Grammar & Usage

Usage Notes (page 3)

There Is No Such Word As "..."

We assure you these words are real

'Rather Than': Is It a Conjunction or Preposition?

It's both, and here's why.

The Adverb: A Most Fascinating POS

'POS' means "part of speech," obviously

The Ups and Downs of 'Carousel' and 'Carousal'

Around and around we go

What's the Problem with 'No Problem'?

Some people do not find it welcome

‘Fatal’ vs. ‘Fateful’

Warning: murkiness ahead

Do you have concerns about 'concerning'?

Some find it ... troublesome.

Is Justin Bieber ‘Iconic’?

Answering the big questions

When is it 'you and I'? When is it 'you and me'?

On pronouns in compound phrases

Can you feel 'nauseous'?

Or is it just nauseated?

The Mediopassive Voice: Does It Read Strangely to You?

When a verb turns on itself

Is It 'Chronic' or 'Acute'?

One is sharper than the other

The Tangled History of 'It's' and 'Its'

A tale of two really similar words

'One In The Same': An Eggcorn

Go with "one and the same"

Even More Usage Limericks

To annoy friends and impress enemies

9 Words Formed by Mistakes

"Wait, you were saying what?!?!"

Why Do We Have 'Pet Peeves'?

Adopt, don't shop.

Should It Be 'Different from' or 'Different than'?

Or is it 'Different to'?

Is it 'astrology' or 'astronomy'?

The difference is written in the stars.

Can You Really 'Grow' the Economy?

The word with many usage peeves.

Is 'Knots an Hour' Wrong?

Can knots only be a measure of speed?

'Exact Same': A Useful Idiom

It's redundant but harmless.

'Equivocate': What It Does and Doesn't Mean

It's all a matter of interpretation

Are Men Really More 'Affable'?

No.

'For All Intensive Purposes': An Eggcorn

What is an "intensive" purpose?

On Notional Agreement, the Majority Speak

When plural verbs meet singular nouns

How to Use 'Munificent' and 'Beneficent'

While we're in the giving mood

What does it mean to be 'on tenterhooks'?

The suspense is killing us.

'Veracious' vs. 'Voracious'

People are ravenous for the truth

The Double Negative: It's Not Unusual (Sometimes)

It's not the worst rule to break

Is 'Inputted' a Real Word?

And can people give their 'inputs'?

I'll Have the Us(ual)

Shortening 'usual': easy to say, hard to spell

C'mon, Of Course 'Myriad' Is a Noun

For a myriad of reasons

Can 'Momentarily' Mean "In a Moment"?

We'll tell you soon.

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

When you push a meeting, where does it go?

What's Going On With 'Nonplussed'?

Its recent usage is hard to shrug off.

'Whole Nother': Wrong or Right?

'Nother' is in fact a real word.

Is It 'Damp Down' or 'Tamp Down'?

We're not trying to be a wet blanket here.

Is 'Could Of' an Accepted Form of 'Could Have'?

Don't take this as an endorsement.

Is 'school' ever properly a verb?

Get schooled on 'school'.

Is it majorly wrong to use 'minorly'?

'Minorly' is ready for the majors.

What is the Plural of 'Money?'

The one thing we never have enough of

What's the Past Tense of 'Creep'?

This one's been creeping up on us.

What's the singular of 'scissors'?

A tricky, double-edged word origin.

Let's Talk About 'Anyways'

But you won't like it

We're Down With You Being—or Your Being?—a Square

It's about (you? your?) having your say.

You Can Use 'Whose' for Things

With one exception

Put This in Your Skill Set

Put correct usage in your skill set.

This Expletives Article is SFW

[Expletives retained]

What's this in the fridge?

I before E isn't enough to puzzle out this spelling mystery.

In Tech, What Does 'K' Mean?

A buzzword with a long history.

Should 'Toothpaste' Be 'Teethpaste'?

Twitter users demanded an answer

The Redundant 'Is' Isn't Redundant

What it is is…

'Author' is a Verb

Beyond the mere act of writing

'Self-destruct' is a verb. Does that mean 'destruct' is too?

Blame 'Mission: Impossible'

'Un-': You Don't Always Have to Be So Negative

When 'un-' isn't negative

What's the Past Tense of 'Shrink'?

Shrink, shrank, shrunk...shrinked?

How to Use 'Per Diem' in a Sentence

This term has three jobs in English

Is 'burnt' acceptable as the past tense of 'burn'?

Don't let either one burn you up

Can you start a sentence with 'however'?

Or is it a vulgarism?

'Muskrat,' 'Helpmate,' and 6 More Folk Etymologies

When logic meets language

Should 'aggravate' only be used to mean 'to make worse'?

A vexing usage controversy

Adjectives that Look Like Nouns

When words enter the realm of the mysterious

Can 'bemuse' mean 'amuse'?

The word actually comes from the Muses

'Whereabouts': is it singular or plural?

Don't let the '-s' fool you. Or do.

Can you say 'very pleased'?

Our answer may or may not please you

'Free Gift' and Other Redundancies

Not all redundancies are created equal

Getting All Worked Up Over 'Wrought'

And the havoc it has wreaked

Can a Ship 'Flounder'?

And can a floundering ship founder?

Is 'couple' singular or plural?

It depends on how it's used

Literally Everything You'll Ever Need To Know About Semantic Bleaching

Really

Don't Get Caught by 'Unawares'

Don't let this word trip you up

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

Of course you do!

Can 'Anxious' Be Used to Mean 'Eager'?

More importantly, should it?

Is 'gift' really a verb?

You might not like the answer

Can a single person be a 'troop'?

Many people are confused about this word

Can You Use 'Invite' as a Noun?

There's nothing new about this word

Using 'Lady,' 'Woman,' and 'Female' to Modify Nouns

'Doctor' works fine on its own

How Do You Modify an Adjective?

Use a dictionary—or use your ear

Is it 'Leg' or 'Limb'?

Yes, this really happened

Yes, 'Impact' Is a Verb

The verb got there first

Is it 'feel bad' or 'feel badly'?

We feel good about answering this one

'The Grammatical Equivalent Of...'

10 'Mistakes' that aren't wrong

Is 'notorious' always negative?

The word has a bad reputation

Is 'Go Missing' Grammatically Correct?

What about 'gone missing'?

'Aren't I?' or 'Are I Not?'

Why hasn't 'amn't' ever caught on?

Should 'Spree' Always Be Fun?

Is "crime spree" incorrect?

We Made You a Bunch of Usage Limericks

You're welcome.

'Between You and I'

Don't let this phrase come between you

Can 'hopefully' mean "I hope"?

Thankfully, it can

'Officious' vs. 'Official'

Nobody asked us. We just want to help.

How a Word Gets Into the Dictionary

Trust the process

Yes, 'Enormity' Can Mean 'Enormousness'

People have used it this way for centuries

Is 'Contact' a Verb?

Please don't contact us about 'contact'

Is it wrong to say 'very unique'?

The unusual case of 'unique'

5 Writing Rules Destroyed by the Dictionary

Omit needless rules

Is 'fulsome praise' a good thing?

Be careful how you use this word

Are Grammar Critics Making a Usage Error?

Can you define 'irony'?

When Words Stray from Their Roots

Awesome

Did we change the definition of 'literally'?

Literally every modern dictionary includes this definition

What's an initialism?

FYI

Is it ok to use 'mad' to mean 'angry'?

Is this dog mad or angry?

Is the word 'biceps' plural or singular?

Flex your linguistic muscles

Yes, Liaise Is a Real Word

And no, it's not business jargon

Yes, 'Positivity' Is a Word

We're positive

Arrant or Errant?

They were once the same word

Is it ever okay to start a sentence with 'and'?

FANBOYS won't save you now

Beg the Question

It's not begging at all
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