A few weeks ago, I mentioned here a CNN article “about the president making an unannounced stop.” Two readers emailed with the same question. Here’s Bill in Niskayuna, N.Y.: “I was taught that a noun ...

Q: I was taught that the possessive should be used before nouns ending in “ing.” For example, one would say, “your laughing ruined the mood,” rather than “you laughing ruined the mood.” Yet it always ...

If you ever knew what a “participle” was, you may have forgotten. Same with the word “gerund.” And if you ever heard the term “fused participle,” you probably zoned out completely. The concept of a ...