Definitions | The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

Apocope Definition and Examples

GrammarBook.com — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 11:00:46 +0000

We often use language techniques and functions in our writing and speech with such familiarity that we might not even know what they are nor what we’re applying. As one more-recognizable example, when we merge will with not to form won’t, we are contracting the words. Another operation we use with instinct but perhaps not […]

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Interjections: What They Are and Examples

GrammarBook.com — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 11:00:32 +0000

Way to go! If you’re engaging this discussion, you have a sincere interest in understanding how specific parts of speech function in American English. Congrats! An English interjection communicates a writer’s or speaker’s feeling or focus in emphasizing a statement or drawing someone’s attention to it. It is a reaction to someone or something. Interjections […]

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What Is a Homophone? (Examples and Usage)

GrammarBook.com — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 11:00:17 +0000

There’s a chance that at some point in your communication in English, you’ve read or written a word that sounds like the right one when spoken but is misspelled in print. One such example is the use of “you’re” when the context means “your” (or vice versa). This common tendency is the result of what […]

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Endemic vs. Epidemic vs. Pandemic

GrammarBook.com — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 11:00:38 +0000

The subject of transmitted disease became relevant for all of humanity in late 2019 with the onset of COVID-19. As the disease spread and infected people all over the world, the word pandemic also gained prominence in our daily communications. English includes different words to convey the geographic scale of disease: endemic, epidemic, and pandemic. […]

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How Do You Write Percentages?

GrammarBook.com — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 11:00:10 +0000

Percentages are common in our daily communication. They express groups of numbers in ways that let us quickly interpret them and relate them to one another. At the same time, we might wonder how we should present these figures in our writing. Do we use 10 per cent, 10 percent, or 10%? Let’s review some […]

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What Are Split Infinitives?

GrammarBook.com — Wed, 18 May 2022 11:00:51 +0000

An infinitive is the root form of a verb before it is conjugated. It contains the main verb and the word “to”: to write, to study, to wish, to walk. An infinitive is split when something separates the main verb from its “to.” Few grammatical items have received a rougher rap. As with starting a […]

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Colloquialism Examples to Help You Learn About Them

GrammarBook.com — Mon, 16 May 2022 11:00:37 +0000

You might be familiar with the word “colloquialism.” Even if you aren’t, there’s a good chance you use colloquialisms often, especially in your speech. They’re so common to us that we may not even notice them unless we come upon one we don’t recognize. Let’s review the definition of colloquialisms as well as some examples. […]

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What Are Anagram Words? (With Examples)

GrammarBook.com — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 12:00:48 +0000

You may have heard of an anagram or anagram words. They may appear in puzzles and quiz questions, as well as on the occasional game show. So what are they and how do they work? Anagrams are words or phrases that can be formed from the letters of other words. For example, both night and […]

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What Are Correlative Conjunctions?

GrammarBook.com — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 12:00:11 +0000

A conjunction is a part of speech that connects words, phrases, or clauses. The two types of conjunctions are coordinating conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions. Correlative conjunctions are coordinating conjunctions used in pairs. They connect two items of equal rank and grammatical unit. Some common correlative conjunctions include: either…or neither…nor both…and not only…but also as…so rather…than […]

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Have Patience or Be Patient: Which One Should You Use?

GrammarBook.com — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 12:00:42 +0000

Patience is a virtue, but it can also be a grammatical snag. That’s because even though we know the importance of waiting for the best things in life, we might at times be unsure of how to express that practice. Specifically, a writer might wonder when or whether to use the phrases have patience or […]

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