Spellcheck won’t save you from these. Each pair below contains two real words, so your computer is happy either way. Here is what each one means, with a quick trick to keep them apart.
Five pairs of commonly confused words (and how to remember them) Read Post »
Clear writing isn’t about fancy words. It’s about making your reader’s job easy. These seven habits work for emails, essays, reports and blog posts alike, and you can start using them today.
How to write clearer sentences: 7 simple habits Read Post »
“Ten items or less” is one of the most argued-about signs in the supermarket. Should it say “fewer”? The answer depends on what you are counting, and on how strictly you follow the rule.
Fewer or less? How to choose Read Post »
Affect and effect sound almost the same, look almost the same and are both about change. No wonder they cause so many mistakes. The good news is that one short rule gets you the right answer almost every time.
Affect vs effect: the simple way to choose Read Post »
Every month, millions of people check whether their salary has arrived. Few stop to wonder where the word itself comes from. The answer takes us back to ancient Rome, and to one of the most ordinary things in your kitchen: salt.
Where does the word ‘salary’ come from? Read Post »