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…

No competition

While UC Berkeley’s football team might not rival that of Stanford, its newspaper vastly outshines the miserable broadsheet our friends to the south unjustly call a news source. In a stunning feat of cooperation, The Daily Californian and The Stanford Daily produced a single special issue for Saturday’s Big Game. Read More…

The reason I love being a copy editor is because…

In one of his most well-known novels, “The Notebook,” Nicolas Sparks writes, “The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected.” It is truly heartbreaking: heartbreaking to see how atrocious the grammar is. The reason I read “The Notebook” is because I was drawn to its Read More…