English Language Blog

Many of us understand that homonyms are words with the same spelling or pronunciation but have different meanings and origins. We encounter homonyms every day. We also deal with polysemous words, or polysemes, which are words which can be used to express different meanings but have similar origins. The difference between homonymy and polysemy is…

As I have mentioned in this space before, I work in theater. The world of theater has its own very unique vocabulary, some of which may sound very familiar to you, while some will probably sound quite odd. This seems like a good time to share and explain some of the most important vocabulary terms…

The US Center for Disease Control has announced that measles, one of the most contagious diseases in the world, is at a twenty-five-year high. It is this nation’s highest total since 1994, with eight full months to go in the year. Today, as I write this, a cruise ship has been quarantined because of an…

Good afternoon to all readers! How have you been? In the previous post we went over some words in English that can be used instead of ‘very’ to avoid its excessive use, in addition to diversifying and boosting your vocabulary. So here are a couple of more suggestions for you. Enjoy: eager or thrilled instead…

We hear it, or read it, all the time in English. A statement is made, followed by “…Which begs the question…” Does it? Does it really? I am about to get up on my grammatical soapbox, which is to say that I am about to rant. Forgive me, but it’s time to stop the annoying…

The very controversial New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was recently accused of mimicking African Americans during a speech. She tossed in a few words from black urban culture and phrased some of her language in a manner unlike her common way of speaking. Many thought that she was misappropriating Black English and that it was…

If you are a music fan in the United States, or many other places in the world, you have likely heard of the Billboard charts. This is a weekly tabulation of the popularity of songs in a variety of genres, or styles. These lists are compiled by Billboard Magazine and its online presence, Billboard Biz…