The bandage was wound around the wound. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes. After a number of injections, my jaw got number. Any wonder why English is so hard to learn? How well will you do on this week's vocabulary test?
The bandage was wound around the wound. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes. After a number of injections, my jaw got number. Any wonder why English is so hard to learn? How well will you do on this week's vocabulary test?
Topics: word test, vocabulary test
From time to time, even the most science-averse writers must cover a scientific term in writing. For example, is it Fahrenheit or fahrenheit? Is it Celsius and Centigrade, or celsius and centigrade? While there are several authoritative guides that should be found on the shelves of all science writers (The AIP Style Manual, Physical Review Letters, Astrophysical Journal, and The ACS Style Guide for chemists), the following are some general guidelines for nontechnical editors.
Topics: scientific terms
Idiom is language peculiar to a people or to a district, community, or class. It's also an expression in the usage of a language that is peculiar to itself either grammatically (as no, it wasn't me) or in having a meaning that cannot be derived from the conjoined meanings of its elements (as Monday week for "the Monday a week after next Monday").
Topics: preposition, prepositions, idioms
We're not talking about those parking spots in old-timey towns in America. We're talking about that 'slash' character (/) found on most keyboards to the right of the period. It's also known as virgule, solidus, slant, or forward slash, to distinguish it from a backward slash, or backslash (\).
Topics: slash
The notion that ending a sentence with a preposition is grammatical heresy was originally advanced more than three centuries ago by the venerated English poet and essayist John Dryden. Dryden, a Latin scholar, based his view on the fact that prepositions are never found at the end of sentences written in Latin. And given Dryden's reputation, it is no surprise that his sentiments forged their way into the grammar texts of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and eventually into the grammar classrooms of the twentieth century.
Topics: preposition, prepositions, preposition at end of sentence
Are you the reigning politico among the political junkies around your office water cooler this week? Or have you sworn to watch nothing but movie channels, ESPN Classic, and (is it this bad?) those cable sales channels? If the former, read on and test your savviness. If the latter, well, put that "Donald Trump is MY President" bumper sticker on your car, and reach for your clicker right now.
Topics: word test, vocabulary test
It is not uncommon to see commas, semicolons, and periods confused when it comes to joining two independent clauses for forceful and effective writing. Make your writing more powerful by understanding the proper use of the semicolon.
Topics: punctuation, periods, independent clauses, effective writing
Garth Brooks said, "You aren't rich until you have something money can't buy." Well, you're on your way to rich, because you have today's GrammarPhile blog post, and it can't be bought with money!
Okay, you're in a multi-person conversation, and somebody presents a provocative conjecture. A back-and-forth ensues in which facts are presented and arguments are made. A conclusion is drawn. Someone speaks the letters "Q-E-D." People nod and disperse.
Topics: abbreviations, Latin abbreviations
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