Blog - Clifford & Co

8 grammar rules to ignore

Post author By John Clifford
Post date 05/11/2024

I wrote an article about grammar pedantry a little while ago and a gentleman among the commenters took me to task for starting my sentences with conjunctions. And I think he may have meant it seriously. But maybe he was joking.

Some people have strong views on what grammar rules you must abide by. Others say it doesn’t matter as long as you make yourself understood. For my part, I like things to be correct and clear; and I think we do well to agree to observe some rules or conventions. But there are some ‘rules’ that exist for, frankly, no good reason…

Confusing words Editorial style guide

Taming the English language

Post author By John Clifford
Post date 30/09/2024

An editorial style guide helps you tame the chaos of English – making it easier for writers to stay consistent, saving time on edits, and keeping readers engaged.

English may be flexible and forgiving, but without clear rules even the most skilled writers can get tripped up by its quirks. An editorial style guide provides the structure you need to avoid missteps and make sure your organisation’s writing is correct, consistent, and credible.

Editorial style guide

Pedantry and the English language

Post author By John Clifford
Post date 29/05/2024

I’m an extreme case. I boycotted the frozen peas of a well-known retailer because the label read “PETIT POIS”.

Confusing words

Confusing words: Z

Post author By John Clifford
Post date 13/07/2021

zero, zeros, zeroes

The plural of zero is zeros, as in a big number with a lot of zeros. There is also such a word as zeroes. Zeroes with an e is a verb, as in when someone zeroes in on something or resets an instrument or counter to zero.

Confusing words

Confusing words: Y

Post author By John Clifford
Post date 02/07/2021

Ye Olde Worlde Shoppe

There isn’t really such a thing as “ye olde” anything.