grammar, all ways vs. always
Category Archives: Grammar
Anyhow, what about irregardless vs. regardless?
Despite what some writers think, the ir on irregardless is uneccessary. Regardless means nevertheless or nonetheless, as in “Regardless if rain is forecast, we still plan to go camping.” Irregardless has the same meaning and therefore, in the interest of efficiency, the ir is superfluous.
For convenience sake: How should it appear?
For heaven’s sake, why didn’t somebody teach how to spell and punctuate this expression to some writers? Probably because it’s one of those rules in flux. Most writers learned that any time a possessive is used, an apostrophe is needed. As the expression shows that sake belongs to convenience, it ought to be spelled/punctuated forContinue reading “For convenience sake: How should it appear?”
How to Properly Punctuate ‘et al.’
One of the most common abbreviation mistakes that new writers make, especially when penning academic papers, is the Latin phrase et al. Part of the problem is that we don’t know Latin; another part is that neither do our computer spell checkers. Et al. means “and others”. Et is Latin for “and” while alii is Latin for “others”. In modern English, we don’tContinue reading “How to Properly Punctuate ‘et al.’”
Not a Reluctant Tip: Loath vs. Loathe
These are two words you’d hate to mix up. Loathe is a verb meaning to “dislike greatly,” as in I loathe my mean grammar teacher! Loath without an e is an adjective meaning “reluctant,” as in I am loath to studying grammar any more. As a sidenote, loth is a variant of loath in British English but is not widely accepted. ______________ My nameContinue reading “Not a Reluctant Tip: Loath vs. Loathe”
No Closed Doors: Accessible vs. Assessable
If you want to get your foot into the publishing world’s door, you’ll want to know the difference between accessible and assessable. These two words often are confused because of their similar pronunciations and spellings. Accessible means easily entered, approached or obtained. For example: Our building is accessible by wheelchair. By the way, you don’tContinue reading “No Closed Doors: Accessible vs. Assessable”
Which is Correct? Among vs. Amongst
Both forms of the word are acceptable. “Among” is more common, however, perhaps because “amongst” sounds a bit old-fashioned. For that reason, I invariably change “amongst” to “among when editing – unless the book is a historical novel or a sword and sorcery tale. As a side note, most publishers prefer “among” as it’s shorter andContinue reading “Which is Correct? Among vs. Amongst”
When to Use an En Dash vs. an Em Dash
Among the most common problems I see when proofreading for my clients is confusion over the en dash and the em dash. Oftentimes, the confusion is so great that inconsistent styles are used within a manuscript. First, some definitions:• En dash – This dash is longer than a hyphen and often about half the length of anContinue reading “When to Use an En Dash vs. an Em Dash”