Robots and English

There’s a harsh reality we need to face—a robotic, AI-driven Shakespeare is nowhere in sight. No robot will write verse that influences English the way Bard’s did anytime soon. You won’t find an AI spitting rhymes like Rakim or Nas, either.

But if your standards aren’t too high, there is some AI-constructed poetry you can read today. Continue reading “Robots and English”

#GrammoWriMo Plot Summary

Updated November 15, 2013 

Chapter 1

Our adult, female protagonist, Audra, is introduced. This chapter must establish that Audra is a magical wish-granter whose job is to clean the coins out of a small, unremarkable local fountain each night. She is fed up with the vain and selfish wishes of people and regrets that she cannot make a wish for something great, noble—or not having to grant people’s wishes anymore. Continue reading “#GrammoWriMo Plot Summary”

Labeled or Labelled—Which Is Correct?

  • Labeled and labelled are both correct spellings.
  • Labeled is the preferred spelling in American English.
  • Labelled is the preferred spelling in British English.

How should you spell the past tense of the verb label? After adding the -ed ending, should you double the L? Speakers of American English might answer differently than speakers of British English. Continue reading “Labeled or Labelled—Which Is Correct?”

How to Use “Former” vs. “Latter”

The terms former and latter are words used to distinguish between two things. Former directs us to the first of these two things, and latter directs us to the second (or last) of them. Do not use former or latter when you are writing about more than two things.

Former and latter are words that sound old-fashioned to some people, and indeed they are very old words. Continue reading “How to Use “Former” vs. “Latter””