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Usage Notes

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

"Everyone should do his or her best in whatever situations he or she happens to find himself or herself in?" That's awkward. Perhaps everyone should just do their best in the situations they find themselves in. Even if their best involves they as a singular pronoun.

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play video his or her
Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

 

The awkward case of 'his or her'

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When Body Parts Are Also Verbs

 

Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes

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Is It 'Attorney Generals' Or 'Attorneys General'?

 

'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.

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Video: Why Is There a 'C' in 'Indict'?

 

And who put it there, anyway?

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Who vs. Whom

 

Good news for those who feel stuffy saying 'whom.'

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How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

 

And is one way more correct than the others?

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Words of the Year: 1066

 

English was never the same after the Norman Conquest

Games & Quizzes

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Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
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Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
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