Grammar
A Word with Beth — I Can Really Get INTO This Grammar Problem!
The Owl heard something on the radio the other day that got his feathers in a twist. To straighten them out again, I said I’d do a post about it. He thought it would be best if I used my own example, though. So, here’s my example. A notice appeared on the school bulletin board:…
Read MoreA Word with Beth — about ellipses . . .
The Owl and I had a question sent to us recently that we are happy to answer here in our grammar and word use feature, A Word with Beth. I’ve heard you should have a space before and after an ellipsis. I have seen in books sometimes there is a space before the ellipsis…
Read MoreA Word With Beth — About Apostrophes
The Grammar Owl is looking at his talons again. This time, they’re making him think about apostrophes (and the grammatical catastrophes they sometimes cause.) Apostrophes should be easy. They should be… Let’s look at the apostrophe’s main uses, shall we? They’re used to create contractions. Think of them as the blank tile…
Read MoreA Word with Beth — About Commas, Part Two
At the request of a couple of readers, the Owl and I are taking a second look at commas today. Before the Owl sinks his talons into a few more comma rules and faux pas, we have a little bit of housekeeping to deal with. Apparently, for some readers, the avatars are obscuring part of…
Read MoreA Word with Beth — A Grammar Gift
As you know, my focus this month is gifts that I can give you. Today, instead of the regular Grammar Q&A or Grammar Owl post, I want to share a link to a delightful episode of Kerri Miller’s The Daily Circuit on MPR (Minnesota Public Radio). Billed as “a scientist’s take on language,” Steven Pinker…
Read MoreA Word with Beth — about Commas, Part One
The Grammar Owl was undecided regarding which grammatical quandary to post about today. He scratched his head, totally perplexed. Have you ever seen an owl do that? Those talons are so sharp! Just the thought makes me flinch with imagined pain. Back to our perplexed owl. After scratching his head, he stretched out his leg…
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