Grammar Archives - Patrick’s Place

At 96, the man who created the Apostrophe Protection Society says it's time to shut down his fight for the proper use of the mark.

Grammar

Homonyms, Homophones & Homographs: How they Differ

PatrickGrammar Homophones

From time to time, I write about pairs of words that happen to be homonyms. But there are different kinds, so here's a quick review.

Grammar

Where Did ‘Houston, We Have a Problem’ Come From?

PatrickGrammar

We've all heard the idiom, ‘Houston, we have a problem.’ But there's an interesting story behind how it fell into common use.

Grammar

Two Pronoun Types You Use Without Realizing It

PatrickGrammar

Everyone, at some point, uses two particular pronoun types without really thinking of it. But they also misuse a specific pronoun associated with them.

Grammar

Am I a Third Wheel or Fifth Wheel?

PatrickGrammar Idioms

The other day in the office, someone referred to another person as being a third wheel. I immediately wondered if meant to say ‘fifth wheel.’

Grammar

Why Do We Refer to‘15 Minutes of Fame’?

PatrickGrammar Idioms

Whenever an unknown, a so-called ‘Regular Joe,’ becomes (temporarily) famous, we'll refer to them having their 15 minutes of fame.

Grammar

‘Whatevs’ is Now in the Dictionary. It’s Not the Downfall of English!

PatrickDictionary Grammar

Whatevs, a word some might insist isn't one, is officially in the dictionary. It's a decision that is riling grammar enthusiasts.

Grammar

Pleaded or Pled? Here Comes the (Grammar) Judge!

PatrickCrime Grammar

Whenever someone in a newsroom writes a crime story, someone has to deal with the controversy over the words pleaded or pled.

Grammar

Newspaper Drops Courtesy Titles…Then Explains What They Are

PatrickAP Style Grammar

Few news organizations still use courtesy titles these days and it appears the number that still does recently dropped by one.

Grammar

Wet or Whet? It May Depend on Your Appetite!

PatrickGrammar

There's some confusion over whether to use wet or whet when it comes to one's appetite, which isn't surprising since they sound alike.

Grammar

How Do You Pronounce Gif? Its Creator Answers, But Debate Continues

PatrickGrammar

You'd think that when the inventor of the image format specified how everyone should pronounce Gif, it would solve the debate. It didn't. The debate over how to pronounce Gif has been going on for about as long as the format has been around. Way back in May of 2013,...

Grammar

Singer Adopts Plural Pronouns as Singular They Controversy Continues

PatrickDictionary Gender Grammar Transgender

The Singular They controversy continued making headlines this week as a star adopted the pronoun and a dictionary officially added the term.

Grammar

AP Updates Its Guidance on Using Hyphens

PatrickAP Style Grammar Punctuation

The Associated Press recently released an update to its rules about using hyphens. As with most changes and updates, it's driving some writers crazy.

Grammar

Attuned or Tuned?

PatrickGrammar

I saw a fellow broadcaster encourage people to keep watching for more coverage of Hurricane Dorian. But did they mean for people to stay attuned or tuned?

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