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I was asked recently to help an author with a review of questionnaires specific to a particular body part. The writing was just beginning, and I realized in this stage…

Verb phrases are phrases that operate as one noun. "Playing in the water was fun. " "Playing in the water" operates as one noun, one thing. Just as you could…

A common problem for writers is how to use the infinitive form of a verb. The infinitive is the form of any verb that is "infinite:" for example, "to eat."…

The most famous style guides include the Chicago Manual of Style (most widely used in academic publishing) and the Associated Press Stylebook (most widely used in reporting and advertising).  Below…

Editors see things that you don’t.  They know how language works and what rules govern its use.  And those rules vary.  Sometimes to communicate what you want as clearly as…

What we talk about when we talk about language Any thing is called a "noun" as a part of speech. Any action is called a "verb.". Anything that describes another…

The number of words is not what conveys meaning; the choice of words does.  My cutting your words does not harm your meaning; leaving just the right one makes it…

Why do we need to follow editors' rules?  Writing is sustained speech.  Nonverbal cues are not there when people are not talking in one another's company, so grammar rules replace…