It’s not enough to pick a word in the general vicinity of what we mean, or something that sounds about right. We should be choosing words precisely and using them with care in sentences. After Deadline http://ift.tt/1rdRKZW

We stumble regularly over who and whom, but this should not be an insurmountable problem. Mentally remove the attribution phrase and the grammar becomes painfully clear. After Deadline http://ift.tt/1g3D0We

Before the fault-finding resumes, here’s another small sampling of sparkling prose from recent editions. After Deadline http://ift.tt/1fk9TkK

More sound-alike mix-ups — both rare and common. After Deadline http://ift.tt/1eJjl0y

In careful writing, it’s not enough to know the general meaning of a word. Precise usage requires knowing exactly how a word should fit into a sentence. If we slip, the meaning may still be clear enough. But errors are distracting and can make our prose seem slipshod — like a faulty translation from another…

Every job has its joyless tasks. It’s time again for one of mine: pointing out that singular subjects should go with singular verbs, and plural subjects with plural verbs, just as singular pronouns should be used to refer to singular antecedents, and plural pronouns to plural antecedents. After Deadline http://ift.tt/1ivjoMU