Many professional editors and great writers agree that most adverbs are unnecessary and should be cut out whenever possible. What is an adverb and when should you use it?

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Deciding between using numerals or words for ages is not really considered a grammatical issue, and there are no "rules" or no right or wrong way to express numerical amounts, it is; however, an issue of style...

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One of the issues many writers come up against is whether a two-word phrase is two separate words, hyphenated, or a compound word ...

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Choosing the correct words are especially important in writing, where ideas and attitudes are expressed without the help of facial expressions, tone of voice, or gestures. Enhance the power of your writing...

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While rummaging through the car, I asked myself, Now where did I put those keys? Or, While rummaging through the car, I thought to myself, Now where did I put those keys? In both sentences the statements asked myself and thought to myself are redundant . . .

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What's the difference between Phew and Whew? And how do we use them in a sentence?

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In our hurry up digital world, where most readers scan text instead of savoring each carefully chosen word, bulleted lists are popular and seen everywhere. But, how do you use punctuation and capitalization . . .

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Pump up your writing by using the active voice . . .

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Want to become a better writer? Here is The Editor's top ten tips . . .

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Colloquialisms are informal expressions (sometimes thought of as slang) that should never be used in formal speech or writing, but play a role in how we communicate. Look for these colloquialisms used in everyday speech . . .

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What about using slang when writing? It depends on what you are writing and who will read it. Slang has it place but . . .

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A hyperbole [pronounced "hy-PER-buh-lee"] is a figure of speech that adds exaggeration to your writing . . .

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Personification is a figure of speech that gives "human" characteristics (emotion, honesty, volition, etc.) to an animal, object, or idea . . .

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The metaphor is the most common figure of speech. It lets us use one image to conjure up another. You hear metaphors used every day and some we've heard so often they are now considered cliches . . .

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You will usually find the words "as" or "like" when using a simile. The simile is a comparison that show how two things that are not alike in most ways are similar in another way . . .

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Alliterations are matching or repetition of consonants or repeating of the same letter (or sound) at the beginning of words. Poetry is an example of alliteration use. Here are some examples . . .

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Cliches are an overused expression that a million writers have used before you and a million more will use after use. Let's be creative in our writing. Here are a few cliches to avoid . . .

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Choosing the correct words are especially important in writing, where ideas and attitudes are expressed without the help of facial expressions, tone of voice, or gestures. You can enhance the power of your writing by following these guidelines . . .

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Two years' worth of Red Hot Grammar Tips compiled into an easy to understand reference guide. Great for authors, writers, scholars, students, teachers, business professionals, editors, and publishers. Get your copy today at Amazon.com

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"Only the lonely" is the phrase to remember when trying to figure out where this word belongs. Find out how to use "only" correctly . . .

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If you can remember that "lay" is an active verb meaning "to place" and "lie" is a still or passive verb meaning "to recline" you've got this battle half way won . . .

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Eager and anxious are often misused but are not interchangeable. Find out how to correctly use these words . . .

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Yes, there is a difference! Just because "in" and "to" happen to land next to each other often in writing, don't be too quick to combine them as one word. Find out how to use this rule . . .

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It's tricky not to get these two words confused. May comes from the word maybe, and that's a good indicator for when it's used. Try this tip to keep these two words straight . . .

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Let's meet Well/Good and their neighbors Bad/Badly. If you can keep this rule straight, you've got this problem licked!

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