I begin this lesson on a difficult grammatical concept called the “subjunctive mood” with a memory of one of the first pornographic films I ever saw. It was called “The Secret Lives of Romeo and ...

Today’s column describes the subjunctive mood. Some readers may be tempted to respond, “What in the world is that?” and “Why do I need to know about it?” Those questions, I submit, would probably ...

Stephanie was here. I wish Stephanie were here. Tim picks up the dry cleaning. It’s imperative that Tim pick up the dry cleaning. You are on time. It’s crucial you be on time. Have you ever noticed ...

Every time I hear someone say, “If I were you” or “I wish I were going,” it always surprises me. When I hear people say things like, “It’s crucial you be there,” I’m even more surprised. Chances are, ...

Can you spot what’s wrong with that tweet? Besides the fact that millions of people retweeted a selfie, there’s a rather egregious grammatical error in the first ...