This lexicon offers concise definitions of grammar, usage, and style terminology. For basic explanations of grammar rules, please see our guide to grammar. [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Y] [Z] –…
Tag: grammar
It is a cliché: learn the rules before breaking them. Unfortunately, many writers lack basic knowledge of grammar. American schools stopped asking students to diagram sentences many years ago. Possibly worse, American English dictionaries and grammar guides increasingly accept non-standard word usage. Although far from comprehensive, this writer’s guide to…
We have started a major redesign and content refresh of the Tameri Guide for Writers. The new design focuses on the user experience. I want to explain some of the changes that are finally taking shape after years of benign neglect. Website Design Updates The new template uses a simple, modern…
We should stop telling students and emerging writers that the passive voice is some sort of mortal sin in texts. It is not. Sometimes, the passive voice offers the best way to control what a reader perceives as important. Consider the following reasons to use passive voice: 1. Technical manuals.…
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/) is one of the two websites I check when I have a writing related question. The other is the Tameri Guide, of course, since Susan and I tend to add content to Tameri based on our experiences writing and teaching. I…
I advise avoiding pronouns when possible because most writers “tangle” the text. Though the writer knows what is intended, the readers end up confused. I’ve wasted too much time as a reader trying to determine what “those” and “these” were replacing in a paragraph. Other languages can still create their…