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What Is the Plural of Fish?

There might be plenty of fish in the sea, but that doesn't mean they are all easy to describe. If we're trying to describe more than one, a common question in English can be what is the plural of fish? You may have been taught that it's simply fish or maybe fishes. Both sound like …

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What Is the Plural of Hero?

Many movies feature a hero who comes to the rescue or otherwise saves the day. But what happens when more than one hero arrives to protect humanity from an intergalactic league of hostile aliens? What would be the correct spelling for the word meaning more than one hero? If you've ever wondered about the spelling …

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Cacti or Cactuses: What’s the Plural of Cactus?

Suppose you are writing a science-fiction novel in which spiky plants come to life in the desert. They uproot themselves and begin pursuing your hero. As they bear down, how would you refer to them: as cacti, cactuses, or something else? In other words, what's the plural of cactus? The Plural of Cactus The origin …

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Is It St. Patrick’s Day or St. Patricks Day?

As March 17 approaches, some people may wonder how to write the name of the holiday that honors Saint Patrick. Do You Use an Apostrophe When Spelling St. Patrick's Day? The day is recognized as the "Feast of St. Patrick" in honor of the patron saint of Ireland. The Associated Press Stylebook identifies the holiday …

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Is the Plural of Mango “Mangoes” or “Mangos”?

Sometimes with English, even when we think we know how to use and spell a word correctly, different forms of it can spring up and trip us. Mango can be one of those words when we are writing its plural. Should it be mangoes or mangos? That’s not a fruity question, but rather one we …

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Capitalization of Seasons: Are Seasons Capitalized?

Winter might be coming, or you might have a spring in your step. The seasons tell us a lot about climate, mood, and even which fashions and foods are in style. But grammatically, they can sometimes summon a headache. For instance, do you know if you should capitalize the names of seasons when you’re writing …

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Should Dog Breeds Be Capitalized?

Suppose you are writing about a type of dog – or even to your favorite dog – and need to mention a type or breed. Should the dog breed be capitalized? This is a common question in American English for a couple of reasons. First, because dogs are a big part of our lives, they …

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Their vs. There vs. They’re

One of the hardest things to master in English is the difference among three very similar words: their, there, and they're. Because these words have similar spellings and nearly identical pronunciations, they tend to be commonly misused. Learning to put each one in its correct place is a great way to write more clearly. Or, …

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Sentence Subjects: Looking Past Nouns and Strict Verb Agreement

Sentence subjects are typically obvious in English grammar. Many are nouns, and they take corresponding plural or singular verbs. How then do we identify and explain the parts of speech in the following sentences? 1. Buying houses and flipping them has been netting him a small fortune. 2. To be alone is to find true …

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Wisdom of Yogi Berra

April means major-league baseball is back, so I want to talk about Yogi Berra, who played for the New York Yankees from 1946 to ’63, when they were perennial World Series champs. His name is familiar to everyone. He has given the culture more memorable epigrams than have some of our most esteemed wits. I …

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