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Writing reflects music in that it offers its own types of accents for a composition's structure and sound. They are not central features but rather grace notes that can add melody, rhythm, and voice to our sentences. One such grace note in writing is alliteration: the repetition of two or more neighboring sounds of words, …

An item that still periodically surfaces among GrammarBook.com readers is the proper use of sic. Sic is a Latin term meaning "so, thus." A complete word that requires no punctuation or abbreviation, it is found only in direct quotations and other directly quoted material to indicate that something was communicated "in this manner." Writers include it …

Writers focused on pacing, mechanics, and style have many tools at their disposal in English. One such technique is the placement of a main clause at the beginning or end of a sentence. Placing a main (independent) clause at the end of a sentence creates what is referred to grammatically as a periodic sentence. Examples …

English includes words that look and sound like verbs but are not serving a sentence as such. You likely hear them often: You said you like skydiving? What about cliff jumping? The door was closed, so I couldn't hear them—their voices were muffled. Alexander said their plan is to escape. Each underlined word is an …

English includes many words with sounds and spellings so similar they become easy to confuse. Impatient and inpatient are one such pair. If you've ever found yourself tripping between impatient and inpatient, you're in the right place. We'll explain what each word means and help ensure you can distinguish the two from now on. The …

Do you know the difference between getaway (one word) and get away (two words)? Even native speakers of American English might get crossed up with these expressions, so we'll look at each version and how to use it precisely. That way, you won't wonder if you're getting away with using the incorrect version. Let's get …

Imagine that you are walking down the street and you accidentally bump into someone coming from the other direction. That person continues walking. Moments later, you realize there is a fifty-dollar bill taped to your jacket. You turn around, but the person has already disappeared into a sea of others. Shortly after, you text your …

Subjects and verbs are the principal components of language. Before we can provide descriptive or informative details in a sentence, we must know the actor and the action. Subjects and verbs are so fundamental to communication in English that they can form complete thoughts alone. Examples Jon runs. You walk. Jennifer jogs. English subjects and …

You have a big test coming up, so you spend long evening hours guzzling power drinks and preparing. You later find yourself continuing well into the morning hours. Would you then say that you are studying overnight or over night? Overnight vs. Over Night Let's start by clearing up any confusion: overnight is the correct …

We write in order to inform, explain, express, persuade, and entertain. Through our proficiency with grammar and vocabulary, we enhance our ability to further develop interpersonal meaning and intelligence as well as the exchange of knowledge that shapes our perception of truth. Writing also lets us look further into the heart of human expression: to …