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Comma Queen
2 seasons, 32 episodesMary Norris on language in all its facets.
Season Two
Culture
A Christmassy Carol
Move over, Charles Dickens! Before we close up shop, here’s a special lesson for a well-edited holiday season.
Culture
As You Like It
Figures of speech are often introduced by “like” or “as.” What is the difference, and why do we care?
Culture
Further or Farther?
Which will take you farther? (Or is it further?) Authorities make a distinction, but sometimes the boundaries bleed.
Books
Affect vs. Effect
“Affect” is a verb, and “effect” is a noun—except when it’s the other way around.
Culture
How to Punctuate Your (Parentheses)
Mary Norris, the Comma Queen, explains the order of operations for punctuation marks in asides and afterthoughts.
Culture
Pronouns for Pets
Some people are bothered by the use of “that” instead of “who” when the relative pronoun refers to a person, not a thing. Is there grammar for cats?
Culture
NONE: Singular or plural?
Comma Queen washes ashore, proclaims “none” has undergone a sea change.
Culture
Excuse Me! Your Participle Is Dangling
Danglers come in many forms. What are they dangling from? And how do you tuck them into place?
Culture
That vs. Which
Which is which? What is that? Sorting out the relative pronouns.
Culture
On “Impact”
Prescriptivists dislike the use of “impact” as a verb, preferring a wordier alternative.
Culture
The Illustrious Ampersand
Developed from the Latin et (“and”), the ampersand, formerly the twenty-seventh letter of the alphabet, is a character with a cult following among students of typography.
Culture
The Singular “Their,” Part Two
As a singular gender-neutral pronoun, how might “they” work out?
Culture
The Singular “Their”
Many ACES stalwarts—copy editors, journalists, grammarians, lexicographers, and linguists—stand ready to embrace the singular “their.” But not us. We avoid it whenever we can.
Culture
“Awesome” is the new “massive”
Purists have been trying to hold the line on “massive” for close to a century, with a remarkable—one might even say massive—lack of success.
Culture
The Importance of Serial Commas
The serial comma, also known as the Oxford comma, is the one before “and” in a series of three or more.