- To verb a noun means to use an ordinary noun as a verb in a sentence.
- English is flexible about the grammatical function of individual words. If you use a noun in the verb slot of a sentence, most people will understand what you mean.
- Be careful about verbing in very formal contexts, especially when there is already a common verb that would convey your meaning. Some people find verbing annoying.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
What Is Verbing?
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
What Is a Generic Noun?
Generic nouns are nouns that refer to all members of a class or group. They are often used when making generalizations or talking about universal truths. Generic nouns can be singular or plural, and be used with or without articles.
Let’s take, for example, the very simple noun book. When writing a sentence, we might have a certain book in mind.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Learn the Types of Writing: Expository, Descriptive, Persuasive, and Narrative
Whether you write essays, business materials, fiction, articles, letters, or even just notes in your journal, your writing will be at its best if you stay focused on your purpose. While there are many reasons why you might be putting pen to paper or tapping away on the keyboard, there are really only four main types of writing: expository, descriptive, persuasive, and narrative.
Each of these four writing genres has a distinct aim, and they all require different types of writing skills.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
What Is a Relative Pronoun and How Does It Work?
A relative pronoun is a word that introduces a dependent (or relative) clause and connects it to an independent clause. A clause beginning with a relative pronoun is poised to answer questions such as Which one? How many? or What kind? Who, whom, what, which, and that are all relative pronouns.
Relative clauses are also sometimes referred to as adjective clauses, because they identify or give us additional information about the subject of the independent clause they relate to.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
The Great Indentation Debate
Writers have a lot on their plates. They have to fend off writer’s block, perform meticulous research, and ensure the content they produce captivates their target audiences. They must pay close attention to catch grammatical errors, misspellings, punctuation mistakes, and typos. Formatting often takes a backseat on a writer’s priority list–especially when it involves something so seemingly trivial as indentation.
Monday, July 29, 2013
“Make Yourself At Home” with Good Grammar
Believe it or not, the quality of your writing significantly influences some of the most important milestones in your life.
In school, good grammar helps students to achieve higher grades. On the job, professionals with fewer grammar errors tend to achieve higher positions; their writing is demonstrative of the credibility, professionalism, and accuracy observable in their work. And in your personal life, better spelling and grammar can even earn you a date!
Friday, July 26, 2013
#GrammoWriMo FAQ
What is #GrammoWriMo?
In November 2013, in honor of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), Grammarly has organized the largest group of authors to collaborate on a single novel—we’re calling the project #GrammoWriMo.
How many people are participating?
More than 750 people have signed up to participate in #GrammoWriMo. We’ve divided the novel into 30 chapters—between 25 and 26 writers have been assigned to contribute to each chapter.