Category Archives: Spelling and Grammar

Our Changing Grammar

Posted on December 2, 2017 by

As a fan of the original Star Trek series, I well recall Scotty saying on occasion, “Ya canna break the laws of physics, Captain.” Well, the laws of physics may be immutable, but the laws of grammar definitely are not. … Continue reading →

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Grammar Still Matters

Posted on April 3, 2017 by

In this age of social media, when people post everything from what they ate at their most recent meal to political and social commentary, often in haste and with little regard to spelling and grammar, we may well conclude that … Continue reading →

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Posted on March 7, 2016 by

I am a perfectionist. I know anyone who has seen my messy house would take issue with that statement. I’d better qualify it. I am only a perfectionist when it comes to writing. In all other areas I have too … Continue reading →

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Watch Those Participles!

Posted on March 10, 2014 by

I’m blogging today about a grammatical pet peeve of mine: the misuse of participial phrases. Participles are tricky little devils. They are verb forms used as adjectives. They come in three forms: past, present, and perfect. Past participles most often … Continue reading →

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Navigating Between Scylla and Charybdis

Posted on October 28, 2013 by

#SFWApro I have a problem. I’m an inveterate editor. I want my manuscripts to be as perfect as possible before I send them out. I fret when I discover a problem, even a minor punctuation error, after the manuscript goes … Continue reading →

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What to Do When the Spellchecker Can’t Help You

Posted on July 9, 2013 by

The Spellchecker is the writer’s friend. It catches silly errors and major misspellings. It keeps us from making mistakes that would make us look like rank amateurs. But there are things it can’t do for us. There are times when … Continue reading →

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