Archive for 'English Grammar'
Want Fun with English? Says You! Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 2, 2016
One of the great pleasures of any language is getting to play with it. Word games, brainteasers, puzzles and quizzes – they all have ways to both challenge and educate us. For over two decades, a radio show in the U.S. has delighted and confounded its listeners by having fun with the English language. Please…
Gender and the English Language Posted by Gary Locke on Nov 10, 2016
In many languages, nouns have a specific gender. They can be masculine, feminine, or even gender-neutral. Definite and indefinite articles, as well as adjectives, generally agree with the gender. Germanic and most Nordic languages have three forms of gender. Latinate languages have only two genders for everything. In French, for example, a garden is masculine…
When Should You Use a Hyphen? Posted by Gary Locke on Oct 21, 2016
Let’s now discuss one of the most problematic issues in English grammar: When is the right time to hyphenate a word? This is problematic because most of the rules surrounding the use of hyphens aren’t absolute. Many grammarians use the words, usually and typically when describing situations which call for the use of hyphens. A…
Homonyms: The Scourge of the English Language Posted by Gary Locke on Sep 9, 2016
In spite of technological advances, which have made the life of the modern writer so much easier, sometimes even the most sophisticated software program is of no help whatsoever. Writers can format, layout, and review their work almost instantaneously. Spell check is like having an extra pair of eyes on the page at all times…
English prepositions – at, by, in, on Posted by Gabriele on Jul 19, 2016
This post offers an overview of four common English prepositions and how they are used when talking about time, transportation, and location. I am sure you see and use these four prepositions all the time. Prepositions are tricky for a lot of people – they can be hard to learn to use correctly as they…
Do You Lie Down or Lay Down? Posted by Gary Locke on Jul 13, 2016
Prepare yourself, because we are going to tackle one of the most confusing issues in proper English. The difference between the usage of lay and lie has been a grammatical nightmare for native English speakers since before the days of Shakespeare. Even the most articulate and educated among us seem to have problems with the…
English interjections Posted by Gabriele on May 24, 2016
Interjections are short words or sounds that are used to express feelings or emotion. What interjection do you think this baby would make if it could? I think he is about to say “Yikes!” Interjections are words that convey emotion. They do not have a grammatical relationship to other parts of a sentence. They stand…