Laura Wilkinson

What is inclusive language? It’s language that makes people feel included—language that doesn’t discriminate based on a person’s race or ethnicity, sexuality, gender, age, ability, or socioeconomic status. In medical and health education, the way we discuss patients (even hypothetical ones) matters because all people deserve to feel seen, respected, and included. To address traditionally read more…

This month’s writing tip is another dive into the differences between two words. This time, let’s tackle then vs than. It’s easy to see why these can be confused, right? They’re practically the same word (in spelling and sound), but they have different meanings and uses. So what’s the difference between them?  When making a read more…

This month’s post focuses on two terms that are often swapped: less and fewer. Don’t they mean the same thing? Essentially, yes—both terms involve a smaller number or limited amount of whatever thing you’re discussing. So how do you know when to use each term? Here’s the easiest, most straightforward way.  In general, use “fewer” read more…

Perhaps you’ve heard about the serial (or Oxford) comma, and if you have, it might have come with intense opinion. I can’t think of a grammar topic accompanied by so much insistence that the other side is wrong. People like what they like, and when it comes to a serial comma, they’re not going to read more…

This month’s tip is about three words that are often confused, thanks to a pair of homophones and each word ending in the same five letters. The words being dissected today are elicit, illicit, and solicit. All three words can be found in medical writing, so keeping them straight is important! Let’s dig into them. read more…