Grammar & Word Choice Guide

Quick answers to the grammar questions people search most: word-choice mix-ups (enquiry vs inquiry, to vs too), punctuation rules (colon vs semicolon, comma before which), and AI-writing questions (can ChatGPT be detected, how to humanize AI text). Pick a topic below for the full explanation and examples.

Word choice

Commonly confused words

Enquiry vs Inquiry

"Enquiry" is the general, everyday question (UK usage); "inquiry" is a formal investigation.

To vs Too

"To" points somewhere or starts a verb; "too" means also or excessively.

Has vs Have

"Has" goes with he, she, and it; "have" goes with I, you, we, and they.

British vs American Spelling

-our vs -or, -ise vs -ize, -re vs -er — which convention to use and when.

Punctuation

Punctuation rules

Colon vs Semicolon

A colon introduces a list or an explanation; a semicolon joins two complete sentences.

Comma Before Which, Where, Who

A comma is needed before extra, non-essential information — not before information that defines what came before it.

Starting a Sentence with However

Grammatically fine at the start of a sentence — just follow it with a comma.

Writing craft

Beyond grammar

Onomatopoeia Examples

Words that imitate the sound they describe, like buzz, crash, and sizzle, with more examples across everyday writing.

AI writing

Writing with AI

Can ChatGPT Be Detected?

AI detectors exist, but they're unreliable, and false positives on human writing are common.

How to Humanize AI Content

Vary sentence length, add specifics, and edit by hand — the habits that make AI-drafted text read like a person wrote it.

All 10 guides at a glance

The quick rule for each. Follow a link above or below for the full explanation and examples.

Question	Quick rule	Full guide
Enquiry vs inquiry	"Enquiry" = general question (UK); "inquiry" = formal investigation	/enquiry-vs-inquiry
To vs too	"To" = direction/infinitive; "too" = also/excessively	/to-vs-too
Has vs have	"Has" with he/she/it; "have" with I/you/we/they	/has-vs-have
British vs American spelling	-our vs -or, -ise vs -ize, -re vs -er	/british-vs-american-spelling
Colon vs semicolon	Colon introduces a list/explanation; semicolon joins two full sentences	/colon-vs-semicolon
Comma before which/where/who	Comma needed for extra (non-essential) info, not for defining info	/comma-before-which-where-who
Starting a sentence with "however"	Grammatically fine; use a comma after it	/starting-a-sentence-with-however
Onomatopoeia examples	Words that imitate a sound (buzz, crash, sizzle)	/onomatopoeia-examples
Can ChatGPT be detected	Detectors exist but are unreliable; false positives are common	/can-chatgpt-be-detected
How to humanize AI content	Vary sentence length, add specifics, edit by hand	/how-to-humanize-ai-content

Grammar & word choice FAQ

AI tools follow common usage patterns, but they can still mix up commonly confused words or apply inconsistent regional spelling. Knowing the rule yourself means you catch it before you publish, whether you wrote the sentence or a tool did.

Neither — they're two consistent conventions, not a right and a wrong answer. Pick one based on your audience and stay consistent with it across a single piece of writing.

They flag patterns associated with AI writing, but they disagree with each other, change without notice, and regularly flag human writing as AI-generated. Treat a detector result as a signal, not a verdict.

Enquiry vs inquiry and to vs too are the two most-searched mix-ups on this list — start there, then work through punctuation once those are automatic.

Written by Karin Littlewood. Last updated September 18, 2026.