Ferguson is a former city editor of The Knoxville News-Sentinel and a former Knoxville City Council member. He recently retired as chief deputy clerk of the United States District Court in Knoxville, Tennessee.
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Grammar Gremlins: Outside of the norm
Published 8/12/2012 at 3:00 a.m. 5 comments
"We will wait for you outside of the theater."
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Grammar Gremlins: Getting into usage trouble
Published 8/5/2012 at 3:00 a.m. 0 comments
Have you ever hesitated in your writing when choosing between "in to" and "into"?
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Grammar Gremlins: Basically, going forward bogs down
Published 7/29/2012 at 3:00 a.m. 0 comments
A newsletter for editors, "EditPros News," recently listed 20 words and phrases that needlessly prolong and bog down written sentences.
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Grammar Gremlins: Past participles can bite
Published 7/22/2012 at 3:00 a.m. 0 comments
"Some of my friends use 'bit' where I think 'bitten' should be used, and now I have heard 'bit' used by a national news reporter in what I consider an incorrect way," a reader complained. "Am I wrong in my ...
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Grammar Gremlins: Phrases that trip up speakers
Published 7/15/2012 at 3:00 a.m. 3 comments
We sometimes hear "which" used in a strange way.
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Grammar Gremlins: 'Impact' impacts language
Published 7/8/2012 at 4:00 a.m. 3 comments
The use of "impact" as a verb first showed up around 1950, and by 1970, it had become fairly common, but it is still widely criticized.
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Grammar Gremlins: Good use of 'well' and 'good'
Published 7/1/2012 at 4:00 a.m. 2 comments
"My son asked me to explain the difference between 'good' and 'well,' but I'm not sure that I can," a reader said.
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Grammar Gremlins: Upon review, 'on' oft preferred
Published 6/24/2012 at 4:00 a.m. 0 comments
A friend told me she had written "upon" in a sentence but was corrected by her boss, who preferred "on."
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Grammar Gremlins: Phrases without logic
Published 6/17/2012 at 4:00 a.m. 4 comments
"Which is correct, 'every so often' or 'ever so often'?" a reader asked. "My teacher years ago told us 'ever so often' is right."
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Grammar Gremlins: 'For free' OK for sure
Published 6/10/2012 at 4:00 a.m. 0 comments
Is the expression "for free" correct usage?
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Grammar Gremlins: You're never to misuse 'your'
Published 6/3/2012 at 4:00 a.m. 6 comments
What would you think if your child received the following note from his teacher?
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Grammar Gremlins: Don't dangle your modifiers
Published 5/27/2012 at 4:00 a.m. 3 comments
The host of a network television show used the following sentence in describing the weather in a certain city:
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Grammar Gremlins: 'Exact same' OK but unpolished
Published 5/20/2012 at 4:00 a.m. 1 comment
In his recent statement on same-sex marriage, Vice President Joe Biden used the expression "same exact."
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Grammar Gremlins: Credit where credit is due
Published 5/13/2012 at 4:00 a.m. 2 comments
Can someone be "credited" with a despicable act?
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Grammar Gremlins: Speech probe short-lived
Published 5/6/2012 at 4:00 a.m. 0 comments
A reader asked about the pronunciation of "lived" in the expression "short-lived." He said he prefers the short "i" version — rhymes with "give."
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