Subject-verb agreement is when the subject and verb of a sentence coincide with one another in number (singular or plural) and person (first, second, or third).
✅ The train stops every hour.
❌ The train stop every hour.
The main rule of subject-verb agreement is that singular subjects must be paired with singular verbs and plural subjects with plural verbs, but it isn’t always so clear-cut.
Continue reading: Understanding Subject-Verb Agreement
Alter is a verb that means “to change or modify.” Altar is a noun that refers to an elevated structure that is at the center of a religious ceremony or ritual.
He wanted to alter his truck to make it more elevated than normal.
For the sake of tradition, my family and I left roses at the altar at the church.
Continue reading: Alter and Altar: Understanding the Difference
Goodbye is an expression used when ending a conversation and parting ways with someone.
A few other ways you can say goodbye are:
Our Paraphrasing Tool can help you vary your tone and find even more ways to say goodbye.
Continue reading: How to Say Goodbye Without Saying Goodbye
Writing fluency refers to a writer’s ability to quickly and easily express themselves in a way that’s also easy for their audience to comprehend.
A fluent writer has thorough knowledge of spelling, vocabulary, punctuation, and grammar rules.
Continue reading: How To Become a Fluent Writer
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory words are put side by side to form a phrase. Examples include jumbo shrimp, organized mess, and crash landing.
Oxymorons are used for multiple reasons, whether it be to add a dramatic effect, illustrate a rhetorical point, make an audience ponder, or make them laugh.
Continue reading: Oxymorons—What Are They and What Are Their Functions?
We’ll go over what abbreviations and acronyms are, plus provide examples and a short quote that can help you remember their difference.
If you’re wondering what the difference is between an abbreviation and an acronym, you’re not alone. Before we dive into what these two are, we’ll give you this epigram:
All acronyms are abbreviations, but not all abbreviations are acronyms.
Continue reading: Understanding the Difference Between Abbreviations and Acronyms
Dived and dove are both correct past tense forms of the word dive. Dove is more common in North America, while dived is more prevalent among British English speakers.
However, dived is the only acceptable past participle of dive.
The past tense of compound verbs like skydive and nosedive is always “–dived.”
Continue reading: What Is the Past Tense of “Dive”?
Personification is a figure of speech in which human qualities and abilities are applied to nonhuman objects or ideas.
Continue reading: Personification: What Is It and Why Should You Use It?
Can immigrate and emigrate be used interchangeably? What about migrate? These three words have similar meanings, but important distinctions. This blog post will go over why these three words should not be interchanged or used as synonyms.
Continue reading: Learn How To Use “Immigrate,” “Emigrate,” and “Migrate” Correctly
In American English, canceled and cancelled are acceptable, although canceled is more common. In British English, cancelled is the prominent, most widely used spelling.
Similarly, canceling is also more common in American English, while cancelling is more common in British English.
The noun cancellation (with two Ls) is the recommended spelling, regardless of which dialect you’re writing in.
Continue reading: Is It Cancelled or Canceled?