Grammar and Usage

Updated 02 November 2021: The word stupid is two syllables long. As an adjective, it can take both comparative and superlative forms. Stupid can take these forms either with a suffix (-er or ­-est) or with a preceding word (more or most). Both constructions are… continue reading

Updated 28, November 2021: Good vs. Well: as small and simple as they might seem, these two words can confuse writers. Knowing which word to use in a sentence often poses a challenge. Remembering Parts of Speech The key thing to know is that good is… continue reading

Onto vs. on to – its not always easy to differentiate between the two expressions. They sound identical, and when written out, they only look different because of a tiny space. You could be forgiven for thinking onto and on to mean precisely the same thing. However, there… continue reading

What are Pronouns? Firstly, pronouns are nouns, but they comprise a particular subcategory. Pronouns’ function is to take the place of other nouns. Here is an illustration. If you were writing an essay about Henry V, you would not want to say his full name… continue reading

The term “linking verb” refers to a verb that connects the subject of a sentence to information about the subject. Linking verbs do not relay an action but instead link the subject and the other statement details. Perhaps the most common linking verb is to… continue reading

Most of us know the rule about putting “a” before words that start with consonants and “an” in front of words that start with vowels but as it turns out, it’s actually more complicated than that. For example, here’s a question from a student: I’m… continue reading

A proper noun is a distinct (not general) name for a distinct person, place, or thing. When writing in English, proper nouns are capitalized all the time, no matter where you happen to see them in a sentence. Because they supply nouns with a distinct… continue reading

Writers confront many potential issues when they start writing out a thought. It can feel deceptively easy to begin a sentence, but many variables can complicate things. One of the most persistent complications is starting a line of thought with a conjunction, like but, so,… continue reading

One frequent error that writers make involves homophones, or different words that sound the same when spoken. Anyone who has ever had to choose the correct option between poor, pour, and pore can surely relate. Another homophone quandary involves the words callous and callus. History… continue reading