Found 333 articles starting with P: Page #11

Pretence vs. Pretense

This not very common word is often confused for its alternative half making it difficult for young writers to make a decision on what the right spellings of the word are. Consider t...

prevalent - correct spelling

prevalent - adjective
Example: Illicit drugs were prevalent at the party....

prevaricate - vocabulary

verb
To use ambiguous or evasive language for the purpose of deceiving or diverting attention; to tell a falsehood; to lie. Lying is the same as alcoholism. Liars prevaricate even on their d...

primary auxiliary verb

We have roughly 16 auxiliary verbs in the English language. Three are called primary auxiliaries: to be, to have, and to do. These three words perform special functions.The ...

primitive - correct spelling

primitive - adjective and noun
Example: He collected primitive furniture in Virginia. adjective...

principal - correct spelling

principal - noun and adjective
Note: For a discussion of the differences between principal and principle, see Grammar.com’s section on Common Gramm...

principal parts

Main verbs have four principal parts: (1) infinitive (to decide), (2) past tense (decided), (3) past participle (de...

Principal vs. Principle

Our principal ma...

principal, principle

Note: The differences between principal and principle are discussed in depth in the Common Grammatical Mistakes section of Grammar.com. ...

principal, principle - vocabulary

noun
Principal: the head of a school; also means “money” or “the balance on your mortgage.” As an adjective, principal means “main.”Principle: act...

principle - correct spelling

principle - noun
Note: For a discussion of the differences between principal and principle, see Grammar.com’s section on Common Grammatical Mistakes. ...

Principle vs. Principal

Principal As an adjective, Principal means ...

printout - correct spelling

noun
The verb form (complement verb
) is print out.Here’s a usage note from Dictionary.com
.The transition from ...

prior to, subsequent to

The expression prior to means nothing more than before. Yet many professionals insist on using prior to because it sounds intelligent. It isn’t. All it does is stuff up you...

prioritize

The word prioritize gums up the styles of many people lacking an ear for good writing. Delete it from your vocabulary. Instead, use set priorities or establish priorities....

privilege - correct spelling

privilege - noun
Not priviledgeExample: It was his privilege to be at that meeting....

privity, privy - vocabulary

noun
Privity: knowledge shared with another or others regarding a private matter. In law, a relationship between or among parties, typically to a contract.Privy: a...

pro-drop

The property of a language in which a sentence does not require an overt subject. Spanish is a pro-drop language: it is perfectly normal in Spanish to say No canto bien (Don't sing well) rather than Yo no canto bien (I don't sing well)....

probably - correct spelling

probably - adverb
Grammar.com's section on the Parts of Speech discusses the demise of -ly adverbs. Click here for ...

probity - vocabulary

noun
Virtue or integrity tested and confirmed; honesty; the trait of having strong moral principles. Once regarded as the model of probity, Mayor Bradley, now 71 years old, is under investig...

Problem Words - Definition, Overview, and Lists of Examples

The TroublemakersMany words in the English language set traps for even the most accomplished writer. Here, on Grammar.com, we’ve provided discussions of over 200 of these troublemakers. (Scroll down for an alphabetical list.)...

procedure - correct spelling

procedure - noun
Example: This medical procedure can save her life....

proceed - correct spelling

proceed - verb
Example: You must proceed with caution....

Proceed vs. Precede

Proceed” and “precede” are illustrating a great example of paronyms, words that have very similar spellings, varying through few letters only, but define completely different actions. The fact that they look and sound almost identically are tempting ...

proceed, precede

To proceed means “to go forward,” “to carry on,” or “to originate from a source.” The verb proceed is distinctly intransitive
. That is, you...