Teaching our children, and some advice for writers. Suppose your child is eager to tackle a difficult subject–ancient Greek, for example–but you know his reach exceeds his grasp? The challenge is to support the child’s curiosity...
The difference between the verbs lay and lie has always been tricky to master, but Bryan Garner has some helpful tips. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Tips for Lay vs. Lie” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is...
You’re in a business meeting. Is it bad manners to take out your phone to send or read a text? A new study suggests that how you feel about mid-meeting texting differs depending on your age and sex. Grant and Martha offer book recommendations...
For this year’s holiday book recommendations, Grant goes with his son’s current favorite, Valley Cats by Gretchen Preston, while Martha enthusiastically recommends Quack This Way, a transcribed conversation about writing and language...
Gina from Dallas, Texas, asks about a family Scrabble dispute with her English-teacher sister: is the comparative form stupider, or should it be more stupid? Usage guides allow both forms, along with the superlative stupidest. Longer adjectives...
A caller wants to know which is correct: pleaded or pled? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Pleaded vs. Pled” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi. Who is this? This is Matt from New Holstein, Wisconsin. New Holstein...