Although one of the main functions of commas is to introduce more clarity into a sentence, sometimes it can feel like they just exist to make writing more confusing! One reason for this is that you may learn a comma rule and then see writing that breaks it, even printed in newspapers, magazines and books. …
Grammar
English is a strange language and often seems to be made up mostly of other languages. There are lots of loanwords in English. Fancy some sushi? Maybe a hamburger or a croissant? Let’s set the food examples aside and focus on something more intrinsically interesting: the Latin phrase “per se. Do you need a …
Just like your dog’s collar, guitar pick, and cigarette filter, every punctuation mark serves a purpose in the world of written language. And, notwithstanding how insignificant a word may superficially look like, it surely plays a significant role in forming a sentence as well. Today, we’ll look into punctuating coordinating conjunctions in English, namely, for, …
Adverbs are words that tell you more about a verb. In other words, they tell you something about how an action was performed. Some adverbs tell you about time, including words that indicate the order that something happened in. These are words like “finally,” “first” and “second,” and they are called sequence adverbs. “Ultimately” is …
Some words in English always do the same thing. For example, the words “girl” and “boy” are always nouns, and the word “beautiful” is always an adjective. Some words can act as both noun or verb, but it is pretty easy to spot which one they are. For example, “cook” can be a verb meaning …
If you’ve ever written more than a few words in English, chances are good you’ve run into commas. Commas, like it or not, are everywhere. So why are they so hard to understand? The truth is that they’re not. Commas follow a fairly simple set of rules but can be a struggle for many writers …
Some people think that the punctuation system requires esoteric knowledge to be fully mastered. Well, that might be the case if we think of it from a pedantic perspective, that the written language ought to be governed by “rigid” rules. Thinking ths way may discourage people from writing, which should not be the case because …
Commas may look like just little pieces of punctuation, but they can be powerful tools. Sometimes, their primary function is to help with comprehension in a sentence. Other times, they can be used to indicate that a speaker is pausing to show emphasis. When it comes to using a comma after “furthermore,” there are some …
Words having multiple meanings never fail to make most, if not all, language learners scratch their heads. To make the scalp bleed a bit, we can also combine the intricacies behind the punctuation system, especially the notorious comma. Well, luckily enough, today’s post will help you get rid of that seborrheic dermatitis. You know, dandruff. …