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Tag Archives: English
It’s or Its: It’s a Problem
Most nouns use an apostrophe s (‘s) to make the possessive (for example, Bill Belichick’s questionable coaching style, the quarterback’s excuses, the team’s dedication); pronouns, however, do not. The most common of these types of errors is the spelling of … Continue reading
Posted in grammar
Tagged apostrophe with its, English, grammar error, it's vs its, writing
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Conditional Tense: What Would Have Been
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
Posted in grammar, language, writing
Tagged conditional perfect, English, grammar errors, language, past perfect with conditional, writing
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The Past of -Cast: Is it Casted or Cast?
Some verbs are regular verbs, which means that they follow a set pattern when forming their tenses; for example, they add –ed when forming the past tense. Other verbs are irregular verbs, which means that they don’t follow those rules; … Continue reading
Posted in grammar, weather
Tagged broadcast or broadcasted, English, forecast or forecasted, grammar error, irregular verbs, past tense
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Can’t Hardly or Can Hardly: I Can Hardly Stand It
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
Posted in grammar, language, writing
Tagged can hardly, can't hardly, English, grammar, grammar error, language, writing
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Bad or Badly: Instead of Feeling Badly, Just Feel Bad
Bad is an adjective that is used with linking verbs (verbs of being, such as be, become, seem, feel, taste, look, smell). Don’t feel bad about slamming my hand in the car door; it happens all the time. I feel … Continue reading
Bring, Brang, Brung, Brought
Bring is an irregluar verb, that is, a verb that has its own particular conjugations rather than following the same pattern followed by other verbs. That irregular pattern might not seem logical to us, or we might not like the … Continue reading
Posted in grammar
Tagged brang, bring, brought, brung, English, grammar error, have or has brought
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Do You Bathe or Bath?
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
Posted in grammar, language, writing
Tagged bath, bathe, colloquialisms, common grammar errors, English
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Is it Beside or Besides the Point?
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
Posted in grammar, language, writing
Tagged beside, beside the point, besides, English, grammar errors, language, writing
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Are You Well, or Are You Good?
If you’re healthy, are you well or good? If you’re happy, are you well or good? If you score a lot of touchdowns in football without getting a black eye or a broken leg, are you playing good or well? … Continue reading
Lose versus Loose: Let’s Lose This Spelling Error
A couple of readers sent me e-mail to ask that I write about the difference between loose and lose. It seems that I’m not the only person to have seen these two spelling errors. When talking about something that is … Continue reading
Posted in grammar
Tagged English, grammar, lose or loose, spelling error, verb lose, writing
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