grammar
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How to Fix a Run-On Sentence
How to Fix a Run-On Sentence
Published Jun 19, 2023
Last Updated Nov 20, 2024As an editor or proofreader, knowing how to fix a run-on sentence is essential. Have you ever encountered sentences that seem to go on and on forever? Or read whole paragraphs consisting of only one or two sentences? While varying sentence length can be important, a common mistake many people make is writing run-on sentences. […]
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What Are Concrete and Abstract Nouns?
What Are Concrete and Abstract Nouns?
Published Jun 12, 2023
Last Updated May 27, 2025From pigeons to pacifism, all nouns fall into one of two categories: concrete or abstract. As an editor or proofreader, understanding what concrete and abstract nouns are and how they work will help you make sure your clients are communicating clearly. That’s why, in this post, we explain: What Is a Concrete Noun? Concrete nouns […]
Fewer vs. Less: Which Is Correct?
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A Complete Guide to First, Second, and Third Person
Published May 01, 2023
Last Updated Nov 26, 2024The first, second, and third persons are present in all forms of writing in English. But what, exactly, do these terms refer to? In our complete guide, we cover everything you need to know about first-, second-, and third-person points of view. What Are First, Second, and Third Person? We use the terms first person, […]
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What Is the Difference Between E.g. and I.e.?
Published Apr 24, 2023
Last Updated Apr 28, 2025If you’ve spotted the abbreviations e.g. and i.e. in a piece of writing, you may have wondered what they mean. And you may have wondered if you’re using them correctly! These two Latin terms often cause confusion, even for experienced writers and editors. But knowing the difference is essential if you want to write clearly […]
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What Is the Difference Between Affect and Effect?
Published Apr 17, 2023
Last Updated Nov 26, 2024Affect and effect are examples of homophones – two words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings. People frequently confuse the two words because we often use affect and effect in similar contexts. This blog post will explore the difference between affect and effect and help you know which one to use – […]
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Who vs. That: What’s the Difference?
Published Mar 27, 2023
Last Updated Mar 04, 2024Although we often replace who with that and vice versa, specific usage rules apply to these words. This blog post will help you understand those rules and provide examples for how to use them. Who vs. That Who and that are relative pronouns. This means we use them to introduce a dependent clause (also known […]
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How to Use Commas with Coordinating Conjunctions
Published Mar 20, 2023
Last Updated Nov 28, 2024Coordinating conjunctions can be confusing for new proofreaders, especially when commas are involved. We’re here to make things clear for you with our guide to using commas with coordinating conjunctions. What Are Coordinating Conjunctions? Coordinating conjunctions are words that join words, phrases, or clauses together. We have seven coordinating conjunctions in English, which can be […]
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What Are Dependent and Independent Clauses?
Published Mar 18, 2023
Last Updated Jul 23, 2024Understanding independent and dependent clauses is essential to writing and editing – but how exactly are they different? And how should you punctuate sentences with independent and dependent clauses? We’ve got the answers! Keep reading to learn what makes a clause independent or dependent and how to write both correctly. What Is a Clause? A […]
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Such As vs. Like: What’s the Difference?
Such As vs. Like: What’s the Difference?
Published Feb 13, 2023
Last Updated Nov 18, 2024While they may seem interchangeable, the terms “such as” and “like” actually have different meanings and are used in different ways. While “like” is used to compare things with similar characteristics, “such as” is used to introduce specific examples. In this blog post, we’ll explore how and when to use these two terms and what […]
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What Is the Subjunctive in English?
What Is the Subjunctive in English?
Published Jan 28, 2023
Last Updated Dec 12, 2024The subjunctive is a verb form or “mood” type that typically refers to wishes, demands, proposals, and hypothetical situations (i.e., something that might or could happen). In this post, we will explain what a mood is, and how and when to use the subjunctive mood, especially in UK and US dialects. What Is a Mood? […]