The paragraph is a basic building block of writing, for both fiction and non-fiction. Paragraphs are the vehicles that writers use to put together a story-line or provide chunks of information. Share This:

Grammar and punctuation are essential tools for writers. They’re an integral part of a writer’s skill set. They require attention from new writers and familiarity from experienced writers. Share This:

The terms in the title represent two clear ways of approaching writing. Prescriptive grammar defines the norms and rules, and represents accepted usage.  Descriptive grammar, on the other hand is the language, syntax, and words that are actually used by speakers of a given language. While there are some writers and editors who take the

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Adjectives are used to describe people, places, and things, and good writers are able to write descriptions that are varied and creative. While you’ve probably created strings of adjectives before a noun without much thought, you may sometimes wonder if they’re in the right order. Following are some guidelines. Share This:

Knowing when and how to use quotation marks or italics—or nothing at all—is important for writers. Following are some guidelines. Share This:

So many rules. So many exceptions. Should authors pay more attention to content or to grammar? Read on. Share This:

How do you interject something into a sentence or dialogue that’s not actually part of the main thought? You can use commas or parentheses—or you can use em-dashes. Here’s how. Share This:

A common problem writers face is whether to use a comma between two clauses. The solution depends on whether one the clauses is essential or non-essential. Following are some useful guidelines. Share This:

An effective writer should be skilled in all the usual forms of punctuation (commas, periods, etc.). However, sometimes question marks, exclamation points, and parentheses can be challenging. Here are some useful ideas. Share This:

This is another post on the subject of commas. It seems that, no matter how much is written about this little mark, it continues to be a dark area of writer’s understanding. While it may seem that an author can put a comma just about anywhere, or not, there are some basic “rules” or guidelines

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