Here is a potpourri of pet peeves that readers sent me when I was writing a grammar column. Using hopefully to mean “it is hoped” or “I hope” as in “Hopefully, the burglars will get caught.” Some grammarians and others argue that this usage is incorrect because hopefully means “full of hope” and doesn’t make … More Pet Peeves in Grammar and Usage
George Orwell’s Six Rules of Writing Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. Never use a long word where a short one will do. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. Never use the passive where you can … More George Orwell’s Six Rules of Writing
Does grammar matter? Take a look at these two sentences from the website of the Plain English Campaign(http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/). The first sentence is from a actual document on school children. High-quality learning environments are a necessary precondition for facilitation and enhancement of the ongoing learning process. Here’s the plain English translation: Children need good schools if … More Clarity and Wordiness
Nobody likes the grammar police. There’s a joke about two women sitting on a plane. One of them, a Texan, turns to the other and asks, “Where are you all from?” The woman looks at her and answers disdainfully, “I’m from a place where people don’t end sentences with prepositions.” The Texan smiles … More Grammar Myths
Available from Amazon in both hard copy and a Kindle edition
Grammar and usage aren’t always cut and dried. Here are some disputed points: Taller than I/me Most grammar books consider the following sentence an error: Mort is taller than me. The error here is the object pronoun “me.” It should be the subject pronoun “I”—Mort is taller than I— because what the sentence really says … More Disputed Grammar
No Harm Spilt 