Everyone’s got a favorite punctuation mark. As for me, I like the em dash. Seems like I often have something extra to say at the end of a sentence or find myself wanting to interject a thought between thoughts. I’ve got options, of course, but the em dash usually grabs my attention first. Em dashes are simple and clean, easy to type, and extremely versatile. They also make my writing flow the best. But take my advice: there are tricks to using the em dash and getting to know

In today’s world of loose rules and anything-goes sentence structure, bad grammar often gets a pass. But using effective grammar is essential for readability, credibility, and clarity. If you think you could use a grammar refresher, look no further. These five tips will help you hone and improve your grammar—so you can give your readers a satisfying, stammer-free experience. Take a Class Why not enroll in a grammar refresher course? They’re fun and challenging and help sharpe

Lately I’ve been noticing a lot of writing with—what seems to me—misplaced commas used with conjunctions. Granted, most of these sightings appear on social media, where grammar and punctuation apparently don’t matter much. Still, it made me wonder whether the rules surrounding commas and conjunctions are starting to bend a little, even in professional writing. True to form, I got right on it, researching what other writers and grammar gurus think. What I discovered wasn’t sur

When I was a kid, I loved using commas. I wouldn’t just use them wherever I should, either. I’d use them wherever I could. I must have thought all those squiggly little marks made my writing look smart and professional. They certainly made the page more decorative. But as the years went on I started to get distracted by all the commas. As ornate as they were, they were breaking up the flow of my words. Did every single one of them really need to be there? I’d ask myself. Ofte