By Judy Vorfeld A while ago, I decided to research the differences between “a while” and “awhile.” I like Professor Paul Brians’ comments: When “awhile” is spelled as a single word, it is an adverb meaning “for a time” (“stay awhile”); but when “while” is the object of a prepositional phrase, like […]
Read more →By Judy Vorfeld Do you get confused over when to use “among” and when to use “between”? Let’s see if I can help without confusing you further! The Gregg Reference Manual, Ninth Edition, says that in general we use “between” when referring to two persons or things, and […]
Read more →By Judy Vorfeld Is there such a word as “alot”? Professor Paul Brians says that this common spelling error may have begun began because there is an English a word spelled “allot” which is a verb meaning to apportion or grant. * Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary says: 1 : to assign as […]
Read more →By Judy Vorfeld It’s easy to mix up usage of “due to” and “because of.” Here are some tips to help you remember which is which. “DUE TO” modifies nouns, but introduces adjective phrases: “Her failure was due to poor study habits.” Explanation: “due to poor study habits” […]
Read more →By Judy Vorfeld Affect or Effect? What’s the Difference? If you’re confused about when to use “affect” and “effect,” you have company! AFFECT means to change, touch, impress or influence something. It means to act upon something. If someone distracts me when I’m typing, it affects my […]
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