Have you ever heard someone from the American South? They probably grew up in a state like Alabama, Mississippi, or Georgia and say words like “y’all” (you all) and “didja” or “didju” (did you). Though not everyone from the South speaks this way—I’m from Texas and have no accent—the Southern Drawl is easy to tell […]
When English speakers speak about “romance,” they’re generally referring to affection and love defined by a courtship or strong attraction to another person. But the origin of romance has a completely different meaning that’s linked to Ancient Rome. And that older definition defines a class of the most influential languages in the world: The Romance […]
Click below to listen to a recording of this passage. Much like the em dash, the Oxford (or serial) comma is one of the most contested punctuation marks within the grammar world. Every year, you can find articles arguing for and against one of the most basic comma rules in English. Some people […]
Colleague vs Coworker… It sounds like the headline for a professional wrestling match! But, we’re not speaking about two words in conflict. They have a lot in common, which is why many people mix up these two words. They’re important in business and professional settings, so read closely. Or you might confuse one of your […]
Click below to listen to a recording of this passage. Recently, I conducted a small survey of my non-writer friends asking: What is the meaning of sic in writing? Everyone I asked knew sic in the context of: sic a dog, but to my surprise, only 2 out of my 10 friends knew sic […]
Click below to listen to a recording of this passage. What is a semicolon? Is it a period? Is it a comma? Many people think you can use it in place of a period or comma wherever you want, but that’s a mistake. Some believe it works like a colon, but though it looks […]
We hear it from English learners all the time… “Why does English have so many common synonyms!?” There’s no simple explanation. You could make an academic career from studying the origins of English. If you want the quick story, learn about the Norman Conquests of England. We won’t bore you with the history of […]
Click below to listen to a recording of this passage. In this blog, we will define et al., show you when and how to use it, and provide some common mistakes and plenty of examples so you can use this abbreviation when needed. Latin—a language considered dead because it is no longer the native […]
Click below to listen to a recording of this passage. Ah, the “em dash”. Every language has two paths, evolution or death. Evolving languages change with widespread use and new events and technology. Over the last century, television and the internet sped up this natural evolution within every language, and that’s especially true for […]
Have you ever heard someone say they were ‘under the weather?’ It’s likely that person was experiencing some slight illness.
