For those who boldly violate the Prime Directive by trying to enrich the general public’s understanding of English grammar and thus change the planetary culture, each tiny triumph is something to ...

You’ve probably heard the old story about the pedant who dared to tinker with Winston Churchill’s writing because the great man had ended a sentence with a preposition. Churchill’s scribbled response: ...

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily. Leave it to a scientist to finally explain how to kill off bad writing. In his new ...

My day was as empty as a human resources manager’s imagination, so I was heading for a pint or two of Smithwick’s with my barfly associates, the Afternoon Travelers, when an anomaly loomed on the ...

Lexicon Valley has moved! Find new episodes here. Photo illustration by Lisa Larson-Walker. Image via Wikimedia Commons. Listen to Lexicon Valley Episode No. 56: And Infinitum: Subscribe in iTunes ∙ ...

Skip downward to go straight to the dirty tips and tricks. Have you ever had a preening pedant correct you when you split an infinitive? Has a self-righteous scold kindly let you know that one thing ...

Children are again to be subject to a rigorous examination in grammar. But why does it make adults so cross when other adults break the rules? A new grammar and spelling test arrives in primary ...

Split infinitives make them shudder and they’d never end a sentence with a preposition. But linguist Geoffrey Pullum has a message for all grammar pedants: you're wrong Imagine a world in which ...

I popped into the supermarket for some apples on the way home. (Not: I popped into the supermarket for buying some apples…) I stopped by at his office for a chat about our marketing strategy. (Not: I ...