Search results for “apostrophe”

Mood in English grammar is the verb form that tells us the way we should regard or understand the context of an action. For example, is the action part of a statement or question, or does it involve a command or a preference? English uses the indicative, imperative, and subjunctive moods to establish these contexts. …

The concept of case in English involves the relationship of a noun, a pronoun, or an adjective (also referred to as a determiner) with other parts of a sentence. The possessive case often conveys possession or ownership, such as Joseph's book or my opinion. It is the only case in which nouns alter their form …

As the second Sunday of May approaches, we are reminded again of the importance of motherhood. The holiday dedicated to mothers was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and later made an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Its origin can be traced to the ancient Greeks and Romans, but the foundation of the modern holiday …

We at times receive questions concerning the proper way to address outbound mail and, in particular, use zip codes. Because your goal and ours is to achieve precision in writing, we'll take a closer look at zip codes and how you can treat them in your correspondence. What Is a ZIP Code? Zip codes today …

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 …

English (and language in general) uses tense to indicate the timing of a verb's action in the present, the past, or the future. The simple past tense in English communicates that an action occurred at an earlier time. The action has been completed, and it is not continuing in the present or into the future. …

As the third Monday in February approaches, some people may wonder how to write the name of the American holiday that honors U.S. presidents. The answer may surprise you, since authorities seem to disagree on the spelling as well as the name itself. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the official name is "Washington's Birthday" …

We know that a noun in English is a person, place, or thing that functions as a subject or an object in a sentence. A noun also can operate as a subject or object complement or as an appositive. Nouns can further be grouped into types of nouns: common nouns (concrete, abstract, collective) proper nouns …

As February 14 approaches, some people may wonder how to write the name of the holiday that honors Saint Valentine. Do You Use an Apostrophe When Spelling Valentine's Day? The day was first recognized as “The Feast of St. Valentine” in A.D. 269. Both The Chicago Manual of Style and The Associated Press Stylebook identify …

The English language uses tense to communicate the timing of an action. If we want to write that an action took place in the past, we use the simple past tense: He washed the dishes. She went to the skating rink.  If we wish to identify an action that occurred prior to another completed action, …