by Marissa Metcalf | Jun 5, 2020 | AP Style Basics, GrammarSpot
When to Use a Colon in AP Style When to Use a Colon in AP Style I used to feel pretty confident in my grasp of grammar and style rules, until my first encounter with Associated Press style (AP style) and its distinct guidelines. AP style is widely used in journalism...
by Marissa Metcalf | Apr 2, 2020 | GrammarSpot, Writing Tips
How to Avoid Overusing the Word ‘That’ in Your Writing How to Avoid Overusing the Word ‘That’ in Your Writing For a few years during elementary school, virtually every sentence my friends and I uttered included the word “like.” This awful...
by Marissa Metcalf | Aug 18, 2019 | AP Style Basics, GrammarSpot
Clauses are often called the building blocks of sentences, and like most building materials, they aren’t all created equal. Some clauses carry weight and play an integral role within a sentence, while others primarily provide embellishment. Whether you’re writing...
by Marissa Metcalf | Jun 30, 2019 | AP Style Basics, GrammarSpot
If you write factual content or realistic fiction, it’s almost impossible to avoid working with acronyms. Between “alphabet soup” government agencies and absurdly named pieces of legislation, I often find my writing overrun with these abbreviations. Given the ubiquity...
by Marissa Metcalf | Jan 3, 2019 | Commas
Your Complete Guide to Comma Rules If you’ve heard that joke about a panda bear entering a restaurant and eating, shooting, and leaving, you know that the difference between “eats, shoots and leaves” and “eats shoots and leaves” matters. This example is more...
