Writing Stack Exchange
Writing Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [grammar]

Questions about the rules of grammar, and how to properly apply them to writing. Note that questions asking to improve or check grammar of a specific piece are off-topic.

255 questions
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11 answers

Is it wrong to use the same word multiple times within a few sentences?

I have been told before that when describing things in writing I should use different words, and not to repeat myself so it doesn't become redundant, but sometimes there are no other words that work as well. For example, I've written things before…
EmmieCG
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3 answers

Reasons for confusion over tenses in a story

When writing stories in past tense (which is majority of the time) whether it be an essay for class or an unassembled essay for home and in my own time, I often find myself writing some of my sentences in the following way: "No!" I yelled, ignoring…
kat
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9 answers

How can I improve my sentence construction or flow in general writing?

Can anyone suggest resources or techniques I can use to improve my sentence construction when writing? I am a native English speaker and fairly well educated, but confess I didn't pay much attention in English class at school, something that's…
Will Appleby
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12 answers

Can basic grammar rules be skipped when writing text for machine safety labels?

First of all I'm completely against this idea but a few people who contribute to the technical documentation project constantly suggest that to attain a short, quick, economic, comprehensive message some basic rules can be broken. Things like…
Montag451
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17
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3 answers

I thought I understood tenses

I'm writing a story in the past tense, third person, deep POV. Similar to the first person, that implies that some of the narration can be read as the character's thoughts. Here are two trite examples: Direct thought, e.g. these are the actual words…
Cobus Kruger
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17
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8 answers

Why does using this "-ing" verb construction make my writing weaker?

I had to write a scholarship essay, wherein I wrote this sentence: Over the ensuing years I read as much as I could, trying to increase my knowledge and understanding of my own language. I sent it to my mom to look over in case I did something…
kitukwfyer
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2 answers

How can I avoid overusing "I" and "I'm" in a first person short story?

The story I'm writing uses 'I' and 'I'm' way too much, and it's really obvious. The problem is that I cannot find words to replace the two, and when I do, it always changes and bends what I'm trying to portray, making it extremely difficult and…
Rose
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Is there any difference between these two sentences? (Adverbs)

I'm just trying to work around the whole "Adverbs are the devil" rule. Is there any difference between these two lines in regards to writing quality: He smiled patronisingly at them And He had a patronising smile on his face Is the second option…
klippy
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15
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3 answers

Should the name of a mythological creature be capitalized?

The name of the mythological creature in my novel is "manananggal". When I'm referring to it, should I capitalize what it is?
R. Narine The Author
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15
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2 answers

No Contractions

When writing essays for History class, 5 points are taken off for every contraction. I don't see why writing it fully out is better than using a contraction, since it's shorter and it doesn't affect your argument. Is this rule just because it's more…
Noah Cristino
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12
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4 answers

En vs em dash and the one on the keyboard

The dash provided on my laptop keyboard (-) is always marked as a spelling mistake in my Word document, no matter how I choose to use it. This is the dash right next to the 0 on the line of numbers keys. When I right-click on the 'mistake', it…
Gemma H
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12
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4 answers

Should items separated by commas be alphabetical?

When writing a list of items, should they be alphabetical? The late Jurassic periods are Tithonian, Kimmeridgian, and Oxfordian. better? The late Jurassic periods are Kimmeridgian, Oxfordian, and Tithonian.
Honk
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2 answers

Do I always need a comma after a person's name?

This is a big issue between my husband and me. He says always put a comma after a name, I say only when a break is needed. Example: A review of the complaint filed by Andrew, shows that Linnea, and John, did in fact violate state laws when they…
A. McGowan
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11
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6 answers

Is there any pronoun in English that can include both HE and SHE?

Some languages like Persian do not have gender for pronouns. For example, they use just one pronoun (Ou) to refer to he/she. This makes the language gender-neutral which to me it is more convenient in the modern world in which men and women are…
Amin Kaveh
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11
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3 answers

How to handle characters who are more educated than the author?

This is inspired by a few things that have been breaking my immersion when reading Worm. The main protagonist is a teen, and most chapters are first-person POV, so grammatical casualness fits. I don't expect her to use subjunctive, and her use of…
April Salutes Monica C.
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