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When the same word is repeated with the same meaning, the rule is that there is a comma between the words. ...It was really hard, hard to let her go. ...All he does is work, work, work. ...She fee...

When the grammar in a sentence calls for a noun clause -- e.g., direct object, object of the infinitive, object of the preposition -- the clause has to begin with whether, not if. ...I don't know ...

When you have an abbreviation that is used as a verb in the past tense, add just apostrophe d. ...He was ID'd immediately. ...The report showed that he had OD'd. For the -ing ending, use the full...

Add apostrophe "s" to the singular form of the word to make it possessive -- without regard to pronunciation or spelling. This is the simplest and most consistent way to deal with these forms. ......

Formal English rules say that an incomplete number should be written out in words. ...I think you said you made four or five hundred dollars. Combined with the consistency rule, this presents som...

When the attorney asks a question and then suggests an answer, put a question mark for both. ...What time did he arrive? 10:00? ...Who completed the final report? Tom Hindry? ...What color was the...

When the word now means "at this time" or "currently," it is an adverb and takes no punctuation. When it has no meaning and is just a throwaway, a "filler-type" word, it takes commas around it. .....

When a proper name has the word "the" in front of it, it has to be plural. My husband and I are NOT "the Wells." We are "the Wellses." If you are talking about us, it is just plural; if you are tal...

The word "what" is an interrogative -- asks a question -- pronoun. In the normal word order, it is, of course, "What was it?" When the sentence is turned around, it is just "bad grammar," and it st...