Many teachers say that writing an essay is much easier when you break it down into smaller pieces. To start, there is a lot of value in a strong opener that engages the reader and sets the tone for the entire piece. You can quickly provide this by beginning your introduction with a universal statement.…
When I was helping my niece prepare for her first day of kindergarten, we spent the afternoon labeling all her new school supplies. As I wrote “kindergarten” on her notebook, I paused—should “kindergarten” be capitalized or not? (If you make a purchase using the links in this post, we may earn a commission.) If you’ve…
Last summer, I was writing a ghost story about a grandmother who became very ill and needed help with her daily duties. (I promise you, it was spookier than it sounds.) My friend was a beta reader of my story and told me that I didn’t need to switch between caretaker vs. caregiver so much.…
Mastering the different parts of speech — nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, etc. — is the secret to crafting sentences that captivate readers and communicate ideas clearly. But what are nouns and verbs, exactly, and why do they help make your writing more engaging? How Do You Define Nouns and Verbs? Both nouns and verbs play…
Call me nerdy, but I love all things nuanced and contextual, especially regarding grammar and writing. It makes me particularly well-suited for my self-appointed role in Commonly Confused Word activism. Take renounce vs. denounce, for example. Even though the definitions of these similar words are quite distinct, the fact that they’re spelled nearly the same and both…
