Nicholas C. Rossis

dream-protecting author

Ending Letters

Oct 11, 2021 | Quora

Have you paid any attention to the letters we use to end our words? For example, you won’t find any words ending in U, V, I, or J. Why is that? Gareth Adamson has the answer on Quora. And yes, it has to do with history. But also with grammar. Ending with a J ‘J’...

The Oxford Comma

Mar 19, 2021 | Entertainment, Writing

I mentioned the Oxford comma recently in a conversation with Stefan. In case you haven’t heard of it, here is the definition, courtesy of Grammarly: The Oxford (or serial) comma is the final comma in a list of things. For example: Please bring me a pencil,...

The Epicene Pronoun and Singular They

Mar 17, 2021 | Quora, Writing

Back in 2016, I had written about the appeal and long history of singular they. I recently found myself referring to this old post on Quora, during an argument with someone who claimed its use was a mistake. “Singular they” is a so-called epicene pronoun:...

Historic or Historical?

Feb 17, 2020 | Writing

You may remember the explanation of the origins of the idiom, a baker’s dozen by the Australian Writers’ Centre (AWC). Today, they dissect a historic event… or should that be, a historical event? Here’s a Q&A to help you determine which one is correct,...

Anymore vs. Any more

Apr 15, 2019 | Writing

I recently came across Writing Explained, a grammar website that can be an invaluable resource for authors. This little gem is from one of their posts. If you enjoy learning about the English language’s intricacies, this is the perfect website for you! So, what...

Writing Lessons You Need to Unlearn. Or do you?

May 26, 2014 | Writing

Happy Memorial Day, to my American readers! You see, I may live in Greece, but I know it’s Memorial Day today.  Likewise, English is not my first language.  I was taught English at the tender age of two and a half, alongside Greek.  I had English-speaking au...

Grammar allergies

Mar 11, 2014 | Entertainment, Writing

This has to be one of the funniest C&H comics ever. I mean, it’s ridiculous; I can’t look at it without cracking up every single time!