caution: Some sentences may ­already be correct, so don’t be fooled.

Is it one word or two? Take this quiz to test your knowledge of common spelling snafus:

The grammar police are applying full force to the rampant misuse of quotation marks. At least one web site and The Book of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks are documenting the sometimes hilarious application of quotations in inap­propriate places. Examples of publicly posted signs:

OMG! The Oxford English Dic­tionary officially approves of the three-letter “word.” Among the entries in its latest edition are a number of expressions that first became popular online but then crossed over into everyday use.

Grammar Girl has debunked these grammar rules, saying, “Almost everyone believes at least one of these myths”:

The slash or “/” is usually deployed when you need a quick and dirty way of saying “and” or “or.” Examples: “writer/director” and “and/or.” But, one reader asks, how do you make such phrases possessive?

Writers sometimes stumble over how to make words plural. Here are two tricky situations: 1. Family and brand names. 2. Decades and other numbers.

Which of these is correct? 1. Please book my reservation for Saturday, June 1st. 2. Please book my reservation for Saturday, June first. 3. Please book my reservation for Saturday, June 1.

You may know the difference between the two, but have you ever used one of these homonyms in place of the other? It’s easy enough to mistakenly type one when you meant the other—and not even spellcheck is likely to catch it.