Commas serve two main functions: separating items in a list and separating independent clauses. Whether you put a comma before “and” depends on the situation.  Putting a comma before and in a list is generally optional, though style guides have different rules on this.  In general, you should always put a comma before and if […]...

Words that are commonly confused because they look or sound alike are called homonyms, from the Greek roots homo, meaning “same” and numos, meaning “name.” Homonyms can be divided into homophones (which sound alike) and homographs (which have the same spelling). Below are some of the most commonly confused English homonyms, with definitions and examples. […]...

Are you working on a paper or scholarly article? Need to know the difference between an abstract and an introduction? Here’s what you need to know.  An abstract and an introduction are two different sections of a research paper, thesis, or dissertation. An abstract is a short summary of the entire piece, and it comes […]...

Mnemonic (nih-MON-ik).  It’s a funny word. Silent M? When does that happen? Never. Well, almost never, except in this word — and related words. So what is a mnemonic? A mnemonic, or mnemonic device, is a memory aid — something simple that helps you remember something more complex. And what about that silent M anyway? […]...

Proofreading marks, which are also called proofreaders’ marks and editing marks, signify mistakes in printed copy. Proofreaders and editors generally use a red pen to note them on the page.  Though much editing, like the editing done here at EditorNinja, is now done digitally within shared docs and other word processors, written proofreading marks are […]...

Grammarians categorize English words into groups, which we call Parts of Speech. Most guides will tell you that there are eight or nine parts of speech, depending on a few factors, like whether they include interjections. Each part of speech serves a particular function, which I will describe below. The parts of speech we will […]...

If you’re mixing up who’s and whose, you’re not alone. They sound the same, and they look pretty similar, too. But they’re not the same.  Who’s is a contraction that means “who is,” and whose is a possessive that shows ownership. Still unclear? This little guide is here to help. Who’s and whose are easy […]...