Why You Need That Serial Comma
People like to argue about the Oxford comma, but there are some very clear scenarios when its use is not optional. Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Feb 04, 2025•1 min•Season 3Ep. 144
Grammar Minute
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Episodes
"Ten Items or Less"
Learn about a common grammar error on today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Feb 03, 2025•1 min•Season 3Ep. 143
Show, Don't Tell
This common writing tip is surprisingly difficult to follow. Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Jan 31, 2025•1 min•Season 3Ep. 142
Why "Very Important" Isn't Important At All
Strengthen your descriptors with these simple tricks. Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Jan 30, 2025•1 min•Season 3Ep. 141
Scare Quotes, Emphasis, and Sarcasm
Use quotation marks wisely ... or you may end up adding sarcasm to an awkward situation. Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Jan 29, 2025•1 min•Season 3Ep. 140
Everyone Hates Semicolons
Don't use these funny-looking punctuation marks. Learn more in today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Jan 28, 2025•1 min•Season 3Ep. 139
A Warning Against Adjective Overuse
You've probably heard it before: "Show, don't tell." Here's one tip to make that happen on today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Jan 27, 2025•1 min•Season 3Ep. 138
Fiction Tip: Create Your Own Style Guide
Make your own writing rules. Stand out on an editor's desk. Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Jan 24, 2025•1 min•Season 3Ep. 137
Chocolate Books and the Dangers of Foreign Words
It's not a good idea to use foreign words in your writing ... unless you're certain everyone knows what they mean. Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Jan 23, 2025•1 min•Season 3Ep. 136
Is Social Media Harming Our Writing Skills?
Social media is once again a hot-button topic after the TikTok ban. Learn more about its possible effects on our writing skills in today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Jan 22, 2025•1 min•Season 3Ep. 135
"Weary" vs. "Wary"
These two words are commonly confused. Learn the difference on today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Jan 21, 2025•1 min•Season 3Ep. 134
RERUN: The Collar of the Cat - And Why That Sounds Wrong
English has some rules that just don't make sense. Here's one you've probably never thought about if you're a native speaker, on today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Dec 05, 2024•1 min•Season 3Ep. 133
RERUN: One hundred, 100, or one-hundred?
Even English nerds have to use numbers occasionally. Learn how to do it properly on today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Dec 03, 2024•1 min•Season 3Ep. 132
Writing & Artificial Intelligence
Will AI make the writing industry obsolete--or could it actually be a blessing in disguise? Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Nov 28, 2024•1 min•Season 3Ep. 131
Thanksgiving Special: Writing Thank-You Notes
It's Thanksgiving season in the U.S.--and always a time to tell those you love how much you appreciate them! Learn to write a sincere and polite thank-you note on today's episode of Grammar Minute.
Nov 26, 2024•1 min•Season 3Ep. 130
In Defense of "Skedaddle"
Do you like this word? Learn more about what differentiates a "good" word from a "bad" word on today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Nov 21, 2024•1 min•Season 3Ep. 129
"Warsafe" Cover Reveal + Creating Emphasis
Warsafe is a young adult science fiction novel, coming May 2025. Preorders open today! Learn more at www.laurensmythbooks.com .
Nov 19, 2024•1 min•Season 3Ep. 128
Don't Use These Words
The title says it all. Find out how to improve your writing in today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Nov 14, 2024•1 min•Season 3Ep. 127
Should You Formally Study Grammar?
The answer might surprise you. Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Nov 12, 2024•1 min•Season 3Ep. 126
RERUN - None of Us Is Ready for This Grammar Rule
"None" is short for "no one," which makes it a singular noun. But do we really have to treat it like one? Find out on this episode of Grammar Minute!
Nov 07, 2024•1 min•Season 3Ep. 125
RERUN - Banish Flabby Opinion Statements
Angels appear to people. Opinions do not. So don't use this one common phrase in your academic essay, under peril of your professor's red pen!
Nov 05, 2024•1 min•Season 3Ep. 124
Brand Names Are Capitalized - And Yes, "Trampoline" Is a Brand
Brands that sound like commonly used terms should still be capitalized. Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Oct 31, 2024•1 min•Season 3Ep. 123
The Enormity of "Enormity" Misused
Welcome to Part 3 of my ongoing series, How Not to Use the Word Enormity.
Oct 29, 2024•1 min•Season 3Ep. 122
Is There a Place for Cliches in Good Writing?
You just never know ... but you will after listening to today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Oct 24, 2024•1 min•Season 3Ep. 121
Waiting "On" = Fancy Butlers
You don't "wait on" as many things as you think you do. Learn more in today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Oct 22, 2024•1 min•Season 3Ep. 120
RERUN: The Conciseness of "Concision"
"Conciseness" or "concision?" Learn more on today's rerun episode of Grammar Minute!
Oct 17, 2024•1 min•Season 3Ep. 118
SPECIAL EPISODE: Interview with Sophia Hansen, Author of Water's Break
Sophia Hansen is an organic writer, using no hormones, antibiotics, or pesticides on her words unless absolutely convenient. She’s lived on a tiny island in Alaska, the bustling cities of New York and Boston, and has settled in the southeast where she writes and edits in other worlds. Sophia loves plenty of coffee, crispy bacon, and—after 30+ years of marriage, seven children, and numerous pets—that she can still fit into her high school earrings.
Oct 15, 2024•33 min•Season 3Ep. 119
RERUN: It's Not Unlikely That You've Seen This Before
The dreaded "not un-" construction returns in today's rerun episode of Grammar Minute.
Oct 15, 2024•1 min•Season 3Ep. 117
Inflammable: In Flames or Un-Flammable?
Inflammable. Incombustible. Thanks, English. Learn the difference on today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Oct 09, 2024•1 min•Season 3Ep. 116
Imply vs. Infer
Who ate the last cookie--and what am I implying? Find out on today's episode of Grammar Minute!
Oct 08, 2024•1 min•Season 3Ep. 115
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