Sincereness vs sincerity
Sincereness vs sincerity. A reader asks, “Is sincereness a word?” This turns out to be a very interesting question, but probably not for the reasons you think. The short answer… Read more »
Less or Fewer
When do we use less or fewer? A correspondent asks whether to use less or fewer in the following sentence: “…the measure failed by less than three votes.” Of all types… Read more »
Common noun vs. proper noun: Capitalization and usage
Common noun vs. proper noun is a common mistake in writing. Here’s the rule: Proper nouns are the names of particular individuals, countries, businesses, and titles: Bob Smith, the United… Read more »
Adverb phrase modifies what words?
Steve asked a grammar question that led me to consider how an adverb phrase functions. In the sentence “Generally at university you are always expected to be critical” what is the meaning… Read more »
His or their? He, she, or they?
A questioner asked: Which is correct: Thank you to every student who went out of HIS way…OR…THEIR way? The traditional answer to this question is “his.” However, for many years,… Read more »