Reader Sharon Wentzell sent us this question: “When you use parentheses at the end of a sentence, where does the period go: inside or outside the last parenthesis?” Answer: When you have a full sentence inside parentheses, and it isn’t positioned inside another sentence, it should begin with a capital letter and end with a […]
Reader Kelly Merritt sent us the following note recently: “Most people write ‘I am writing with regards to,’ or ‘in regards to,’ and I have even been corrected when using ‘in regard to’ … when everything I have read says that ‘regard’ and not ‘regards’ is the proper term. Which is the proper word?”Please also […]
Rule 1. Use effect as a noun when you mean “result.” Example: “The new budget exerted a chilling effect on our business.” Tip: Use effect when one of these words precedes it: “an,” “any,” “the,” “take,” “into,” “no.” Examples: “Before the new budget takes effect … ” “Out-of-date computers became an unintended effect of the […]
You’ve finished a key document draft. Now, it’s time to edit for clarity, conciseness, accuracy, visual design and tone. Use this guide to refine and polish your draft.
Most problems with possessives occur in these two situations
Grammar Repair Shop
Grammar Repair Shop
Problem: “I can’t remember when or how to type numbers 1 through 10 in a paragraph or a sentence. At some point, you must actually type out the number rather than the numeral, but when?”
Problem: Writers tend to either overuse dashes or avoid them.
Problem: Whether to use singular or plural verbs and pronouns with collective nouns that represent a group, such as “board,” “jury” and “staff.”
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