Here’s an interesting question posed to me recently: Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly? Look for fresh basil at your local grocery store, and, if it isn’t available, tell the ...

As anyone who’s chuckled at this well-worn punctuation joke can attest, commas matter. A comma can even make the difference between a friendly invitation to break bread and cannibalism. But that doesn ...

We are concluding our discussion on phrases, clauses and sentences today. In the last two classes, we compared the three, underlining how a sentence is usually a combination of clauses and phrases. We ...

The 2nd Amendment is contextualized entirely by its introductory phrase: “A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State.” Grammatically, this is a nominative absolute — a ...

"I'm so sorry, but—" is the introductory phrase of doom. Apologizing when you haven't made any mistakes makes you look weak and easy to dismiss, not polite. Still want to say sorry? Then just don't ...