The terms despite and in spite of both mean “even though,” “notwithstanding,” and “regardless of.” The two terms can be used interchangeably because they’re synonyms.
In spite of the rain, they went ahead with the outdoor event.
Continue reading: Despite vs In Spite Of | Difference & Examples
You shouldn’t use both and as well as together in a sentence. We’ll tell you which word you should use instead.
No, you cannot. Using both … as well as is considered improper grammar. Instead, you should use and after both. Alternatively, you can simply use as well as by itself.
Both … and are conjunctions, which is a part of speech that connects words, phrases, and clauses. More specifically, they fall under the category of correlative conjunctions. Keep in mind that commas are not needed when using both … and.
LanguageTool—an intelligent, multilingual text editor—can detect when you’ve written as well as after both and remind you to use and instead. Additionally, it can correct both spelling and grammar mistakes. Try it out.
Continue reading: Don’t Use Both and As Well As Together
Superlative adjectives describe nouns in an extreme way, as in being the most or the least of a quality.
Continue reading: Everything You Need To Know About Comparatives and Superlatives in English
What You’ll Learn About In This Article:
Continue reading: LanguageTool’s Punctuation Guide
May suggests a strong likelihood of something occurring (e.g., She actually may get a bonus this year). Might, on the other hand, hints at a lower likelihood of something happening (e.g., If we leave now, we might make it).
Continue reading: What’s the Difference Between “May” and “Might”?
If words can be grouped together as a family, think of bad as the youngest, worse as the middle child, and worst as the oldest (and strongest). They’re all related, and although people get worse and worst mixed up all the time, they have different meanings and uses. We’ll teach you what they are so that you don’t mix up these words ever again.
Worst, on the other hand, describes something as the “lowest quality, lowest standard,” and “the most unfavorable, difficult, or unpleasant.”
Continue reading: Things Could Be “Worse”… Or Is It “Worst”?
Sometimes producing the best writing requires reviewing even the most basic components. We’ll discuss everything from what a sentence is to the different types of sentences.
If you want to become a chef, you should know the ins and outs of a kitchen. Maybe your dream is to become an artist. In that case, you should become an expert at even the most basic components of art, like primary colors. Similarly, if you want to become a proficient writer, you should thoroughly understand one of the most basic aspects of grammar: sentences.
This brief guide will go over what a sentence is, the parts of a sentence, and the different types of sentences. You can also ensure you’re using different sentence types correctly with LanguageTool’s Grammar Checker tool.
Continue reading: Back to Basics: Sentence Parts and Sentence Types
As a writer, the last thing you want to do is confuse your readers and make them think, “what did I just read?” Dangling modifiers do just that, so it’s best to steer clear from them! Below, we’ll discuss what dangling modifiers are and how to fix them.
A dangling modifier occurs when it’s unclear who or what is the subject of the modifying word or phrase.
Being born six feet tall, Derrick wondered how baby giraffes learn to walk so quickly.
“Being born six feet tall,” is a dangling modifier that makes it seem as if Derrick was born freakishly tall. The correct version of this sentence without a dangling modifier would be:
Derrick wondered how baby giraffes learn to walk so quickly since they’re born six feet tall.
Continue reading: Dangling Modifiers—What They Are and How to Correct Them
Fewer and less are often used incorrectly. There’s a popular rule that teaches fewer is for countable nouns and less is for uncountable nouns. But this rule has exceptions. For example, although money can technically be counted (in dollars and coins, for example), it’s still considered an uncountable noun. That’s why it’s grammatically incorrect to say “fewer money.” The rule you should keep in mind instead is to use fewer for plural nouns and less for singular nouns.
The LanguageTool Grammar Checker can help ensure you use fewer or less correctly in your writing.
Continue reading: What’s the Difference Between “Fewer” and “Less”?
There’s a subtle but important difference between “like” and “such as.” Read on to find out what it is.
Continue reading: When To Use “Like” or “Such As”