Grammar Girl: For Writers and Language Lovers.
Episodes
380 GG Participles and Gerunds
22 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Prove you know your parts of speech with the new iPad game Grammar Pop. You don't have to know the difference between participles and gerunds to play,...
379 GG Apostrophes in Science Fiction and Fantasy Names
15 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Who started it and why? Get Grammar Girl's books at http://j.mp/allGGbooks Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for informati...
378 GG Apostrophes and Plurals
09 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Learn how to use apostrophes by pondering a Victoria's Secret ad. Buy Grammar Girl's books: http://j.mp/allGGbooks Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz co...
377 GG Royal "We"
02 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of the new royal baby, more formally known as Prince George Alexander Louis, we're pondering a pompous pronoun choice known as the "roya...
376 GG Why Do We Have Both A and An?
19 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
How English evolved to give us two indefinite articles (a and an), and the odd mix of possessive pronouns that don't quite match. Buy Grammar Girl's b...
375 GG What Is It Called When You Mishear Song Lyrics?
11 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Spoonerisms, Mondegreens, Malapropisms, and Eggcorns. Like the podcast? See Grammar Girl's books: http://j.mp/allGGbooks Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsW...
374 GG Rebracketing
05 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
How to Make Weird Product Names Plural Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of p...
372 GG Retronyms
21 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Retronyms: Scourge of the Language or Helpful Tool? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...
371 GG Commma Splice
14 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
How to Avoid a Common Comma Error: The Comma Splice Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...
370 GG Why Isn't "Gruntled" A Word?
07 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Why Aren't We Gruntled When We're Happy? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of...
369 GG Why Does "I" Take Plural Verbs?
31 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
"I" is singular, so why do we say "I go" instead of "I goes"? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz....
368 GG Hyphens
24 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
How to Use Hyphens. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for ad...
367 GG The Old Editor Says
17 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
John E. McIntyre, a veteran editor at The Baltimore Sun, shares pithy editing maxims from his new book. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See ...
366 GG How Texting Is Changing English
10 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
How Texting Is Changing English Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal...
285 GG "Moot" Versus "Mute"
03 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Moot isn't moot, but it can mean something different in Britain and the U.S. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for informa...
365 GG The Language of Crime
26 Apr 2013
Contributed by Lukas
The Language of Crime Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for ...
364 GG Why Would Anyone Use "The Chicago Manual of Style"?
19 Apr 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Style guides. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertis...
363 GG Writing Flashbacks
12 Apr 2013
Contributed by Lukas
How to manage verb tense when writing flashbacks. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection a...
362 GG Why Are Some Portmanteaus So Awful?
05 Apr 2013
Contributed by Lukas
My failed entries for the Clorox Ick-tionary. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and u...
361 GG Is That a Wool Sweater or a Woolen Sweater?
29 Mar 2013
Contributed by Lukas
What to do when you can use an attributive noun or an adjective. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about o...
051 GG I'm Good
22 Mar 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Is it OK to answer "How are you?" with "I'm good"? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection ...
359 GG Do You Tell People to Pound Sand or Pound Salt?
08 Mar 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Deciphering crazy English idioms. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of person...
358 GG "Only": The Most Insidious Misplaced Modifier
01 Mar 2013
Contributed by Lukas
How putting the word "only" in the wrong place can confuse your readers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information...
357 GG Why the Plural of "Die" Is "Dice," not "Douse."
22 Feb 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Fossils of language Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for ad...
356 GG Where Do I Use Commas?
15 Feb 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Are you a comma-kaze? Do you use commas like confetti? Don't use a comma everywhere you would pause when speaking. Check out the rules. Hosted by Simp...
355 GG Subject Object
08 Feb 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Why "I love you" is the easiest way ever to remember the difference between subject and object. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adsw...
353 GG Can Apple Get Away with "Funness"?
25 Jan 2013
Contributed by Lukas
and "renanoing"? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data...
352 GG How to Create and Use Figures of Speech Pt.1
18 Jan 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Make your messages more vivid, more memorable, and trigger emotional responses using anaphora, antithesis, and chiasmus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsW...
351 GG Pronouns: Is a Company a "Who" or a "That"?
11 Jan 2013
Contributed by Lukas
What pronoun should you use when referring to a company? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our colle...
350 GG "Who" Versus "That"
04 Jan 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Is Your Dog an "It" or a "She"? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...
349 GG A Word Lover's Highlights of 2012
28 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The good, the bad, and the odd. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal...
348 GG How Webster's Screwed Up
21 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
How an editor who hated the word "radical," became a radical. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our ...
347 GG How to Use a Hyphen
14 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Learn how to use properly use hyphens with compound adjectives. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about ou...
346 GG Tuxedo Verbs
07 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Use rich verbs, but don't put them in tuxedos. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and ...
342 GG Writing for Dyslexic Readers
09 Nov 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Tricks to make make your writing more accessible to people with dyslexia and visual impairments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.ads...
341 GG Google Ngram and "Impact" as a Verb
02 Nov 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The updated Ngram Viewer gives new insight into word usage. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our co...
151 GG Just Say No to Drugs
12 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
"Dragged" versus "drug." The Grammar Girl print book is now available on Amazon.com! http://tinyurl.com/2pkej7 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz compan...
142 GG When Are Double Words OK?
28 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Are "is is" and "had had" acceptable? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of pe...
334 GG Using Present Tense in a Story About the Past
31 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The girl who sat next to me is or was? named Stephanie. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collec...
333 GG When Is W a Vowel
24 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
A E I O U and sometimes Y, but also W? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of p...
332 GG How Do You Tell If Something Is True?
10 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Debunking a believable grammar hoax. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of per...
331 GG "Pet" or "Petted"? Troublesome Past Tenses
03 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Some verbs are becoming strangely irregular. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and us...
330 GG The Rules of Story
27 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Why the Rules of Story Are Even More Immutable than the Rules of Grammar. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for informatio...
329 GG "Versus"
20 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Get ready to write about the Olympics. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of p...
328 GG "Decimate" and "All Right"
13 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Two troublesome words from Grammar Girl's new book. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...
327 GG "Dilemma" and "Gone Missing"
06 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
From 101 TROUBLESOME WORDS. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal dat...
326 GG "Jealousy" Versus "Envy"
29 Jun 2012
Contributed by Lukas
From 101 TROUBLESOME WORDS. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal dat...
325 GG So You Think You Can Edit?
22 Jun 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Tips for editing and revising. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal ...
324 GG When Bad Grammar Means Good Fiction
08 Jun 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes you gotta break the rules. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of per...
323 GG How to Write Numbers
01 Jun 2012
Contributed by Lukas
When do you write out numbers, and why do they call it "maths" in England? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for informati...
320 GG You Have No Idea How Weird "Do" Is
04 May 2012
Contributed by Lukas
English's meaningless "do." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of pe...
318 GG Dashes, Colons, and Commas
20 Apr 2012
Contributed by Lukas
They can change the way your sentences feel. Learn how they differ. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information abou...
317 GG What Does "Proper English" Mean?
13 Apr 2012
Contributed by Lukas
You say "proper English," but you mean Standard English Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about ...
316 GG Sentence Fragments
06 Apr 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Will they make editors reject your fiction? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use...
315 GG Possessives
30 Mar 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Possessives: They aren't just for possession. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and u...
314 GG Mary Sue
23 Mar 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Truth may be stranger than fiction, but fiction is usually more interesting. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for informa...
312 GG This NGD story is "all right."
02 Mar 2012
Contributed by Lukas
A Grammar Day tale: When Mr. Brown Met Miss Fox: A Love Story Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our ...
309 GG Why Do Kids Say "Versing"?
17 Feb 2012
Contributed by Lukas
It's older than you think. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data...
308 GG Should We Abandon Standard Spelling?
10 Feb 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Should we be more lenient? "L8r" for "later"? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about ...
310 GG Stationary, Stationery, Complement, and Compliment
03 Feb 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Memory tricks! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adverti...
111 GG Everybody Wants Some
27 Jan 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Indefinite pronouns. The Grammar Girl print book is now available on Amazon.com! http://tinyurl.com/2pkej7 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. S...
306 GG "The Night Circus": Well Done Second Person Narrative
13 Jan 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know there are three kinds of second person? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collectio...
305 GG Where Did the @ Symbol Come From?
06 Jan 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Why does it look like a snail? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal ...
304 GG Should You Point Out Errors?
30 Dec 2011
Contributed by Lukas
How can you correct people's errors without coming off like a jerk? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information abou...
030 GG Sentence Fragments
23 Dec 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Learn to recognize them. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data f...
200 "Who" Versus "Whom," Advanced
11 Dec 2011
Contributed by Lukas
"Who" Versus "Whom," Advanced Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection a...
302 GG Passive Voice
09 Dec 2011
Contributed by Lukas
It's about more than just what verb you use. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and us...
301 GG Active Voice
02 Dec 2011
Contributed by Lukas
It's about more than just what verb you use. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and us...
300 GG Christmas Carol Grammar
25 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about the odd grammar in "What Child Is This?" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our...
299 GG Ten Tips to Banish Typos
18 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Computer and printing tricks to eliminate errors. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection a...
298 GG Color Your Readers' Imagination with Words
04 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
"Dogs" or "mastiffs"? "Beer" or "ale"? It really does matter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our ...
297 GG How to Search a Corpus
28 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
It's a database, not a dead body. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of person...
029 GG "They" as a Singular Pronoun
21 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Can you use "they" as a gender-neutral singular pronoun? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about...
294 GG Do You Resent Your Editor?
07 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Tips for dealing with criticism. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of persona...
293 When to Capitalize Seasons
29 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
When to Capitalize Seasons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data...
292 Overcoming Writer’s Block
23 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Overcoming Writer’s Block Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal dat...
288 Compound Nouns
08 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Compound Nouns Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adverti...
284 Who Says “Fun” Can’t Be an Adjective?
14 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Who Says “Fun” Can’t Be an Adjective? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use...
283 Did Oxford Drop the Oxford Comma?
08 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Did Oxford Drop the Oxford Comma? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of person...
282 "Each Other" Versus "One Another"
01 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
"Each Other" Versus "One Another" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of person...
280 Whoever or Whomever?
16 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Whoever or Whomever? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for a...
279 Capitalizing Titles
09 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Capitalizing Titles Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for ad...
275 Camel Case
12 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Camel Case Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising...
274 Double Subjects
05 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Double Subjects Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advert...
273 "A Hold" or "Ahold"?
28 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
"A Hold" or "Ahold"? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of...
272 Do You Capitalize “God”?
21 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Do You Capitalize “God”? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal da...
270 Commas With Participial Phrases
07 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Commas With Participial Phrases Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal...
268 Mixing Verb Tenses
24 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Mixing Verb Tenses Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adv...
267 How to Speak English Like the Irish
17 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
How to Speak English Like the Irish Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of pers...
263 How to Write Grammatically Correct Photo Captions
17 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
How to Write Grammatically Correct Photo Captions Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection a...
260 Contractions
27 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Contractions Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertisi...
259 First, Second, and Third Person
20 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
First, Second, and Third Person Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal...
258 How to Write Dialogue
13 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
How to Write Dialogue Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for ...
257 Should You Ever Put a Space Before a Period?
13 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Should You Ever Put a Space Before a Period? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and us...
252 What Is Plagiarism?
02 Dec 2010
Contributed by Lukas
What Is Plagiarism? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for ad...
250 "Foreword" Versus "Forward"
19 Nov 2010
Contributed by Lukas
"Foreword" Versus "Forward" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and...
248 How to Write a Better Resume
04 Nov 2010
Contributed by Lukas
How to Write a Better Resume Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal da...
246 Show, Don’t Tell
28 Oct 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Show, Don’t Tell Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adv...
245 "Talk With" versus "Talk To"
22 Oct 2010
Contributed by Lukas
"Talk With" versus "Talk To" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection an...
243 "Think Different" or "Think Differently"
07 Oct 2010
Contributed by Lukas
"Think Different" or "Think Differently" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our c...