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”
Tag Archives: Grammar
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 ofContinue reading “When to use an en dash vs. an em dash”