Dashes

There are two types of dashes, each with its own length and set of functions. One is the em dash, and the other is the en dash. But before we dive into dashes, let’s get one thing out of the way: A hyphen is not a dash. A hyphen is not a dash A hyphen …

Over vs. More Than

Until 2014, The Associated Press Stylebook stated that over could be used only for spatial relationships. So, the following sentences were considered correct (and are still correct today): The helicopter flew over the city.Dinah put a blanket over herself. The rule went on to say that over should never be used to mean “more than.” So, the following sentences, …

Contractions

Contractions are words like don’t, can’t, won’t, I’ll, you’d, she’s and they’re. Contractions usually conjoin two words, like do not into don’t and will not into won’t. Sometimes, they shorten one word, like cannot into can’t. Either way, contractions allow your writing to move along faster or take up less space (contract) on the page. I’m going to guess that when you …

Complement vs. Compliment

A lot of people mix up complement and compliment. These two words have identical pronunciations, meaning they’re homophones. They have nearly identical spellings. Their definitions, however, are quite different from each other. Complement Complement can be a noun or a verb. When it’s a noun, it’s a thing that completes, enhances or improves something else. When it’s …

Prepositions

I’d like to address the popular and false notion that it’s incorrect to end a sentence with a preposition.  But first, let’s remind ourselves what a preposition is. The preposition A preposition is a word that describes the relationship between a noun and another word in the sentence. Examples include after, before, between, among, in, out, with and without. (And some words, …

Nongendered Language

One of my duties as a copyeditor is to ensure texts are free from sexist or gendered terms. At the most basic level, that means changing words like fireman to firefighter and stewardess to flight attendant. It also includes avoiding the use of male pronouns when referring to a person of unknown gender or groups of multiple genders, which …

Irregardless

Some people hate irregardless. (Spellcheck doesn’t like it, because it’s giving me the squiggly red line right now.) The haters call it illogical, say it’s not a word and hold it up as an example of how the English language is falling apart. Illogical? Yes.  Not a word? Meh.  A sign of the downfall of English? …