Copyediting/Grammar & Style
Latest Contributing Articles
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Non-Count Nouns
Non-count nouns can be very difficult to learn for people learning English as a second language. Here are some tips on how to use them, and a list of common ones.
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That Versus Which
"That" and "which" can be easily confused in writing, but with a few simple rules, these pronouns make more sense.
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Grammar Tips for Beginner Writers …
Beginner writer? Understanding verb forms is not as tricky as you think. Here are some hints for identifying infinitive, imperative, past and present participle verbs.
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Common Writing Errors
Writing errors cause readers to lose focus on the topic of the document, knowing common writing errors and how to avoid them helps readers understand the subject.
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How to Use the Semi-Colon
The semi-colon-a period on top of a comma-looks as if it can't make up its mind. There's good reason for that: It shows a separation of thought that isn't quite complete.
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How to Use the Colon
The colon-two tiny dots, one on top of the other-causes enormous confusion for beginning writers. Here's why colons are helpful and how to use them.
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The Spit Infinitive in English
Is it correct in English to split an Infinitive? A look at this vexed question of English grammar.
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The Difference Between There, Their, and They're
There are many homophones in English that cause problems for both native speakers and foreigners.
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Comma Rule No. 4—Interrupters
Sentence interrupters, a common feature of the English language, rely on the proper placing of commas to clarify their relationship to the sentence.
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Comma Rule No. 3—Nonessential Elements
Commas aid the reader by separating the main part of a sentence from a clause or phrase that adds extra information.
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Comma Rule No. 2—Separating Items in a Series
This rule sounds fairly simple, and it is-unless it's not clear how many items you have or whether or not the elements of a sentence constitute items.
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Comma Rule No. 1—Joining Independent Clauses
Use a comma to join two parts of a sentence if each part can stand on its own as an independent sentence.
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Common Grammar Mistakes to Avoid
Writing well is something every writer may aspire to do. Learning proper word usage is a good step toward writing better. Consider these tips on commonly misused words.
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Grammar: The Marks of Good Quotations
Quotation marks do a lot of the hard work of literature by representing written and spoken dialogue. These are called Direct Quotes.
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How to Identify an Adverb in a Sentence
Why is a word as versatile as an adverb sometimes so hard to identify in a sentence? This article offers hints on how to more easily recognize this part of speech.
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The Different Kinds of Clauses
There are several different types of clauses, and each type has a particular role that it plays within a sentence.
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Correcting Fused Sentences and Comma Splices
If writers can identify fused sentences and comma splices and know how to correct them, they are far more likely to get their messages clearly across to readers.
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Sentence Parallelism
When writers maintain parallelism, it provides balance to whatever they are writing and this balance increases the power of their words.
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The Different Types of Sentences
There are four types of sentences, and by using all four types writers can strengthen the impact of their words and avoid sounding overly simplistic.
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What Is Paragraph Unity?
In order to express points clearly and effectively, writers should construct paragraphs that are well developed, coherent, and unified.
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What Is an Adverb?
Adverbs are modifiers that answer specific questions. However, writers sometimes misuse adverbs because they do not fully understand the role adverbs play with sentences.
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Active Versus Passive Voice
Except in certain instances, writers should use active instead of passive voice because active voice is much stronger and emphasizes the main ideas writers hope to make
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Commonly Confused Words
Writers rely heavily on word-processing programs to help prevent spelling errors. Such programs, however, do not usually recognize words that are being misused.
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Correct Usage of Conjunctions
There are four types of conjunctions, but in order to use them correctly, writers must first understand the role each type plays within the structure of a sentence.
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One Simple Way to Improve Writing Skills
Rewriting unnecessary nouns as verbs is one quick way to develop a more active, clear writing style, improving the readability of a document overall.
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