Rules for Comma Usage

Ah, the comma. Of all the punctuation marks in English, this one is perhaps the most abused and misused. And it’s no wonder. There are lots of rules about comma usage, and often the factors that determine whether you should use one are quite subtle. But fear not! Below, you’ll find guidance for the trickiest comma questions.

What Is a Comma?

While a period ends a sentence, a comma indicates a smaller break. Some writers think of a comma as a soft pause—a punctuation mark that separates words, clauses, or ideas within a sentence.

Comma with Subjects and Verbs

With few exceptions, a comma should not separate a subject from its verb.

My friend Cleo, is a wonderful singer.

Writers are often tempted to insert a comma between a subject and verb this way because speakers sometimes pause at that point in a sentence. But in writing, the comma only makes the sentence seem stilted.

My friend Cleo is a wonderful singer.

Be especially careful with long or complex subjects:

The things that cause me joy, may also cause me pain.

The things that cause me joy may also cause me pain.

Navigating through snow, sleet, wind, and darkness, is a miserable way to travel.

Navigating through snow, sleet, wind, and darkness is a miserable way to travel.

Comma Between Two Nouns in a Compound Subject or Object

Don’t separate two nouns that appear together as a compound subject or compound object.

Cleo, and her band will be playing at Dockside Diner next Friday.

Cleo and her band will be playing at Dockside Diner next Friday.

Cleo will wear a sparkly red blazer, and high heels.

Cleo will wear a sparkly red blazer and high heels.

When a subject or object is made up of two items and the second item is parenthetical, you can set off the second item with commas—one before it and one after it. But you don’t need a comma when you’re simply listing two items.

Comma Between Two Verbs in a Compound Predicate

You get a compound predicate when the subject of a sentence is doing more than one thing. In a compound predicate that contains two verbs, don’t separate them with a comma.

Cleo will sing, and play the banjo.

Cleo will sing and play the banjo.

This mistake is most common when the predicate is made up of long verb phrases.

I meant to buy tickets for Cleo’s show, but ran out of time.

I meant to buy tickets for Cleo’s show but ran out of time.

Don’t use a comma in compound predicates unless there is a chance of misreading:

Cleo spotted the man who entered the diner, and waved.

In the sentence above, you need the comma to make clear that it was Cleo who waved, not the man.

Comma Splices

When you want to join two independent clauses, you need a conjunction or a semicolon. A comma alone isn’t strong enough to join them. This kind of mistake is called a comma splice.

We were out of milk, I went to the store.

You can fix a comma splice by adding a conjunction or changing the comma to a semicolon.

We were out of milk, so I went to the store.

We were out of milk; I went to the store.

Or, you can simply write the two independent clauses as separate sentences.

We were out of milk. I went to the store.

Comma After Introductory Phrase

A comma normally follows participial phrases that introduce a sentence:

Grabbing her umbrella, Kate raced out of the house. Confused by her sister’s sudden change in mood, Jill stayed quiet.

When an adverbial phrase begins a sentence, it’s often followed by a comma but it doesn’t have to be, especially if it’s short. As a rule of thumb, if the phrase is longer than about four words, use the comma. You can also use a comma with a shorter phrase when you want to emphasize it or add a pause for literary effect.

After the show, Cleo will be signing autographs. Behind the building there is enough space to park two limousines. Without knowing why, I crossed the room and looked out the window. In 1816 life was very different. Suddenly, an angry black cat sprang from the shadows.

But, if there is a chance of misreading the sentence, use the comma:

Before eating the family said grace.

Before eating, the family said grace.

Comma Within a Comparison

Don’t use a comma before “than” when you’re making a comparison.

This box is lighter, than that box.

This box is lighter than that box.

Hardcover books are more expensive, than paperback books.

Hardcover books are more expensive than paperback books.

Commas with Interrupters or Parenthetical Elements

Interrupters are little thoughts that pop up in the middle of a sentence to show emotion, tone, or emphasis. A parenthetical element is a phrase that adds extra information to the sentence but could be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. Both interrupters and parenthetical elements should be set off with commas.

The weather I was happy to see was beginning to clear.

The weather, I was happy to see, was beginning to clear.

Geoff’s cooking skills if you can call them skills left something to be desired.

Geoff’s cooking skills, if you can call them skills, left something to be desired.

It was sadly the last day of camp.

It was, sadly, the last day of camp.

Mary unlike Anne is very organized.

Mary, unlike Anne, is very organized.

Comma with a Question Tag

A question tag is a short phrase or even a single word that is added to the end of a statement to turn it into a question. Writers often use question tags to encourage readers to agree with them. A question tag should be preceded by a comma.

These willow trees are beautiful, aren’t they? You didn’t actually write a 600-page vampire romance novel, did you? I know, right?

Comma with Direct Address

When addressing another person by name, set off the name with commas.

Mom, I can’t find my shoes! Cleo, there’s someone on the phone for you. Hello, Chester.

Comma with an Appositive

An appositive is a word or phrase that refers to the same thing as another noun in the same sentence. Often, the appositive provides additional information about the noun or helps to distinguish it in some way. If you could remove the appositive without changing the meaning of the sentence, it is said to be nonessential and should be set off with commas. If the appositive is necessary, it’s said to be essential and it should not be set off with commas.

Nonessential appositives:

My mother, Angela, is a wonderful cook. The painter, one of the city’s most promising young artists, began showing his work in galleries before he was sixteen. Chocolate, my favorite treat, always makes me feel better after a bad day.

Essential appositives:

Edgar Allan Poe’s poem The Raven is a classic. Alec Baldwin’s brother Stephen is the most underrated Baldwin. The detective Sherlock Holmes is one of literature’s greatest sleuths.

Commas in Dates

When writing a date in month-day-year format, set off the year with commas.

July 4, 1776, was an important day in American history. I was born on Sunday, May 12, 1968.

If you are using the day-month-year format, however, commas are unnecessary.

Applications are due by 31 December 2016.

If you are referencing a day of the week and a date, use a comma:

On Tuesday, April 13, at three o’clock, there will be a meeting for all staff. Please join us on Saturday, June 14, 2010, for the marriage of Annie and Michael.

When you are referencing only a month and year, you don’t need a comma.

The region experienced record rainfall in March 1999.

Comma Between Coordinate Adjectives

When multiple adjectives modify a noun to an equal degree, they are said to be coordinate and should be separated by commas. One way to tell whether the adjectives are coordinate is to try switching the order of them. If the sentence still sounds natural, the adjectives are coordinate.

That man is a pompous, self-righteous, annoying idiot. That man is a self-righteous, annoying, pompous idiot. The sweet, scintillating aroma of cinnamon buns filled the kitchen. The scintillating, sweet aroma of cinnamon buns filled the kitchen.

If the adjectives are not coordinate, don’t separate them with a comma.

The adorable, little boy was eating ice cream.

The adorable little boy was eating ice cream.

Comma Before But

Use a comma before the word but if it is joining two independent clauses:

Cleo is a good singer but she’s an even better dancer.

Cleo is a good singer, but she’s an even better dancer.

If but is not joining two independent clauses, leave the comma out.

My teacher is tough, but fair.

My teacher is tough but fair.

Life is, but a dream.

Life is but a dream.

Comma Before And

When you have a list that contains only two items, don’t use a comma before the and.

My dog Charlie is cute, and smart.

My dog Charlie is cute and smart.

Cleo’s favorite activities are singing on stage, and relaxing in the sunshine.

Cleo’s favorite activities are singing on stage and relaxing in the sunshine.

When correcting a comma splice, that is when joining two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction, put the comma before and.

Commas with Lists

When you have a list that contains more than two elements, use commas to separate them.

Julie loves ice cream books and kittens.

Julie loves ice cream, books, and kittens.

Julie loves ice cream, books and kittens.

(The comma before the and in a list of three or more items is optional. See below under Serial Comma for more information.)

Your list might be made up of nouns, as in the example above, but it could also be made up of verbs, adjectives, or clauses. Imagine, for a moment, that you have just finished doing three chores. The chores were:

• Cleaning the house and garage
• Raking the lawn
• Taking out the garbage

If you were to list these three chores in a sentence, you would write:

I cleaned the house and garage, raked the lawn, and took out the garbage.

or

I cleaned the house and garage, raked the lawn and took out the garbage.

Serial Comma (Oxford Comma)

As mentioned above, when you are listing three or more items, commas should separate each element of the list. However, the final comma—the one that comes before the and—is optional. This comma is called the serial comma or the Oxford comma.

Mary needs bread, milk, and butter at the grocery store. (With serial comma)

Mary needs bread, milk and butter at the grocery store. (Without serial comma)

I still have to buy a gift, pack the suitcases, and arrange for someone to water the plants while we’re at the wedding. (With serial comma)

I still have to buy a gift, pack the suitcases and arrange for someone to water the plants while we’re at the wedding. (Without serial comma)

Whether or not you use the serial comma is a style choice. Many newspapers do not use it. Many trade books do use it. In your own writing, you can decide for yourself whether to use it or not—just be consistent.

Keep in mind, though, that occasionally the serial comma is necessary for clarity.

I dedicate this award to my parents, Jane Austen and Albert Einstein.

The sentence above will almost certainly cause readers to do a double-take. Without a serial comma, it looks like “Jane Austen and Albert Einstein” is an appositive, rather than two more elements in a list. To put it another way, the writer seems to be saying that her parents are Jane Austen and Albert Einstein. A serial comma eliminates the possibility of misreading, so even if you’re not using serial commas in your writing, make an exception for sentences like this:

I dedicate this award to my parents, Jane Austen, and Albert Einstein.

Comma Separating a Verb and Its Object

Don’t separate a transitive verb from its direct object with a comma.

I’m glad I trained, Charlie not to beg for scraps.

I’m glad I trained Charlie not to beg for scraps.

Mary said, she likes chocolate.

Mary said she likes chocolate.

Comma with Nonrestrictive Clause

A nonrestrictive clause offers extra information about something you have mentioned in a sentence, but the information isn’t essential to identify the thing you’re talking about. Nonrestrictive clauses are usually introduced by which or who and should be set off by commas.

Posey’s Cafe, which Chester recommended, is a fantastic restaurant.

The clause “which Chester recommended” is nonrestrictive because “Posey’s Cafe” is already specific. Identifying it as the restaurant recommended by Chester doesn’t narrow it down any further.

My wife, whom I love dearly, is a brilliant physicist.

The clause “whom I love dearly” is nonrestrictive because you could remove it and it would still be clear that you’re talking about the same person—“my wife” is already specific.

Comma with Restrictive Clauses

A restrictive clause adds necessary information about something you have mentioned in a sentence. Restrictive clauses are often introduced by that or who and should never be set off by commas.

The cafe, that Chester recommended, is a fantastic restaurant.

The cafe that Chester recommended is a fantastic restaurant.

The clause “that Chester recommended” is essential information in the sentence above. If you removed it, there would be no way to tell which restaurant you were talking about.

Comma Between Correlative Conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions are conjunctions that come in pairs (such as either/or, neither/nor, and not only/but also) and connect words or phrases in a sentence to form a complete thought. Typically, commas are unnecessary with correlative conjunctions.

Either the blue shirt, or the red sweater will look good with your jeans.

Either the blue shirt or the red sweater will look good with your jeans.

You can wear a pashmina not only for warmth, but also for fashion.

You can wear a pashmina not only for warmth but also for fashion.

Comma Between Direct Quote and Attributive Tag

An attributive tag is a phrase like “he said” or “she claimed” that identifies the speaker of a quote or piece of dialogue. Attributive tags can come before, after, or even in the middle of a quote. Use commas to separate attributive tags from quotations.

The professor remarked, “How attentive you have been today!” “Once you know the solution,” Tiffany said, “the whole problem seems very simple.” “You have ice cream on your nose,” my friend snickered. “When you leave the house,” my mother yelled, “don’t slam the door!”

If a quotation before an attributive tag ends in a question mark or exclamation point, however, there’s no need for a comma.

“You have a spider on your nose!”, my friend yelled.

“You have a spider on your nose!” my friend yelled.

“Where did that spider come from?”, I asked.

“Where did that spider come from?” I asked.

Comma Inside Quotation Marks

In American English, commas always go before closing quotation marks.

“Pass me that thesaurus,” said Matthew. “If you knew what was good for you, you’d sit down and finish that essay right now,” my roommate said. “We’re going down to the soup kitchen to help serve dinner,” her mother called.

In British English, however, the convention is the opposite. If you are writing for a British audience, put the comma after the closing quotation mark.

Comma Before Parenthesis

Parentheses are used to give additional information to the reader—information that would disrupt the flow of the sentence if written as a nonrestrictive clause. Commas may be placed after the closing parenthesis but not before either the opening or the closing parenthesis. If the sentence would not require any commas if the parenthetical statement were removed, the sentence should not have any commas when the parentheses are added.

After opening the new cookie tin, Chester had a hard time replacing the lid. After opening the new cookie tin (and eating several of the cookies), Chester had a hard time replacing the lid.

After opening the new cookie tin, (and eating several of the cookies), Chester had a hard time replacing the lid. After opening the new cookie tin (and eating several of the cookies,) Chester had a hard time replacing the lid.

Comma Between an Article and Noun

Don’t use a comma between an article and a noun.

The company managers accidentally scheduled the, weekly meeting for Saturday. A, bouquet of flowers may be created using more than one type of flower. I’ll have an, apple.

The company managers accidentally scheduled the weekly meeting for Saturday. A bouquet of flowers may be created using more than one type of flower. I’ll have an apple.

When speaking, we often pause while we think of the next word we want to say. In writing, though, there’s usually no reason to add this pause. If you’re writing dialogue and you specifically want to convey a pause here while someone is thinking, use an an ellipsis: I’ll have an… apple.

Comma with As Well As

The phrase “as well as” usually doesn’t require commas unless it’s part of a nonrestrictive clause.

Please proofread for grammatical mistakes as well as spelling.

Spelling mistakes, as well as grammatical errors, are distracting to readers.

Comma with Such As

The phrase “such as” requires commas if it introduces a nonrestrictive clause.

Coniferous trees, such as pine and spruce, do not drop their needles in the winter.

If “such as” introduces a restrictive clause, omit the commas.

Trees such as pine and spruce do not drop their needles in the winter.

Comma Before Too

Using a comma before “too” is optional.

I like bananas too. I too like bananas.

A comma simply adds emphasis.

I like bananas, too. I, too, like bananas.

Why Do We Call It Labor Day?

In the United States and Canada, the first Monday of September is the day we call Labor Day. That holiday means different things to different people. For kids, it’s the start of a new school year. For most people, it signals the end of summer. It’s also (supposedly) a cutoff date for wearing white clothes, even though the practice of not wearing white clothes in the fall predates the establishment of Labor Day as a federal holiday. It’s a day for parties, parades, and other kinds of celebrations.

However, Labor Day has nothing to do with wearing white clothes, or the fact that seasons change, or the start of a new school year. It also has nothing to do with childbirth, which is also called labor. It stands for something that every working American, as well as working people around the world, should remember come the first Monday of September.

Labor Stands for Work

In the heyday of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, back in the late nineteenth century, the life of the average American looked pretty bleak. Most of the country’s jobs were in manufacturing—it was the time of industrialization, after all. And those manufacturing jobs weren’t the manufacturing jobs of today—there were few (if any) safety codes or protective measures. The work day lasted for twelve hours, the work week lasted for seven days, and the pay was sufficient for basic necessities, at best. From the age of five, kids were also eligible to become part of the workforce, working in the same unsafe conditions, but for a much smaller paycheck.

At that time, labor unions were not unheard of. They’d been around since the end of the eighteenth century. But the worsening working conditions and the fact that an increasing number of people were suffering from them made the unions more vocal, better organized, and more prepared to take action in the form of strikes and rallies. The strikes were not always peaceful. Clashes with the police and with strikebreakers were common. At one particularly bloody episode in the struggle, the Pullman Strike of 1894, thirty strikers were killed by the U.S. Army and the Marshall Service. Labor Day, already recognized by thirty states, became a federal holiday the same year.

Labor and Labour

The struggle of the working people of the United States was recognized by working people around the world. International Workers’ Day, celebrated on May 1 around the world, commemorates the Haymarket Affair, an event that took place in Chicago in 1886 and resulted in the deaths of seven police officers and at least four civilians. The American labor movement influenced its Australian counterpart so much that the Australian Labor party uses the American English spelling of the word, even though the British English spelling, labour, is the standard spelling in the country.

So, if you’re wondering why Labor Day is called Labor Day, it’s because of all of the people who fought for better work conditions. And, since we’re Grammarly, we’ll end by pointing out once again that labor is the American English spelling of the word, and labour is the spelling used in British English.

Beat Writer’s Block: 5 Tips for Writing Your Best

You’re sitting at your desk, staring at a flashing cursor and waiting for the words to flow. Every now and then, you write something, then mercilessly edit it or delete it all together.

Backspace . . . backspace . . . backspace . . .

You roll your head back and forth to work the kinks out of your neck and sigh. The words just won’t flow. You’re convinced you’ve got a serious case of writer’s block. But do you really?

Writer’s block is a myth.

I’m going to show you a trick to defeat writer’s block. First, place your fingertips on your keyboard. Once you have them comfortably poised over the home row, close your eyes. Take a deep breath, and repeat these seven magical words until you’re ready to write:

There’s no such thing as writer’s block. There’s no such thing as writer’s block.

Better now? If so, then back to writing for you, word monkey! If not, have a seat and let’s talk shop.

I’ve been where you are. I’ve stared at my screen, dazed, until I felt like I could hear the tiny blood vessels in my eyes bursting. (No, you can’t actually hear them. It’s a simile. You with me so far?) I’ve convinced myself that the reason my works-in-progress were not progressing was that I had stumbled upon a horrible, irrevocable creative block, the likes of which I would never overcome. But then I did some soul searching.

Writer’s block, it turns out, is just an excuse for not writing. There’s a reason you never hear of librarian’s block or electrician’s block. Even when librarians and electricians feel less than inspired by the work at hand, they do it anyway.

We all have states of flow—those magical times when we’re bursting with creativity as if the muses themselves are whispering into our ears. And yes, those times are magical. But they’re also few and far between. Ultimately, those inspired times are not what being a writer is about. You’re not just taking dictation for the muses, dear wordsmith. The muses are fickle. It’s your job to write whether they show up or not.

Here are five ways to persevere and write even when you’re feeling stuck.

1 Give yourself permission to write terrible stuff.

If you sit around waiting for those mythical times when you’re at your absolute best, you’ll almost never get any writing done. So, just give yourself permission to be awful, and then write anyway. You’re going to edit later either way, right?

What I try to do is write. I may write for two weeks ‘the cat sat on the mat, that is that, not a rat.’ And it might be just the most boring and awful stuff. But I try. When I’m writing, I write. And then it’s as if the muse is convinced that I’m serious and says, ‘Okay. Okay. I’ll come.’

—Maya Angelou

2 Set a doable goal.

Accomplished writers don’t sit around waiting for inspiration—they write whether the words are flowing or not. The only sure way to dig yourself out of a creative hole is to write through it.

Set yourself a goal that’s so easy you have no chance of failing. Tell yourself, “I’ll just write for five minutes without stopping.” Or maybe challenge yourself to write one full page, or even just a single paragraph. If you’ve done the goal-setting right, you should knock this writing task out easily.

Then stop. Only do as much as your goal dictates.

The next time you sit down to write, make your goal just a little more ambitious. Don’t go overboard, though. You want to establish a pattern of easily achieving your goals. Then, once you’ve got a few wins under your belt, go ahead and write for as long as the words and ideas keep coming. Your block has been vanquished!

Keep a small can of WD-40 on your desk—away from any open flames—to remind yourself that if you don’t write daily, you will get rusty.

— George Singleton

3 Quit while you’re ahead.

It sounds counter-intuitive, but try quitting when your writing is going along splendidly and you’re excited about what’s coming next. If you stop writing when you run out of ideas, you’ll likely be just as out of ideas the next time you sit down to write. Instead, stop when you’re brimming with them. You’ll be energized and ready to get back to it when the time comes.

The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day . . . you will never be stuck. Always stop while you are going good and don’t think about it or worry about it until you start to write the next day. That way your subconscious will work on it all the time. But if you think about it consciously or worry about it you will kill it and your brain will be tired before you start.

—Ernest Hemingway

Here’s a tip: When I quit writing for the day, I leave myself notes right on my manuscript telling me where I plan to go next. Not only does this give me the security of knowing that my next great idea will be waiting right where I left off, but it frees my mind to stop obsessing over it in the meantime.

4 Multitask.

If you’re not on a deadline, having several different creative endeavors that you’re working on can help you get unstuck. If one project stops clicking, simply switch to another until you get your momentum back. Either way, you’ll be making progress.

Sometimes a project needs a little time to think, a little time to breathe. So what I tend to do when that happens is I always have two or three other things that I’m doing at the same time. I can just go to one of the ones that’s working. Which is how I give this appearance of being prolific.

—Neil Gaiman

5 Move it!

Pounding your head on your desk doesn’t get the words unstuck.

I know, I know—shocker.

What does help unwedge those unruly words is physical activity. Even just taking a walk can give your creativity a boost.

I really wish someone had told me earlier that there’s a relationship between writing and exercise. Writing involves you being completely, revoltingly sedentary while your brain works overtime. But when you exercise, it’s the complete reverse – you more or less become brain dead while your body works like a bastard not to drown/collapse on the treadmill/die. Then after I exercise, I always come back to my laptop and it’s like I’m seeing the story for the first time. I know what I need to do.

― Benjamin Law

You’re not blocked, you just can’t think of anything good to write.

In the 1986 John Hughes classic, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Ferris phones his friend Cameron to insist that he join him for a fun day of skipping school. Cameron declines because he’s already at home sick, and then hangs up the phone and moans, “I’m dying.”

As if psychic, Ferris calls back and says, “You’re not dying, you just can’t think of anything good to do.”

Your writer’s block is Cameron—it can’t think of anything good to do. And yet, anyone who’s seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off knows that Cameron not only goes on to have a memorable day, but to trash his dad’s beloved Ferrari and, in the process, have a major life epiphany. So, the next time you’re feeling stuck, try some of these techniques to see your way clear.

And if they don’t work, then hey . . . maybe just go to a baseball game.

Hey, batter batter batter! Swing!

Continuously vs. Continually—What’s the Difference?

The adverbs continuously and continually (and their corresponding adjectives, continuous and continual) are words that are confused easily and often. Continuously describes an action that happens without ceasing. Continually, on the other hand, describes an action that recurs frequently or regularly.

The confusion about whether to use continually or continuously is understandable, because both words share the same Latin root, continuare, meaning “to join together or connect.” Only the endings of the words are different, and over time, the two words have evolved with subtly distinct meanings.

Define Continuously: Things That Recur Nonstop

The most common mistake people make when using these words is to ascribe an action with unintended frequency by using continuously where continually is more appropriate. This results in an exaggeration that will not escape the notice of an editor.

My grandmother corrects my grammar continuously.

Does she? We all have relatives who can be exasperating at times, but is it possible for your grandmother to correct you continuously? Unless your grandmother is capable of delivering rapid-fire corrections at you with incessant, Terminator-like determination, continual is the word you need here.

My grandmother corrects my grammar continually.

Let’s try another example.

It is hard to get a word in edgewise with her because she talks continuously.

Talking is an action that is accomplished by human beings, and perhaps parrots. For both, it is almost impossible to do it continuously. I had an aunt who came close; she drew in big gasps between anecdotes so she could continue talking without getting light-headed. But unless a speaker’s “gift of the gab” can match my Aunt Kay’s, chances are they will occasionally pause for breath and await your responses.

It is hard to get a word in edgewise with her because she talks continually.

If your aim is to underscore the fact that a speaker talked for a period of time in the broader sense before a large-scale interruption occurred, that can merit the word continuously.

Professor Smith lectured continuously for twenty minutes, then had a question-and-answer period.

Define Continually:Things That Recur Frequently

It is quite easy to decide whether to use continuously or continually if you remember to ask yourself, “Did the action ever stop?” Some things do happen continuously and others simply don’t. A clock can tick continuously, and a heart can beat continuously. These actions are automatic. But can lightning strike continuously, for example?

I was too frightened to sleep because lightning struck continuously during the night.

Not only would that be frightening, it would be apocalyptic. You would awaken to a charred landscape that would be quite sobering to behold. Luckily, Mother Nature doesn’t assault us with continuous lightning. On a stormy night, however, it could be continual; that is, it could be happening often and regularly.

I was too frightened to sleep because lightning struck continually during the night.

Continuous or Continual in Historical Contexts

Continuously may work best when you are writing about a phenomenon that persists over a long period of time in an anthropological, historical, or geological sense. Take this sentence, for example:

Because it has been used continually for almost two thousand years, Rome’s Pantheon is well preserved.

The concept here is that buildings that never lapse into disuse are repaired and generally given the attention due to them. While it is not incorrect to say that the Pantheon was used continually (i.e., frequently, in the sense of “it’s amazing how Rome never sleeps”) over the last two thousand or so years, the fact that its use was never interrupted by a period of disuse needs to be highlighted.

Because it has been used continuously for almost two thousand years, Rome’s Pantheon is well preserved.

Now that you have untangled continuously and continually, you might want to read about other commonly confused English words.

Why Do We Call April 1 April Fools’ Day?

A day for fools? People around the world, and especially in North America and Europe, celebrate April 1 by playing practical jokes and trying to convince each other of outlandish false stories. But how did these customs evolve and why on the first day of April?

To answer that, we have to journey back in time to the reign of Constantine, a Roman emperor in the fourth century. The rulers of that period entertained themselves and their guests with “fools,” court jesters proficient in music, storytelling, acrobatics, or other skills. One day, a comedian joked that he would make a better king than Constantine. The emperor called his bluff and crowned the entertainer “king for a day.” The first thing the jester did was institute mandatory merry-making. Each year afterward on the anniversary of the jester’s kingship, the inhabitants of Rome remembered to have a little bit of fun with each other through jokes and pranks. The custom eventually spread throughout Europe and Northern America.

In 1983, the Associated Press printed this story. To research the origins of the day, they interviewed a Boston University professor with a keen sense of humor. They didn’t realize that the tale was pure nonsense. The history professor invented the story to fool them. It went to press before they realized that the story was nothing but a clever ruse. The truth is, nobody knows for a certainty when and where April Fools’ Day originated.

Let’s take a moment to examine some facts we do know.

Spring Folly

Something about springtime seems to inspire lighthearted fun. Cultures around the world have festivals that appear to center on silliness. The ancient Romans held the Hilaria festivals for their god of vegetation. As part of a celebration called Holi, Hindus douse each other with colored powder. Jewish children dress in costumes, compete in beauty contests, and march in parades during their commemoration of Purim. Perhaps April Fools’ Day arose from an ancient spring festival or for no other reason that an excuse to have a good time.

Different Strokes for Different Folks

Not everyone observes April Fools’ Day in the same way. In the Western world, many pranks focus on tricking someone into believing something extraordinary. Burger King perpetrated one famous example. In 1998, they advertised a new menu item in USA Today. The full page ad introduced the Left-Handed Whopper. Burger King claimed that they designed the new sandwich by rotating the ingredients of the regular Whopper 180 degrees to accommodate lefties. The prank duped thousands of left- and right-handers who began ordering the sandwich corresponding to their dominant hand.

Other jokes are designed to cause mild trouble for the victim. For instance, Reader’s Digest published a list of seven practical jokes to play on coworkers who are lax about logging out of their Facebook accounts. The article included changing the colleague’s display language to one that doesn’t use the Roman alphabet (e.g., Japanese or Arabic) and accepting friend requests from strangers. Tricks like these provide a laugh as well as a life lesson.

France is particularly unique in the way they mark April 1. In French, the day is called Poisson d’Avril, or April Fish! Children spend the day trying to sneak a picture of a fish onto the back of their schoolmates. If the friend finds it, they yell, “Poisson d’Avril” in place of the “April Fool!” cry of people in the English-speaking world.

Another common ploy is to send someone on a “fool’s errand.” In other words, you ask him to search for an item that doesn’t exist or otherwise waste time trying to complete a useless task. According to Useless Daily, Scots subscribed to this tradition by requesting the gowk, or stooge, deliver a sealed message. The victim thinks that the message is important, but instead, it says: “Dinna [do not] laugh, dinna smile. Hunt the gowk another mile.” Mercilessly, the recipient furthers the fruitless errand by writing a reply that contains the same message to a third person. The merriment continues until the “gowk” realizes that he’s been had or the holiday ends

April Fool’s vs. April Fools’

If you write the name of the occasion incorrectly, you might receive your fair share of ribbing. Do yourself a favor and mind your apostrophe. The official name of this holiday is April Fools’ Day. Fools is plural, so the apostrophe for possession appears after the last S. However, if you search the two names on Google Ngram Viewer, you will discover that the singular variant is the most popular one! Some dictionaries acknowledge the variant, April Fool’s day. Another name for the same celebration is All Fools’ Day.

Nobody’s Fool

April 1 is the only public holiday accepted by the notoriously successful Finnish school system. Just kidding! April Fools’ Day is not an official public holiday in any country. Especially in the Western hemisphere, its popularity has grown since the nineteenth century, but no one seems to want to grant it formal recognition yet.

With so many countries participating, it seems that setting a day aside for a few jokes and hoaxes is a worldwide trend. From attaching paper fish to someone’s back to sending messengers on fool’s errands, every culture seems to have a different way of having a laugh for the event. Why is April 1 called April Fools’ Day? No one knows for sure, leaving the door wide open for you to make up a ridiculous story about it to dupe your family and friends.

How to Avoid Overusing Adverbs

Overuse of adverbs

The boy ran really fast to catch the runaway ball.

The boy sprinted to catch the runaway ball.

Adverbs—those words that often end in -ly—modify verbs. They’re okay once in a while, but in excess they’re an indicator of weak verb choices. In our example, the adverb “really fast” modifies the verb “ran.” But does “really fast” paint a more vivid word-picture for the reader? Use a juicier verb like “sprinted” instead.