A reader asked me to address a punctuation problem she sees: "punctuation being used incorrectly when quotation marks are involved." I'll tell you why we have this problem: There are different rules for two sets of punctuation.
A sign on the back of the Port Authority bus terminal in New York City reads BUS TERMINAL REDEMPTION CENTER. I'm pretty sure you can't redeem a bus terminal at this center. Other than that, I have no idea.
The last issue of Clear, Effective Communications listed a few of my "textbooks." This issue offers reference works: sites I visit frequently to look something up. Prefer print? So do I. But most reference books are out [...]
I'm not particularly bothered by the lack of commas at the ends of the lines. I am bothered, as I'm sure you are, by the missing comma after "tea." (Unless this store sells tea ice cream. Which [...]
How hard are you making your readers work? One quick way to find out is to use Microsoft Word's Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level readability test. The screenshot above shows that this post is written at a [...]
