WhiteSmoke Blog
The WhiteSmoke Writing and Grammar Blog delivers great tips and tricks for your English writing. Expect to find entries on English grammar, explanations of English vocabulary, “How to Write” tutorials, and more. You can subscribe to our blog to make sure you get the latest updates, and you can also sign up for our Weekly Grammar and Writing Tips newsletter for fresh and unique content to be delivered to your inbox weekly.
Typos: How to Ruin Your Writing Without Even Trying
29 Jun 2009Everyone makes typos; they're an inevitable part of the writing process - especially rushed writing. Find out just how "dangerous" typos can be, and ways to correct them.
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Incidence and Incident
28 Jun 2009Did you see the incidence or the incident at the party? Read on to find out.
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Using That and Which Correctly
28 Jun 2009"That" at the beginning of a phrase provides restrictive information, usually used to differentiate a subject from other options. "Which" at the beginning of a phrase means that you are providing extra information. The phrase is not essential to the meaning of the sentence, so it is set off with commas. Read on for more.
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Today's Topic: "Bring" versus "Take"
26 Jun 2009We are here to accept any and all of your questions about writing in English - no matter which level of English you are, no matter your degree of fluency. This session of Q&A examines the difference between "bring" and "take".
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Idiomatic Expressions (Overview)
22 Jun 2009Learning about English idiomatic expressions will not only expose you to "life lessons", but it will enrich your command of the English language. They are often impressive, and enjoyable to share!
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Expressions in English: Introduction
22 Jun 2009Understanding English expressions is an important part of communicating effectively. WhiteSmoke introduces a new series designed to explore the meaning behind popular English expressions, designed to both instruct and enlighten!
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Forth and Fourth
21 Jun 2009Go fourth or go forth? Read this tip to find out.
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Past Participles
21 Jun 2009A participle is a verb form that can function as an adjective or noun. A participle describes a condition or an ongoing activity. Examples include "baked goods", "sleeping dogs", and the "rising of the sun".
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Getting Under Weigh with Nautical Terms
21 Jun 2009English has many colourful expressions taken from the world of sailing - read on to find out more!
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Breaking News: English Officially Has 1 Million Words!
11 Jun 2009This announcement raised a few questions over at WhiteSmoke, and we decided to investigate.
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New and Knew
9 Jun 2009I am sure most of you knew when to use the word "knew". If not, read on to find out.
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Pair, Pear, and Pare
9 Jun 2009The three pears... or.... pairs. Read on to find out more.
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Using Commas with Clauses
9 Jun 2009There are different rules for using commas with different types of clauses.In this week's Writer's Toolbox, we cover comma use with all clause variations.
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Cereal and Serial
2 Jun 2009Cereal or serial? Which one do you eat for breakfast? Read this quick tip to find out.
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Brothers-in-Law
2 Jun 2009How do you pluralize a compound noun? Using the example "brother-in-law", we'll show you how in this quick tip.
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Phrasal Verbs
2 Jun 2009Phrasal verbs are idiomatic expressions. An idiom is a phrase with a meaning very different from the literal definition of its words. For example, to have "a chip on your shoulder" means you are upset or resentful for something that happened in the past. Knowing the definition of "chip" or "shoulder" will not help you to understand the idiom.
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Clarity Through Proximity
26 May 2009Make your writing more clear by putting descriptions and modifiers as close as possible to what they are describing.
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Tricky Rules with Commas
26 May 2009Comma use can be tricky. In this week's Writer's Toolbox, we take a close look at comma rules, and best practices for using commas in your sentences.
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