Questions and Answers

Updated: October 22, 2006






Question: How common are interrobangs? I've never seen one in print.

Answer: Interrobangs, a punctuation mark that combines a question mark and an exclamation mark, are rarely used.  




Question: Make certain you get plenty of vitamin c. Should vitamin and c be capitalized?

Answer: Capitalize C but not vitamin: Make certain you get plenty of vitamin C.  




Question: Is it correct to use either to mean too? Here's a sample sentence: I didn't like that either.

Answer: Yes, it is correct. Too is used in positive sentences (I liked that too), and either is used in negative sentences (I didn't like that either). 




Question: There are collective terms for brothers and sisters (siblings) and mothers and fathers (parents). Is there a collective term for nieces and nephews?

Answer: Unfortunately, there isn't. 




Question: Why is through sometimes spelled thru?

Answer: Thru is a very informal way of writing through. There is no difference in meaning. 




Question: Is there a rule for knowing which words end in able and which end in ible?

Answer: No, there is not. However, more words end in able than in ible. If you are not certain which ending is correct, consult a dictionary. 




Question: Another day, another dollar. What does this mean?

Answer: It is a cliché meaning that another day of work has been/will be done and you have/will have a bit of money to account for it. It is usually used to describe an ordinary job that one does not find terribly exciting. 




Question: Here is the sentence I'm having trouble with: Recently we decided to make the following changes. I'm wondering if I should put a comma after recently.

Answer: The comma is optional. As long as there is no risk of misreading you may omit the comma. It also depends on which style guide you follow, if any. Some advise you to include the comma whereas others say you may omit it. There is little risk of misreading the above sentence, so you do not need to include a comma after recently. 




Question: I am having troubles with this sentence: Neither Liliana or I will come to the party. I'm not certain if it should be I or me. Which one is correct?

Answer: Use I and switch the or to nor. 




Question: How do you pluralize abbreviations such as CD? Should it be CDs or CD's?

Answer: You form the plural by adding s or by adding an apostrophe and s. Both CDs and CD's are correct. Remember to be consistent! If you use CDs once, use CDs throughout the document. 




Question: Do you use the singular or plural form of a verb with staff?

Answer: Staff is a collective noun. (Other collective nouns are department, firm, group, jury, and society.) When the group is a unit acting together, use a singular verb. When the members of the group are acting separately, use a plural verb. 




Question: What do bull market, salt-and-pepper hair, and Indian summer mean?

Answer: A bull market refers to when stock prices have risen steadily over several months. Salt-and-pepper hair describes hair that has both dark and light colors in it. It usually refers to men with both white and gray hair. A period of warm weather occurring in the autumn is called an Indian summer. 




Question: I heard someone answer the phone by saying this is he. Is that correct?

Answer: Yes, it is. 




Question: Is redundant used in American English?

Answer: Yes, it is. Consult a dictionary if you want to know its various definitions. If you are wondering if made redundant is an expression often used in American English, it is not. It is more commonly expressed as being laid off.

British English: I found out yesterday that I was being made redundant.

American English: I found out yesterday that I was being laid off. 




Question: You often write about style guides. What are they? Where can I find one?

Answer: Style guides are reference books used to guide writers on issues such as punctuation, spacing, spelling, and capitalization. One popular American style guide is The Chicago Manual of Style. You can find style guides at your local book store. 




Question: Here is part of a sentence I'm having trouble with: And then there is the controlling son who decides when his wife goes out and who/whom she meets. Is it who or whom?

Answer: The correct answer is whom. Whom is the object of the verb meet. 




Question: What does 24/7 mean?

Answer: It is a slang expression meaning 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (in other words, all the time). 




Question: What is the difference between toward and towards?

Answer: The only difference is that toward is more common in American English and towards is more common in British English. 




Question: I have been thinking a lot about the following sentence: If I were you, I wouldn't do that. This sounds correct, but I keep telling myself that I and were do not go together and that it should read If I was you. Please help!

Answer: If I were you is correct because were is the past subjunctive of the verb to be. 




Question: Which is correct: pre-book or prebook?

Answer: Use pre-book. Prefixes should be joined to base words with a hyphen. Using the hyphen also prevents one from misreading the word. 




Question: What is the difference between farther and further?

Answer: Some writers make no distinction between the two words. Careful writers, however, do make a distinction: they use farther when referring to physical distances and further in all other instances. Here are a few examples: How much farther do we have to walk to reach the gas station? The drive to the gas station was farther than we expected. Contact me if you need further information. We should discuss this matter further. 




Question: What is the difference between which and that?

Answer: Which is used in non-restrictive clauses, and that is used in restrictive clauses. Non-restrictive clauses are not essential to the principal meaning of a sentence; restrictive clauses are. 




Question: What does water under the bridge mean?

Answer: Water under the bridge refers to a past event that cannot be undone. It is all water under the bridge now. 




Question: I bought an American magazine the other day to help me with my English, and there are some interesting recipes in it that I would like to try, but I don't know what half-and-half is. Can you please tell me what it is?

Answer: Half-and-half is a dairy product consisting of equal parts of milk and cream. 




Question: Which is the correct way of writing the possessive form of a last name ending in s: Jones' or Jones's?

Answer: Both are correct. It depends on which, if any, style guide you follow. Some style guides state that to form the possessive case of singular nouns ending in s, you should be guided by how you pronounce the word. If you pronounce an extra syllable, add an apostrophe and s. If you do not, add only the apostrophe. Other style guides state that when dealing with singular nouns always add an apostrophe and s. A way to avoid any problems is to rephrase the sentence. 




Question: Is it April Fool's Day or April Fools' Day?

Answer: There is no clear-cut answer to this question. Some people insist that April Fool's Day is correct whereas others insist that April Fools' Day is correct. If you follow a certain style guide or dictionary, consult it and use the form it recommends. 




Question: Isn't data always considered to be plural in form?

Answer: No. Some people do insist that data can only be considered plural in form, but most writers agree that data can take either a singular or plural verb. Generally speaking, use it with the plural form of a verb in technical or scientific writing. In other forms of writing, choose whichever form you think best suits the context and the audience, but remember to be consistent. 




Question: What is the plural of lice?

Answer: Lice is the plural form of louse. 




Question: Is there any reason why some people write telephone numbers with periods instead of hyphens?

Answer: Once again it is a question of style, but most people prefer to write telephone numbers with hyphens (555-555-5555). 




Question: Do I italicize or underline the title of a book?

Answer: Both are correct. 




Question: Surprises come in all forms. Surprises comes in all forms. Which is correct?

Answer: The first sentence is correct. 




Question: Do you use fishes or fish when you mean more than one fish?

Answer: The plural form is usually fish. But you can use fishes when you are referring to different species of fish. 




Question: How do I know when to use it's and when to use its?

Answer: Its is possessive. If you are talking about something belonging to it, you do not use an apostrophe. It's is the contracted form of it is or it has. A quick way of determining which to use is by substituting it's or its with it is. If the sentence makes sense, use it's. If it does not, use its. The dog chewed its bone. It's chewing its bone. 




Question: How do I know when to use fewer and when to use less?

Answer: Fewer is used when referring to things that are countable. Less is used when referring to things that are not countable. I work fewer hours, so I have less time to get everything done during my workday. 




Question: Do you use a singular or plural verb with either?

Answer: Either always takes the singular form. Either Mary or John has the file. 




Question: Should words like mom and grandma ever be capitalized?

Answer: Yes. Capitalize them when they are used as titles of direct address. Mom went with me to the library. My mom went to the library. Dad is working late today. Uncle Bob and Aunt Brenda are coming over on Saturday. 




Question: Is one of the birds were injured correct?

Answer: No, it is not. One of always takes a singular verb. The sentence should read: One of the birds was injured. 




Question: Should Internet be spelt with a capital i?

Answer: It depends. Some style manuals say you should capitalize it whereas others say you should not. If you are following a style manual that states it should be capitalized, capitalize it. If you do not follow a particular style manual, it is a matter of personal taste, but remember to be consistent. If you use Internet once in a piece of text, spell it Internet throughout the entire text. Do not switch between Internet and internet! 




Question: There has been a lot of media coverage about foot-and-mouth disease lately. I thought the name for this disease, at least in the US, was hoof-and-mouth, but I see all the papers are using the term foot-and-mouth. Which is it?

Answer: Both terms are correct. Foot-and-mouth seems to be the preferred term in the US now. 




Question: Is it PO Box or P.O. Box?

Answer: It depends on which style guide you follow. Generally speaking, American English writers use P.O. Box and writers of British English use PO Box. Pick one style and be consistent. If you use periods in P.O. Box, use them in other abbreviations, such as B.Sc. 




Question: What punctuation and spacing should I use with initials?

Answer: A period and a space should follow initials in a person's name (G. W. Smith). Personal initials that stand alone are usually typed without periods or spaces (GWS).