Today, 4th March, is National Grammar Day in the US. I would like to see this adopted in Britain, where standards of English writing are declining. But what is grammar? Many believe that grammar covers everything regarding language, including punctuation; however, grammar is distinct from this. It is the study of sentence structure and word [...]
The Good Grammar Company has been in the news quite a lot recently, and all because of the humble apostrophe. It’s three weeks since I was first asked for my view on Cambridge City Council’s decision to omit apostrophes from future road signs and, as I’m widely quoted as saying, I don’t think, educationally or [...]
Last week I was approached by a reporter from the Cambridge News who wanted my views on Cambridge City Council’s decision to drop apostrophes from new road signs. It was the first I’d heard of this, although I had read about this ruling for other counties. I was unpleasantly surprised to learn that Cambridge was [...]
I’m sometimes asked this question at networking events, and a very interesting question it is. It makes sense for a business to employ a copy-writer to ensure its promotional material is professional and its website beyond reproach, and I would be the first to encourage this practice. However, the problem here is that most businesses [...]
I’m having a moan. I know, I know – most unlike me. Anyway, contrary to what many of my followers think, I don’t spend my days trawling websites and social media platforms looking for written English errors (honest!) but I have noticed a growing number, particularly from businesses. As I often say, I’m not being [...]
This is another common error that affects the quality of writing and can have a negative effect on your company’s credibility. As a general rule, affect is the verb (what has happened or is happening) and effect is the noun (the result of what happens). The economic downturn has had a negative effect on [...]
It is if you want to write properly. Which of the following is incorrect? I need to practise my spellings. I need to practice my spellings. Spell check won’t help you as it recognises both words: one as a noun and the other as a verb. If you don’t know the difference between a noun [...]
A selection of some of the most blood-curdling grammar crimes ever committed, creatively arranged for your enjoyment. A Halloween treat for all you English language pedants: poo your pants! His got the hole world in he’s hand’s. The monkies pulled each other’s tales alot. Truely, your such a lyer! Grammer is important, irregardless of [...]
This question comes up a lot, which/that isn’t surprising because it’s a confusing one. (But I bet you knew that ‘which’ was needed in that last sentence!) Just ask yourself: is the information preceded by ‘that’ or ‘which’ essential, or is it extra information that doesn’t have to be there? If it’s essential for the meaning, use [...]
I’d like to take this opportunity to bore … I mean regale you with a recent experience I had with a media content company. This company had shared a link on Twitter exposing the ten most common mistakes made in writing; however, the article itself was riddled with errors and contained information that was simply [...]
As part of my job entails helping businesses with their grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocabulary, it might seem strange that I am asking this question. My answer should be ‘Of course grammar is important! Grammar is everything!’ Grammar counts for a lot and, as I’ve discovered from recent discussions on LinkedIn, even the most mild-mannered [...]
This post’s existence is due to confusion owing to the confusion between due to and owing to… Well, let’s get one thing straight before we go any further. The argument as to whether ‘due to’ or ‘owing to’ should be used is, in my humble opinion, one that should no longer exist. Even my very [...]
I talked about commas in my first post ‘Let’s eat Grandma’ way back in April. Despite being one of the most-used punctuation marks, commas are among the least understood; comma splicing is a common phenomenon, even among talented writers. To understand how to avoid comma splicing, one needs to be aware of clauses. This is [...]
I knew that would get your attention! Sorry to disappoint, but this post is about the difference between lay and lie. I will try to make it as exciting as possible, though, so ‘bare’ with me. (Ha! See what I did there?) So, do you lie or lay on your bed? First, we need to [...]
Even though I don’t have the courage to have anything of my own published, I subscribe to a writers’ magazine as I like to keep up-to-date with the latest debates and ideas in the writing world. I can’t help noticing, though, the number of errors that sometimes appear within the pages of this somewhat expensive [...]
First, I’d like to make it clear that I do not read the Daily Mail. I came across the following letter on a teaching website where there was a discussion about how important (or not) the Key Stage 2 SATs are for a pupil’s future. It seems somewhat ironic that the head teacher who wrote [...]
I was a school child for the whole of the 1970s, a time when the discrete teaching of grammar was considered unhelpful. The great educational powers of the time decided that grammar teaching was boring and not working so must change. It was decided that it should be taught in the context of whatever was [...]
In case you’re wondering about the title, it’s an example that shows why commas are important for conveying meaning. Having grandma round for dinner has a whole new meaning when the comma is left out. ‘Let’s eat, grandma,’ is so much more friendly and welcoming. Who would have thought that one little punctuation mark would [...]