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.
Tag Archives: Grammar
Play it smart: Don’t use 12 a.m./12 p.m.
Quick, is 12 a.m. noon or midnight? What about 12 p.m., is that midnight or noon? Don’t know the answer? Don’t feel stupid, most readers won’t either. And that’s a good reason to not use either term. Doing so is akin to including words from a foreign language that your readers wouldn’t know. Instead, useContinue reading “Play it smart: Don’t use 12 a.m./12 p.m.”
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?”
All right, here’s the skinny: After all vs. afterall
Among the common grammar errors I’ve spotted during my many years of editing is the use of “afterall.” This probably arises from the same inclination to make “all right” one word by combining them to become “alright.” Alas, “after all,” meaning “in spite of contrary views or expectations” is always two words. In short, “afterContinue reading “All right, here’s the skinny: After all vs. afterall”
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”