Here is a nugget of valuable, albeit blunt, advice: don”t believe people who claim grammar isn’t important — because the opposite is true. Poor diction and writing mechanics can rob you of job opportunities and even limit your social circles. Because despite the best of intentions, we humans harbor heaps of unconscious judgment about how …
English
People wonder whether we can contract “there are” to “there’re,” or would that be plain wrong? Let’s try to answer that question right about now. Table of Contents What does “there’re” mean? Choosing between “there’re” or “there are” Using “there’re” in a sentence The correct way of pronouncing “there’re” “There’re” …
Everyone knows their address, but it’s a fact that many people experience anxiety when asked to enter that address into a form or write it on an envelope. What should be a simple matter of putting in a street name, a street number and possibly apartment or suite number becomes unnecessarily complicated by arcane …
The above sentence might seem trivial to you, but there is actually more to it than meets the eye. Obviously, people laugh at funny things. Yet, there is something odd about laughter itself. We laugh before we can even speak, and it is a unique way for us to bond with other people. Books have …
There are some standard phrases that you are going to come across time and again. For instance, I’m sure you’ve heard someone say, “Excuse me, but …,” which is a simple way of grabbing someone’s attention without seeming too intrusive. You can follow that phrase with a request, a question, or any other “imposition.” You …
If you’ve ever watched the news in the United States of America, you’ve undoubtedly come across the expression “the tri-state area.” You might have heard it during a weather report, a crime report, or something that had to do with the elections. Moreover, “tri-state areas” have been mentioned in countless movies, TV shows, and radio …
Every one of us is on their own personal journey. We like to think of our lives as narratives, ones that only end when we go six feet under. However, during this journey, we are bound to experience highs and lows. There will be some good days, and other days will be dismal. However, for …
Human beings are aspirational creatures. We tend to be optimistic even when the odds aren’t in our favor. If anything, it is our optimism that has allowed us to shoot for the stars, to wish for the moon, and to go where no man has gone before. It is our optimism that has emboldened countless …
Ask anyone who’s ever written an essay how he or she feels about commas and you’re likely to receive a groan for an answer. Despite the comma hate, this piece of punctuation has only a few basic rules. Part of the problem is that writers tend to hyper-focus on how commas interact with specific words. …