Which do you use? That one! The answer is simple: In a defining clause, use "that." In a non-defining clause, use "which." In other words, "which" and what comes after it is disposable. If you can take the whole clause out without destroying the sentence, you can use "which." Examples: Dr. Rafa Almodovar requested [...]
Prepositions at the end of a sentence: Is this still wrong? Yes! No! There's quite a bit of disagreement here at Active Voice, but that's because prepositions are a matter of preference. For example: Who do you work for? For whom do you work? Do you have a preference? (Disclosure: Our AVC proofreaders wish we’d [...]
As the world becomes more cognizant of gender identity and fluidity, so, too, must our copy. Traditional grammar rules lay out subject-verb agreement, but what happens when you're referring to someone who uses they/them/their as a pronoun? According to AP Style: "They, them, their — In most cases, a plural pronoun should agree in [...]
“To gibe” is defined as to taunt or sneer (“gibe” is also a noun, meaning a taunt), while “jibe” indicates a directional change or to agree. For example: The friends’ stories about what happened last night didn’t jibe. The young pitcher tried to ignore the gibes from the stands. And while some dictionaries suggest these [...]
Let's try to understand the difference between these two options. For starters, you can also try and understand the difference. The prevailing argument is that "try to" is more correct because when the verb "try" is followed by an infinitive verb, the infinitive needs to be preceded by "to." However, that's not a hard-and-fast rule [...]
When do you capitalize Earth, and when is it lowercase? Earth (capitalized) is used when referring to the name of the planet, especially alongside other planets and in this kind of scientific context. Examples: Of all the planets in our solar system, Venus and Mars are most like Earth. Scientists and governments met Monday to [...]
How much time do you have? This question is a bit more complex than one might imagine. First, is it EST or EDT? What do those even stand for? Is there a difference? EST = Eastern Standard Time, and during autumn/winter, this time zone is five hours behind UTC, or Coordinated Universal Time. EDT = [...]
LGBTQ is acceptable in all references for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender or for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer and/or questioning. It might be tempting to refer to “the LGBT community,” but in reality, "it is a broad and sometimes loosely bound group of communities comprising people from all races, religions, cultures and walks [...]
Should you avoid there is/there are at the beginning of a sentence? The short answer: Yes. Is it incorrect? No. But let's be honest, you can do better. Using "there is" or "there are" sounds a little Dick-and-Jane, and readers expect more from you, unless you're using it for emphasis. These phrases, although not curse [...]
You've likely seen it both ways: the word "too" with or without a comma before it. That's because the rules on this one are a bit loose and based on the writer's intent. However, if you are using "too" in the middle of a sentence, commas usually are needed for emphasis. Example: She, too, wanted [...]
