517 GG Why Do We Call It Commencement? When to Delete "It"

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

• Episode: 517 GG Why Do We Call It Commencement? When to Delete "It"
• Website: Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
• Feed URL: http://www.qdnow.com/grammar.xml
• Duration: 00:10:10
• Published: 2016-05-19 23:30

COMMENCEMENT: Last week a professor in my department asked me why we call a graduation ceremony “commencement” when the event marks the end of college. “To commence” means “to begin,” not end, so it seems like an odd name for the ceremony. DELETE 'IT': Want a timeless, painless tip that quickly helps you clarify your writing? Look for it. What William Cobbett said two centuries ago still rings true: “The word it is the greatest troubler that I know of in language. It is so small, and so convenient, that few are careful enough in using it." SPONSOR http://amazon.com/kindleforkids AMAZON AFFILIATE CODE http://quickanddirtytips.com/amazon FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL Twitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirl Facebook: http://facebook.com/grammargirl Snapchat: http://snapchat.com/add/thatgrammargirl Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/realgrammargirl Instagram: http://instagram.com/thegrammargirl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grammar-girl