Archive for 'English Language'
Consider the Semicolon Posted by Gary Locke on Jan 4, 2018
It sits on our keyboards next to the L, below the colon, and beside the apostrophe and quotation marks. Neither a comma nor a period, the semicolon is a tool for connecting thoughts, erasing confusion, and adding style to any piece of writing. I’ve never understood the confusion over how to use a semicolon, yet…
Top 10 English Blogs of 2017 Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 28, 2017
2017 was a busy year for us at the English Language Blog. We covered a wide range of topics from studies of literary figures like Agatha Christie and Henry David Thoreau to the vocabulary of spies and how to properly write about time. Still, what we always like to know is what you wanted…
English Phrases and Idioms With “Catch” Posted by sasha on Dec 6, 2017
English can be a confusing language. There are so many words in English that can have different meanings depending on the context. Add in slang and idioms, and ESL learners can often find themselves quite confused even though they know the meaning of a word on its own. In this post, we’ll look at some…
Further vs. Farther in English Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 1, 2017
You can go further in life if you know the difference between further and farther. We cover many confusing elements of English vocabulary in this blog, and for good reason – there are a lot of them! One of the most commonly mixed-up pairs of words is farther and further. They are both adverbs relative…
Linking English Sentences Together Posted by Gary Locke on Oct 26, 2017
As you begin to learn a language, you start small. Words have one syllable. Sentences are short and basic. There is nothing wrong with keeping your words and phrases simple. People will understand you. However, you know that people don’t really speak in short sentences all the time. It just isn’t easy to know…
The (English) Language of Spies Posted by Gary Locke on Oct 19, 2017
They walk among us. If you spend enough time at an international airport, I guarantee that one will pass right in front of you. They hack, they listen, they watch from the shadows, they examine records, they find and exploit secrets, and they have been around for centuries. They are spies. In the most simplistic…
English Phrases and Idioms About Dogs Posted by sasha on Oct 12, 2017
We’ve already learned about cats, so now it’s time for the dogs. People say that dogs are man’s best friend. Let’s learn about how our furry friends made it into the language with these English phrases and idioms about dogs. sick as a dog Meaning: to be very sick Example: “You’d better go home. You…