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There are some words that you just have to hear in context to know the correct punctuation. Such is the case with the word again. If the word again begins a sentence, it is a conjunctive adverb, ...

Just a quick note to get some terminology cleared up: The dash in formal English is a long mark, called the "em" dash, that is flush against the word on either side. In court reporting, back in th...

When a year is interrupted by a word or two, the English rule says to write out the number in words. That is always the fallback position. However, as always in reporting, numbers written in words ...

A sequential reference is a number that is part of a series of numbers, which usually follows the word that designates what the number is referring to. We consider a number to be "sequential" when ...

There is one space after a period and a colon when you are using a variable font; there are two spaces after a period and colon when you are using a monofont. In reporting, we generally use a monof...

There is a rule for commas called the "comma of omission." There are two parts to the rule.1. When two sentences are parallel and have no conjunction between them, they are joined by a semicolon. W...

When there are two parts to a sentence and one is a statement and the other is a question, it is the one at the end that determines the terminal punctuation. ...What he wants to know is where were...

There is no English rule that says a sentence cannot begin with and, but, or, nor. I truly believe the idea that this is a rule starts in elementary school, where we all hooked a bunch of sentences...

Putting aside the psychiatric term, you want effect if you have a noun and affect if you have a verb EXCEPT... If you can substitute "bring about" or "make happen" with a verb, it is effect. ...T...