“By the way” is one of the most common phrases people use in everyday speech. In fact, as common as it is, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ wrote a song about it. Nevertheless, using and punctuating it in writing is a whole different story. Meanwhile, comma use remains to be one of the trickiest writing …
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As far as rude responses go, there are few that rival “who asked?” or the similar “who asked you?” If you are in the middle of telling a story or expressing an opinion, and someone interrupts to say, “Who asked?” you have every right to feel offended. And unfortunately, nothing can make us feel more …
Being invited to a wedding is always honor, no matter how formal or informal an affair the big day will be. The most important thing to do once you have received an invitation is to respond to as promptly as possible to let the happy couple know whether you will be able to celebrate their …
Conjunctions. Yeah, the notorious ones. Not everybody likes them, but they are extremely helpful cohesive devices in any language. Albert Einstein once said, “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” Without conjunctions, the flow of our ideas would be just as disorganized …
You’ve been working hard at learning how to write poems, and now you think you might be ready to submit some of them to a journal. This is an exciting step, but make sure that you don’t get so excited that you neglect to read the guidelines for how to submit. One of the things …
Have you been wondering when to place a comma before a verb? Tricky question, isn’t it? Well, don’t get worked up because a lot of people out there also ask the same thing. In our post today, we’ll discuss when exactly you would need a comma before a verb as well as when you must …
Starting a conversation can be pretty tough especially when talking to a stranger, acquaintance, or coworker. However, some common phrases such as ‘What’s up?’ and ‘How’s it going?’ help you keep a chat going. While these questions are quite easy and famous, knowing how to respond to them is the real trick. It can lighten …
Not everyone is interested in how languages work. But, whether we like it or not, the creative and playful nature of language does tickle the curiosity of its users every once in a while. Native speakers seldom get bothered by linguistic subtleties; however, the non-natives often want to go an extra mile deeper for the …
Many people can feel unsure of what to do when someone they know loses a friend or family member. They can feel so uncomfortable about the potential for doing or saying the wrong thing that they say nothing at all. Writing a brief sympathy letter is a great way to let someone know that you …