My 10 most popular grammar posts of 2019

About 6 years ago, I made a list of my 10 most popular grammar posts. I’ve written hundreds more posts since then, a few of which have displaced some of the older ones. It made sense to update the list.

Do you say sitting down or seating down?

I recently had someone arrive at my website after asking Google the question, “Do you say sitting down or seating down?” Generally speaking, you’re probably looking for sitting down. Here’s the difference between sitting and seating.

Without further adieu

If you type “without further adieu” into Google, you get over 4 million search results. Clearly, there are a lot of websites out there that use the phrase.

Gender neutral term for aunt/uncle

“Nieces and nephews” isn’t the only three-word familial phrase that lacks a widespread gender-neutral option: “aunts and uncles” also lacks one.

What is the word for day anniversary?

Last week marked 8,888 days since my spouse and I married. When I announced it on Facebook, I was curious to know if there was a word similar to anniversary, but for days instead of years.

Yes, you can use “meat” to refer to veggie patties

It seems as of late that plant-based products that look like meat are all the rage. Everyone from Tim Hortons to A&W is carrying Beyond Meat burgers. Burger King carries Impossible Foods patties. Even Canadian meat giant Maple Leaf Foods is getting into the trend. Perhaps you haven’t seen it, but since I’m a vegetarian,… Continue reading Yes, you can use “meat” to refer to veggie patties

Reader question: me or I?

I recently received an email with the following request, and I decided to answer it here: Please clarify this sentence for me:In emails between Sue and I…Or;In emails between Sue and me…Thanks,Adele Thanks for the email, Adele. The quick answer to your question is that you want the latter. One trick to remembering is switching… Continue reading Reader question: me or I?