Keep grammar gurus handy

The next time you're banging away on the keyboard and get stumped about whether you should use "due to" or "because of," or you become vexed regarding the difference between "affect" and "effect," don't just guess and hope no one will notice. Go on-line and consult an expert.

There are scores of grammar and usage sites on the Web. Many are good, but you need only bookmark a couple of them to make your writing life more livable. Here are two that are comprehensive and easy to read: Paul Brians' Common Errors in English and Jack Lynch's Guide to Grammar and Style. Each is arranged alphabetically, so you can quickly identify the grammar or usage problem that's giving you trouble. Also, the sites largely avoid slipping into a lot of grammar mumbo-jumbo that you don't really need, and they're written in an engaging style.

What's more, both go beyond common grammar and usage questions and explore other issues whose entries themselves might spark your interest. If you care at all about language, you'll probably be tempted to read Brians' explanation of the phrase butt naked and Lynch's entries entitled bugbears and skunked terms. There are many other equally attention-grabbing subjects, and it's easy to go to these sites to solve a specific problem and ten minutes later find yourself exploring other topics. Who knew grammar and usage could be so engaging?