Via this column, we'll explore one grammar rule each week. If you have a grammar question you'd like me to address, please drop me a line at grace.lavigne@prnewswire.com and I'll do my best to answer it.

According to the book "Comedy Writing Secrets," a pun is "the intentional confusion of similar-sounding words or phrases" that is used as the basis of a joke.

In other words, a pun is humorous word play that allows for two possible interpretations at the same time.

Pro Tip: Because puns generally make word plays phonetically, they tend to be better when spoken or heard vs. being written or read.

Here's are some examples of puns: I recently read an article about a family that got lost in a corn maze for hours and couldn't find their way out -- they actually had to call the police to be rescued.

• Being lost in corn maze at night must have been earie.
• I wonder if one of the search dogs was a husk-y.
• How earesponsible of the parents!
• What did they expect entering a maize?
• The poor kids were probably shrieking to Dad, "Pop, corn!" over and over.
• They had the feeling they were being stalked.
• Hominy idiots does it take to get out?

Puns can also take the forms of double entendres, riddles, and homonyms and near homonyms:

• A double entendre (literally "double meaning" in French) is the use of an ambiguous word or phrase that allows for a second interpretation (warning: frequently risqué!). The idea is that the listener assumes one meaning, and the speaker slips in another meaning. Consider these headlines, taken from YourDictionary.com:
• Panda mating fails: Veterinarian takes over
• Miners refuse to work after death
• New obesity study looks for larger test group
• Children make nutritious snacks
• Criminals get nine months in violin case
• A riddle according to Merriam-Webster.com, is a puzzling question to be guessed or solved that usually has a double or veiled answer.
• What kind of bird writes letters? A pen-guin.
• What do all inches follow? Their ruler.
• Why couldn't the strings ever win? They could only tie.
• What position does a cat play in baseball? A cat-cher.
• A homonym is two or more words that are spelled and pronounced alike but differ in meaning. A near homonym is two or more words that sound alike due to an intentional mispronunciation.
• Why was six afraid of seven? Because seven eight (ate) nine.
• What do you call a smelly chicken? A foul fowl.
• Do you want this pasteurized? No, just up to my mouth'd be fine!

What's your favorite pun?

ProfNet, a service of PR Newswire, has helped journalists and experts connect since 1992. Writers can search the ProfNet Connect database of more than 50,000 profiles; send a ProfNet query by email to thousands of subscribers around the globe; or get timely experts and story ideas by email.

image via Flickr user andertoon

Via this column, we'll explore one grammar rule each week. If you have a grammar question you'd like me to address, please drop me a line at grace.lavigne@prnewswire.com and I'll do my best to answer it.

It's ice cream weather! Whether you're a cone or a cup person, this heat wave means that either way you'll need to try extra hard to eat fast before the ice cream melts (this shouldn't be a problem anyway). Otherwise you'll end up with ice cream and sprinkles dripping all over your hands!

Let's take advantage of this scorching heat to lick the problem of when to use compliment vs. complement. If you drip some ice cream on your shirt or lap, does it compliment or complement your appearance? Here's the scoop:

According to Merriam Webster, a compliment (with an "i") is an expression of respect, affection or admiration.

• That ice cream on your shirt looks stylish! (Don't I give the best compliments?) [noun]
• Right after he complimented her on her new dress, she dropped ice cream all over it. [verb]
• The ice cream at the hotel is complimentary, but all they have is Rocky Road! [adjective]

On the other hand, a complement (with an "e") is something that fills up, completes or makes perfect.

• The ice cream complements the root beer very nicely. [makes perfect]
• The ice-cream store has a full complement of flavors. [completes]
• The waffles came with a complementary scoop of vanilla. [makes perfect]

Pro Tip: If you're still not sure about when to use compliment vs. complement, it helps to remember that compliments are generally exchanged between people. If a sentence is referencing inanimate objects, then likely go with complement. Your ice cream can't compliment your shirt!

ProfNet, a service of PR Newswire, has helped journalists and experts connect since 1992. Writers can search the ProfNet Connect database of more than 50,000 profiles; send a ProfNet query by email to thousands of subscribers around the globe; or get timely experts and story ideas by email.

image via Flickr user miss karen

Via this column, we'll explore one grammar rule each week. If you have a grammar question you'd like me to address, please drop me a line at grace.lavigne@prnewswire.com and I'll do my best to answer it.

For this year's Independence Day, we have three very simple rules on when to write out numbers and when to use numerals:

Rule 1: Spell out single-digit whole numbers. Use numerals for numbers greater than nine.

• I had two beers before the fireworks started.
• Can you seriously eat 10 hot dogs? Barf!
• She just bought six glow sticks!
• He hung up 15 flags.

Rule 2: Always follow Rule 1 for consistency, even if it means including a numeral and spelled-out number in the same sentence.

• There were 12 waffle balls when this game started, and now there's only seven. Stop hitting homeruns!
• He made 15 cheeseburgers 20 minutes ago and now there's only one left.

Rule 3: Ages are always numerals.

• The girl was 2 years old.
• His baby is 8 months old.

Enjoy the food and fireworks! Happy Fourth of July!

ProfNet, a service of PR Newswire, has helped journalists and experts connect since 1992. Writers can search the ProfNet Connect database of more than 50,000 profiles; send a ProfNet query by email to thousands of subscribers around the globe; or get timely experts and story ideas by email.

Image via Flickr user Patrick Hoesly

Via this column, we'll explore one grammar rule each week. If you have a grammar question you'd like me to address, please drop me a line at grace.lavigne@prnewswire.com and I'll do my best to answer it.

This week is the 37th anniversary of America's most beloved and paranoia-inducing shark movie of all time -- "Jaws"!

Although the movie was filmed in Martha's Vineyard, Mass., the "Jaws" book (and subsequently the movie) was inspired by real events that unfolded on the Jersey Shore in the summer of 1916. It was scorching that year, and droves of people were seeking refuge in the ocean water. In the span of two weeks, four people were killed and one was injured in shark attacks, setting off a frenzy of "man-eater" hunts.

It is unknown what type of shark species was responsible for the attacks, but scholars suspect it was the great white shark or the bull shark.

Which brings us to our rule. Which is correct?

• The attacks were maybe caused by a great white.
• The attacks were may be caused by a great white.

Main Rule: "May be" is a verb phrase (verb + auxiliary); "maybe" is an adverb.

Quick test: Replace the "maybe/may be" with "perhaps." If "perhaps" makes sense, then it's "maybe." If "perhaps" doesn't make sense, then it's "may be."

Example 1:

• Maybe/may be you should get out of the water.
• Perhaps you should get out of the water.

This example passes the "perhaps" test, so the adverb "maybe" is correct.

Example 2:

• The shark maybe/may be a vegetarian.
• The shark perhaps a vegetarian.

This example fails the "perhaps" test, so the verb phrase "may be" is correct.

ProfNet, a service of PR Newswire, has helped journalists and experts connect since 1992. Writers can search the ProfNet Connect database of more than 50,000 profiles; send a ProfNet query by email to thousands of subscribers around the globe; or get timely experts and story ideas by email.

image via Flickr user candiche

Via this column, we'll explore one grammar rule each week. If you have a grammar question you'd like me to address, please drop me a line at grace.lavigne@prnewswire.com and I'll do my best to answer it.

200 years ago on Monday, President James Madison and Congress declared war on Great Britain. The reasons behind this decision can be vaguely summed up by saying that Americans were ticked off that they were still under British thumb in terms of military and trade power, and were sick and tired of leftover political ties that had never been severed after the Revolutionary War.

June 18 was the first day of the War of 1812, sometimes referred to as the "second war of independence." Significant occurrences in this war included the Battle of the Horseshoe Bend and the Battle of New Orleans, where Andrew Jackson made a name for himself as an army general; the Battle of Baltimore, which inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the lyrics of our national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner"; and the Burning of Washington, when many public government buildings were destroyed or damaged, including the Capitol and the White House.

By 1815, the war had reached a stalemate, and both sides agreed to sign a treaty, leaving the U.S. as a truly independent nation. The "Era of Good Feelings" followed, which was a time when Americans were surging with pride, patriotism and bipartisanship over the recent victory.

So was June 18 a historic day, or an historic day?

Statue of Andrew "Old Hickory" Jackson in New Orleans

A common misstep here is to think that a comes before consonants and an comes before vowels. It's not that simple.

Main Rule: Use a before words that start with a consonant sound, and an before words that start with a vowel sound.

The distinction is between consonant and consonant sound, or vowel and vowel sound.

For example, the word historic has a pronounced h sound, so the correct answer is: June 18 is a historic day.

On the other hand, if we look at the word hour, which also begins with an h, we realize that the h is silent in this case, and therefore the first sound pronounced is a vowel. So the correct answer is: British troops were an hour away from the capital.

Quick test: Say the words out loud to see how you naturally use a or an. Your instinct is probably correct. Would you really say an historic day? Awkward.

ProfNet, a service of PR Newswire, has helped journalists and experts connect since 1992. Writers can search the ProfNet Connect database of more than 50,000 profiles; send a ProfNet query by email to thousands of subscribers around the globe; or get timely experts and story ideas by email.

image via Flickr user dbking