You typed the word, and you stopped. Something about it didn’t feel correct. You deleted it, retyped it, and still weren’t sure. That momentary pause is more common than you might think. One word trips up writers, students, and even professional editors regularly. The good news is that both spellings are right. The real question … Read more
You’ve written it a hundred times on your CV. In emails, you have second-guessed it. Is it “a MA” or “an MA”? The answer is simpler than you think, and it has nothing to do with spelling. The Real Grammar Rule: Articles Depend on Sound, Not Letters Most people learn a shortcut in school: use … Read more
You’ve typed “has showed” and had second thoughts. Good. This is precisely the issue. Fastest answer first: shown or showed? Use “showed” when an action is completed in the simple past tense. Use “shown” when paired with a helping verb such as “has,” “have,” “had,” “was,” or “were.” The entire rule in a nutshell: Sentence … Read more
You’ve probably typed both forms of this word without giving it a second thought. Then one day a red squiggly line stops you. Here’s the answer and the grammar rule that explains it. Quick Answer: Combating Is the Standard Spelling The modern English language prefers the correct form of the word as “combating”. “Combatting” is … Read more
You wrote it. Then you stopped. Something about flys didn’t look right. But flies looked odd, too. That fraction of a second of doubt is why this phrase trips up so many writers. Quick Answer: Time Flies Is Correct The only correct spelling is “Time flies.” Sorry, ‘Time flys’ is a misspelling, end of story. … Read more
You’ve seen “knaw” somewhere online, and now you’re not sure if it’s real. Maybe autocorrect flagged it. Maybe it just looked wrong. Here’s the actual answer, plus everything else worth knowing about this word. Quick Answer: Gnaw Is Correct, Knaw Is Not In modern English, the word “gnaw” is the only correct spelling. The spelling … Read more
You’ve typed it a dozen times and have always second-guessed yourself. That pile of paper on your desk, is it “flyers” or “fliers”? It depends on what you’re writing, where you’re writing it, and which rulebook you’re following. Quick Answer: Use “Flyer” for Marketing, “Flier” for the Idiom Choose a flyer if you’re printing handouts, … Read more
You text a friend that you’re “at the house.” They ask if you’re inside yet. Suddenly you realize these two phrases aren’t as interchangeable as you thought. The Core Difference in One Line “At the house” is used to indicate a general location while “in the house” is used to specify the interior of the … Read more
You’ve seen it in contracts. You’ve seen it in your manager’s e-mails. Maybe you’ve even typed it out yourself, not being entirely sure it was right. Let’s fix it. What Does “Deem Fit” Actually Mean? “Deem” is to judge or regard something to be something. “Fit” indicates appropriate or acceptable to the situation. Take them … Read more
You have typed “don’t” a hundred times today without thinking. Then you receive an official email and all of a sudden “do not” seems like the safer decision. When each one genuinely belongs. Here’s what is really going on. What “Do Not” and “Don’t” Actually Mean “Don’t” is just “do not” squashed into one word. … Read more