‘Untied’ we stand …

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…

Because grammar matters

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…

The little things: skimming the surface

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…

Yield the comma

Last time, I wrote about common misuses of commas. Not long after that, I found this error on an AC Transit bus: Here’s the message I got from this sign: “Federal law requires that these seats be made available to persons with disabilities. Seniors.” While the comma after “disabilities” is Read More…

‘Like’ this if you know the difference…

I have this theory that it’s just about impossible to scroll down one’s Facebook news feed for more than 30 seconds before encountering something that is either completely ridiculous or completely offensive. It must be my lucky day, seeing as I just found something that falls into both categories: I’ll Read More…

The little things: Thanksgiving nausea

Hello readers! Like last week’s tip, my topic today is relevant to the holiday season. (I’m in a festive mood.) Let this post be my Thanksgiving greeting to you, as next week the series and I will take a break to celebrate. Many of us, I am sure, are familiar Read More…

Potty language

Some people who vandalize the bathroom stalls actually know what they’re talking about … and some don’t. Check out this “fowl” language from a Dwinelle bathroom and the notes trying to correct the mistake.

Only partly correct

There is a 100 percent chance that this sentence is partially incorrect. There is zero chance, however, that this sentence is partly incorrect. Why? The answer, as any even partially observant reader might notice, lies in each sentence’s final adverb. Admittedly, the distinction between “partially” and “partly” is of interest Read More…