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Category_MWW Blog>General
"Like/As" I Said
The word "like" cannot start a dependent clause; that is, it cannot be part of a unit with a subject and verb. The word you want is "as" or "as if."
...As I said previously, we were not part of th...
Category_MWW Blog>General
Is It a Phrase or a Clause? It Matters
A dependent clause has a subject and a verb; a phrase does not.
...after lunch (phrase)
...after we ate lunch (clause)
...since Friday (phrase)
...since I left Friday (clause)
...before the sess...
Category_MWW Blog>General
What's Wrong with This Statement?
...It burns hotter and quicker.
It does, indeed, burn hot, and then the comparison is "hotter."
However, it burns quickly, not quick; and the comparison is "more quickly."
...He reacted more cal...
Category_MWW Blog>General
Word Pairs Is an E-Book
Over 2,000 word pairs with parts of speech, definitions, usage examples, and idioms – now just a click of the mouse away.
Buy the word pairs book at www.margieholdscourt.com, and run it on any and...
Category_MWW Blog>General
The Word "That" -- Omitted
We have to be aware when the word "that" is omitted -- which usually makes something a dependent clause, needing no comma, rather than an independent clause, which would need a comma.
...Suppose ...
capitalization
To Cap or Not to Cap "Social Security"
Generally speaking, unless you add the word "administration," "social security" does not need to be capped.
...He is not old enough for social security.
...I will use my social security for that.
...
Category_MWW Blog>General
The Dilemma of the Word "O'Clock"
There are three separate English rules on how time values should be expressed. These rules depend upon how the number is said:
with “o’clock” ...I got there at --- o'clock.
with “A.M. ...
Category_MWW Blog>General
"Yes" and "No"
When the attorney is using "yes" and "no" in a generic way -- that is, s/he is not asking for those specific words but is looking for a positive or negative answer -- they are not capped or quoted....
Category_MWW Blog>General
Punctuation Precision This Weekend
Just checking in with a final invitation to join us for a course in punctuation. It is a 20-hour course, divided into two-hour sessions and spread over the next several weeks. At just under $20 per...