Grammar Tips


Contents

A Versus An

  • Use "a" before a word or acronym that starts with a consonant sound, and "an" if it has a vowel sound.

    • Examples:
    • You'd write "an MBA," because the reader will pronounce the "m" as "em."
    • You'd write "an honor" because the h is silent, but "a history of ..." because the h is pronounced.
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Affect Versus Effect

  • Affect, in most cases, is a verb meaning "to influence."
  • Effect, in most cases, is a noun meaning "a result."
    An easy way to remember which one to use is to ask yourself which AVENUE you should take with your sentence.
    • Affect is a
    • Verb and
    • Effect is a
    • Noun
    • Unless it’s one of the rare
    • Exceptions
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Begs the question

  • As defined by famous lexicographer Henry Watson Fowler, begging the question is "the fallacy of founding a conclusion on a basis that as much needs to be proved as the conclusion itself." His example: "Foxhunting is not cruel, since the fox enjoys the fun."

    Therefore, it is improper to use begs the question when raises the question is meant. And in spite of the fact that dictionaries are starting to give up the battle, it is best avoided, and "raises the question" or similar be substituted, if for no better reason than avoiding sneering from
    pedants.
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Compound Word Or Two-Word Phrase?

  • Compound words can be closed, hyphenated, or open. Often, creating a compound word from a two-word phrase will change the intended meaning in your sentence. Pay attention to the part of speech you want in your sentence to determine whether you should be using a closed or hyphenated compound word, or an open compound phrase. For instance: 
    • Every day is used as an adverb that tells the reader how often something occurs, whereas everyday is an adjective meaning something is ordinary. 
    • One should back up (verb) their work frequently so as not to lose changes, but you may have a back-up copy (adjective) in addition to your working copy. 
    • Any modifies way when we write “in any way” or “any way the wind blows.” Anyway is an adverb meaning regardless or however.
    Other examples:
    • Anyone can take that class, but any one of the participants could fail.
    • I will follow up with you next week, and if necessary, arrange an additional follow-up for two weeks after that.
    • Suffering from a layoff at his job, Peter was unable to lay off the sauce.
    • Though I'm terrified of takeoff when I fly, if this plane doesn't take off soon I'm going to scream.
    How To Construct Compound Modifiers
    • Use a hyphen for compound adjectives before the noun:
      • brand-new, well-known actor, full-time job, 20-year sentence
    • Do not use a hyphen when the compound modifier occurs after the verb:
      • The house looked brand new, The actor was well known. Her job became full time. He was sentenced to 20 years.
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Dangling Modifiers

  • Descriptive phrases should always modify the nearest noun. When they modify a noun somewhere else in the sentence, or don't appear to refer to anything in particular, they're said to be dangling. Comedians are great at turning dangling modifiers into jokes:
    • One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got into my pajamas I'll never know. –  Groucho Marx
      • The modifying clause "in my pajamas" is clearly supposed to describe the behavior of the speaker, but grammatically it appears to apply to the elephant — the closest noun to it.
    • A dangling modifier walks into a bar. After finishing a drink, the bartender asks it to leave.
      • Who finished the drink — the bartender or the dangling modifier?
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Decades

  • Decades are plural, not possessive, so numerically they would be written as 1990s, not 1990's; 2000s, not 2000's, etc.

  • If you are abbreviating it to "the nineties," when written numerically it is a contraction eliminating the first two digits, so it requires an apostrophe to represent what's missing: '70s, '80s, '90s. Do not put an apostrophe before the final s. When in doubt, spell it out: sixties, not sixty's; seventies, not seventy's, etc.
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Different From Versus Different Than

  • Always use different from instead of different than. The exceptions are so rare that you really can't go wrong abiding by this form.
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Fewer Versus Less

  • With rare exceptions, use "less" when referring to things "en masse" and "fewer" for things you are counting.Keep them separate in your mind by remembering that "less" and "masse" both contain double-s.
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Formal Titles

  • ONLY capitalize formal titles when they are used immediately before one or more names: Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Barack Obama, Governors Chris Christie and Rick Scott. 
  • Use lowercase and spell out titles when they are not used with an individual's name: The president issued a statement. The pope gave his blessing.
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Here's versus Here are

  • Here's is a contraction of here is and should not be used when identifying plurals.
    • Incorrect (real examples): 
      • On the other hand, here’s some things I don’t like.
      • Here's the Top 10 .
      • Here's a few charts we've gotten.
      • And here's initial jobless claims.
      • There's still the sequester spending cuts
    • Correct: 
      • Here are some things I don't like.
      • Here are the Top 10.
      • Here are a few charts we've gotten.
      • And here are initial jobless claims.
      • There are still the sequester spending cuts
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Idioms And Foreign Words And Phrases

  • Double check for correct spelling and usage.
    • Examples (incorrect usages taken from actual published posts):
    • All of a sudden, not all of the sudden.
    • Dribs and drabs, not drips and drabs.
    • Insofar, not in so far.
    • Chaise longue, not chez longue.
    • Bona fide, not bonafide.
    • Footing the bill, not fitting the bill.
    • Segue, not segway.
    • De facto, not defacto.
    • Chalk this one up, not chock this one up.
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Its versus It's

  • It's with an apostrophe is the contraction of either it is or it has; it does not represent possession — ever.
  • Its without an apostrophe is a pronoun like his, hers, yours, and ours, and therefore does show possession.

    When in doubt, spell it out. This was an actual headline:
      • GOLDMAN: The Shale Oil Revolution Is Real, And It's Impact On The Global Economy Is Dramatic
    Spelled out, that hed reads:
      • GOLDMAN: The Shale Oil Revolution Is Real, And It is Impact On The Global Economy Is Dramatic
    That does not make any sense. Therefore you would use its, not it’s. This is one of the most basic rules of grammar, yet one of the most frequent errors on BI.
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Malapropisms

  • Attain means to reach. Obtain means to get.
  • Compliment means to praise. Complement means to complete.
  • Supposed to means is expected. Suppose means to assume/speculate (is never followed by "to").
  • Flout means to treat with scorn or contempt; to "flout the rules."
    Flaunt means to show off.
  • Staunch means strong, steadfast, sturdy. Stanch means to stop the flow of. 
  • Swath means the space created by a cutting instrument, or in idiomatic use, "to call attention to," as in "He cut a swath through the room when he entered." Swathe, on the other hand, means to bandage, wrap, or enfold something.
  • Jive is a style of music, or, as slang, exaggerated talk. Jibe, when used with with, is an idiom meaning agreement. Never use jive with when you mean something does or does not agree or work together — the term you want is jibe with
    • INCORRECT: That information doesn't jive with previous reports. (The information isn't taking previous reports to a dance.)
    • CORRECT: That information doesn't jibe with previous reports.
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Miscellaneous

  • All right vs. Alright: Alright is not a proper word. Really, it’s not. No matter how much you insist.
    • In all cases use all right.
  • Alot is also not a word. Would you type alittle? On purpose? Of course you wouldn’t. It’s a lot. 
  • Lead/Led: The word led is the past tense and past participle of the verb "to lead." The word lead, when it sounds like red is a metal, not the past tense of "to lead."
  • Plead/Pleaded: Do not use the colloquial past tense form, pled.
  • Expatriate: The correct abbreviation is expat, not ex-pat. 
  • Most common "work-" words (workweek, workplace) are one word. The exception is work force, which is two words.
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Misplaced Verbs Or Adverbs

  • Poorly-placed verbs and/or adverbs make sentences awkward. Watch for
    things like the examples below (all taken from actual posts):
    • Awkward: also are used.
    • Better: are also used.

    • Awkward: as already many have done.
    • Better: as many have already done.

    • Awkward: As I've explained often recently.
    • Better: As I've often explained recently.

    • Awkward: CNN reporters on air questioned.
    • Better: CNN reporters questioned on air.

    • Awkward: New York City will tomorrow institute an odd-even gas rationing system.
    • Better: New York City will institute an odd-even gas rationing system tomorrow.
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People Who, Things/Entities That

  • If you dig around, you may be able to find a rogue source that allows for the use of that when writing about people. But it is a non-standard usage (no offense to Chaucer), so stick to the rule:
    • Person or people who; things or entities that.

    Plus, writing person that is like fingernails on a chalk board to Julie Hanson, and we definitely don't want to annoy her!
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Plurals, Possessives, And Contractions

  • Plurals do not, as a general rule (there are rare exceptions), use an apostrophe; possessives do. (It’s not that writers don’t know this, but it is actually one of the most common errors made, so just keep the rule in mind as you write to avoid making it.)
    • Plural: The books were well-read.
    • Possessive: The book's cover was worn.
  • Use ONLY an apostrophe, not apostrophe “s” with the following possessives
    • Proper names ending in “s.”
      • Steve Jobs’ car.
    • Plural nouns ending in “s.”
      • The lions’ enclosure.
    • Nouns that are plural in form, whether singular or plural in meaning.
      • Measles' effects.
    • Singular nouns ending in “s” followed by a word beginning with “s.”
      • The witness' story.
  • Its versus It's
    • It's with an apostrophe is the contraction of either it is or it has; it does not represent possession — ever.
    • Its without an apostrophe is a pronoun like his, hers, yours, and ours, and therefore does show possession.
      When in doubt, spell it out. This was an actual headline that appeared in the top/left corner (most prominent placement) on BI's main page:
        • GOLDMAN: The Shale Oil Revolution Is Real, And It's Impact On The Global Economy Is Dramatic
      Spelled out, that hed reads:
        • GOLDMAN: The Shale Oil Revolution Is Real, And It is Impact On The Global Economy Is Dramatic
      That does not make any sense. Therefore you would use its, not it’s. 
  • Decades:  
    • Decades are plural, not possessive, so numerically they would be written as 1990s, not 1990's; 2000s, not 2000's, etc.

    • If you are abbreviating it to "the nineties," when written numerically it is a contraction eliminating the first two digits, so it requires an apostrophe to represent what's missing: '70s, '80s, '90s. Do not put an apostrophe before the final s. When in doubt, spell it out: sixties, not sixty's; seventies, not seventy's, etc.
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Reflexive Pronouns

  • Myself, Himself, Herself, Themselves, etc. — are always the object of a sentence, never the subject. Think of them as "reflecting" a noun or pronoun when the noun or pronoun is doing something to itself. 
    Correct:
    • "He sees himself as an entrepreneur." 
    • "They took themselves out of the running." 
    Incorrect: 
    • "It took her partner and herself a year to build the first app." 
    Hint: Isolate the pronoun in the sentence above to see how it stands on its own: 
    • "It took herself a year to build the first app."
    This is clearly wrong, so therefore the personal pronoun, her, should be used, not the reflexive pronoun. 
    • "It took her and her partner a year to build the first app."
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Sentences

  • Imperatives / Commands can be one-word sentences. See?
  • But all other sentences need at least a Subject and a Verb to be complete. And if they also have a dependent clause, they must have a main clause or they don't make any sense.
    • There are a lot of sentence fragments. On Business Insider. 
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That versus Which

  • Use that when your sentence requires the clause in question to make sense or to be accurate.

    • With the clause: 10 Stats That Show How Chinese Manufacturing Makes The Rest Of The World Look Tiny

    • Without the clause: 10 Stats Make The Rest Of The World Look Tiny
  • Use which when the clause in question can be left out without changing the meaning of your sentence.

    • With the clause: Chinese manufacturing, which has been under much scrutiny lately, is on the decline.

    • Without the clause: Chinese manufacturing is on the decline.
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Then Versus Than

  • THEN marks time or a sequence of events. Definitions: At that time;
    Immediately following; As a consequence; In addition; In that case.
    • Now and then.
    • First this event, then that event.
    • If this happens, then that follows.
  • THAN is used in comparative statements.
    • Bigger than, smaller than.
    • Louder than, quieter than.
    • More than, less than.
    TEST YOURSELF — SUBSTITUTE "IN COMPARISON TO"
    Does your sentence still make sense (even if it sounds funny)? Use than! No? Use then!
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Was Versus Were

  • Use was (indicative) when there is a probability or likelihood of something being true. Use were (subjunctive) when there is no likelihood, merely "wishful thinking."

    • Correct: If I were king of the forest. If I were a rich man. I Would Vote for Gov Romney if He Were a Democrat

    • Incorrect (actual headline): I Would Vote for Gov Romney if He Was a Democrat
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Who Versus Whom

  • Who refers to the subject of a clause — the one doing something.
  • Whom refers to the object of a clause — the one having something done to them, or the one something is happening to.
    Test your sentence by changing it up so that either "he" or "him" makes sense. If it's "he," use who, it's "him," use whom. He who, him whom.
    • Example 1: Whoever wins the bet will have a $1 million donated to the charity of their choice.
      • He will have $1 million donated to his charity. Therefore, use "whoever."
    • Example 2: The charity will receive $1 million from whomever wins the bet."
      • The charity will receive $1 million from him. Therefore use "whomever."
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