In The Sense of Style, Steven Pinker settles a war among the scolds with a sensible approach to usage. It would surprise many writers and editors to learn that Strunk and White, authors of the most ...

When you first learn the rules for English grammar in elementary school, you find there are a lot of don’ts: Don’t end a sentence with a preposition; don’t begin a sentence with because. But as you ...

Ever heard about the time Winston Churchill weighed in on ending sentences with prepositions? According to one of many versions of the story, an editor revised a sentence of Churchill’s so the final ...

This is the kind of nonsense up with which I will not put. The sentence scrawled above was Winston Churchill’s alleged response to the idea that one can’t end a sentence with a preposition, giving ...

If you’ve ever been cited for breaking traditional grammar rules you will rejoice at the publication of The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (Cambridge University Press, 2002). Coauthor and ...

Don’t split an infinitive. Don’t end a sentence with a preposition. Don’t begin a sentence with “and.” Don’t use passive voice. If these rigid proscriptions have been rattling around your head since ...

Learning English grammar can feel overwhelming, but certain mistakes appear repeatedly amongst new speakers. These errors aren't random—they follow predictable patterns that you can learn to avoid.