FAQs about sentence and word structure

What are some common compound words?

Some of the most common compound words include the following:

• Compound nouns like “airplane,” “bookshelf,” “peanut butter,” and “watermelon”
• All of the phrasal verbs (e.g., “hang out” and “dive in”)
• The indefinite pronouns “everyone,” “someone,” and “anybody”
• The prepositions “into,” “outside,” and “without”
• Compound adjectives like “old-fashioned”

Compound words can be closed (one word with no hyphen), open (two words), or hyphenated. When you’re writing with compound words, the Quillbot Grammar Checker will ensure that they’re spelled and formatted correctly.

Read this FAQ: What are some common compound words?

Are all compound words nouns?

Some but not all compound words are nouns. Common compound nouns include “airport,” “grandparent,” “sandbox,” “yard sale,” and “merry-go-round.” Compound words can also be other parts of speech:

• Adjectives (e.g., “middle-aged” or “everlasting”)
• Adverbs (e.g., “clockwise” or “anymore”)
• Verbs (e.g., “eavesdrop” or “foreclose”)
• Phrasal verbs (e.g., “bring up” or “give away”)
• Prepositions (e.g., “into” or “outside”)
• Indefinite pronouns (e.g., “anybody” or “no one”)

Compound words can be tricky because some of them are closed (one word with no hyphen), and others are open (two words) or hyphenated. Luckily, the Quillbot Grammar Checker can help you format compound words correctly.

Read this FAQ: Are all compound words nouns?

Can you use contractions in formal writing?

Contractions are sometimes too informal for certain types of academic writing (e.g., essays and dissertations). In workplace writing and job applications (e.g., cover letters), they’re usually fine in moderation.

For example, “I am writing to apply for … ” sounds stilted, whereas “I’m writing to apply for … ” sounds more concise and natural.

When you do need to avoid contractions, the Quillbot Paraphraser can instantly show you formal alternatives.

Read this FAQ: Can you use contractions in formal writing?

Is it could of or could have?

The correct phrase is could have, not could of. People sometimes accidentally write “could of” because it sounds like the contraction “could’ve.” However, the preposition “of” never goes after the modal verb “could.”

“Could have” and “could’ve” are both correct ways to show that something was once possible but didn’t happen (e.g., “We could have/could’ve gone to the beach last year, but we went to the mountains instead”).

To avoid mistakes like “could of,” “would of,” “should of,” etc, you can run any piece of writing through the Quillbot Grammar Checker. It will instantly spot these errors and show you what to write instead.

Read this FAQ: Is it could of or could have?

Is it where, were, or we’re?

It can be where, were, or we’re depending on the context.

• Use the interrogative “where” when you want to ask a question about location (e.g., “Where is Carmen going for vacation?”
• Use the verb “were” when you need the past tense form of “be” (e.g., “The dogs were barking loudly yesterday”).
• “We’re” is a contraction for “we are” (e.g., “We’re making our own bouquets for the anniversary party”).

These three words sound alike, so it’s easy to get them confused. Luckily, Quillbot’s free Grammar Checker can help you keep them straight.

Read this FAQ: Is it where, were, or we’re?

How do you spell until correctly?

The word until is spelled with one “l.”

Have you tried Quillbot’s free Grammar Checker? It will help you avoid common typos like “untill” instead of “until.”

Read this FAQ: How do you spell until correctly?

Does until include that day?

When until refers to a day or date, the meaning can be ambiguous because “until” refers to a particular point in that day or date rather than the whole day or date.

When people say “I’m out of office until Monday/May 2,” they generally mean that the state of “being out of office” will continue up to and end at the beginning of work, school, etc. on Monday (e.g., at 9 a.m. when they start work on Monday), so they will be back at work and available on Monday/May 2.

If they say “I’m here/available/working until Wednesday,” they generally mean that the state of “being here/available/working” will continue up to the end of work, school, etc. on Wednesday (e.g., 5 p.m. on Wednesday), so they will still be here/available/working on Wednesday.

To avoid confusion, you can specify the “end point” of the state or situation (e.g., “I’m out of office until 9 a.m. on May 2,” or “I’m available until 5 p.m. on Wednesday”).

Have you tried Quillbot’s free Grammar Checker? You can use it to check your out of office email messages.

Read this FAQ: Does until include that day?

Is it till or until?

Both till and until are correct and have the same meaning.

They can be used interchangeably, but “till” has a more informal effect, so is best avoided in formal writing—such as academic writing.

Quillbot’s free Paraphraser tool can help you to fine-tune the formality of your text.

Read this FAQ: Is it till or until?

Is it until or til?

Both until and ‘til are correct and have the same meaning.

They can be used interchangeably but “‘til” (written with an apostrophe before it) is informal, so is best avoided in formal writing such as a research paper.

Quillbot’s free Paraphraser tool can help you find the right level of formality for your text.

Read this FAQ: Is it until or til?

Is it until or untill?

It is until, not untill.

The preposition and subordinating conjunction “until” is spelled with one “l.”

Quillbot’s free Grammar Checker will help you avoid common typos like “untill” instead of “until.”

Read this FAQ: Is it until or untill?