Question Mark Inside or Outside Quotes? Simple Rules
William Strunk
Quotation marks can make question-mark placement seem confusing, especially when a question contains someone else’s exact words. The good news is that there is one simple idea behind the rule:…
Does a Superscript Go Before or After a Period: The Correct Rule?
Bryan Garne
When adding a footnote number to a sentence, should it appear before or after the period? In most cases, the answer is simple: a footnote or endnote marker goes after…
Vs. or Vs: Which Is Correct? Meaning and Usage
Mignon Fogarty
You will often see vs. and vs used interchangeably, but that does not mean every style guide treats them the same way. Both are used abbreviations of versus, but the…
Period Inside or Outside Quotation Marks? Simple Rules
Does the period go inside or outside quotation marks? It is a small punctuation rule, but it can easily cause confusion. In American English, the period normally goes inside the…
A Honor or An Honor: Which Is Correct? Meaning & Usage
A honor or an honor? The correct form is “an honor.” The choice between a and an depends on the sound at the beginning of the next word, not simply…
Data Is or Are: Which Is Correct? Plus Data vs. Datas
Should you write data is or are? The answer depends on how you use the word data. It can describe information as a whole or refer to individual facts and…
Foot or Feet: Which Is Correct? Singular, Plural & Usage
Foot or feet, which one should you use? The answer is simple: foot is singular, while feet is plural. The confusion usually starts with measurements. We say six feet tall,…
Business’s or Business’: Which Possessive Form Is Correct?
Business’s and business’ are both used as possessive forms, but business’s is the safer choice in most writing. The confusion comes from the fact that business already ends in s.…
Monkeys or Monkies: Correct Spelling, Plural Rule & Examples
Is it “monkeys” or “monkies”? The correct spelling is monkeys. It is an easy mistake to make because many words ending in -y change to -ies when they become plural.…
Hoofs or Hooves? Which Plural Is Correct?
Wondering whether to write hoofs or hooves? Both are correct plural forms of hoof, but their usage varies. Hooves is more common in American English, while hoofs is traditionally more…