Can You Use “Though” to Begin a Sentence?

though although

Though these are common words, questions crop up now and then about though, although, in spite of, and despite. One thing is for certain: these words are similar in meaning. The difference lies in the fact that they are different parts of speech. Let’s take a look at though and although first. They are conjunctions and can be used interchangeably as such. The government says the economy is improving, although people do not seem to feel it. Replacing although with though does not change the meaning. The government says the economy is improving, though people do not seem to feel [Read more…]

Eschewing the Exotic for the Quotidian

Exotic Birds

I like experiencing strange, new things. Not too new and too strange, mind you. I am not that adventurous, but I have found that new experiences almost always brings positive results. When it comes to words, I also like learning new words and using them whenever possible, as naturally as possible. I do not know what you think about using new and uncommon words as often as you can, but I honestly would not be surprised if we share the same sentiment. I have to admit, that sometimes, I do have the propensity to choose words that may not be [Read more…]

Quotation Marks and Other Punctuation Marks

Punctuation marks

The debate on how to use quotation marks has been raging for a very long time, probably just as long as any other grammar issue. Perhaps one of the main things that bother people is how quotation marks are used unnecessarily. There is another issue about quotation marks that often come up: how they are used in tandem with other punctuation marks. Commas and periods Commas and periods – we’ve all used them in our sentences. We know where to put them. But what if there are quotation marks? Where do we put the period or comma? Inside? I had [Read more…]

Who’s Who and the Blues

Subject-verb agreement

Who reads The Washington Post on a regular basis? I have to admit that I do not, but I still look up to them. Who doesn’t? It seems, though, that their writers are but human just like the rest of us. Recently, a reader pointed out a mistake that some grammar nazis enthusiasts will find more than egregious, if there is such a thing. The mistake? Something that is basic to the English language: subject-verb agreement. I have not been teaching English for almost a year now, but I still do remember that this grammar point is one of the [Read more…]

Surprising Grammar Mistakes

Simpsons t-shirt

We all make mistakes, and sometimes, we may not even know they are mistakes. Every speaker of the English language commits mistakes. Some may be minor and forgivable, while others ought to be pointed out and corrected. This is especially true for mistakes that have become ingrained into everyday speech that people already think they are correct. Recently, I came across the t-shirt above, making me think about grammar practices that have become so common that it may come as a surprise to some that they are actually incorrect! Let’s take a look at some of them, shall we? Try [Read more…]

Tweeting, Googling, and Capitalization

Google Before You Tweet

Do you still remember the days when everyone knew that “tweet” referred to the sound that birds make? Those were the days when there was no confusion as to what the speaker meant. How about the days when your mom may not have known what you meant when you said “Google”? Those days are long gone, and these two words have become so pervasive that even little children know what they mean. More so, kids use them on a regular basis! There is one thing about the use of the words “Twitter”, “Google”, and their derivatives that may not be [Read more…]

Are You Disinterested or Uninterested?

Confused Art

The English language is such a beautiful thing, isn’t it? That is not to say that it is always simple. In fact, even native speakers make mistakes now and then. Even professional writers have their Waterloo. The good thing is that as long as we are open to correction and learning, we can only become better. Today’s grammar post is all about words that are often used interchangeably, often incorrectly. We already took a look at some word pairs that give people problems some time last year. Remember ingenuous and ingenious? This time around, let us take a look at [Read more…]

You Know It’s Bad

Feeling Bad

Pardon me if you already know the proper usage, but it seems to me that “bad” and “badly” are often used interchangeably. I cannot count the number of times I have heard someone say “I feel badly”, but it’s probably as often as I have heard someone else say “I feel bad”. If I were to base things purely on how often these statements are used, it is understandable that the question as to which is correct would arise. So which is the correct word to use? Let’s take a look at “badly” first. This word is an adverb, and [Read more…]

Funny English Signs

Funny English Signs

We all make mistakes. There really is nothing wrong with that as long as we can take constructive feedback. A little sense of humor and the ability to laugh at ourselves make everything better. Understandably, we might find it easier to chuckle when the mistake is not ours! Still, that does not mean that we should not make it a point to be open to admitting our mistakes and making sure they are corrected. All this talk about mistakes stems from the topic of today’s grammar post. I think it’s about time we have a little fun, and take a look [Read more…]

2011 Word of the Year

Word of the Year

In 2010, we were treated to a interesting new word courtesy of Sarah Palin. “Refudiate“, which did not exist prior to Palin’s usage, made it as the New Oxford American Dictionary’s Word of the Year. It was also included in the dictionary as a real word. Halfway into the first month of 2012, we have several words to consider as Word of the Year for 2011. A simple search on Google using that phrase yielded several results, three of which we will take a look at in this week’s grammar post. Merriam-Webster: PRAGMATIC “Pragmatic” is a commonly used word, isn’t [Read more…]

Lake Superior State University’s 2012 List of Banished Words

Banned Sign

Around this time last year, we took a look at the annual list of banned words published by Lake Superior State University. We saw the likes of “tweet“, “app“, “teachable moment“, “bromance“, and “friend” (as a verb) included in the list. To be honest, while I started out with the intention of observing whether or not I used the words in the list, I totally forgot all about it as the months of 2011 went by. As we enter the second week of 2012, I find myself thinking of the list again. As I said in that post, there was (and [Read more…]

To OMG or to LOL?

OMG

Dear FWJ Friends, Have you heard about the latest updates to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED)?  For people in our line of work, this might be old news, but let me share it with you nonetheless. As of March 2011, several new initialisms have been added to the OED, initiliasms being “abbreviations comprised of the initial letters of a name or expression.  If you’re thinking “OMG!” then you are hitting the nail right on the head!  OMG, otherwise known as “Oh my God” is now included in the March release of OED Online.  I suppose my hairdresser was actually correct [Read more…]

You’ve Got Email, Not E-mail.

e-mail

The other day, this creature of habit encountered something that shook her life. I am not talking about the recent quakes that have been – literally – shaking our part of the world, but the entry written by Paul Carr did make me snap out of my lethargy.  So what could have been so world-shaking? E-mail. E-mailing. E-mailed. No matter how you use the word or which form of the word you use, according to the Associate Press, the official spelling is now email. On March 18, AP published a press release stating that the style guidelines are being updated [Read more…]

Non-Errors in the English Language (Part 2)

la_conjunctions

If your high school English teach was anything like my teacher, she/he probably always emphasized the “rule” about NOT using conjunctions to begin your sentence.  “You must never begin a sentence with a conjunction” is the mantra of many an English teacher.  Just because “everyone” says it is a rule does not necessarily mean it is true, though.  In fact, many a grammar “expert” will tell you that this arbitrary rule does not hold much sway. I can go on and on and repeat that I believe that using conjunctions such as “but” and “and” to begin a sentence is [Read more…]

What Writers Can Learn From the Cat in the Hat

Cat Hat Book

Green eggs and ham, the cat in the hat, etc. – many of us grew up reading these words, and many of us learned to love reading because of the genius of one man: Dr. Seuss.  Born Theodore Seuss Geisel, the American cartoonist and writer is definitely one of the most loved children’s book writers today.  Dr.  Seuss was born on March 2, 1904, and in his lifetime, he published 44 children’s books which are all full of wonderfully imaginative characters.  Add to these his uniquely creative writing style, and you will not be surprised at how well-loved this writer [Read more…]

Non-Errors in the English Language (Part 1)

boldvil

There is no denying that we all have our pet peeves when it comes to the English language. There are certain words, phrases, and usages that we simply cannot stand. Sometimes, these pet peeves are valid – when the “mistakes” are really incorrect. There are many instances, however, when certain usages may actually be correct, contrary to popular opinion. These things are what we call “non-errors” – in spite of what many people may say, they are grammatically sound. In this post – and the next few posts – I am going to take a look at some of these [Read more…]

15 Most Misspelled Words

15 Most Misspelled Words

We all make mistakes in our writing. We’re human, after all. However, when your livelihood depends on the quality of what you write, the story takes a different turn. I know I don’t need to go on and on about the importance of checking and re-checking our work – that is a given. Instead, I’ll share an image with you that highlights this importance. Here is an interesting and informative infographic of the 15 most misspelled words in the English language. Before you take a look at it, do remember the differences in British and American English as there is [Read more…]

A Long Time Ago In a Galaxy Far, Far Away

repeatedWORDS063

Some of you may recognize the title of this post as the opening line of Star Wars, but have you ever thought about the grammatical accuracy of the “double use” of the word far? To be honest, I never really paid much attention to the practice of repeating adjectives or adverbs as I have always believed it to be correct. While some purists may disagree, I think that there is a reason for this repetition. Last week, the matter was brought to my attention, courtesy of a bunch of guys at Quora. The question posed was: Star Wars opens with [Read more…]

Book Review: 37 Things to Know About Grammar

Grammar Book

Readers of the grammar section of FWJ know just how tricky grammar rules and application can be.  It is no wonder that a lot of people have developed an aversion to grammar.  However, we cannot deny the importance of following grammar rules, especially for those who make a living out of writing.  Now what if you had a quick reference guide that you can thumb through for the trickiest grammar points? That’s exactly what I found in Matteson Claus’s gem of a book, 37 Things to Know About Grammar.  Matteson is no stranger to Freelance Writing Jobs, as she has [Read more…]

After the Deadline

ATD wifi

I have never been a big fan of Microsoft Word’s grammar checker as it often misses subtle mistakes.  When I was made aware of a new service which is supposed to be much better than the existing grammar checkers, I was of course excited.  It’s called After the Deadline (ATD), and it is supposed to check spelling, grammar, and style. It makes use of artificial intelligence and natural language processing technology in order to give more accurate results. After the Deadline is an online web service running on a data center service provided by Automattic. There are four ways by [Read more…]

If I Lay Here…

lay-down2

There is a plethora of confusing word pairs in English, and even native English speakers confuse their usage in everyday conversation.  Earlier today, for some reason, I kept hearing Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars in my head.  I used to listen to this song a lot, so I guess the fact that I felt like lying down for a few minutes more triggered memories.  In any case, I was thinking to myself, should it be lay or lie?  That simple question resulted in more than a few minutes of lying in bed and mulling the two words over.  So what’s the [Read more…]

Lake Superior State University’s Lists of Banished Words and Phrases

banned

We all have our pet peeves, and for writers, this is especially true when it comes to word usage.  I am sure that all of you will be able to come up with your own list of banished words and phrases, but I wonder how your list will compare to what Lake Superior State University has come up for 2010 and 2011? Last week, the Internet was abuzz with talk about the newly released 35th Annual List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness. It seems that my year has been starting out slowly, [Read more…]

A Quick Look at the Serial Comma

comma

The comma has always been a bone of contention for many people.  We all use it everyday that we may very well be taking it for granted.  Over the holidays, I found myself in the middle of a very interesting discussion about the use of the serial comma. The serial comma is also called the Oxford comma or the Harvard comma. Sometimes, it is even referred to as the series comma. Whatever name you call it, the serial comma is used in lists – right before the coordinating conjunction. Let’s take a look at an example for the sake of [Read more…]

Happy Holidays – I’m Just Sayin’

merrychristmasbeach

No, I’m really wishing you all a great Christmas weekend.  It’s just that I came across an opinion piece over at NPR which deals with that phrase in the title.  I never really paid much attention to it whenever I heard it uttered by friends.  Even though I have somehow earned a reputation for correcting other people’s grammar (or flinching at least), I have been trying to be more tolerant in the past year.  After all, I also believe that language is so dynamic that changes are unavoidable. Scott Simon, however, simply cannot stand it when he hears “I’m just [Read more…]

Just Between You and Me

pronouns

I don’t know if you’ve heard of the group dc Talk, but they do have some pretty cool songs.  In my opinion, one of their catchiest songs is Between You and Me, not only because of the tune but also because of the lyrics.  Sticklers for grammar (yes, you) will be hearing warnings bells by now.  Let me  share the song with you first before we get down to business, alright? Just between you and me I’ve got something to say Wanna get it straight Before the sun goes down Just between you and me Confession needs to be made [Read more…]

Content Freelance Writing Gigs
FWJ is read by many thousand readers every day. We offer a free weekly newsletter with all the top stories - come join the community!