Join Us at Grammar & Composition
Is there a buzzword that makes your skin crawl, or a trendy expression that you'd like to ban? Do you wonder why "Internet" is capitalized or whether "sound bite" should be written as one word or two? Is it "Each is" or "Each are"? When does "its" take an apostrophe? And does anyone know who invented the five-paragraph theme--or, for goodness' sake, why?
If you have a question, comment, or peeve related to grammar and composition, please pass it along either by responding directly to a blog entry or by posting a message to the Grammar and Composition Forum. If you don't have a user name and password, please sign up now: it's easy, quick and free.
Thank you for stopping by. Now, let's hear from you!
Richard Nordquist
Grammar and Composition @ About.com
Email: grammar.guide@about.com
F.A.Q.
- Q. Which style guide do you prefer?
- A. My usual starting place is The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, which also happens to be the house guide for About.com. If The AP Stylebook proves to be disappointing (that is, if I disagree with a ruling), I turn to any number of other excellent resources, including The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage, The Chicago Manual of Style, and The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style. Also, see our recommendations at Top Five Reference Works for Writers.
- Q. Do you respond to questions about English as a Second Language?
- A. Only when those questions pertain to issues that are also of concern to native speakers. Please direct your ESL questions to About Guide Kenneth Beare, who is the expert on such matters.
- Q. Do you answer questions about British usage?
- A. Yes, but our primary focus is on American English.
- Q. Will you do my homework for me?
- A. No.
- Q. May I use the Forum to hawk a book or an editing service or a magic-grammar program?
- A. No. Commercial posts of any kind will be deleted.
- Q. Between you and I--or me?
- A. Between you and me. After a preposition (in this case between), always use the object form of a pronoun (in this case me). See Using the Different Forms of Pronouns.