Here’s the thing about punctuating quotations: The grammar rules for it are not always logical. If you write in British English, it’s a cinch because they follow just one rule. However, in the United States, we got all persnickety and came up with a bunch of grammar rules for punctuating quotes. And the Golden Rule (placing punctuation inside quote marks) does not even ring true for a number of situations. The best way to learn this is to take it case-by-case, so let’s dive right in.

 

How to Punctuate Quotations

Whether you’re wondering what punctuation goes inside quotes, how to punctuate quotes themselves or anything else related to quotations and punctuation, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll start with some of the more simple quotation grammar rules and go from there.

 

Do Commas and Periods Go Inside the Quotes?

So, as I was saying about that Golden Rule, anytime there is a comma or period that is part of the sentence, keep it inside the quotation marks:

No: “I don’t like to run”, she said, “but I like to jump.”

No: He told me, “I really dislike going to the gym”.

Yes: “I don’t like to run,” she said, “but I like to jump.”

Yes: He told me, “I really dislike going to the gym.”

 

Now, if there is punctuation other than a comma or a period, it only goes inside the quotation marks if it is part of what is being quoted:

No: Didn’t Shakespeare write, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet?”

No: I believe he wrote that in “Romeo and Juliet;” Juliet says it in the first act.

No: The woman asked me, “Did you like the play”?

Yes: Didn’t Shakespeare write, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”?

Yes: I believe he wrote that in “Romeo and Juliet”; Juliet says it in the first act.

Yes: The woman asked me, “Did you like the play?”

 

Rules for Setting Up the Quotation

There are three basic ways you introduce a quotation: with a comma, a colon or nothing at all. If you are introducing a quotation into a sentence with the words “He said” or “She asked,” then you can make the decision on your own regarding whether you want to use a comma or a colon. Generally, longer quotations with seven words or more can take a colon and shorter ones take a comma:

No: My mother always told me, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

No: She said: “Live by that.”

Yes: My mother always told me: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Yes: She said, “Live by that.”

 

How Do you Punctuate Direct Quotes?

You do not need to use any punctuation when using a direct quotation from someone that flows with the sentence and lacks that an immediate introductory term.

No: She said that I was, “a good girl,”

No: There simply is, “no place like home.”

Yes: She said that I was “a good girl.”

Yes: There simply is “no place like home.”

 

Grammar gurus will point out that these are the quotation guidelines, though many content writers step outside them when writing. For example, if a writer wants to change the flow of the text, he or she might us a comma before a quotation when it is not necessary. My advice? You should stick to the rules whenever possible. Quotation grammar rules are NOT meant to be broken.

 

The Difference Between a Quote and Quotation

Yes, there actually is a difference between the two. If you quote something, it means you are using the exact words of someone and attributing it to the source. If you use a quotation, it means you are taking a part of a book, speech or other published work to prove a point.

Technically speaking, quote is a verb and quotation is a noun. However, the two are so often interchanged that it has become acceptable to find pages online that say things like, “Funny quotes from comedians.”

Still, rules are rules, so here are some guidelines to help you know whether to use quote or quotation in your writing:

No: I love that quote from Shakespeare.

No: She used a quote from Shakespeare in her report.

Yes: I love that quotation from Shakespeare.

Yes: She quoted Shakespeare in her report.

 

Rules to Follow After the Quotation

In most cases, you only use a comma to close a quotation when it is not at the end of a sentence, no matter how long the quotation is:

No: “Remember to be nice to your friends at school today:” my mother reminded me.

Yes: “Remember to be nice to your friends at school today,” my mother reminded me.

 

Does an Exclamation Mark Go Inside the Quotes?

Of course, there is an exception to the quote grammar rule above. If the quotation would naturally end with an exclamation point or question mark, you can use it inside the quotes:

No: “Did you have a good day at school today,” she asked me.

No: “I can’t wait to ride the roller coaster” he shouted!

Yes: “Did you have a good day at school today?” she asked me.

Yes: “I can’t wait to ride the roller coaster!” he shouted.

 

Other Quick Tips For Using Quotations

Here are a few other things to keep in mind when you are using a quotation in your writing:

First, please remember that quotation marks come in pairs. If you start with one, you need to use the other.

No: She said, “I just love learning about grammar.

Yes: She said, “I just love learning about grammar.”

 

Next, let’s talk a little bit about reported speech. Reported speech refers to an indirect quotation and does not require quotation marks:

No: The secretary told me that “the phones were down.”

No: He said that “he just wanted to take a walk.”

Yes: The secretary told me that the phones were down.

Yes: He said that he just wanted to take a walk.

 

Referred speech is usually introduced by the word “that,” which should help you determine when and when not to use quotation marks.

 

Quotation Punctuation Rules: Wrapping Up

Remember that when you are writing content, you only use quotation marks when you are directly quoting something someone said. Commas and periods nearly always go inside quotes; exclamation points and question marks are a bit trickier. Truly, this would be so much easier if we just had one way of punctuating quotations, but we do not. Do you have a quotation mark problem you would like solved? Please let us know about it in the comments below!

 

Don’t you just love an apostrophe? It’s a great tool for content writers who like taking shortcuts, as exhibited by these first few sentences. I can’t believe how much more conversational my writing is when I put that beautiful little piece of punctuation in place of a bunch of letters.

But apostrophes can do more than simply appease our need for keeping things concise. Play by the rules to use these marks correctly in your writing.

 

How to Use Apostrophes Correctly

If you’ve ever wondered how apostrophes work, you’re not alone. There’s a lot that can be done using apostrophes. The trick, however, is using them correctly in your writing. Follow these apostrophe rules to become a master of when and where to put an apostrophe.

 

Get Possessed (With Apostrophes)

I’m talking about possession as in ownership, not demonic, exorcism-worthy freakiness (in case you were confused). When you are using a singular noun, the rule is easy: tack an apostrophe and an “s” onto the end of the word:

Example: The writer’s inability to save work early and often is resulting in a lot of frustration.

Ready for things to get tricky? Let’s talk singular or proper nouns that end in the letter “s,” like “bus” or “Ms. Jones.” You can show possession here in one of two ways, because grammar gurus can’t agree on which is correct.

The first is to put an apostrophe on the end and then leave the word alone.

Example: She felt the class’ hour would never come to an end.

Or, you can add an apostrophe and an “s.” Some people do this to mirror the way the word would be spoken.

Example: Ms. Jones’s resume impressed the executives.

Not sure which way to go? Opt for consistency. Pick one method and stick with it throughout your writing.

 

Plural Possession

Time to add a few more folks into the mix. Plural possession is reserved for when you want to demonstrate that something belongs to a group of nouns. Misplacing an apostrophe could be misleading here. For example:

Example: The boys’ toys were constantly under their mother’s feet.

If you were to write “the boy’s toys,” it would give the appearance that there is just one boy who owns the toys.

Secondly, you want to make sure you know your rules for plurality. Child becomes children when plural, foot becomes feet, cactus becomes cacti. Make sure you are using the correct form of the word before throwing an apostrophe into the mix.

Correct: The geese’s honks were loud.

Incorrect: The geeses’ honks were loud.

And we’re just getting started. What about the plural possession of a proper noun ending in “s”? These nouns actually become plural by added an “es” on the end of the word. For example, if you were going to visit the Jones family:

Correct: I’m going to the Joneses’ house.

Incorrect: I’m going to the Jones’ house.

This may make sentences sound a little awkward, but it’s a rule that must be observed.

 

Using Apostrophes with Possessive Adjectives

If you are trying to describe something by using an amount of time or money, you need to use an apostrophe instead of leaving the words out there by themselves:

Correct: She missed six days’ worth of work.

Incorrect: She missed six days worth of work.

 

Joint Possession

Ever find yourself writing about two people who own something together and you don’t know where to stick the apostrophe? Put it after the second name – and only after the second name.

Example: Kate and David’s son believes he is actually Spiderman.

Need to throw a pronoun in there? Then make both terms possessive.

Correct: David’s and my child runs around the house acting as though he is spitting webs from his wrists.

Incorrect: David and my child …

Correct: His and my son has also tried to scale the walls.

Incorrect: He and my son …

Incorrect: Him and my son …

 

Separate But Different Possession

What if you are talking about two people or nouns and their own separate belongings? Make both nouns possessive:

Examples:

• Kate’s and Mary’s socks are both striped.
• The dog’s and the cat’s dishes are in the kitchen.

In these cases, the entities do not have joint ownership of the items.

 

Using Apostrophes With Compound Nouns

Singular compound nouns should be treated the same way that you would treat a singular noun; simply add the apostrophe and the “s” at the end. If you need to make the compound noun plural, go ahead and do so and then add the apostrophe.

Correct: My sister-in-law’s car is new.

Incorrect: My sister’s-in-law car is new.

Correct: My two sisters-in-law’s cars are new.

Incorrect: My two sisters’-in-laws cars are new.

 

False Possessives

Apostrophes work hard and need a break, so give them one when you can. You do not need to use an apostrophe after a personal pronoun, such as theirs, its or ours. These words already indicate showing possession, so you can give the apostrophe a rest.

Additionally, when nouns that end in “s” play the role of an adjective, do not use an apostrophe.

Correct: I love the New Orleans nightlife.

Incorrect: I love the New Orleans’ nightlife.

 

Contractions

Finally, we’ve made it to contractions! This is an easy one: Simply place the apostrophe where the letters should be:

Correct: Doesn’t, wouldn’t, shouldn’t

Incorrect: Does’nt, would’nt, should’nt

 

Apostrophe or Quotation Mark?

This is picky, but we’re content writers and by nature picky, so here it is:

When you are placing an apostrophe before a word, make sure it displays as an apostrophe and not a single quotation mark:

Correct: ’Twas the night before Christmas.

Incorrect: ‘Twas the night before Christmas.

 

Major Apostrophe No-Nos

Perhaps one of the most important rules when it comes to apostrophes is this: Never use them to make a noun or proper noun plural. Don’t even think about it.

No: The Jones’ are here.

No: Apostrophe’s are not meant to show plurality.

No: Writer’s who break these rules are in trouble.

Lastly, nouns that end in “y” need to stay that way unless you are making them plural. An apostrophe and an “s” does not make a noun plural, and an “ies” does not give a noun possession. This is true when trying to decide how to spell the plural of butterfly while also knowing where to place the apostrophe:

Correct: The butterfly’s wings were flapping as it hovered over the flower.

Incorrect: The butterflies wings were flapping as it hovered over the flower.

Correct: The butterflies’ wings were flapping as they hovered over the flower.

 

Proper Use of Apostrophes: Is That All?

Yes, that’s all, and it’s probably much more than you ever expected. You likely see people use apostrophes incorrectly all the time, right? Let us know your funny stories in the comments section below!

 

 

Want to write something totally unbelievable? It’s really easy if you use dangling or misplaced modifiers. Any word or phrase can be a sentence modifier, as all it has to do is describe an object or idea. If you misplace those modifiers, you can really confuse readers. What about dangling them? Well, that’s like writing the stuff of comedic geniuses.

 

What’s a Sentence Modifier, Anyway?

Essentially, a sentence modifier is a dependent word or phrase that gives some type of description to an element in the structure of a sentence. In the clause, “He gave the blue sticker to Kim,” the word “blue” is a sentence modifier and its object is “sticker.” It’s pretty easy to spot the modifier and the object, right? In good writing, modifiers will be clearly linked to their objects. In sloppy writing, however, sentence modifiers are confusing and sometimes downright hilarious.

 

Misplaced Modifiers: Wait, What?

A misplaced modifier can involve adjectives, verbs and phrases that have been improperly separated from their objects, leading to ridiculous sentences such as:

Confusing: On his way home from school, Tommy found a blue woman’s jacket.

Confusing: We walked through the park we found slowly.

Confusing: The woman bought the car from the salesman with the leather steering wheel.

Was the woman who owned the jacket actually blue? Did we find the park slowly or walk slowly? Did the salesman have a leather steering wheel attached to himself, like a third arm or something?

No, no and no.

 

Fix It

The great thing about misplaced modifiers is that they can be resolved simply by moving the words to a different part of the sentence. Here are some examples of sentence modifiers that work:

Clear: On his way home from school, Tommy found a woman’s blue jacket.

Clear: We walked slowly through the park we found.

Clear: The woman bought the car with the leather steering wheel from the salesman.

When proofing your writing, simply make sure any descriptive words, phrases or clauses are placed next to the object they modify.

 

Dangling Modifiers: Funny, But Wrong

Much like a misplaced modifier, a dangling modifier is a word, clause or phrase that does not accurately describe the object it appears to modify. That’s because the word or phrase being modified is not clearly mentioned in the sentence. The biggest difference between a dangling and a misplaced modifier is that the former cannot simply be moved to another part of the sentence to be corrected because more information is needed. In most cases, a dangling modifier will appear at the beginning of the sentence, like these examples of sentence modifiers gone wrong:

Wrong: Oozing through the walls, Jenny was terrified.

Wrong: Walking down the street, a four-car accident happened.

Wrong: Contained in Tupperware, Max was excited to have a gift for his children.

Was Jenny oozing through the walls? Did the car crash sprout legs and walk? Was Max actually inside a plastic container?

No, no and no. Unless you are writing a sci-fi novel in which humans liquefy and inanimate objects come to life, these sentence modifiers need some re-working.

 

Fix It

Fret not, content writers, for there are a few easy ways to strip your writing of any dangling modifiers.

Strategy One: Change the modifier into an introductory clause, including its object:

Wrong: Oozing through the walls, Jenny was terrified.

Right: Because the slime was oozing through the walls, Jenny was terrified.

What is oozing through the walls? Why, the slime, of course!

Strategy Two: Make the doer of the action the subject of the main clause:

Wrong: Walking down the street, a four-car accident happened.

Right: Walking down the street, I saw a four-car accident happen.

Now I get it; I was walking down the street when I witnessed an accident.

Strategy Three: Take both phrases of the sentence and make them one:

Wrong: Contained in Tupperware, Max was excited to have a gift for his children.

Right: Max was excited to give his children the cookies contained in Tupperware.

Thank goodness Max got out of the Tupperware! I can’t imagine that it’s easy to breathe in an airtight container.

 

Sentence Modifiers: Got It?

There are some pretty hilarious examples of these grammar errors out there, so keep your eye out for them. Let us know your favorite sentence modifiers in the comments section below!

I love getting into the nitty-gritty grammar stuff. The picky stuff. The we-seriously-have-rules-for-that? stuff. Transitive and intransitive verbs are just that. We actually took verbs, cut them down the middle and gave them names. Why? To give eighth-grade teachers something for their pop quizzes.

OK, that and the fact that it really does matter for your writing to know the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs.

 

What are Transitive Verbs?

Here’s a good trick I learned when trying to identify transitive verbs: TRANSitive verbs have to TRANSfer their actions to something. They can’t just stand alone. They get lonely. They are the needy, clingy teenager of verbs. If they don’t have an object after them, they simply don’t make sense. In teenager terms, transitive verbs literally can’t even.

Time to show you what I mean.

 

Transitive Verb Examples

No: He filled.

No: She carried.

No: They thanked.

Yes: He filled the car with gas.

Yes: She carried the dumbbells across the room.

Yes: They thanked each other for the gifts.

See? Transitive verbs need their objects. They love them.

 

Intransitive Verbs

I bet you can guess where this is going, right? Intransitive verbs are like, “Pssshh, I don’t need an object.” Intransitive verbs are like Danny Zuko when he sees Sandy at school for the first time after summer. (Man, he was COLD.) If you aren’t a fan of “Grease,” I first suggest you change your mind on that, and secondly, here are some non-musical examples to show you what I mean:

 

Intransitive Verb Examples

Yes: He laughed.

Yes: She cried.

You can add phrases on to these intransitive verbs in your content writing, but you wouldn’t simply add an object:

No: She cried the pillow.

Yes: She cried into the pillow.

 

Pulling Double Duty

To top it all off, there are verbs that can be transitive and intransitive:

Yes: She sang.

Yes: She sang, “Hopelessly Devoted to You.”

Yes: They cheered.

Yes: They cheered the romance.

 

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs: What Does It All Mean?

How do you apply this knowledge of transitive and intransitive verbs to your content writing? Generally, you just want to make sure your writing makes sense. If you use a transitive verb, don’t leave it hanging. Do you have any tips for how to identify transitive and intransitive verbs? Let us know in the comments section below.

 

Without you, a dependent clause would be out there in the world, lost and alone. Sentences would lack much-needed descriptions, and writing, in general, would suffer.

Fortunately, we have you, the writers of the world, who can spot dependent clauses and give them a home. Here is a quick refresher on what a dependent clause is, what forms it takes and how to improve your writing through their proper use.

What is a Dependent Clause?

Also known as a subordinate clause, a dependent clause does not express a complete thought and therefore cannot stand alone. It does, however, have a subject and a clause (which distinguishes a clause from a phrase). These types of clauses also include adjective clauses, noun clauses and even adverb clauses.

Many times, these clauses are also distinguished by a dependent marker word that is typically located at the beginning to denote it needs more added to it to become a complete thought. We’ll get to more on that a little later.

 

Dependent Clause Examples

In order to understand any writing concept, it can really help to see some examples. The dependent clauses are underlined in the following sentences:

The teacher looked for the little boy who had worn smelly shoes to school.

I refuse to write anymore unless my children sleep.

We finally saw the plane, which had disappeared behind the clouds.

The quality of work depends on the content rather than how long it is.

None of the underlined sections could serve as standalone sentences, which indicates that they are dependent.

 

The Dependent Clause That Likes to Act

In many cases, dependent clauses like to act as adverbs, adjectives, noun classes and more.

Adverb Clauses

To illustrate the point, try spotting the dependent clause in the following sentence:

She typed the paper until her fingers started cramping.

The dependent clause here is “until her fingers started cramping.” It acts as an adverb that modifies the verb, “typed.” Here are some other examples of adverb clauses:

• Than her brother can
• Since I don’t have enough paper
• Before the drink gets warm
• Until the sun rises
• If you can play on Fridays

Adjective Clauses

Dependent clauses can dress up as adjectives, too, like this:

The paper that she handed in last week was really good.

“That she handed in last week” is the dependent clause modifying the noun, “paper.” Here are some more examples of adjective clauses:

• That I lent him
• Who live by the mountains
• Where I went to High School
• Who is smart
• Why the book was a disaster

Noun Clauses

Not only will a dependent clause act as a noun, but it can also take on the role of playing the subject of a sentence. See what I mean, here:

What that woman wrote was really helpful.

“What that woman wrote” is a dependent noun clause and the subject of the sentence. Here are some more examples of noun clauses:

• Whomever you want
• What he anticipated
• That you are hearing
• If the suit is on sale
• Whether she can run that far

While this can sometimes be confusing, with a little practice you can start to pick out the differences.

Let’s Get Complex with Dependent Clauses

As illustrated above, dependent clauses that are used as an adverb or adjective are typically paired with an independent clause to form a complex sentence. To link the two, a sentence will often have either a relative pronoun or subordinating conjunction. These cues can help you spot those dependent clauses.

Relative pronouns include: Who, whom, that, which, why, whose, what, where and how

Subordinating conjunctions include: If, even if, even though, as, although, after, though, unless, whether, while, until, since, so that, before and because.

Here are a few dependent clause examples utilizing subordinating conjunctions as dependent marker words at the beginning of the phrase:

When I go to the store to buy groceries…

Unless I find out who took my notebook…

After Jenny went sledding down the big hill…

Before John studied his math homework…

Although Robert wanted to go bowling with his friends…

Even if Shaundra wanted to buy a ticket to Hawaii…

Until you have a child…

As you can see, without additional context these dependent clauses that include dependent marker words cannot stand on their own.

 

Independent Clause vs Dependent Clause

So after all this, you now may be wondering how an independent clause and dependent clause differ. We already discussed the dependent clause definition above, so let’s do a quick independent clause definition so we can then point out the differences.

An independent clause is essentially a complete sentence. It’s a group of words that form a complete thought, including a subject and verb.

So while both a dependent clause and an independent clause contain a subject and verb, the main difference is that one expresses a complete thought and one does not.

Dependent Clauses: Pretty Easy, Right?

Many writers use dependent clauses without even realizing it. If you leave one by itself, however, it will stick out as a nonsensical error during proofreading. Still have questions about what a dependent clause is? That’s ok! Let us know in the comments section below!

You know those times when you just want to kick back and enjoy scrolling through Facebook, and then you see a friend’s post that confused “your” and “you’re” and you feel like your head is going to explode? Frustrating, isn’t it?

Everyone has grammar pet peeves in writing that drive them nuts. In this blog, we’ll cover some of the biggest writing pet peeves I commonly see in writing today.

 

What Does Pet Peeve Mean?

Before we get to the list, let’s quickly give a pet peeves definition. In a nutshell, a pet peeve is something that a person finds particularly annoying. While you could have pet peeves about nearly anything in the universe, grammar pet peeves are especially visible/common because of the prevalence of digital content. With all of us having access to social media and being able to push our written words into the faces of just about everyone we know, a large number of pet peeves were sure to materialize.

 

List of Writing and Grammar Pet Peeves

I am by no means perfect. I mean, we all see the red squiggly line as we type every once in a while, right? But when it comes to published work, there are a few items that just drive me bonkers. Like these writing pet peeves:

 

Your/You’re

This is definitely eye-rolling grammar pet peeve territory. It actually hurts me when I see your vs. you’re confused. I do not publicly humiliate someone on social media when the words are switched (because someone else will do that, anyway), but I do die a little inside. Just in case you are unsure:

Your: Possessive, as in, “Your grammar needs work.”

You’re: Contraction of “you are,” as in, “You’re going to need to read the rest of this piece.”

 

They’re/Their/There

I believe autocorrect may be to blame for this pet peeve swap on social media in some cases. At least, that’s my hope. However, we all know that Word does not change the correct form of a word into something with a totally different meaning. This is the especially the case for there vs. their vs. they’re.

They’re: Contraction of “they are,” as in, “They are wondering why the dog seems sick.”

Their: Possessive, as in, “Turns out, even their dog was ashamed of their poor grammar.”

There: Refers to a place, as in, “There is a place to fix the problem, and it can be found in a grammar book.”

 

Me and My Sister

A good rule in grammar and a good rule in life: Do not ever put yourself first. This is probably a mistake made more often in the spoken word versus the written one, but it’s still a good point to make here.

Further, if you are unsure of whether you should use “I” or “me,” just drop the other word. You would not say, “My dad is taking I out to dinner,” so your sentence should be, “My dad is taking my sister and me out to dinner.”

No: Me and my sister missed the lesson on subject placement.

Yes: My sister and I know how to appropriately write sentences.

 

Very Unique

This is a common grammar pet peeve I see. Unique is just unique. There are no degrees of unique-ness. Unique is not a color with varying shades. If something is unique, it is standalone. By definition, it means, “Without like or equal.” You would not say someone came in “very first” in a race, would you? Same goes for unique.

 

Nauseous and Nauseated

These two are nearly always confused. I see this pet peeve on commercials a lot, which is hilarious because the word swap itself is hard to stomach. Is there a pill to take for that?

If you do not know the difference, it’s OK. I actually didn’t until a grammar ninja figuratively kicked me in the face when I used the wrong word.

Nauseous: Something that is nauseous causes nausea. “The smell is nauseous.”

Nauseated: Someone who has nausea is nauseated. “I feel nauseated.”

These are the technical meanings, though it appears that no one cares about the rule anymore. But if you’re like me and you do care, you can make an ill friend feel even sicker by correcting his or her grammar.

 

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

This is only partly a pet peeve of mine, because I actually think misplaced modifiers can be pretty funny:

– Flying through the air, the cat struck down the bird. (Look! A flying cat!)

– Oozing off the table, Kate watched the slime fall to the floor. (Gross.)

– I saw a giraffe driving through the Serengeti. (Impressive.)

Consider what you are modifying. An introductory phrase, like “flying through the air,” modifies the cat, not the bird in the sentence above.

 

Commas, Commas, Everywhere!

Oh, the commas. Those sentence-breaking, breath-taking commas. Commas are great when needed, but they can really mess with your sentences if the placement is wrong or unnecessary. You don’t need to use a comma every time you would pause when speaking, like this:

No: I took a breath, and went into the house.

Sure, it’s dramatic, but the comma there isn’t necessary. In fact, it’s wrong, because it leaves the dependent clause hanging.

Yes: I took a breath and went into the house.

Ah, much better.

 

Less vs. Fewer

This grammar pet peeve has stuck with me ever since Grammar 101 in college, a course I wish everyone were required to take:

Fewer: Use with items that can be counted. Ex: “She had fewer mistakes than he did.”

Less: Use with non-countable items. Ex: “She prefers less salad dressing.”

 

More Than vs. Over

Thanks to a recent change in the AP Stylebook, this should technically no longer be a pet peeve of mine. Apparently, “over” can now mean “more than,” and I think it’s a darn shame. Have we no standards? It used to be that you only used “more than” when referring to a number of items and “over” when talking about a direction. Getting soft on grammar? More than my dead body! (See what I did there?)

 

Unnecessary Double Prepositions

It is incredibly easy for back-to-back prepositions to sneak into your writing because we often use them when we speak. I beg you: Don’t be a victim of double prepositions! It is redundant:

– The drinks are inside of the cooler.

– That is a topic of which you know nothing about.

A former editor of mine used to say, “Kate, keep it simple, stupid” (I think she really liked me). In other words, don’t use words you don’t need to use.

 

Exclamation Points!!!

One. Just one. Please. Please!

 

Irregardless

Some say “irregardless” is not a word. It is, but it’s just considered nonstandard, which means you shouldn’t use it. Type “irregardless” into Word, and you’ll get a red, squiggly line telling you that it’s not acceptable.

Frankly, using the word “irregardless” is just irresponsible. Just use “regardless” instead. You’ll look and sound smarter.

 

What’s Your Biggest Writing Pet Peeve?

I could write many, many more examples of the grammar pet peeves that make me want to cry. Instead of reading more of my rants, why don’t you share some of your writing pet peeves with us in the comments section below?

You know how your relatives can be, well, complicated? Maybe you have an uncle to whom you would rather not introduce your friends and a cousin who always says embarrassing things.

Relative pronouns are kind of like that: complicated, messy and a little confusing. Once you get to know them, however, you’ll fall in love with them. Well, maybe not, but you will at least know when it’s appropriate to have them around.

 

What Is a Relative Pronoun?

Let’s talk definitions. What’s a relative pronoun? A relative pronoun introduces a type of dependent clause known as a relative clause. These clauses are used to modify either a word, phrase or an idea, or what we content writers call the antecedent. The most common relative pronouns are whoever/whomever, that, which, whose and who/whom. Check out these relative pronoun examples:

• The article that she wrote was hilarious.
• The writer, whom I really respect, typically makes me laugh.

To figure out which relative pronoun and which punctuation you use, you need to determine the kind of relative clause you have. This is where things start to get tricky.

 

Restrictive Relative Clauses

A restrictive or defining relative clause is not separated from the main clause with commas. These clauses give vital information that affect the meaning – and even sensibility – of the sentence.

In these terms, a relative pronoun can act as a subject, object or possessive.

Examples of relative pronouns as subjects:

• I will never quite understand people who do not care about punctuation.
• This is the stuff that keeps me up at night.

Examples of relative pronouns as objects (typically used in formal English):

• This is the city in which I lived when I learned that “supposably” is not a word.
• He is the man to whom I addressed the proper spelling of “your” and “you’re.”
• The school did not have the writing course that I wanted.

*When using relative pronouns as objects of a preposition in restrictive clauses, you should always use “which” instead of “that.”*

Examples of relative pronouns as a possessive:

• The book whose author was a comedian was turned into a movie.
• The woman whose writing lacked proper relative pronoun use never got a good job.

You might notice that some of these sentences sound a little funny, especially those that use the word “whom.” While conversationally you might omit the relative pronoun, formal English writing demands its use.

 

Non-Restrictive Relative Clauses

Let’s keep this party going.

A non-restrictive relative clause gives information that, while useful, is not a necessary part of the sentence. Therefore, the clause may be separated through the use of commas. You’ll notice that in nearly all cases, “which” is the preferred relative pronoun.

Examples of relative pronouns as the subject:

• The article, which was informative, detailed information about relative pronouns.
• The book she wrote won an award, which shocked her parents.

Examples of relative pronouns as an object:

• The couch, which she longed for as she wrote, sat empty in the living room.
• The cold basement in which she was forced to type was dark and dingy.

 

Special Considerations

There are a few situations to keep in mind when using relative pronouns. For example, in formal writing, “who” should be used when referring to a person instead of “that”. Check out these relative pronoun examples illustrating the point:

• I am looking for people who are can use relative pronouns appropriately.
• The man who wrote the book on the subject lives over there.

The word “that” should be used after the pronouns few, little, every, everything, any, anything, all, none, no, nothing, some, something, none and much:

• To write well is all that she wants.
• We try to cover every aspect that is associated with grammar.

Lastly, use “that” when the noun is modified by a superlative adjective:

• That was the best explanation that I could give.

 

Relative Pronouns: Got It?

Feel good about relative pronoun examples now? Or are you still confused about what a relative pronoun is? If you still have questions on the subject (or you have wisdom to impart to others), please let us know in the comments below!

They had nothing too loose. Wait, what? They had nothing to lose, or all their stuff was tight? Spelling is everything. When you use misspelled words in your writing, you risk looking foolish and can completely confuse your audience. That’s why spellcheck and autocorrect exist.

Just in case you don’t have those tools available or you want to be on top of your game at all times, here are some commonly misspelled words you should avoid like the plaque plague.

Misspell

Ironic, isn’t it? There is a lot going on with misspell, undoubtedly. You’ve got a few multiple letters in there. Just think of it this way: You need the word “spell,” and you need the prefix “mis-.” Put them together, and you’ve done it correctly.

Recommend and Accommodate

I’m lumping these together because they both have that confusing “C” and “M” situation. Here are my tricks for remembering the correct way to spell them:

I see that you recommend one “C” with this word.

We need two “C’s” and two “M’s” to accommodate this word.

Definitely

Raise your hand if you have ever seen someone write on Facebook, “I am defiantly not cheering for that team,” or “I definately don’t like broccoli.”

There is no “A” in definitely. Let’s say it again: There is no “A” in definitely!

Cemetery

Another word with no “A” in it, poor cemetery often gets the shaft. Just remember that it’s all E’s. No one in the cemetery is a-live, so keep those A’s away from that word in your content writing.

A lot

I like correcting misspelled words a lot – two words, not one. Remember Jim Carrey in “Dumb and Dumber”? “I like it a lot.” There are two guys in “Dumb and Dumber” and two words in a lot.

Weird

That “I before E” rule does not apply with weird, though some people keep trying to make it happen. Stop! It’s weird to spell that word “wierd.” Don’t be weird.

Conscious and Conscience

These may fall into more of a “commonly confused words” category, but I think they merit inclusion on this list. I always have to pause and think about this one. Conscience refers to that little voice in your head telling you what to do, and conscious means you are aware of your surroundings. The only trick I can offer is this: A lot of adjectives end in “-ous,” which is how I remember that “conscious” would describe my state of being.

Embarrass and Success

I apply the Danny Tanner rule to this one. Who is Danny Tanner, you ask? Why, he’s the awesome father from the amazing ’80s and ’90s sitcom “Full House” who taught us to “double the C, double the S, and you’ll have success.” I use that trick for embarrass, too: Double the R, double the S, or else you’ll be embarrassed.

What Else?

These are just a few of the primary offenders I see often – or that I have to catch myself from writing. What other words do you see commonly misspelled? Let us know in the comments below!

I may have to write this blog, but I might end up pretending like it’s not on my to-do list.

See what I did there? If you didn’t, don’t sweat it. The may vs. might issue is one many people don’t even know exists, evidenced by the fact that they use these terms interchangeably. However, the two confused words actually have slightly different meanings. In other words, you may want to pay attention.

The Nitty Gritty

– May: Yup, this is probably going to happen. It’s what I am leaning toward.

– Might: Well, there is at least a small chance that this could happen.

May

So what’s all the fuss? Both words express the possibility of something happening. But if you want to indicate a slightly stronger possibility, use may.

Examples:

– I may eventually get around to completing this blog.

– You may gain something by reading this.

For this reason, may is also more appropriate when asking permission for something you want to do, such as, “May I have a deadline extension?”

Might

Let’s be honest, a lot of things might happen, as all we need is a little bit of possibility to use this word correctly.

Examples:

– One day, the Cincinnati Bengals might win the Super Bowl and I can die happy.

– I might end up realizing how unhealthy cheese is and stop eating it altogether.

Tense also matters. The word might should be used when speaking about what could have happened in the past.

Examples:

– She might have put off writing the blog in order to watch “Friends” reruns.

– Her editors might have rolled their eyes when listening to her excuses for turning in her blog late.

Still Confused?

Really, this one is not as cut-and-dry as so many other grammar disputes. After all, we are talking about degrees of possibility. As a trick, think of it this way: May indicates likelihood, but might means there is a “mighty” stretch involved (e.g., the Bengals winning a national title, which is essentially a pipe dream).

Keep on Truckin’

Congratulations! Now that you know the difference, this is yet another grammar-ism you can use to point out the errors of co-workers, siblings and friends.

Think you may have a good way to remember how to distinguish these commonly misused words? Let us know in the comments below.

I’d love to give you some tips about how and when to properly use quantifiers. What are quantifiers, you ask? Why, they are the words that answer the age-old questions of, “How much?” and, “How many?” Preceding and modifying nouns, quantifiers can be useful in writing. But writers beware, they can also be filler that cheapen your work.

A Few Examples of Quantifiers

There are two basic types of quantifiers: those that count, and those that apply to nouns that cannot be counted.

Count examples:

– He fed a few ducks in the pond.

– She saw many airplanes in the sky.

– A couple of the trains were uncoupled.

– Several people got lost on the unmarked trail.

Other common count quantifiers include, every, each, few, either, neither, great many and a number of.

Non-count examples:

– There was a great deal of laughing coming from the theater.

– She was in the mood for a little ice cream.

– There would be no dancing that night.

– Not much sleeping happens in a home with little children.

Other common non-count quantifiers include plenty of, a little, less, more, much, a bit of, any and some.

Working with both:       

– All of the ducks were hungry./All of the laughter was loud.

– Some airplanes were blue./Some ice cream was melted.

– Most of the trains were old./Most of the dancing was sloppy.

– Plenty of people found their way home./Plenty of sleeping happens at naptime.

Other common quantifiers that work with both include a lot of, lots of, enough, much, a bit of, any and some.

The Little Word Factor

One little word can change the entire meaning of a quantifier. Take “little” and “a little” and “few” and “a few,” for example. Adding that little “a” will actually create the opposite idea in writing:

– Kate has a little experience writing about grammar. (Kate sort of knows her stuff.)

– Kate has little experience writing about grammar. (Don’t listen to Kate.)

or

– Kate owns a few books about grammar rules. (Kate has references to use.)

– Kate owns few books about grammar rules. (Kate basically just makes it up.)

“A” isn’t the only little word that matters when it comes to quantifiers. For example, the word “much” should always be combined with the word “of” unless it is used in a question or as a negative:

– Much of the rain fell between 1 and 2 p.m. (NOT “Much rain fell between 1 and 2 p.m.)

– How much rain fell after 2 p.m.?

– Not much rain fell after 2 p.m.

And lastly, check out what “the” will do for the quantifier “most of.” No matter if it is quantifying a count or non-count noun, you always need to tack a “the” onto “most of” unless you are talking about a general plural noun, in which case you can drop “of the” and just hang on to “most”:

– Most of the blue trains were named “Thomas.”

– Most parents will understand that reference.

– Most of the parents in the room with the TV on are watching the show now.

– Most children probably know the show’s theme song by heart.

Avoid the Filler

When content writers start writing phrases such as “a great deal of” or “plenty of,” they should backspace and rethink it. Those terms tend to be fluff and simply water down the writing.

Additionally, some quantifiers, specifically “lots of,” are informal and looked down on in academic writing. Choose stronger quantifiers, such as “many.” Better yet, find a statistic will give you a hard number instead of using a general quantifier.

Understand Most of This?

Now that you have had your crash-course on quantifiers, search your writing to use them correctly – or, in some cases, not at all. Have a question for us? Leave it in the comments!