If the distinction between two words is clear, why is there confusion about such words’ use? While editing, I often ask myself this question, as writers often seem uncertain about whether to use “if” or “whether” in sentences. Admittedly, this mistake is somewhat understandable: The words’ usages are somewhat similar Read More…
As I write this, my friend Evelyn and I are supposed to be studying political science. But grammar nerds never rest, so Congress will just have to put its problems on hold while I address a more local issue. (From what I have heard about Congress, though, I don’t think Read More…
I fell in love this weekend. It wasn’t an adorable English accent or a set of mesmerizing blue eyes that got me; it was his perfect command of the use of who vs. whom. Each time he said “for whom” or “to whom,” I could not contain my smile. Read More…
I am a freshman living in Unit 3, so Cal sweatshirts, T-shirts and water bottles are part of my daily life. Walking down Telegraph on my way to campus, I see all kinds of spirit wear on display. Usually, the clothes I see on my way to class and around Read More…
Let’s face it: Stereotypes are usually based (at least somewhat) in truth. No one knows this better than me, an Asian girl studying math at UC Berkeley whose friends are mostly of Chinese or Taiwanese descent — and no one takes advantage of it more for the purposes of snarky Read More…
Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of returning to my hometown for an early spring break of sorts. By that, I actually mean I missed school for a week to recover from sudden illness by going home and developing very close relationships with my couch and my family’s Read More…
Along with the challenging task of completing the required readings for 19 units of classes comes the utter joy of finding errors in works that (I assume) have been edited many times over by countless sets of eyes. I came across this erroneous — yet hilarious — misspelling of our Read More…
For all his psychological hang-ups, Tyler Durden had it right when he said, “You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake.” There were no ifs or buts about it. He didn’t call us less unique; he didn’t wish we were more unique. No, Tyler Durden must have known that the Read More…
Since the beginning of the spring semester, I’ve been sure to distinguish between “since” and “because” because the difference, while typically disregarded, is neither subtle nor insignificant. Indeed, as I learned while studying for an internship program’s copy test, the words’ meanings are entirely dissimilar. “Since” should be used when Read More…
It is at times like these, at the end of the season’s production and the end of the semester, that I start to ponder the copy blog’s readership. (And, by extension, mine.) Readers of a blog about grammar, quite understandably, are at least as meticulous as its writers. Quis custodiet Read More…
