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  Step into the GLM Time Machine

  1853 readersAccording the the Global Language Monitor, Twitter was the most used word in 2009. Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook. Original Post: Step into the GLM Time Machine

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  How to Avoid Archaic Words and Phrases in Your Writing

  2873 readersI will probably get some heat over validating the use of “as per” in business correspondence, but it truly doesn’t bother me. There are, however, some words that make writing sound dated (and I don’t mean “so last week.”) Using these words in your writing can make it sound “turn of the century before last.”

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  Lake Superior State University’s Lists of Banished Words and Phrases – Guilty as charged

  834 readersWe all have our pet peeves, and for writers, this is especially true when it comes to word usage.  I am sure that all of you will be able to come up with your own list of banished words and phrases, but I wonder how your list will compare to what Lake Superior State University

• Evoke vs. Invoke

  6254 readersEvoke and invoke, two members of a small but powerful family of words relating to stimulus and response, have senses both similar and distinct. To evoke something is to call it forth, perhaps by bringing it to mind, or, synonymously with invoke, by summoning it (as in conjuration) or presenting it in support of an

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  What’s the Most Beautiful Word in the English Language?

  8186 readersWhat’s the most beautiful word in the English language? This GalleyCat editor votes for the word “lovely.” If you need some suggestions, the Deshoda blog has compiled a list of the 100 Most Beautiful Words in the English Language–below, we’ve included a few of our favorites. You might want to use the Visual Thesaurus to map

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  The Funny Rhetoric of Politics | 10.05.10

  1815 readersChristine O’Donnell has become a piñata, and everyone has taken a swing. She’s an easy target. Not that I’m saying she’s not a total nut-bag (she is), but it’s easy to take a swing at someone who says she “dabbled into witchcraft” and talks about going on a date on a blood-spattered satanic shrine. This

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  Using Foreign Phrases in Your English Writing

  927 readersGuest post by Jane Sumerset A foreign phrase, thrown in at just the right time, can give your writing a certain flair that doing so in regular English just won't be able to accomplish. We're not talking about concocting a phrase from an obscure ve...

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  Comma: the MacGyver of Punctuation – ComMacGyver

  4513 readersThe comma is not truly the only punctuation tool you will ever need, but it sure does do a lot.The Purdue Online Writing Guide lists the following uses in its Quick Guide to Commas:1. Use commas to separate independent clauses when they are joined by any of these seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or,

• 8 Steps to More Concise Writing

  8907 readersYou know you must streamline your writing, but the devil’s in the details. Here are some specifics about what to look for: 1. Remove Redundancy Avoid double-teaming terms like “a period of one week,” “end result,” “free gift,” and “personal opinion.” Watch for phrases that echo the quality in question: “oval in shape,” “larger in size,” “shorter

• 30 Wordy Phrases Beginning with “In”

  3463 readersAmong the scores of verbose constructions that can be whittled down (usually) to one word with no loss of, and often with a net gain in, clarity are those phrases in the following sentences beginning with in. The replacement words are not necessarily the only (or the best) choices, and the sentences could be further refined,