Is the phonetic alphabet really that powerful?
[display_podcast] In an earlier post I talked a little about how an understanding of English grammar can take you a long way to being a better communicator and a better learner. In this post I want to...
View ArticleChristmas Vocabulary : What’s behind the holiday?
Yes, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! And if you are in a country where Christianity is the dominant religion you will certainly see signs of it everywhere you go! Now, I don’t want to take...
View ArticleScrooge : A mean piece of vocabulary
‘Scrooge‘ – not a word in everyday use, unless we have a very mean relative or friend, and a word that is perhaps drifting to the sidelines of the language a little. But at this time of the year you.
View ArticleHappy New Year! But where does it come from?
Donuts! You might be wondering what that has to do with New Year or the English language – well read on and you’ll find out why Homer Simpson’s love of donuts may be his personal ‘lucky charm‘. First,...
View ArticleInsure or Ensure : As long as you’re covered!
Question from English4Today member, Irene in Canada: Using the services of my company ENSURES the task is completed correctly, on time & on budget! OR 2) Using the services of my company INSURES...
View ArticleAcronyms : OMG they are everywhere!
Question from English4Today member Vin in the USA: What is it called when letters are substituted for words, i.e., LOL stands for Laugh out loud. Hi Vin, they are everywhere and they are called...
View Article‘How about’ vs ‘what about’ : same difference?
Question from English4Today member Khadija in Morocco When can we use “how about” and when can we use “what about”? Hi Khadija. This is another one of those situations, and we’ve discussed quite a few...
View ArticleAccepting with no regrets
Question from English4Today member Gireesh in the United Arab Emirates: Which one of the following sentences is correct having the meaning like “cannot accept…” ? 1) We regret to accept your letter….....
View ArticleHear and Listen: Easy confusion
Question from Khadija in Morocco: What is the difference between ‘hear’ and ‘listen’? Answer: Hi, Khadija. Thank’s for your question, I’m sure that the difference between ‘listen‘ and ‘hear‘ is not...
View ArticleMore problem prepositions arriving…
Question from Cathy in Canada: Can we say I arrive to work at 9 o’clock or do we need to use “at”? Also can we say I was late to class or do we need to use “in”? Thank you..
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