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Tag Archives: writing
Who Versus That
We all know that it’s important to avoid major grammar errors if we want to present ourselves in the best possible light, but it’s often subtle grammar errors that ultimately make the difference. Even when those subtle errors go unnoticed, … Continue reading
Posted in grammar, language
Tagged grammar, grammar error, language, using who or that, who vs. that, writing
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Self Words: This Redundancy is Self-Evident
The reflexive pronouns are myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. (Notice that there is no themself, ourself, theirselves, or hisself in that list, so please don’t ever say those non-words again.) When you use one of these … Continue reading
Posted in grammar
Tagged grammar error, reflexive pronouns, self grammar, self-control yourself, writing
1 Comment
NPR Redundancy
Some of the most common grammar errors are those of redundancy. In fact, there are so many such errors that I devoted an entire chapter (Play It Again, Sam) to them in Literally, the Best Language Book Ever. Examples in the … Continue reading
Posted in grammar, language, writing
Tagged National Public Radio, NPR, NPR Radio, redundancy, writing
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It’s These, Not These Ones
These ones come from Paris. Those ones come from Australia. Used in this way, these and those are demonstrative pronouns that should never be followed by ones. These already refers to the objects (the ones, the things) that are near, and … Continue reading
Posted in grammar
Tagged grammar, grammar error, these, these ones, those, those ones, writing
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Ideation and Ideating
I wasn’t paying much attention to the television, but when I heard a guest on an MSNBC broadcast say ideation, it grabbed my attention. The exact quote was There is a lot of ideation out there. I’m not sure of the … Continue reading
Is it Literally or Figuratively?
A news anchor after the congressional hearing on Roger Clemens’ alleged use of steroids, February 13, 2008: You‘ve been watching Roger Clemens, the rocket of baseball, literally in the hot seat. I don’t think so. Literally means that something occurred … Continue reading
Posted in grammar
Tagged grammar, grammar errors, literally or figuratively, literally vs figuratively, writing
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More on Impact
I’ve noticed that many people are as interested in the misuse of the word impact as a verb as am I. In my IMPACT DOES NOT MEAN TO AFFECT post, I explained that impact isn’t a verb unless it’s used … Continue reading
Posted in grammar
Tagged grammar error, impact, impact verb or noun, writing
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You Think You Have Issues?
The use of the word issues to mean problems has become so pervasive that many of us no longer know that there is a difference between the two words–but have no fear: we here at languageandgrammar.com are always here to … Continue reading
Posted in language, sports
Tagged issues versus problems, language, Pittsburgh Pirates, sports, writing
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And Etc.
I do quite a bit of academic editing of journal articles, proposals, and dissertations, and I find that students and professors of all ages and levels like to use the redundant and etc. Et cetera (etc.) is an abbreviation that … Continue reading
Everything Half Off *
During the last holiday season–meaning December, not the extended holiday season of December, November, October, September, and late August–my wife and I wandered into a well-known woman’s clothing store, attracted by the sign Everything Half Off . Prices reduced by … Continue reading
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