Grammar and Usage Archives

Grammar and Usage

One Word or Two: Anytime, Any Time

Do you wonder about the word anytime at any time? Anytime I stop to think about a word before I write it, wondering whether it is one word or two, it seems like a good topic to write about. If it takes me any time to… continue reading

Grammar and Usage

A Historic Day or an Historic Day?

Since Tuesday, November 4, commentators throughout the world have been speaking and writing about Barack Obama's election as President of the United States. I have been reading about what "an historic occasion" and "an historic event" his election is. I agree about the historic nature of… continue reading

Grammar and Usage

A Number, a Multitude, a Host . . . Are

This morning before my second cup of caffeine, I stumbled over a subject-verb agreement issue in instructions I was writing. Here is the sentence: If there is an odd number of participants, pair up with one of them. If there is an odd number? If there… continue reading

Grammar and Usage

Terrible Passive Verbs

This morning in my daily newspaper I read two sentences with passive verbs so bad that I had to write about them: Owen is thanked for his past 12 years of service. Republican McCraw is endorsed for lieutenant governor for the potential her skills and background hold… continue reading

Grammar and Usage

Too Many Tos

An error I am seeing constantly is the incorrect rendering of too as to. Just yesterday in an Email Intelligence class someone wrote this phrase to describe what slows down her reading of email: "to many words." That’s wrong. People occasionally let me know they… continue reading

graphic showing 2 people fighting over they should use "over" or "more than"

Grammar and Usage

Over vs. More Than

There’s a quiet war between the over/more than camps, and I took part in it last week. I was updating my bio on my web site when an associate cautioned me to replace my overs with more thans. Describing myself, I had written: In her corporate… continue reading

Grammar and Usage

When a Verb Says “The End”

The web-hosting company I use just emailed me to let me know my contract is being renewed. They used the wrong verb. Do you recognize it? We certainly hope doing business with us was a pleasing experience. Because of their choice of verb, I thought… continue reading

A White, Yellow and Blue background with the words "Ensure vs. Insure vs. Assure"

Grammar and Usage

Ensure, Assure, Insure

Updated 19 September, 2022: Barbara of the Bonneville Power Administration in Vancouver, Washington, asked me to write about ensure vs assure vs insure. I am happy to write from the U.S. perspective, and I am hoping my friends across the oceans and borders will enlighten us about any… continue reading

Grammar and Usage

“Sales Are” or “Sales Is”?

John from Buffalo, New York, wrote today to ask a question about subject-verb agreement. Because he is the guy everyone turns to at work when they have a grammar question and because he could not find the answer in three reference manuals, I am happy… continue reading

title graphic stating "email or emails: is 'email' plural or singular?"

Grammar and Usage

Email or Emails – Singular or Plural?

Email is? Email are? Emails are? We discuss below whether the word email is singular or plural and how to use it. One day no doubt all style manuals will jump in to provide an opinion, but now only the Microsoft Manual of Style for… continue reading

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