RESEARCH (subject/verb agreement) – The main verb should agree with the main noun.
Example: The research in these reports shows that I am correct – The verb shows agrees with research as research is the main noun in the noun phrase.
PRACTICE (noun); PRACTISE (verb).
Examples:
John has his own law practice.
She needs to practise the piano every day.
CONTINUAL (adjective) – Always going on, incessant, perpetual; to continue with interruption;
CONTINUOUS (adjective) – Characterized by continuity; extending in space without interruption.
Examples:
The organization focuses on continual improvement.
We’ll have continuous news coverage.
A/AN A (not an) historical site.
HYPHEN, EN DASH, EM DASH
Hyphen
A hyphen connects two things that are related.
Example: toll-free
When two or more words serve together as a single modifier before a noun, insert a hyphen between the modifying words.
Examples:
First-year course.
Part-time studies.
When those same modifiers follow the noun, hyphens are unnecessary.
Examples:
The well-known actor (modifier before noun).
The actor is well known (modifier follows noun).
Out-of-date information (modifier before noun).
The information is out of date (modifier follows noun).
A $5-million donation (modifier before noun).
A donation of $5 million (modifier follows noun)
Use a hyphen with the prefix re where the word would otherwise be confusing.
Example: Re-covered a chair (not recovered), as opposed to recovered from an illness. Never hyphenate –ly modifiers.
Example: Internationally known researcher (not internationally-known).
An en dash, roughly the width of an n, is a little longer than a hyphen. It is used for periods of time when you might otherwise use to.
Examples:
The years 2001 – 2003.
January – June
En dash
An en dash is also used in place of a hyphen when combining open compounds.
Examples:
North Carolina–Virginia border.
A high school–college conference.
Em dash
An em dash is the width of an m. Use an em dash sparingly in formal writing. In informal writing, em dashes may replace commas, semicolons, colons, and parentheses to indicate added emphasis, an interruption, or an abrupt change of thought.
Examples:
You are the friend — the only friend — who offered to help me.
Never have I met such a lovely person — before you.
I pay the bills — it’s all fun, especially when there’s money left over. (a semicolon would be used here in formal writing)
I need three items at the store — dog food, vegetarian chili, and cheddar cheese. (a colon would be used here in formal writing)
My agreement with Fiona is clear — she teaches me French and I teach her German. (a colon would work here in formal writing)
Please call my agent — Jessica Cohen — about hiring me. (parentheses or commas would work just fine here instead of the dashes)
I wish you would — oh, never mind. (this shows an abrupt change in thought and warrants an em dash)
Form an em dash by typing the first word, hitting the hyphen key twice, and then typing the second word. Your program will turn the two hyphens into an em dash for you.
MORE THAN VS. OVER – With numbers, more than is typically preferred to over. Also older than or younger than vs. older or under for ages.
Examples:
More than 87 people responded. (instead of over 87 people)
She is older than 45. (instead of she is over 45)
You can’t drive if you’re younger than 16. (instead of if you’re under 16)
Over and under are used more for spatial relationships or to specify something beyond a quantity or limit.
Examples:
He jumped over the fence.
The show ran a minute over.