Tag Archives: English grammar
English Phrases for Saying “Good Night” Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 30, 2020
One of the first phrases we learn in any language is how to say, “Good night.” As with “Hello” and “How are you?”, saying “Good night” is not only an essential phrase but also something which can be said in many different ways. In English, we have some colorful ways to wish someone a good…
What are the double comparatives in English? Posted by carol on Oct 30, 2020
Hey guys! Hope you are having a nice week. And how is your English level, by the way? Have you been studying hard? Well, as you must know, the more you practice, the better! And this is why today’s post will cover what we call the double comparatives. Ever heard of them? It is a…
The Many Possibilities of English Vocabulary Posted by Gary Locke on May 16, 2019
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…
What You Need to Know About You Posted by Gary Locke on Nov 10, 2017
You is one of the most frequently-used words in our language, but everything about it can seem bewilderingly complex. Any native speaker of English understands that the personal pronoun you can be either singular or plural, and a subject or an object of a sentence. Unfortunately, to distinguish which usage is intended, it is imperative…
What is a Pun? Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 9, 2016
A pun, or paronomasia, is a play on words which exploits the vagaries of language. Since many English words often sound alike, and have multiple meanings, puns are everywhere. A pun may be a joke, but not all jokes are puns. Jokes may contain clever wordplay, but they don’t have to. All puns are made…
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 ‘could’ vs. ‘would’ Posted by Gabriele on Jun 9, 2015
Let’s take a closer look at how to use two common English modals: ‘could’ and ‘would’. If you want a brief review of the use of modal verbs in English check out this previous post from this blog. Right now we are going to dive in to* the difference between ‘could’ and ‘would’ and when…