Ellen Jovin is the author of “Rebel With a Clause: Tales and Tips From a Roving Grammarian” and cofounder of Syntaxis, a communication-skills consulting firm.

The English language, even for a native English speaker, is not an exact science. Despite our best efforts to learn how to speak and type in grade school, English is just sort of one of those things ...

Ellen Jovin is not the grammar police. She's more like a grammar guru, a gentle, nonjudgmental guide who knows English isn't etched into a linguistic stone, rigid and unchangeable. Instead, she knows ...

ABSENCE OF EVIDENCE is not, as the saying goes, the same thing as evidence of absence. But if you continue looking for something intently, and keep failing to find it, you can be forgiven for starting ...