Metaphors: Making Vivid Comparisons

What is a Metaphor? Good writers use metaphors to evoke vivid imagery. A metaphor is a figure of speech used to imply a comparison between ideas, things, or people. Since it uses a figurative language, a metaphor goes beyond its literal sense. So, when you hear someone say he’s “feeling blue,” you don’t expect him turn color blue; instead, you …

Affect vs. Effect: What’s the Difference?

It’s important to know the difference between affect vs. effect. One time or another, you may have mistakenly interchanged affect and effect in conversations or in writing. Don’t worry, you’re not alone! The confusion usually comes from the same sound of the words, which are called homophones: words that sound alike but have different meanings (e.g. right and rite; sick …

Apostrophe Use: Avoid Apostrophe Catastrophe

What is an Apostrophe? The apostrophe (‘) is a tiny punctuation that plays a big role in language and writing. Adding an apostrophe in the wrong place can alter or lose the meaning of a word or sentence. “My mom’s style” isn’t the same with “my mom styles” and she asked you to buy tomatoes, not “tomatoe’s”. Here’s a simple …