Tag Archives: parts of speech
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…
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…
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…
What is Syntax? Posted by Gary Locke on Aug 31, 2017
“When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not.” The way you order your words when you speak or write is important. You want everyone to understand you. When Yoda, of Star Wars fame, speaks it isn’t always easy to instantly comprehend his meaning because his syntax is a bit odd…
That’s a Real Word? Posted by Gary Locke on Jun 29, 2017
It is easy to mangle the English language. I hear native speakers do it all the time. But when I learn that a word, which I assume is either mispronounced or made up, is a real word then I’m gobsmacked. Gobsmacked Let’s start there. Gobsmacked is common British slang for being surprised and, to my…
Why I, I Wonder? Posted by Gary Locke on Apr 14, 2017
In the English language, I is the nominative singular pronoun, used in reference to oneself, and it is always capitalized. No other language singles out and capitalizes this pronoun, only English. We don’t capitalize any other pronoun, me, my, mine, we, us, our… The question is – why? The most obvious answer is because English…
Nonetheless, Nevertheless, Notwithstanding Posted by Gary Locke on Mar 23, 2017
Here they are again: Words which sound so much alike, have similar meanings, and everybody uses them. What, then, is the difference? Let’s begin with the fact that nonetheless, nevertheless, and notwithstanding are all compound words. This means that you can break the word up into separate words. By doing so, you can find clues…