Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. After all, is it 'laying in bed' or 'lying in bed'? There's no doubt about it—grammar can be tricky. Our language has rules that ...

Similar-but-not-identical pairs of words provide some of the most confusing grammar rules in English. There are, of course, homophones, words like “which” and “witch” that sound the same but are ...

What are the most common emails to our corrections inbox? (Besides those accusing us of favoring one side or the other in whatever is the hot debate of the day.) They're the ones that go something ...

The distinction between "lay" and "lie" continues to fade. Almost without exception, people say "I laid on the couch." They never seem to say "I lay on the couch." Plus, people usually throw in the ...

The difference between the transitive verb lay and the intransitive verb lie escapes many speakers and writers. I have written about it, and so has a Mount Airy reader who frequently comments on ...

I call it the sexy mistake. So send the kids out of the room, cover columnist Steve Smith’s eyes and prepare for today’s lesson on “to lay” versus “to lie.” Once upon a time, when I was an editor, the ...

English usage rules range from formal to non-standard. The top of that range applies to the correctness that is found in formal writing, such as legal briefs or ceremonial oratory, such as State of ...