When a sentence uses a transitive verb to describe an action, it’s necessary for the subject to take a direct object and to act on it: “The woman spurned her suitor last week.” “Her suitor found a ...

In English, our sentences usually operate using a similar pattern: subject, verb, then object. The nice part about this type of structure is that it lets your reader easily know who is doing the ...

A recent headline from the Los Angeles Times, “Teens plotting attacks tend to tip their hand,” highlights a particularly difficult grammar problem. Do plural teens really share a singular hand? No.

Not long ago in this space, I wrote about exceptions to a grammar rule. I added, "But none of those exceptions apply in modern publishing." Soon after, I got an email from a reader named Charles.

Mayor Carlson, along with his deputies, plan to visit the memorial. Mayor Carlson, along with his deputies, plans to visit the memorial. Which is right? Plan or plans? And, more important, why is this ...