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The finals are here, and the competition to determine the Best Grammar Blog of 2011 is heating up. Grammar.net would like to thank everyone who participated in the nomination process and congratulate the finalists who passed the five-vote barrier and made it into the last phase of the contest. If you haven’t already, now is…

“Writers should learn to properly use auxiliary modal verbs.” Even if a reader has no idea what a modal verb is, this statement is more likely to agitate than inform, and it would start any other article on a sour note. Lurking at the beginning of the sentence, the modal verb “should” is responsible for…

“I wish I were” and “I wish I was”: which of these is proper in English? Both are proper, they are not interchangeable, and each has a purpose. Luckily, the differences are simple. What Does “Subjunctive” Mean? “Subjunctive” refers to a “verb mood” that conveys an urgency, and it generally points to a desire or…

Just as English slips into Math through Algebra, Math sneaks into English through numerals. Various guidelines can aid writers in using them. What is a Numeral? A numeral is a symbol of a number. “20”, “six”, and “XII” are the numerals of the numbers they represent. You cannot actually see a 2, but any of…