Proofreading Services Retired
We’ve officially closed our proofreading services. You can probably guess why. With AI tools like ChatGPT now doing the job for free (and instantly), the demand for human proofreaders has all but vanished. If you still prefer a human touch, you're part of a rare—and shrinking—breed. We're now back to our roots: a forum for nitpicking the finer points of the English language. Thanks for your past support. We appreciate it.
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Latest Posts : Misc
I thought you could put /s/ on a copy of a signed letter to indicate the original had been signed. Right or wrong?
Can anyone tell me why the second ‘a’ in Canada and Canadian is pronounced differently?
I’m English/British and I and from England/Britain.
Surely it should either be Can-a-da & Can-a-dian or Can-ay-da & Can-ay-dian...
My guess is it has something to do with the French influence, but I would love to know for sure.
Here in the UK our language has been heavily influenced over the years, including by the French and it has always interested where these things start or change.
I was in empty space in an elevator one day when it occurred to me that it’s actually “pains-taking”, the taking of pains to do something thoroughly. I’d never thought about it before.
But it’s too hard to pronounce “painz-taking”, because the “z” sound must be voiced; whereas the unvoiced “s” combines easily with the “t” to make “-staking”, so that’s what we say. That’s my theory, but BrE might be different. Is it?
Why does the Western media have so many different spellings for some Arabic terms?
eg:
1. hezbollah hesbollah hizbullah hizbollah hisbollah
2. ayatollah ayatullah
I’m having a custom item made to indicate when our home was established. The year will be the year my husband and I were married and started our family. My issue is I’m not sure how our name should appear. Here is the text.
The (LAST NAME)
Est. 2008
Our last name is Myers. Please help! I’m not sure if it should be possessive (ownership of the home/family) or plural (for the people).
At the clinic I was directed to the “subwait area” and left to ponder my fate. I did wonder whether this should be sub-wait and how fully portable “sub” has become as a preposition and/or prefix, when attached to a Germanic-rooted word. What other words are there where “sub” is used as an English word, apart from phrases like “sub judice” and “sub” as a short form of “substitute” eg in sport “he was subbed off”?
Can you please comment on a trend that I have noticed recently. More and more people seem to be pronouncing words that contain the letters “str” as if they were written “shtr”. Strong sounds like shtrong, strange sounds like shtrange, and so on. I have noticed even my favorite NPR journalists mispronouncing these words. I first noticed this pronunciation in one of Michelle Obama’s early speeches. I’d appreciate any insight that you might have.
I have always believed, probably in common with most Scots, that the pronunciation of “gill” varies depending on whether one is referring to the organ of respiration in fishes and other water-breathing animals ( /ɡɪl/ ), or a measure of liquid (/dʒɪl/ ), or even one of the many other variations of the word. I was therefore somewhat surprised recently when watching an episode of QI to hear the erstwhile Stephen Fry and his guests use /ɡɪl/ for both the fishy organ and the liquid measure..
Does anyone know if there are rules governing the pronunciation of “a”? It’s either “AYE” or “UH”, depending on the word following. My preference is dictated by how it sounds and how it flows off the tongue, but I have never been able to establish if actual rules exist.
Americans and Australians tend to use “AYE” all the time and sometime it just sounds ridiculous, like...”Aye man driving aye car stopped at aye traffic light”
What diacritic would I use over the word YANA to accent the first a as an “ah” (short o) sound. It is pronounced Yahna. Thanks!
Latest Comments
“my” vs. “mine” in multiple owner possessive
- arifical_Intelligence
- September 4, 2025, 7:22am
Thank you so much for taking Gregg's and my child to school—it means a lot.
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“my” vs. “mine” in multiple owner possessive
- Ruhaans Beauty & Hair Salon
- September 3, 2025, 7:32pm
This website is an excellent resource for anyone with a passion for grammar and the English language. It provides a platform for users to ask specific questions and receive well-reasoned, collaborative answers.
“my” vs. “mine” in multiple owner possessive
- Brolly Academy Mouni
- September 3, 2025, 5:26pm
This was such a helpful breakdown—‘mine’ can’t be used before a noun, so ‘my and Gregg’s child’ is the correct form. I appreciate the clarity; it’s made the difference between grammar rules crystal clear!
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“my” vs. “mine” in multiple owner possessive
- photography.onegang.in
- September 2, 2025, 2:23pm
The grammatically and syntactically proper way to form this is: "I [do so] appreciate your taking the child of Gregg and mine to school today".
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“my” vs. “mine” in multiple owner possessive
- Movoverseas
- September 2, 2025, 7:36am
The explanation on why “mine” cannot precede a noun (as in mine and Gregg’s child) and the suggestion to say “my and Gregg’s child” (or better yet, “our child”) is really useful. I’ll bookmark and return for more grammar clarity!
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Titles in quotes
- tyra1
- August 31, 2025, 11:00pm
EssayShark has been a reliable resource whenever I’ve felt overwhelmed with assignments. I can post my task, pick a writer that fits my budget, and communicate directly to make sure everything is clear. The work always comes back on time, original, and well-written. It’s a service I trust and recommend to other students.
“all but” - I hate that expression!
- Syd Batt
- August 31, 2025, 6:30pm
"Of the many battles fought, all but one were all but won."
Left or right single quote?
- JDawg
- August 29, 2025, 2:35pm
This question lives at the intersection of typography, style guides, and history of print practice. Let’s break it down:
1. The Two Marks in Play
‘ (U+2018 LEFT SINGLE QUOTATION MARK, also called “curly open single quote”)
’ (U+2019 RIGHT SINGLE QUOTATION MARK, also used as the typographic apostrophe)
When abbreviating a year (e.g., ’25 for 2025), what you really want typographically is an apostrophe (the same glyph as the closing single quotation mark).
2. What Style Guides Say
Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS): Explicitly advises using the apostrophe (’) for omitted digits in years, e.g., the class of ’89. It warns against the frequent mistake of using the opening single quote (‘).
Associated Press (AP) Stylebook: Same — the apostrophe/closing single quote should precede the two digits.
Modern Language Association (MLA): Uses the apostrophe for omitted numbers, consistent with Chicago.
American Psychological Association (APA): Doesn’t deal with this as directly, but its general typography rules align with Chicago and MLA — apostrophe, not open quote.
So the consensus in major academic and publishing authorities is ’ (closing single quotation mark / apostrophe).
3. Who Uses the Wrong Mark?
The mistaken use of ‘ (open single quotation mark) tends to come from:
Word processors or typesetting defaults where "smart quotes" automatically insert an opening single quote if the character follows a space.
Non-typographic sources such as blogs, social media, or informal writing guides, where people don’t distinguish between straight apostrophes (') and curly quotes.
Some British publishing traditions (especially mid-20th century) occasionally show “abbreviated years” starting with an opening single quote, but this is now generally considered a mis-set or outdated practice.
4. Why the Apostrophe (’) Is Correct
The logic is that you are omitting characters (the first two digits of the year).
An apostrophe is the established mark for omission (e.g., don’t for do not, rock ’n’ roll for and).
Therefore, ’25 is correct, not ‘25.
5. Historical Background
In early typewritten documents (using straight quotes '), there was no distinction between opening and closing single quotes or apostrophe — it was just a vertical stroke.
With the rise of professional typesetting and later “smart quotes,” computers began trying to guess whether a mark should curl left (‘) or right (’). That’s why many people ended up with ‘89 when they typed a straight quote before a space and two digits.
Professional style guides stepped in to clarify: it should always be the apostrophe (’).
Left or right single quote?
- JDawg
- August 29, 2025, 2:34pm
This question lives at the intersection of typography, style guides, and history of print practice. Let’s break it down:
1. The Two Marks in Play
‘ (U+2018 LEFT SINGLE QUOTATION MARK, also called “curly open single quote”)
’ (U+2019 RIGHT SINGLE QUOTATION MARK, also used as the typographic apostrophe)
When abbreviating a year (e.g., ’25 for 2025), what you really want typographically is an apostrophe (the same glyph as the closing single quotation mark).
2. What Style Guides Say
Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS): Explicitly advises using the apostrophe (’) for omitted digits in years, e.g., the class of ’89. It warns against the frequent mistake of using the opening single quote (‘).
Associated Press (AP) Stylebook: Same — the apostrophe/closing single quote should precede the two digits.
Modern Language Association (MLA): Uses the apostrophe for omitted numbers, consistent with Chicago.
American Psychological Association (APA): Doesn’t deal with this as directly, but its general typography rules align with Chicago and MLA — apostrophe, not open quote.
So the consensus in major academic and publishing authorities is ’ (closing single quotation mark / apostrophe).
3. Who Uses the Wrong Mark?
The mistaken use of ‘ (open single quotation mark) tends to come from:
Word processors or typesetting defaults where "smart quotes" automatically insert an opening single quote if the character follows a space.
Non-typographic sources such as blogs, social media, or informal writing guides, where people don’t distinguish between straight apostrophes (') and curly quotes.
Some British publishing traditions (especially mid-20th century) occasionally show “abbreviated years” starting with an opening single quote, but this is now generally considered a mis-set or outdated practice.
4. Why the Apostrophe (’) Is Correct
The logic is that you are omitting characters (the first two digits of the year).
An apostrophe is the established mark for omission (e.g., don’t for do not, rock ’n’ roll for and).
Therefore, ’25 is correct, not ‘25.
5. Historical Background
In early typewritten documents (using straight quotes '), there was no distinction between opening and closing single quotes or apostrophe — it was just a vertical stroke.
With the rise of professional typesetting and later “smart quotes,” computers began trying to guess whether a mark should curl left (‘) or right (’). That’s why many people ended up with ‘89 when they typed a straight quote before a space and two digits.
Professional style guides stepped in to clarify: it should always be the apostrophe (’).
“my” vs. “mine” in multiple owner possessive
"Thank you so much for taking Gregg’s and my child to school—it means a lot.”
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