Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing Quick and Dirty Tips

990. Have you ever wondered why English doesn't have gender like Spanish and French? Which languages are the hardest to learn (and why)? And why a Q is always followed by a U? We have the answers to those questions and more this week from Paul Anthony Jones, author of "Why is this a question?"

989. What is a word? Does "that's" count as one word or two? In this excerpt from Paul Anthony Jones' new book "Why Is This a Question," we look at how things like plurals, compound words, and contractions make defining the word "word" a tricky exercise.

988. Peter Sokolowski, an editor at Merriam-Webster, goes through the fascinating history of the Armed Services Editions, a series of books published during World War II for distribution among the troops. We look at the special problems of wartime publishing, the collaborative efforts among publishers, and the lasting influence of these books on the publishing landscape.

987. This week, we look at why people sometimes double their subjects, writing sentences such as "John, he bought a car," and when it's OK (and not OK) to do so. Plus, we talk about the medial S, a strange F-like letter that makes an S-sound and shows up in old documents. We look at how it came to be, its role in English typography, and what made it finally go away.

986. Erin Brenner, author of "The Chicago Guide for Freelance Editors," shares time-saving tips including the best practices for using Word, creating macros, and using automation tools like Zapier. You'll also learn about starting and growing a freelance business, including how to figure out what to charge, how to make ends meet at the beginning, and how to handle time management once your business starts to succeed.

985. This week, we look at the world of whimsical words, including the origins and meanings of terms like "dinkus," "gadzook," "petrichor" and the phrase "whim-wham for a goose's bridle." Plus, I have a quick tip about when to capitalize "mom" and "dad."