Articles about grammar questions

Let’s Get Possessive

by Justin Cox May 19, 2018

Defining possessive nouns is tricky. There are several unique rules that can confuse even the most seasoned writer.

Which Should You Use: Home or Hone?

by ProWritingAid May 19, 2018

People sometimes think they can use "home in on" and "hone in on" interchangeably, but the truth is much more gray. Let’s look at when to use each.

Commonly Misspelled Words

by ProWritingAid May 15, 2018

Here at ProWritingAid, we have discovered that our editing tool catches the same words over and over again!

Even the best writers have those words that they just can’t seem to get right.

To ‘to’ or not to ’too’: that is the question!

by Justin Cox May 09, 2018

Getting tripped up on the differences between “to” and “too” happens often. When do you use a single “o” and when do you use two? While this is one of the most common grammar mistakes, the rule is easy to master.

Their, There, They’re

by Liz McMahon May 09, 2018

Their, there, they’re. All three of these words sound the same, but have very different meanings.

Repeating Yourself is Redundant: or, A Pleonasm For Your Thoughts?

by Justin Cox Apr 30, 2018

Pleonasms are common in speech but should be avoided at all costs. Do you have what it takes to diagnose and eliminate them from your writing?

Know Your Acronyms

by Justin Cox Apr 30, 2018

While acronyms add a colloquial flair to writing, they are easy to misuse. If we’re not careful, improper usage will cause readers to cringe in pain.

How Not to Write a Sales Letter

by Kathy Edens Mar 28, 2018

Sales letters are excellent tools for companies to generate leads. Whether you’re strictly online only or a brick-and-mortar business, both snail mail sales letters and emails can drum up hot leads that you can convert into sales. But—and this is big—only if you get it right.

Copywriters and content marketers should hone their sales letter skills. At some point, a client may ask you to write a bona fide sales letter, prospecting email, or a landing page. They all need certain elements to convert.

There are plenty of "experts" out there who spout off how best to write a sales letter. Let’s focus on what not to do when writing your sales letter so you can avoid these common pitfalls.

Using Adverbs: An Easy Guide

by Kathy Edens Mar 28, 2018

Here’s the truth about adverbs. They aren’t inherently good or bad: it’s all in how you use them. Let’s unpack when you should—and shouldn’t—use adverbs.

It’s vs. Its: Let’s Get It Straight

by ProWritingAid Mar 06, 2018

Contractions. Possessives. When do you use an apostrophe? Follow these rules on it’s versus its and self-edit with confidence.

Grammar Rules: Passed vs. Past

by Kathy Edens Feb 08, 2018

Homophones are fun, aren’t they? Unless they’re easily confused like "past" and "passed." What’s the difference? Let’s discuss these two homophones' difference and set the record straight.

The Perfect Grammar Cheat Sheet [infographic]

by Lisa Lepki Feb 06, 2018

This infographic provides a compact visual guide to common mistakes that writers make. Banish these grammar errors for tighter, clearer writing.

Ensure and Insure: Aren’t They Interchangeable?

by ProWritingAid Jan 08, 2018

English users sometimes confuse insure with an "I" and ensure with an "E". Don’t they both mean to "make certain" or "make sure"?

Do I Use Lay or Lie? Let's Get it Straight

by Kathy Edens Nov 03, 2017

Lay and lie can trip up the most seasoned writer. Let's do a quick and dirty here so it finally makes sense.

Grammar Rules You Should Ignore

by Kathy Edens Oct 20, 2017

Some rules were made to be broken, right? There are a few grammar rules that don't hold water in today's world of tweets and conversational writing styles. Since the focus of most writing on the web is to get your reader's attention, writing in a relaxed voice is common…and necessary.

Here are 6 grammar rules you should ignore when writing for the internet masses.

Know Your Tenses: Past Progressive

by ProWritingAid Aug 02, 2017

How do you build the past progressive tense? Simply use the "to be" helping verb in the past tense and add on the present participle of the verb with an "-ing" on the end.

If this sounds complicated, it's actually not. Here are some examples:

What the Heck are Auto-Antonyms? And Why Should You Worry About Them?

by ProWritingAid Jul 21, 2017

Auto-antonyms are words with multiple meanings of which one contradicts or reverses another. What, you say, how can that be? Let's go through a couple examples.

Licence vs. License: Which One is Right?

by ProWritingAid Jun 28, 2017

Well, it depends on which side of the pond you're on.

If you're American, license is both a noun and a verb, and licence is not used at all.

If you're anywhere else speaking English, licence is the noun meaning a permit from an authority figure to do something particular, like driving, and license is the verb form.

Why Every Writer Needs A Writing Mentor (And Where To Find One)

by Jesse Barnett Jun 14, 2017

When I began working for Charlie, I knew he was talented. He's the writing partner of a well-known leadership expert and together they've authored over 100 books. Several have become New York Times best sellers.

I embraced the job with a learner's mindset. I determined every day to improve my writing skills. My first professionally edited draft looked like a murder scene. Red letters covered the page with countless words crossed out, rearranged, and rewritten.

Affect vs. Effect: When to use each

by ProWritingAid Jun 12, 2017

When to use "affect" or "effect" is so confusing that people are switching to "impact" to use in its place.

Never fear—it's not difficult to use "affect" and "effect" properly. Here is what you need to know: