Grammar and Usage Archives

A bunny searching through books with the words "Minute? Mynoot? Minoot?" above him

Minute? Mynoot? The Difference Between the Noun “Minute” and the Adjective “Minute”

When describing a small detail, is it a minute or minoot detail? Or Mynoot? Minute (MIN-it) is a noun indicating a measurement of time that represents 60 seconds. Minute (My-NOOT) is an adjective used to describe something tiny. Because both forms of minute share the… continue reading

A man with a magnifying glass looking at the words "Until 'Till or Till"

Grammar and Usage

What Do “Until,” “Till,” and “‘Til” Mean?

There is a common trend of unrelated words with similar spelling in English. To add more confusion to the situation, many related words have unique derived spellings, which can trip up writers. This is just the case with until, ’til, and till, which have strange and… continue reading

A graphic of a woman with her hands palms up in a questioning stance, with the title "nevermind never mind?" to signify to question 'is nevermind one word?"

What’s the Difference Between Never Mind and Nevermind?

Wrapping your head around distinct word differences can be tricky in English. Never mind and nevermind are great examples of this, as they are often intermixed throughout English Writing. So is nevermind one word? Don’t worry if you can’t tell the difference between these two… continue reading

Grammar and Usage

Can You End a Sentence With a Preposition?

Let’s discuss the main question of the day: is it allowed to end sentences with prepositions? Most sources say you shouldn’t. However, there may be some situations in which it is acceptable or even the best option. Like with most other English grammar rules, the… continue reading

A hyphen below the title: "When to Use a Hyphen in a Sentence"

What is the Correct Way to Use a Hyphen?

When used correctly, hyphens can act as powerful writing tools to join words together, link ideas, or simply enhance the flow of your sentences. That said, they can be quite tricky, so it is important to know some basic rules when using them. Let’s look… continue reading

Grammar and Usage

Spelled or Spelt: What’s the Right Spelling?

Don’t be fooled by thinking one of these words is a spelling mistake. Interestingly enough, spelled and spelt are two spellings of the same word. They act as the past tense form of the verb spell. Although both are correct, they have a dialect bias… continue reading

Should You Use “Never Mind” or “Nevermind” in Your Writing?

Some English language relationships are so interesting and intricate. Take never mind, for instance. Is it never mind or nevermind? The simple variance in these two terms is enough to make them function differently. In short, when never mind is used as two words, it… continue reading

A graphic showing three variations of the phrase "to follow up:" Follow Up, Follow-Up, and Followup

Following Up on Follow Up, Follow-Up, and Followup

Ever got stuck scratching your head about whether its follow up, follow-up or followup? Let’s shed some light here: “Follow up” is a verb form meaning the act of checking on something or pursuing further examination on a topic. “Follow-up” is a noun form describing… continue reading

Is Payed a Word? Or Is it Paid?

What is the proper way to talk about the verb “to pay” in the past tense? Is it paid or payed? The infinitive “to pay” has many meanings, most relating to offering something (most commonly money) to someone else, commonly in return for services or… continue reading

Infer Vs. Imply: The Secrets to Understanding Their Usage

Let’s have a close look at infer vs. imply. Is there a difference, and how do we use them? Here is the short answer: When you infer, you are using context clues to make an educated guess about the meaning of something. On the other… continue reading