May 2013
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Yo, Grammar: What's up with "assume" and...
There is a difference between “assume” and “presume.”
HERE ARE SOME MORE EXAMPLES:
If you go to take the SAT exam without #2 pencils, snacks, a calculator, or water because you assume that the testing center will provide them, you’ll have a bad time. (You would be foolish to assume such a thing when even the school you attend every day doesn’t provide...
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Yo, Grammar: What's up with "like" and "as though...
Good question.
“Like” is overused (i.e., used when it shouldn’t be), and both “as if” and “as though” are underused (i.e., not used when they should be).
The distinction between “like” and “as though / as if” is both simple and straightforward:
In the first example, “me” is a pronoun. In the second example,...
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Yo, Grammar: What's up with "compliment" and...
Thanks for the compliment.
Here is a quick illustration of what the two words mean:
Pretty simple, right?
We hope no one ever confuses the two words again.
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Yo, Grammar: What's up with comma splices?
You’re right: You should definitely look out for comma splices on the SAT.
A comma splice is a grammar error that is created by joining two independent clauses (complete sentences) with a comma.
Since we have two complete sentences, we would form a comma splice if we combined them by using just a comma:
We see comma splices everywhere, and it’s unfortunate that people...
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Yo, Grammar: What's up with "awhile" and "a...
Thanks for the compliment.
Here is the difference between “awhile” and “a while”:
These two terms are confusing because they look and sound virtually identical.
Fear not. There is an easy way to remember how to use “a while”:
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Yo, Grammar: What's up with "try to" and "try...
“Try and” is commonly heard in everyday conversations, but it is inappropriate in formal writing.
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What's up with "irony"?
“Irony” is one of the most misunderstood terms in English.
Basically, “irony” is the contrast between expectation and outcome.
Unfortunately, numerous people think that “irony” is the same thing as “funny,” “coincidence,” or “bad timing.” This misunderstanding is due, in part, to the influence of Alanis Morissette and...
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Yo, Grammar: What's up with "more easily" and...
Let’s tackle “easier” first. “Easier” is the comparative form of “easy,” which is an adjective. And as we all know, adjectives modify nouns. Therefore, “easier” should be used to describe nouns:
On the other hand, “easily” is an adverb, and adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. In the following sentences,...
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Yo, Grammar: What's up with "disinterested" and...
“Disinterested” is an interesting word:
The average person thinks that it means “not interested,” i.e., “uninterested.”
But veterans of standardized tests and people with strong vocabularies insist that it doesn’t mean “not interested”; it actually means “unbiased” or “impartial.”
However, the original definition...
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Are you studying for the SAT?
If you are, you should check out our Twitter timeline, as we will be tweeting SAT grammar tips every day until the June 1 exam.
And if you’re not following us already on Twitter, what’s holding you back?
(That’s a rhetorical question.)
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Yo, Grammar: What's up with "on accident" and "by...
Although “on accident” is wrong, it is easy to see why it is so prevalent.
EXPLANATION:
“On purpose” is grammatically correct, so many people assume that “on accident” is also acceptable (but it isn’t).
As children, especially, we’ve undoubtedly told parents and teachers on numerous occasions that “It was an accident,” which sounds...
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What's up with the semicolon?
That basically answers what a semicolon does. If you are studying for the SAT exam, you definitely need to master the semicolon; it appears frequently. (See what we did there?)
The comma, on the other hand, is much more complicated. Luckily, an excellent piece from the New York Times delves into the misunderstood punctuation that is the comma.
If you have additional questions, feel free to...
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Hey, Y'all: What's up with "y'all's" grammar?
Before we get started, it might be helpful to non-Americans in our group that the results of a straw poll established that “y’all” beats “ya’all” as the contraction of “you-all.” (See the Notes section of that linked post.)
We are now about to venture into the realm of informal and colloquial English. The following should not be used in any formal...
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Yo, Grammar: What's the plural of "series"?
“Series” can be either singular or plural.
Therefore, both of these sentences are correct:
Although some dictionaries also list “serieses” as a plural form, we have never seen it “in the wild.”
In conclusion, use “series” as both the singular and plural form, and make sure you use the correct verb (singular or plural) accordingly.
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What's up with "until," "till," and "'til"?
Not surprisingly, this is a very popular question.
After reading the following post, nod your head (if you get it and agree with it). Afterward, convince yourself to always write “until” (5 letters), instead of “till” (4 letters), “‘till” (5 characters), “‘til” (4 characters), “til” (3 letters), or “‘til”...
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Yo, Grammar: What's up with "a friend of John" and...
It’s no secret that Microsoft Word sucks at grammar.
You can find evidence of Microsoft’s ineptitude in an ad and in Word itself. (You can find hundreds more by doing a simple search on Google.)
Having gotten that out of the way, Anon brings up an interesting grammar question, one that several other people have asked in the past:
In the above example, “He is a friend of...
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Yo, Grammar: What's up with "everyone"?
Technically, since “everyone” is considered a singular pronoun, “Everyone brought his or her homework” is correct. (“Everybody brought his or her homework” would also be correct, since “everyone” and “everybody” are interchangeable.)
But in Britain, it’s standard to use “everyone” and “everybody” with...
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Yo, Grammar: What's up with "breath" and...
Ok!
I was being sarcastic.
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What's up with "alumnus," "alumni," "alumna," and...
Let’s suppose that you’re about to graduate from college. Naturally, you’re excited about buying a license plate frame for your car to express your pride in your alma mater.
But don’t rush into buying any license plate frame; make sure that you don’t embarrass your school by purchasing the wrong one!
Before you grab the coolest looking “Alumni - (Name of...
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Yo, Grammar: What's up with "graduated"?
On a similar note, do not write or say, “I am graduated.“ The correct expressions are “I graduated,” “I have graduated,” “I am graduating,” or “I will be graduating.”
If you want to avoid using any form of the word “graduate,” you can say, “(Name of school) is my alma mater,” “I got my diploma from (name...
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What's up with "although" and "in spite of"?
“In spite of,” “despite,” “although,” “though,” and “even though” all mean the same thing, but they cannot be used interchangeably. (Before moving on, read this post on “although” / “though” / “even though.”)
Luckily, there’s an easy “formula” for how to use each:
“In spite...
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What's up with "affect" and "effect"?
Thanks for making the journey over from Twitter.
Here is the difference between “affect” and “effect”:
We hope you will never be confused about “affect” and “effect” again.
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What's up with "Mother's Day"?
Mother’s Day is expressed as singular possessive because Anna Jarvis, its founder, insisted that it “be a singular possessive, for each family to honor their mother, not a plural possessive commemorating all mothers in the world.” President Woodrow Wilson also used this spelling when he made it an official holiday.
But rather than worry about what Anna Jarvis intended the...
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Yo, Grammar: What's up with "lay" and "lie"?
Lie down, lay your head on the pillow, and go to sleep, homie.
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