All right? All right! It’s time to tackle that one little word that comes with all the problems. Well, not all of them, but many, and It’s found in words and phrases like all right and alright, all together and altogether, all ready and already, and all and all of. This week and next, It’s… Read more »
The CGI wizards discussed effecting some special effects that would affect each viewer’s affect. Tongue tied in knots? Try spelling it! Effect and affect are commonly confused and misspelled even by grammar gurus. This week’s Toolbox will sort the two words and their various usages and meanings. The Verb Effect Does Not Mean Influence This… Read more »
Happy birthday, CanOx! If you follow this column, you probably know that CanOx is the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, beloved by writers, journalists, editors, and all who work with and care about Canadian English. What you may not know, however, is that the last edition of CanOx, published almost exactly 10 years ago, truly was its… Read more »
Summer is a time for fun and games, and whether you’re out playing tag with the kids or hiding indoors with Monopoly, chances are you really want to make sure you’re following correct usage. Or is that only me? Kidding aside, I’m frequently asked how to style names of games?italics or roman, quote marks or… Read more »
You might be an editor if at least five people posted Weird Al Yankovic’s “Word Crimes” music video on your Facebook page. You might be an editor if it made you laugh and cringe all at once. You might be an editor if the silly satire stayed with you for weeks. Word Crimes If you… Read more »
Time Is On Our Side, Part III: Day and Night What time is it? You probably answered this question with an easy a.m. or p.m., but saying these abbreviations verbally and writing them down are two very different things. This week I’ll try to simplify these abbreviations by giving a few basic rules. Morning and… Read more »
Whether you’re a student, writer, or teacher, time is something that always seems in unfortunately short supply. Questions about how to write about time, though, are abundant. You may be clear now on whether you should use long form instead of numerals, but what about the 24-hour clock? Time zones? Let’s spend a little time… Read more »
One of the most frequently asked questions I get, particularly from fiction writers, is whether or not to write out expressions of time instead of using numerals. The answer’s pretty typical of editorial answers to anything: sometimes, except when you shouldn’t. Let me clarify. Numerals or Not? In AP style, numeral-based time is preferred over… Read more »
Next week we’ll celebrate Canada’s 147th birthday?and revel in all things uniquely Canadian. But our uniqueness is not just about poutine, ketchup chips, and the vast superiority of Tim Horton’s. Canada also has its own distinct style for grammar, punctuation, usage, and spelling. Let’s take this time to celebrate our differences! Canadian Spelling Americans often… Read more »
Last week we looked at three commonly confused words: there, their, and they’re. This week we’ll move on to a related, equally tricky set: your, you’re, and yours. Challenge But first: the answer’s to last week’s challenge. Did you get them right? Alex Poulton was the first to send in the correct responses?congratulations, Alex! Original:… Read more »