Lauren Smyth

Grammar Minute

Saving the English language 60 seconds at a time.

Author

Lauren Smyth

Category

Education

Podcast website

www.laurensmythbooks.com

Latest episode

Apr 23, 2026

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Episodes

The Case for Ungrammatical Emails 21.03.2024

Toss out your grammar book and your thesaurus when you're writing email subject lines (unless you want to sound like ChatGPT). Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute, and visit thegrammarminute.com for more tips and tricks.

You're LITERALLY So Wrong! 14.03.2024

Learn why you've  literally been using "literally" to mean exactly the opposite of what it  literally  means.

Prepping for the Nuclear Apocalypse 12.03.2024

After today's episode of Grammar Minute, you'll be able to poetically stare off into the sunset just like the heroes of your favorite dystopian novels.

"Based On" vs. "Based Off" 07.03.2024

Your tower might be based off a shaky foundation--unless it's  on  the foundation. Nitpick some popular grammar on today's episode of Grammar Minute.

Dr. Steele's Spelling Minute: British vs. American Words 05.03.2024

This poem mysteriously turned up on the back of my economics quiz, imparting powerful knowledge from the keeper of American vs. British spellings and, also, of economics--Dr. Charles Steele of Hillsdale College. Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

It's Voting Season: Grammar Matters (Maybe More than You Think) 29.02.2024

A 2011 study found that political candidates' grammar may influence voter perception on their chances of reelection. Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute--and if you're curious, read the study at this link.

That vs Who (Will Make You Sound Smart) 27.02.2024

"That" and "who" don't sound like obvious candidates for a mix-up, but I bet you've encountered this grammatical distinction--probably recently. Learn how to avoid the pitfall on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

"More Than" vs. "Over" (Sorry, AP Style Guide) 22.02.2024

I have  more than a hundred books. Or ... do I have  over  a hundred books? Find out on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

The Most Grammatically Confusing Holiday (Presidents' Day) 20.02.2024

President's Day. Presidents' Day. Presidents Day. This holiday has long stumped grammarians, and in fact, the correct spelling depends on exactly what you want to celebrate. Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

Plurals vs. Apostrophes (A Bigger Rivalry Than the Super Bowl) 15.02.2024

Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we've finally discovered a  hard-and-fast rule  of the English language!

It's All Well and Good (Can You Say "I Feel Good?") 13.02.2024

Let me be honest: "I don't know" appears frequently in this episode. 

Discrete vs. Discreet (Hint: It's Not British vs. American) 08.02.2024

Up next in our series of commonly misused words, poor  discrete  is finally getting justice.

The Enormity of Commonly Misused Words, Part 2 06.02.2024

Get ready for more fantastic news headlines that got things wrong with one of my favorite words:  Enormity.

The Power of Short Sentences 01.02.2024

Short sentences pack great punch. Like this. Or this. Discover the magic of varied sentence length on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

Do you ever get anything "for free?" 30.01.2024

Economists say no. Grammarians say no, too - at least, some of them do. Learn more about this wonky phrase on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

SPECIAL EPISODE: "Haven" Sci-Fi Audio Drama 03.01.2024

Welcome to this special episode of Grammar Minute - a short story audio drama by GM's host, Lauren Smyth! A dying star. A one-person shelter. A robot for company. Life on a barely habitable planet might be lonely, but it's also a great way to escape the past--or so Ozero thinks. But when an unfamiliar spaceship crash-lands near his shelter, Ozero is faced with a decision: Will he seek revenge for...

Using Foreign Words in English Writing 23.11.2023

Change the status quo. Avoid Latin like you avoid cliches - that is, like the plague.

A Writer Responds to ChatGPT 21.11.2023

I'm a hard news and fiction writer. Here's why I'm not worried about ChatGPT taking my job - plus an (un)grammatical approach to staying ahead of the robot army.

Pronoun Abuse - Stop It. Get Some Help. 16.11.2023

These two simple tips will make your writing clearer - and once you see this mistake, you'll never fail to notice it. Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

Is It Time to Break the Rules of Grammar? 14.11.2023

Grammar Minute usually isn't an opinion show, but could there be room for opinions among the many and often contradictory rules of Grammar? Hear the official opinion on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

Me Either vs. Me Neither 19.10.2023

Since when has Grammar Minute been an opinion show? Since we started talking about "me either" vs. "me neither!"

Toward or Towards? 17.10.2023

What should you do about those pesky words that sometimes seem to be spelled with "s" but sometimes go without? Find out on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

Based On vs. Based Off 05.10.2023

Where's your grammatical foundation - and how solid is it? Find out on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

Dangling Modifiers (In Honor of National Coffee Day) 03.10.2023

It's National Coffee Day ... at least, it was the day I recorded this episode. You may not be sure how grammar and coffee are related, but you can find out on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

The Golden Rule of Commas 28.09.2023

Commas are suffering from severe overuse. Learn how  not to use a comma on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

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