When it comes to clichéd phrases, it’s time to set the record straight. We all use them (and we just did)! And while they are often seen as trite, overused, or hackneyed language, clichés can serve a purpose. They’re essentially a shorthand (easy way) to express particular ideas or images. However, using too many clichés is a sign of a lazy writer. Clichéd language, plots, or …
by Rory Gory Pansexual, skoliosexual, asexual biromantic. How young queer people are identifying their sexual and romantic orientations is expanding—as is the language they use to do it. More than 1 in 5 LGBTQ youth use words other than lesbian, gay, and bisexual to describe their sexualities, according to a new report based on findings from The Trevor Project’s National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental …
What do apostrophes have to do with this federal holiday? Well, there’s a confusing apostrophe in Veterans’ Day—or is there? Veterans Day is often incorrectly written as “Veteran’s Day” or “Veterans’ Day.” But, in fact, it’s apostrophe free. “Veteran’s Day” would definitely be incorrect because it means a day for only one veteran. While “Veterans’ Day” does encompass multiple veterans, that spelling is incorrect according …
Every March and November, most Americans change their clocks to keep up with the switch into or out of daylight-saving time. This practice of advancing the clocks ahead an hour is called daylight-saving time. But, because daylight savings time is used so frequently, the term is also considered acceptable. Daylight-saving time means that since the clock is moved ahead one hour, you get one more …
Have and has are different forms of the verb to have. Even though they come from the same word, there are slight differences in the way they’re used. Have is used with I, you, we, and they, while has is used with he, she, and it. The verb to have has many different meanings. Its primary meaning is “to possess, own, hold for use, or …
Participles. They’re verbs, they’re adjectives, they’re perfect and progressive! Is there anything they can’t do? If you’re wondering what a participle does, you’re not alone. These mighty verbs take many forms and can be tricky to master. Let’s explore the different types. To start, participles are words derived from verbs that can function as adjectives or as parts of verb phrases to create verb tenses. …
Sometimes you’ll see the terms being used interchangeably, but it’s important to understand what these words mean so you can use them correctly. Who are immigrants and what is immigration? An immigrant is “a person who has moved to another country, usually for permanent residence.” Immigration is “the act of immigrating, or the act of moving to another country.” The key to remembering what this …
What does “a.m.” mean? The term we associate with the morning, a.m., is an abbreviation the Latin phrase ante merīdiem meaning “before midday.” What does “p.m.” mean? p.m. is an abbreviation of post merīdiem, meaning—you guessed it—“after midday.” These two terms help keep ambiguity at bay in the 12-hour time system. What does “m” mean? There is a third, lesser-known abbreviation in this system: m. …
