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
An idiom is an expression, common to a particular language, that often differs from the literal meaning of its parts taken as a whole. "A manifestation of the peculiar" is the closest possible translation of the Greek word.
Topics: idioms
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
Don't "wreck" your writing by misusing adverbs as adjectives, and don't "get lost" misusing adjectives as adverbs.
Topics: adverbs, adjectives, writing tips
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
Did you know that it is Mark Twain who gets credit for saying that everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it? He also wrote that thunder is good, thunder is impressive, but it's lightning that does the work.
Topics: vocabulary test
Sign up for our emails!
