GRAMMAR

11 Grammar Rules That Make No Sense

As you become a more sophisticated writer (and reader), you realize that many grammar rules are better ignored.

The Washington Post Style Guide Now Accepts Singular They

What do you do when you run into your friend on their birthday? You wish them a happy birthday, of course! Or wait—you wish … him or her a happy birthday? When you run into your friend on … his or her birthday? That's how you’re supposed to say it if you

A Chart That Diagrams Closing Sentences From Classic Novels

The closing lines of novels are grammatically different than their opening lines. Here's how.

11 of the FBI’s Most Amusing Bank Robber Nicknames

The nicknames are supposed to be a tool for helping catch crooks, but it seems as if they’re really cooked up to keep special agents amused.

Comma Crusader Brings Good Grammar to Traffic Court and Wins

Andrea Cammelleri was ticketed for a parking violation and used the rules of proper punctuation to fight it.

10 Misconceptions About the English Language

Elliott Morgan debunks a few myths about the English language.

it's a perfectly cromulent word, via fox

11 Best Uses of Bad Grammar from The Simpsons

When it comes to comedy, sometimes a little grammatical wrongnity is exactly what’s called for.

Where Did the @ Symbol Come From?

Why does it look like a snail?

The Top 10 Grammar Myths

Before you argue with me, read the whole explanation about why each of these is a myth.

What's the Difference Between Biweekly and Semiweekly?

Mignon Fogarty is the founder of Quick and Dirty Tips and is known for her Grammar Girl website, podcast, and games.

The Secret Emotional Lives of 5 Punctuation Marks

Punctuation marks accept their utilitarian roles, but they too carry feelings, and they express them in subtle ways that are sometimes easy to miss.

"Accidentally misfired" and "young baby" are redundant terms that should not be used.

11 Grammar Lessons From a Leaked CIA Style Book

In 2014, a leaked copy of the Directorate of Intelligence Style Manual & Writer's Guide for Intelligence Publication, a.k.a. Strunk & White for spies, found its way to the Internet.

8 Persnickety Rules From the Associated Press Stylebook

Careful where you put that hyphen—here are eight rules from the AP Stylebook that you might never know unless you looked them up.

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

Believe it or not, this sentence is grammatically correct and has meaning: "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo."

The LOLCat Bible Translation Project

We've covered LOLCats before (including Miss C.'s hit LOLCat of Death post), but now things have gotten a little out of hand. The phenomenon of LOLCat Grammar has now matured enough to support a translation of the Bible into LOLCat language. Seriously.

Hopefully, I can get a ruling.

There are two kinds of people. Those who don't take issue with this post's title, and those now compelled to send me hate mail. Five years ago, I had no idea the second camp existed. Setting out on a quest for grammar excellence, I had picked up a book