Category_MWW Blog>General

The "Hard C" Sound

When a word ends in the "hard c" sound -- mimic, static, picnic -- you want to maintain that sound in all forms of the word. Since "ci" and "ce" sound like an "s," you need to alter the spelling to...
Category_MWW Blog>The Question Mark

"Do you know?" and Others

When a question like "Do you know?" or "Do you recall?" is tacked on at the end of another question, use an interrog for both questions. ...How close were you to the edge of the road? Do you know?...
Category_MWW Blog>General

"One One Thousand" -- What to Do?

There are a couple of options for these words: ...counted one/one thousand, two/one thousand, three... ...counted one, one thousand; two, one thousand; three... Happy punctuating! Margie
Category_MWW Blog>The Comma

"Whereas" Is NOT Like "However"

The word whereas, a combination of where and as, is a subordinate conjunction just as where and as are subordinate conjunctions. It is in the same category as and is punctuated like clauses that be...
Category_MWW Blog>The Comma

"That Being Said..."

When there is a noun or a pronoun with a participle -- -ing or -ed form-- after it, it is called a nominative absolute. ...That being said, we will go forward from here. ...The project completed, ...
Category_MWW Blog>The Quotation Mark

Made-Up Words

When someone makes up a word that looks like an English word and can be readily spelled, the rule is that the word should be quoted. There is no need to use after such a word. The quotes clue the ...
Category_MWW Blog>The Comma

"That" -- Dependent Construction or Not?

When the word that begins a dependent clause and several of those clauses are linked together with and, there is NO comma before the and even when the word that is missing and is "understood." NOT...
Category_MWW Blog>General

Starting a Sentence with "And"

There is no problem starting a sentence with the word and. Though we would not necessarily choose to start a short sentence with and, it is not incorrect. When many sentences are strung together wi...
Category_MWW Blog>The Semicolon

Parallel Construction and the Semicolon

...I arrived on Saturday; he arrived on Sunday. ...He resigned in 2010; she resigned in 2011. ...The first train leaves at 5:00 A.M.; the last train leaves at 10:00 P.M. The Rule: When two sentenc...