Tag Archives: vocabulary
Basic English: Positively Negative Posted by Gary Locke on Oct 11, 2018
Some of the most common words in English are negatives. These words express the opposite of a positive statement. There are a lot of them. However, this is English after all, so not all negatives fit into the same grammatical category. Let’s take a little time to clarify which part of speech these negatives belong…
Old Dictionary, New Words Posted by Gary Locke on Sep 6, 2018
As you know, the English language is an evolving, ever-changing construct. The words we speak and write can change in meaning, become forgotten, or morph into something quite different. This is one of the reasons that language, and linguistics, is such a challenging discipline. Merriam-Webster Dictionary, one of the leading resources for English in the…
What Color is That? Posted by Gary Locke on Aug 30, 2018
“Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.” Pablo Picasso How do you describe colors? The sky is blue, but so is the ocean. They aren’t the same color, are they? And the sky and ocean aren’t always the same color all the time. How, then, do you distinguish one shade of a color…
Up and Out on a Date in English Posted by Gary Locke on Jul 12, 2018
As regular readers of this blog know, the English language is full of confusing expressions and terminology which make life difficult for learners. Even native speakers can be excused for shaking their heads in bewilderment sometimes during a simple conversation. I heard a brief exchange between two people the other day which made me wonder…
The Vending Machine Vocabulary Posted by Gary Locke on Jul 6, 2018
Ah, the vending machine! Let us sing the praises of this staple of the office lunchroom, lobby, or dining hall. They may dispense snacks, cold drinks, hot drinks, frozen food, healthy treats, sandwiches, or candy. In the United States, you will also find vending machines in hotels and motels, laundromats, schools, cinemas, hospitals and clinics…
Why Do Americans Call Football Soccer? Posted by Gary Locke on Jun 21, 2018
A tournament doesn’t get to be called The World Cup if it’s only played in a handful of countries. We call it the World Cup because it is played all over the world. And the sport is known by the same name everywhere. Well, almost. While the rest of the world calls the classic round-ball…
The New Suffix Posted by Gary Locke on Jun 7, 2018
A suffix is a letter, or several letters, added to a word which then forms a new word. It is a tail at the end, wagging at us and saying, “Look at me! I’m something new!” A suffix can change a verb to a noun or an adjective. Add -ly to an adjective and you…