Grammarly Is Now Available for Microsoft Edge 15+

As previously hinted during the recent Microsoft Edge Summit, Grammarly has, in fact, made its way to Microsoft Edge 15+.

Grammarly’s browser extension for Edge will make sure your messages, documents, and social media posts are clear, mistake-free, and impactful. Adding Grammarly to Microsoft Edge means that your spelling and grammar will be vetted on Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Tumblr, and nearly everywhere else you write on the web.

Once you register your new account, you will start to receive weekly emails with personalized insights and performance stats (one of our most popular new features). Working on a large project, an essay, or a blog post? No sweat. You can create and store all of your documents in your new online editor.

“Our goal is to help you write everywhere you want to work,” said Grammarly product manager Nicholas Stanford. “Support for Microsoft Edge was a top requested feature from our users. Our users on Microsoft Edge can now bring Grammarly with them.”

Why you should download Grammarly for Microsoft Edge:

Contextual spelling checker

Grammarly detects correctly spelled words used in the wrong context. You can stop worrying about misusing homophones like lose/loose, affect/effect, lie/lay, there/their/they’re, and many other commonly confused words.

Grammar checker

Grammarly can fix hundreds of complex grammatical errors, including problems with subject-verb agreement, article use, and modifier placement, to name just a few.

Trusted by millions of users

Grammarly is trusted by students, writers, business professionals, bloggers, and plenty of people who just want to write better. Grammarly adapts to your needs and writing style, giving you the confidence of mistake-free communication every time you write.

Grammarly Premium

If you want to supercharge your writing performance and leave no error unchecked, Grammarly Premium is your answer. Here’s what you can do with Premium:

• Check for over a hundred additional types of errors
• Get vocabulary enhancement suggestions
• Detect plagiarism and get citation suggestions
• Get suggestions for different writing styles, including academic, technical, and creative

Capitalization After Colons

Capitalization: First Word After a Colon

In British English, the first letter after a colon is capitalized only if it’s a proper noun or an acronym; in American English, the first word after a colon is sometimes capitalized if it begins a complete sentence.

Here are some quick tips for using colons properly:

• When a colon introduces a list of of things, do not capitalize the first word after the colon unless it is a proper noun.
• When a colon introduces a phrase or an incomplete sentence that is meant to add information to the sentence before it, do not capitalize the first word after the colon unless it is a proper noun.
• When a colon introduces a complete sentence, you may capitalize the first word after the colon according to some style guides. Read on for details.

When’s the last time you used a colon in your writing? Many writers avoid this punctuation mark because they’re unsure how to use it properly. Colons can be quite useful, though. Not only do they introduce lists, but they also alert the reader to an explanation of the previous sentence. Colons provide a way of expounding upon information in such a way that connects the ideas in two or more sentences.

Capitalize After Colon? (APA Style)

One of the tricky issues many writers deal with when it comes to colons is whether or not to capitalize the word following the colon. As with so many things in the English language, capitalization with colons can be complex, and many times, it’s more of a style issue than one of correctness. According to APA Style, the first word after the colon is capitalized only if it begins a complete sentence. Consider the examples below:

It’s been snowing for three days straight: the roads around here aren’t very safe for driving.

It’s been snowing for three days straight: The roads around here aren’t very safe for driving.

Capitalize After Colon? (The Chicago Manual of Style)

The Chicago Manual of Style has a slightly different perspective on whether to capitalize after colons. In their view, the word following a colon should be capitalized only if there are two explanatory sentences following the colon. Look at the examples below:

Maggie wears a brimmed cap at all times: Strong light often gives her a headache.

Maggie wears a brimmed cap at all times: strong light often gives her a headache.

Maggie wears a brimmed cap at all times: Strong light often gives her a headache. She also likes the way it looks.

Never Capitalize After Colon When Introducing a List

Both style manuals agree on one thing, though. It is never ok to capitalize the word after a colon when the word introduces a list. The following sentences illustrate this hard-and-fast rule:

Jan needed a few more items to complete her job application: A resume, cover letter, and references.

Jan needed a few more items to complete her job application: a resume, cover letter, and references.

Parallel Structure and Prepositions

When prepositional phrases are used in a parallel series, prepositions (with, to, of, over, under, by, etc.) should be repeated with every element of the series unless all elements use the same preposition. A common error is to repeat prepositions unnecessarily, resulting in a stilted style.

I am making a stew with beef, with carrots, and with onions.

In this sentence, there are three prepositional phrases complementing I am making a stew. If written separately and not in a single, parallel structure, they would read:

I am making a stew with beef. I am making a stew with carrots. I am making a stew with onions.

When combining these elements into a single sentence, there is no need to repeat the preposition with because it is used identically for each element.

I am making a stew with beef, carrots, and onions.

Writing the sentence this way ensures a clear, uncluttered style.

What to Avoid: Mixing Prepositions in a Parallel Structure

Mixing prepositions improperly in a parallel structure is a common writing mistake. If a writer allows multiple phrases to share a preposition and then introduces a different preposition with another element, the result is a clumsy sentence.

The baby flung spaghetti strands on the walls, the counters, and under the table.

If we separate the elements of this sentence, we have:

The baby flung spaghetti strands on the walls. The baby flung spaghetti strands on the counters. The baby flung spaghetti strands under the table.

The first two elements require the preposition on, but the last element requires the preposition under. Therefore, it is necessary to repeat all three prepositions when combining the elements into a parallel sentence structure.

The baby flung spaghetti strands on the walls, on the counters, and under the table.

21 Ways to Inspire Creativity When You’re Out of Ideas

Every creative person is subject to the whims of a fickle muse that doesn’t always show up when we need it to. Fortunately, there are ways to make our minds a more hospitable place for ideas. Read on for twenty-one easy tips that will help you make inspiration a more frequent guest.

1 Listen to music.

Multiple studies show that music can increase creativity and focus. Research indicates that listening to classical is only really beneficial if you actually like that style of music, so listen to something you enjoy that isn’t too novel or distracting.

2 Journal every day.

Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way and numerous other books on living a creative life, has long touted the benefits of writing three pages in longhand every morning to keep the creative spark glowing.

3 Join a group of creatives.

Creating can be a lonely activity, so head to Facebook or MeetUp to find groups in your area that gather regularly to share ideas and inspiration. You may even get some helpful feedback.

4 Take a walk.

A Stanford Study showed that the simple act of strolling, even in a familiar or boring setting, can give your creativity a jump-start.

5 Turn off (or cover) your monitor.

Interesting things happen when you can’t edit—you have to move ahead rather than worry about what’s behind you. Sure, you’ll make tons of typos, but you can fix those. Later.

6 Reward yourself for writing with a kitten.

(No, not a real one. That could get expensive, not to mention potentially unhygienic.) For every hundred words you write, Written? Kitten! will reward you with an image of a cuddly kitty. Not a feline fan? You can get puppies or bunnies instead.

7 Mind map.

Don’t know how? Let the inventor of mind mapping show you.

8 Carry an idea notebook.

Inspiration can strike at the most inconvenient times. Carrying a small notebook can help you capture and record ideas that come to you while you’re out and about. You can even draw doodles or save clippings. But do it the old-fashioned way—there are benefits to writing longhand.

9 Freewrite.

Give yourself permission to write whatever comes into your head, set a timer for a short period to encourage you to write fast, and then just let ’er rip. You might be surprised by what surfaces!

10 Join a social writing site.

If your muse gets lonely, online social sites for writers, such as Wattpad or Amazon Kindle’s Write On, may help. (Just be aware that getting noticed and earning feedback on these sites can require a significant time commitment.)

11 Go somewhere busy.

Head to a mall, coffee shop, or event—any place where you can watch people. You might even take notes in the aforementioned idea notebook.

12 Go someplace quiet.

Commune with nature in a serene setting where you can clear your head and make room for creative thoughts to flow in.

13 Do something brave.

Shy? Join an improv group. Clumsy? Take a beginner’s dance class. Do something that pushes your limits and then use your experiences for inspiration.

14 Attend a creative event.

Even small towns have poetry readings, book signings, recitals, and art shows. The world is full of creators doing creative things—go watch them and you may find yourself inspired to join them.

15 Perform a mundane task.

Research shows that performing simple tasks can release creative thoughts. You never know what inspiration will wash over you while you’re folding laundry or sorting the widgets in your widget drawer. And speaking of repetitive things . . .

16 Knit or crochet.

These repetitive motion crafts have benefits similar to meditation and can help you direct your creative energies.

17 Make a list.

If you’re stuck on something, jot down a list of as many ideas as you can think of. (Or try this List of 100 technique.) Focus on quantity over quality—you’ll sort out and refine the good ones later.

18 Have a conversation.

The simple act of chatting with others can get the creative juices flowing. But don’t just make small talk—dig in and really get to know someone. If you’re in need of conversation starters, here’s a little random inspiration.

19 Keep an idea file.

Use an app like Evernote or Dropbox to keep an idea log where you can store everything from notes to articles about topics that interest you.

20 Try a topic generator.

If your blog is languishing for lack of ideas, a topic generator just might help. Here’s one from HubSpot and another fun one from Portent.

21 Light a vanilla cinnamon candle.

Cinnamon and vanilla smells seem to boost creativity. And hey, if nothing else, your writing space will smell amazing.

What are we grateful for? Commas.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, the Grammarly team polled more than 1,700 Facebook fans on what piece of punctuation they are most “thankful” for in their writing.

The semi-colon, em-dash, and period, were top contenders; yet, overwhelmingly we learned that English writers are most thankful for the comma.

Although writers enjoy the comma, many do not know how to use it. Misuse of commas is among the top grammar mistakes that writers around the world are making, according to a recent audit of English writers conducted by the Grammarly team. And there are many ways to misuse a comma:

• Not including a comma before a coordinating conjunction (makes up 43 percent of all comma mistakes among Grammarly users)
• Comma misuse in an introductory phrase (8 percent of comma mistakes)
• Comma misuse inside a compound subject (7 percent of comma mistakes)
• Comma misuse around interrupters (6 percent of comma mistakes)

There are 28 different types of comma mistakes that English writers can make. Yet, not including a comma before a coordinating conjunction—and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet—is six times more common than any other!

You’ll Never Guess the Origins of These 3 Bizarrely Spelled English Words

English is linguistically categorized as a West Germanic language. Though it is now the most widely spoken language in the world, English actually got a pretty small start.

In the fifth century, many related Germanic dialects fused together, collectively becoming what is now known as Old English. These dialects were brought to the eastern coast of England by Germanic settlers and eventually gained a stronghold in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England in what is now southeast Scotland.

Old English eventually evolved into Middle English as a result of invasion and interaction. Beginning in the eleventh century, English was increasingly influenced by the Romance languages, so-named because they descended from Latin, the language of the Romans.

Specifically, the Norman Conquest of England in the eleventh century facilitated a heavy borrowing from Norman French. As a result, vocabulary and spelling conventions began to evolve to more closely resemble those of a Latin-derived Romance language, even though English itself is not technically considered a Romance language. Furthermore, Latin was the academic and religious lingua franca of the day, which further facilitated the integration of Latin vocabulary into English.

English has continued to be influenced by a number of different languages and is commonly known as a “borrowing language.” The bizarre spelling of these three common English words aptly illustrate this fascinating phenomena:

February

Have you ever wondered why February has that random, silent first r?

Well, February, like the names of most months, has Latin roots. It descended from Februarius, a month in the ancient Roman calendar. The name actually comes from the festival of februum, a purification ritual celebrated during the month.

The ancient Roman calendar was eventually reformed by Julius Cesar in 46 BC. This new Julian calendar, which divided the year into 365 days and twelve months, is the foundation of our current Gregorian calendar.

Wednesday 

Most Americans don’t pronounce the d in Wednesday. But just because you can’t hear it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. So where did this d come from? And why don’t we pronounce it?

As it turns out, Wednesday actually has Germanic linguistic origins. It is derived from the Old English word, Wōdnesdæg, which honors the Germanic god Wodan.

Wodan was one of the most important deities of Anglo-Saxon and Continental Germanic polytheism and was especially prominent in England during the fifth and sixth centuries, before Christianity fully took root. This explains the development of the word in Old English. Wodan corresponds to the ancient Roman deity of Mercury, for whom Wednesday is named in many Romance languages, including French (Mercredi), Italian (Mercoledì), and Spanish (Miércoles).

Interestingly, Wōdnesdæg evolved to Wednesdei in the transition from Old English to Middle English, possibly because of the increased linguistic influence from French. Anyway, considering that there has been a d in Wednesday for roughly the past two thousand years, it probably isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Furthermore, most Brits actually do pronounce the d in Wednesday. 

Pterodactyl

The name of an ancient flying reptile, this might just be the weirdest spelling in the entire English language. This word is actually of Greek origin, coming from pteron (wing) and daktylos (finger).

So why the references to wings and fingers? Well, the name actually refers to the unique way in which this reptile’s wings are supported by its fingers. Go figure!

What are your favorite bizarrely spelled words in the English language?