Six Articles About Grammar & Style

If we're being honest here, I don't have perfect grammar. Especially in my informal writing. But when it comes time to write those final papers, I bring out the big guns. That being said, I am obsessed with editing. I know this is a bizarre and probably unhealthy obsession, but I love carving away unnecessary words, refining punctuation and allowing a polished final piece to emerge from a cluttered first draft. Maybe all of this slashing and deleting gets some pent up emotion out. Regardless, I've read a lot about grammar and style which has helped me craft my own unique voice when I write. I tend to be a minimalist, preferring to break up sentences with periods or dashes than add modifiers and the passive voice. The following articles are some of my favorites about grammar & style:

1. This Buzzfeed Quiz is hilarious and confusing and a great way to figure out exactly what you need to brush up on.
2. Here, the Washington Post discusses the word 'literally.' It's literally really helpful.
3. This NYTimes Opinion Piece on the dash warms my heart. I love dashes- they're so zippy!
4. I often struggle when deciding how to write about music in a grammatically correct way. Thankfully, the Wall Street Journal has me covered.
5. Grammar fanatic Geoffrey Pullum actually hates the passive voice. According to the Associated Press handbook, journalists aren't supposed to like it either. Reading Mr. Pullum's articles always remind me why writing in the passive often doesn't work. 
6. Finally, these hilarious blank-walks-into-a-bar jokes from McSweeney's help me easily remember grammar rules.

Happy editing!
xoxo