Archive for 'English Grammar'
Prepositions of movement Posted by carol on May 31, 2021
All teachers know it: when it comes to prepositions, students cannot help but roll their eyes in frustration. And there is no denying that this grammar topic can be highly confusing even to the most advanced learners. And in some cases we might come across that word that we didn’t even know was a preposition…
What Are Neopronouns? Posted by Gary Locke on May 27, 2021
By now you should be well acquainted with the classic English pronouns, such as he, she, we, they, them – those words that take the place of nouns. We use pronouns in place of other nouns. Some pronouns traditionally were also gender-specific. Subjective male/female pronouns: He/She Objective male/female pronouns: Him/Her Possessive male/female pronouns: His/Hers Reflexive…
Confusing Paronyms and Homophones Posted by Gary Locke on Apr 23, 2021
As confusing and maddening as English can be sometimes, learners and even native speakers have particular difficulty dealing with paronyms. In fact, to make matters worse, we even have trouble figuring out the difference between paronyms and homophones! Homophones are words that sound exactly alike, are even pronounced alike, but have very different spellings and…
Us or We? Posted by Gary Locke on Apr 15, 2021
Welcome to another example of why English may be the most infuriating language in the world. Two of the most commonly used words in English are the pronouns Us and We. They are both first-person plural pronouns which mean a group of two or more people. Yet, they are very commonly misused even by highly…
Literally and Figuratively Posted by Gary Locke on Mar 18, 2021
If there is one word in the English language that literally enrages people, it is the word literally. This adverb is literally defined as something which is accurate, exact, and precise. To be literal is to be without exaggeration or hyperbole. And yet, in English, you will often hear literally used in a figurative manner…
The Incomplete Sentence Posted by Gary Locke on Feb 18, 2021
An incomplete sentence, or sentence fragment, is an incomplete thought. There is some vital piece of information missing. Usually, what’s missing is either a verb or a noun. This is elementary English and should be easy to identify. We know an incomplete sentence when we see one. Or, do we? When does a sentence fragment…
English Words and Phrases of Transition Posted by Gary Locke on Feb 11, 2021
In English, a transition is a word or phrase that links the idea from one paragraph to the next. It’s necessary to connect sentences and paragraphs so that thoughts and ideas merge. We need a bridge from one to the other, otherwise it just seems as though we are jumping from one thing to the…