More sound-alike mix-ups — both rare and common. After Deadline http://ift.tt/1eJjl0y

In careful writing, it’s not enough to know the general meaning of a word. Precise usage requires knowing exactly how a word should fit into a sentence. If we slip, the meaning may still be clear enough. But errors are distracting and can make our prose seem slipshod — like a faulty translation from another […]

Every job has its joyless tasks. It’s time again for one of mine: pointing out that singular subjects should go with singular verbs, and plural subjects with plural verbs, just as singular pronouns should be used to refer to singular antecedents, and plural pronouns to plural antecedents. After Deadline http://ift.tt/1ivjoMU

In a brief respite from danglers and who/whom problems, here’s another small sampling of sparkling prose from the last few weeks. After Deadline http://ift.tt/1i9Km0N

Hyphens cause us no end of confusion, perhaps because the only overarching rule is this: Use them when they are needed and don’t when they aren’t. Of course, that distinction may not always be clear. After Deadline http://ift.tt/1k6WPm7

Our reporters interview people all the time — sometimes over lunch, dinner or coffee. Often, though, the reference to what someone is consuming seems rote or pointless. This write-by-numbers effect is even worse if we use cliched descriptions like “nibbled,” “munched” or “picked at.” After Deadline http://ift.tt/1j7OZFD