Ah, the fun issues with English grammar (on both sides of the pond. :-D). The one thing that makes this language so interesting and so strong but also a major pain in the brain, all the rules and exceptions to those rules. Or, as I like to put it, there is only one rule in English: There is an exception to every rule.

For those who want to put a bit of polish on their articles or have questions about English Grammar and styles, I recommend The Chicago Manual of Style. This is a publishing industry standard and it has very good explanations of the rules of English grammar and the styles that have been created over the years. There are other style manuals out there that are just as good, this one is just my personal favorite and the one I am most exposed to.

One of the things mentioned in The Chicago Manual of Style is that the rules discussed in the book are not set in stone. You can follow them or not. Following that statement in the book is the advice to be consistent in your style choices throughout the piece. It makes the article easier to read.

Basic rules of grammar need to be adhered to so your article can be read and understood. It is those rules (like the agreement of the subject with the conjugation of the verb, the use of articles, etc.) that allow your ideas and comments to be communicated and duplicated by your readers. If you are not quite sure of them, get someone who is fluent in English to read over your article and suggest corrections. Some things might be typos that a spellchecker will not catch (like "too be" when it should be "to be") but others might be just plain wrong, "I are watching" is something the spell checker won't pick up, a grammar checker might, but someone fluent in English will spot immediately.

Of all the advice in the article and following posts, getting someone to review it for grammar errors is at the top of the list. While the code in your article really does need to work, if your grammar is lousy, people aren't even going to get to your code. Good grammar in the articles allows you to get to first base. The other tips and guidelines allow you to make it back to home base with a successful article.