The words chews and choose are pronounced in the same way but are spelled differently and have different meanings, which makes them homophones. Homophones are words that are totally unrelated and have different etymologies, but have the same pronunciation. We will examine the definitions of the words chews and choose, where they came from and some examples of their use in sentences. Chews means to grind something between one's teeth, to break something up by gnashing one's teeth. Synonyms of … [Read more...]
First, second and third person
The terms first, second and third person are confusing to many English speakers, though they use these categories of grammar in their speech and writing, every day. We will examine exactly what is third person, second person and first person, the difference between them, when they are used and some examples of that use in sentences. First person, second person and third person refer to point of view. Point of view has implications in telling a story, as well as in grammar. The grammatical … [Read more...]
Roommate, room mate or room-mate
Many people are confused about how to spell roommate, room mate or room-mate. The question most asked: "Is roommate one word?" We will discuss how to spell roommate, room mate or room-mate, as well the definition of these words and where they came from, and some examples of their use in sentences. A roommate, room-mate or room mate is a person who lives in the same house or apartment as another person. Usually, the roommate, room-mate or room mate is not related to the other person, and is … [Read more...]
Relative pronouns
Most English speakers use relative pronouns every day, though they may not understand what are relative pronouns. We will discuss exactly what is a relative pronoun, learn how to identify a relative pronoun, look at a list of relative pronouns, and some examples of relative pronouns as they are used in sentences. A relative pronoun refers to a noun which was previously mentioned in the sentence, and connects a relative clause to an independent clause. A relative clause is also known as a … [Read more...]
Benefiting vs benefitting
The word benefiting and benefitting are alternate spellings of the same word. Many are confused about when each of these spellings is appropriate. We will examine the benefitting and benefiting meaning, the etymology, the appropriate use of each of these spellings and some examples of their use in sentences. Benefiting or benefitting is the present participle of the verb benefit. The verb benefit means to give an advantage or some type of profit to someone, or to receive an advantage or some … [Read more...]
Present progressive tense
The present progressive tense is a verb inflection that many find quite confusing. We will examine what is present progressive tense, the difference between simple present and present progressive tenses, when to use the present progressive form, as well as some present progressive examples. The present progressive tense is constructed by pairing the present tense of the verb to be, along with the present participle of the main verb. In this case, the verb to be is an auxiliary or helping … [Read more...]
Chose vs choose
Chose and choose are two words that many find confusing, especially those who speak English as a second language. We will define chose and define choose, where these words came from, how to decide when to use the word choose vs chose, and some examples of that use in sentences. Choose means to pick one thing over another, to select something out of a group of things, to prefer one thing over other things. Choose is the simple present tense and the simple future tense of the verb choose. The … [Read more...]
Once bitten, twice shy
Once bitten, twice shy is an interesting idiom that first appeared in the 1800s. An idiom is a word, group of words or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is not easily deduced from its literal definition. Common idioms are words and phrases used in the English language in order to convey a concise idea, and are often spoken or are considered informal or conversational. An idiom can illustrate emotion more quickly than a phrase that has a literal meaning, even when the origin of the … [Read more...]
Take a toll and take its toll
The phrases take a toll and take its tollare idioms. An idiom is a word, group of words or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is not easily deduced from its literal definition. Common idioms are words and phrases used in the English language in order to convey a concise idea, and are often spoken in conversation or are considered informal or conversational. An idiom can illustrate emotion more quickly than a phrase that has a literal meaning, even when the origin of the idiomatic … [Read more...]
Mob justice and mob rule
The termsmob justice andmob rule came into use in the 1800s, though the term mob rule is used more frequently. We will examine the definitions of the terms mob justice andmob rule, where the idea of this phenomenon was first described, and some examples of the use of these terms in sentences. Mob justice andmob rule refer to a type of majority rule that is a form of anarchy. In a mob justice ormob rule incident, a crowd gathers, sometimes spontaneously, but not always, in order to force a … [Read more...]