Thursday, May 2, 2013

Dragged or Drug—Which Is Correct?

The recognized and correct past tense form of the verb drag is dragged. Drug can still sometimes be heard, but only in certain dialects within the United States.

Sometimes, a group of people have a way of speaking that’s particular to them. It can be a phrase they’ve coined. It can be a bending of the generally accepted linguistic norms. It can be pronunciation, spelling, or grammar misinterpretations.

Not-So-Sweet 16 Game 8: Close Talkers vs. “Well, actually . . .”

March MADness has been long. It has been frustrating. It has reminded us all of those things we don’t like about our office-mates. But, take heart! We are one poll away from exiting the Not-So-Sweet 16 and choosing the Final (Infuriating) Four!

Our last poll of the Not-So-Sweet 16 is a doozy, pitting a classic Seinfeld gripe against the world’s most irritating interjection. Help us determine the fate of office rage by voting below.

Monday, April 29, 2013

How would you like to learn grammar?

This poll is part of a series that Grammarly is running aimed at better understanding how the public feels about writing, language learning, and grammar.

Please take the poll and share your thoughts in the comments. We can’t wait to hear from you!

If you are interested in more, check out last week’s poll.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Grammar Basics: What Is Grammar Case?

Do you enjoy team sports? Some team positions carry special responsibilities. In hockey, the goalie’s job is to block the other team from scoring. In American football, the place holder steadies the football for the field goal kicker. If you imagine language as a team sport, you can think of grammatical cases as team positions. They tell you the special roles of pronouns. Only three cases are common in modern English—subjective, objective, and possessive.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Not-So-Sweet 16: Email Autonotification Hell vs. Should’ve Messaged

The Not-So-Sweet 16 rages on with this set of obnoxious inbox-stuffers. Which bothers you more, autonotification emails, or emails from coworkers who should have messaged you elsewhere? Honestly, we don’t love either.

Ready to vote to determine the next round of March MADness? We know we are!

Autonotification Email Hell

Autonotifications are sent automatically when someone updates a task, project, or chat.

Monday, April 22, 2013

How to Consistently Write Better and Faster

In this article, here’s what you’ll discover:

  • why distractions are more debilitating than you think (and what to do about them)
  • a simple four-step formula to dramatically improve your writing
  • how to crank out high-quality content in half the time by optimizing every step of the writing process from first draft to formatting
  • So let’s get started, shall we?

    Why distractions are more debilitating than you think (and what to do about it)

    Just how bad are distractions for your productivity?

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Offence vs. Offense—What Is the Difference?

  • Offence and offense are both correct.
  • Offence is the spelling more commonly used outside of the United States.
  • Offense is the spelling more commonly used in the United States.

Offense is spelled differently based on where you, or your audience, are. But neither offense nor offence are wrong.

Offence vs. Offense—Which Is Correct?

In one sense, offense means an attack. But it also means an affront or insult.