21st Century Grammar Handbook

E
Each. Each is an indefinite pronoun that is always singular, even when it is followed by plural phrases: Each of them is here See also pronoun and plural.
Each other. See reciprocal pronoun.
Eat, ate, eaten. An irregular verb in its main, past tense, and past participle forms.
Eaten. See eat.
Ed. The common abbreviation for edition edited (by or editor ed belongs mainly in endnotes or footnotes and should be spelled out inmost text rather than appearing in its short form.
Editing. Once you have written something for the rst time, you need to go back several times to check for errors, appropriateness of style, and general efficiency of communication. This process of checking your writing is called editing or
“revision.” During editing, pay attention to your audience and make sure that it will understand you clearly, quickly, and simply. No piece of writing is complete until it has been edited at least once, and most work should be edited several times.
Effect. See affect.
Efficiency. It may seem odd to see a discussion of e ciency” in a grammar book.
But the whole point of grammar rules and discussions of usage, style, and soon is to make it clear how to say most directly and simply what has to be said. This book intends to help you communicate most efficiently with your audience.
Poetry, styles of other eras or for other occasions than simple communication, and the like might require or allow us to write or speak without concern fore ciency.
Telling a story at great leisure and with elaborate digressions and meanderings, for instance, is an important part of all our lives at some moments and of many cultures greatest glories. But most of the writing and speaking you do requires directness, clarity, and efficient communication.

Keep in mind that errors of agreement or mistakes with antecedents, poor choice of
vocabulary, and soon keep your reader or listener from hearing or seeing what you mean most quickly and clearly. Such de ciencies in your writing or speaking thus hinder e ciency of communication. That is why it is important to master the rules of grammar and apply them strictly inmost statements.
Besides looking up the words italicized in this entry, review the entries on bland
writing, editing, and the related topics those entries mention for further guidance on how to achieve efficient communication.
E.g. This abbreviation stands for the Latin “exempli gratia,” which means for example While it is a handy way to shorten text a bit, some readers will not be comfortable with the expression or might nd it too academic. It is better to use the
English for example.”
Elicit, illicit. These near-homonyms (soundalikes) are di erent

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