There are some words in the English language that sound alike but have different meanings (these are known as homophones). There are also words that have similar meanings but are often misused. If you want to be taken seriously as
The Oxford comma and why you should consider using it
The Collins dictionary definition of the Oxford comma is “a comma between the final items in a list, often preceding the word and or or, such as the final comma in the list newspapers, magazines, and books”. The history of the
Malapropism – what is it and how did it get its name?
In my blog post Frequently misused words – damp squid and other blunders I included some words which are often misused, so now let me introduce you to the world of the malapropism. What is a malapropism? If you don’t know
Split infinitives – yes, no or don’t really care
If you don’t know what split infinitives are, here’s one of the most famous examples. It was spoken at the beginning of many of the television episodes and films of Star Trek (it was first used for an episode in September
Clichés – why you should avoid them like the plague
Clichés are words and phrases that have been used so often they have ceased to have much impact. When they were first written they may have been original and colourful but overuse has guaranteed that they are now anything but.
Online English grammar resources for aspiring writers
If you are an aspiring writer but your English grammar is a bit rusty, take a look at the following selection of online English grammar resources where you will find a range of useful tips and advice. Online English grammar resources
Words that sound or look alike
In my blog Frequently misused words – damp squid and other blunders I talked about words that are frequently used incorrectly and so I thought I would continue on a similar theme but this time with words that sound or look alike
Are hyphens really necessary?
There is some controversy over the use of hyphens (even are hyphens really necessary) and no doubt the debate will go on. But what are hyphens and why do some of us think they are an important part of the English language? Hyphens
Frequently misused words – damp squib and other blunders
This blog is all about frequently misused words so let’s start with Damp squib which I have used in the title. The correct phrase is Damp squib (when something is less impressive than expected) but it is often incorrectly written and pronounced as Damp squid. Now you
The use of apostrophes – banana’s 70p a kilo
Can you spot what is wrong with banana’s 70p a kilo in the title to this blog post? No? Then probably like many other people you are confused about where and when to use apostrophes (‘). In English, there are just