Most of the time, subject-verb agreement comes naturally. We don't second-guess the verbs we use in a sentence such as, "I am going to the park, and she is going to meet me there." But every now and then, as with our "couple" example from a few weeks ago, it gets tricky. You showed in last week's quiz that you're clear on the rule that you need to use "either" with "or" and "neither" with "nor." (Neither "either...nor" nor "neither...or" is correct.) But the subject-verb agreement tripped you...
7 days ago • 1 min read
We're continuing our series on either and neither this week, and you did well on the first quiz: Even though you might hear people use "either side" here, remember "either" means one or the other. You might have a tree on each side, but once you're using the plural "trees," you're probably talking about both sides. All right, like we said last week, we were easing you in with that question. There are some trickier questions when it comes to "either" and "neither." Let's try this one... Which...
14 days ago • 1 min read
TGIF! If someone tells you they're not sad that the workweek is coming to a close, you'd (probably) respond with today's subject line: "Me neither." Or you might say, "Me either," but that phrase is less precise. What you really mean is, "I am not sad that the workweek is ending either," so you need the "n" to keep the negative context. That's our first lesson — or reminder — for the series we're kicking off today on either and neither. We'll ease you in with this quiz: There were trees on...
21 days ago • 1 min read
Say my friend John and I have shared ownership of a set of books. How would you write about our books? John and I have shared ownership of a set of books. How should I write about it? John and my books John's and my's books John's and my books John and I's books John's and I's books My and John's books This question was inspired by one of you! We're inviting you to share your editing challenges here, and we'll answer your questions in this newsletter. Now let's see how you did on last week's...
28 days ago • 2 min read
Your understanding of the finer points of the English language often reveals itself in your use of mundane words like was and were. That's why we have a *couple* of quizzes that cover trickier rules about these verbs. Before we break down last week's quiz, though, we wanted to remind you that today is the last day to apply to be part of Stylebot's beta-testing program. This is your chance to shape our next product to fit your needs. Apply here now. OK, so how did you do on last week's quiz?...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Were you wondering what the "1/2" meant in today's subject line, or was it obvious to you? We're back to quizzing you this week, and it's part one of two on was vs. were. The couple _______ married for 50 years before they renewed their vows. was were Thank you to everyone who shared editing challenges with us. We're using them to inspire our quiz questions. You can share yours here. And don't forget: If you want to join our beta-testing program to get a sneak peek of the new product we're...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Spoiler alert: There were no wrong answers to last week's quiz, but there's still a writing lesson to be had. We asked, "When you go back to work on Monday, how will you write time?" Technically, we were simply inquiring about what you would write. But there were still answer choices that contained incorrect options. Here's how you responded: It's a tie between 9 a.m. EST and 9 a.m. EDT. While there is definitely more than one way to write time, our style guide advises using "9 a.m." Most of...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Ready to lose an hour of sleep this weekend? It's that time of year: Daylight saving time begins on Sunday, which means clocks will spring forward while you're (hopefully) sleeping on Saturday night. When you go back to work on Monday, how will you write time? The meeting is at _______. 9AM EST 9AM EDT 9 a.m. EST 9 a.m. EDT 9:00 a.m. EST 9:00 a.m. EDT (ICYMI: We want to hear about an editing challenge you faced recently. It might become a quiz question! Share it here.) Last week we did a...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Understanding the concept of subjects and objects in your writing can help you avoid a few common mistakes, including knowing when to use who and when to use whom. Of course, it also applies to last week's quiz on first-person pronouns. Most of you got this one right, but we see this mistake a lot. That's why we included it in our grammar guide, where we have a "Quick tips" page for each rule we cover. Our tip for I vs. me is to take out the other items in a list, like the one you see above....
2 months ago • 1 min read