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For all I care . . .
Which is correct: could care less or couldn’t care less? Let’s look at an example sentence: The rebellious Sally could/couldn’t care less that she got her fiftieth detention. Answer: couldn’t care...
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It’s all directional
Lesson: when to capitalize north, south, east, and west We have to drive southwest to get to the zoo. He’s going to the Southwest for a business meeting. Why is the word southwest lowercased in the...
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Number vs. amount
Lesson: when to use number and amount in sentences The words number and amount are used in different situations. Use number with things you can count (count nouns). Use amount with things you can’t...
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Capitalizing Titles of Works
Some people prefer to capitalize each word of a title. But, if you need to learn the rules of the “up and down” style of titles, here is a guide. Section 8.157 of The Chicago Manual of Style lays out...
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Peel vs. peal
peel (verb): to strip off an outer layer of Example: Lawrence peeled the skin off of his apple. peel (noun): the skin or rind of a fruit Example: Becky threw her potato peels in the trash. peal...
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AP vs. Chicago
The Onion posted a funny (well, funny to me) article yesterday about copy editing: 4 Copy Editors Killed In Ongoing AP Style, Chicago Manual Gang Violence NEWS IN BRIEF • News Media • News • ISSUE...
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Using brand names
Kleenex. Band-Aid. ChapStick. What do these words have in common? They are all trademarked. If you bought a store brand box of thingies to blow your nose into, you’re actually using facial tissues,...
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Here! Hear!
When you raise your glass after an impressive speech, do you say “Here, here!” or “Hear, hear!”? The correct phrase is: Hear, hear! That is, unless someone is asking, “Who wants more wine?” Then you...
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Compliment vs. complement
Miss, those bunny ears really complement your attitude. compliment (noun): an expression of esteem, respect, affection, or admiration compliment (verb): to express esteem, respect, affection, or...
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To hyphenate or not to hyphenate
Today we’re discussing words with prefixes and whether we should hyphenate them. In general, English is moving away from hyphenation (it’s coworker, not co-worker, for instance), but there are some...
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When to capitalize titles
Lesson: when to capitalize civil, military, religious, and professional titles Capitalizing a title depends on whether it comes before or after a person’s name or stands alone. If the title comes...
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Quotation marks within quotation marks
Today Hannibal Lecter is going to teach us about punctuation. And who said learning isn’t fun? When you’re working with only one set of quotation marks, using them is simple. In American English, just...
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Follow through vs. follow-through
follow through (verb): to press on in an activity or process especially to a conclusion follow-through (noun): the act or an instance of following through —Merriam-Webster These two words can be tricky...
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Is Is Capitalized in Titles?
This is my cat, Buff Buff. He’s in a box! Is, with just its two lovely letters, seems to confuse many people as they go about capitalizing chapter titles, article titles, subtitles, and so forth....
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Love Letter (of Sorts) to My Chicago Manual of Style, Sixteenth Edition
Every seven years, The University of Chicago Press releases a new edition of The Chicago Manual of Style. As it says on the cover, it is the essential guide for writers, editors, and publishers. When...
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Peel vs. peal
peel (verb): to strip off an outer layer of Example: Lawrence peeled the skin off of his apple. peel (noun): the skin or rind of a fruit Example: Becky threw her potato peels in the trash. peal...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Capitalizing Titles of Works
Some people prefer to capitalize each word of a title. But, if you need to learn the rules of the “up and down” style of titles, here is a guide. Section 8.157 of The Chicago Manual of Style lays out...
View ArticleNumber vs. amount
Lesson: when to use number and amount in sentences The words number and amount are used in different situations. Use number with things you can count (count nouns). Use amount with things you can’t...
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