Category Archives: writing

Portmanteau: Blame it on Lewis Carroll

Posted on March 12, 2019 by languageandgrammar

A reader requested the following explanation: “…Perhaps you can tell me what word is used when a part of one word is combined with part of another word to form a whole new word.” Well, the short answer would have … Continue reading →

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Verb Moods: Indicative, Imperative, Subjunctive. What Mood Are You In?

Posted on March 11, 2019 by languageandgrammar

Verbs can have one of three moods: indicative, imperative, or subjunctive. The indicative mood only includes verbs in sentences that are either statements (declarative sentences) or questions (interrogative sentences). It is unfortunate that more people do not live their lives … Continue reading →

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Past or Passed: When the Past Has Passed

Posted on March 11, 2019 by languageandgrammar

Use past to refer to the time that came before now or to refer to beyond something in distance. His ten years of working for a corporation with a bad reputation is in the past (the time before now). Their … Continue reading →

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Overspoke

Posted on March 9, 2019 by languageandgrammar

I’m not sure what overspoke is supposed to mean. When you overeat, it means that you’ve eaten too much. When you oversleep, it means that you’ve slept too much and missed, for example, an appointment. So does overspoke mean that … Continue reading →

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Is It Have Gone or Have Went?

Posted on March 9, 2019 by languageandgrammar

Don’t get the past tense of the verb to go confused with the past participle of the verb to go. The past tense is went, and the past participle is gone, and each one has a different place in a … Continue reading →

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Fun, Funner, Funnest: Are We Having Fun Yet?

Posted on March 8, 2019 by languageandgrammar

A reader asked whether we could shed some light on the correct use of the word fun; this is one of my pet peeves, so I’m only too happy to oblige. I hear of people who had fun birthdays, movies … Continue reading →

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Conditional Tense: What Would Have Been

Posted on March 7, 2019 by languageandgrammar

A reader sent me something from a newspaper and said that it sounded incorrect but that she couldn’t quite explain why. The sentence in the newspaper was If the house would have been newer, it would have been demolished. I … Continue reading →

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Can’t Hardly or Can Hardly: I Can Hardly Stand It

Posted on March 7, 2019 by languageandgrammar

In Shakespeare’s time, double negatives such as can’t hardly were common, but in current standard usage (and by current, I don’t mean that I just made it up this week!), double negatives are substandard grammar. Hardly means scarcely or barely, … Continue reading →

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Do You Bathe or Bath?

Posted on March 6, 2019 by languageandgrammar

A friend of mine once said, “I’m going to bath the dog.” I didn’t have the heart to correct her grammar, but it’s been several years, and it’s still with me. (I know what you’re thinking, but I DO actually … Continue reading →

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Is it Beside or Besides the Point?

Posted on March 6, 2019 by languageandgrammar

Beside/besides seems to fall into the same grammar error category as toward/towards, forward/forwards, and backward/backwards. Many people aren’t sure when to use the one with the -s. Beside means by the side of or next to. He sat in the … Continue reading →

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