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…

The little things: it’s their pronoun problem

For many Americans, November can be summed in turkey, the color orange and football. Some put the greatest emphasis on the last item; thus, their fall season is spent commentating on offense and defense and all that business. And while it is already stressful for yours truly to listen to Read More…

The little things: powers of persuasion

It has happened. I knew it would. This week, the ghastly thing that is my midterm paper is preventing me from going off on my typical weekly grammar rant. Instead, I leave the privilege to my night editor, Alex Wolinsky. I will leave my readers, however, with a suggested reading Read More…

A statistically significant difference

Being a statistics major with an affinity for correct grammar can be taxing. As the stereotype suggests, the majority of the people I meet in my field of study has little to no interest in or respect for the intricacies of the English language – a trait that unfortunately seems Read More…

Considering the counterfactual

In the lyrics of his 2012 song “Boyfriend,” Justin Bieber sadly neglects perhaps the most ignored aspect of the English language: the subjunctive mood. “If I was your boyfriend, I’d never let you go.” Sorry, Justin. If you were my boyfriend, you’d never let me go. (Maybe I’d let you Read More…

The little things: problems with participles

I have a problem. Originally, I had intended to write an article explaining conjugation rules for the past participle. That way, maybe I wouldn’t have to cringe every time I heard someone declare, “You should have came with us!” I usually start brainstorming for these posts by thinking of situations Read More…

Grammatical separations

I have to admit — I don’t really follow sports. San Francisco Giants games aside, sports never reach my television through the digital airwaves. So when my friend posted a link on my Facebook wall to a Yahoo! article about Missy Franklin’s decision to join the Berkeley ranks, I can’t say Read More…