The usage of Irregardless vs. Regardless has long been a topic of contention among language enthusiasts. I mean, rarely have I seen a word rile up a group of linguists into rage and terror the way “irregardless” seems to rile them up. Personally, I don’t like to use the word “irregardless” and I will usually …
Irregardless vs. Regardless: The Battle of ‘Regardless’ Read More »
She stares at the bracelet a moment, releasing a sign before she lay lies put it down on the table. Every freaking time. When it comes to the proper use of Lie vs. Lay, no matter how confident I think I am in my choice, I can get myself so confused with just one second-guess. …
Lie vs. Lay: Laying Down the Rules for Proper Use Read More »
I cannot quite explain it, but for a few years back in my early 20s, I was obsessed with trying to discern the differences between effect vs. affect. It bothered me so much whenever I second-guessed whether or not I had used the right one and I would flip back and forth and back and …
I’ll be honest, Its vs. It’s is such a conundrum, this pair of words contradicts so many rules… it’s no wonder people get them mixed up. In fact, some of the most brilliant people I’ve ever met still have to pause and sound out the words “it is” just to remember which is which. In …
When I first started editing, I was shocked at how often these two words got mixed up inside the manuscripts I was reading through. Advice vs. Advise always seemed like a pretty easy distinction to me that it never dawned on me that some people might have a hard time telling when to use which …
Advice vs. Advise: Distinguishing Noun from Verb Read More »
It’s one of the mistakes I see the most often, in books and online, people using “then” when they should be using “than.” The weird part is, no one seems to make the mistake the other way around… When it comes to Than vs. Then, people seem to forget that than is even a word …
