Clik here to view.
Hit or myth: you can’t start a sentence with ‘and’ or ‘but’
It’s a rule beloved by schoolteachers: you can’t start a sentence with and or but. It’s also one of the few rules of grammar many people remember actually being mentioned at school. But could we in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
iGE iPhone app review
Apple boasts that there are now more than 500,000 iPhone apps available. Some are useful, and some less so (we particularly love the virtual stapler). But which camp does University College London’s...
View ArticleIn or on
This may be a post mostly for our non-native English speaking readers. When to use in or on at any given moment is something native speakers give little thought to, simply because they’ve grown up...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hit or myth? Use ‘an’ before h-words
No one ever said English was a straightforward language. No sooner have you learned one rule than you are presented with all the exceptions. As dewy-eyed innocents, we were taught to put a before words...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Grammarly review: does Grammarly work?
Most of us have felt the limitations of the typical grammar- or spell-check at some point. And who hasn’t stared in bewilderment at one of Word’s seemingly random squiggly lines and cried: ‘What do...
View Article‘I’m looking forward to’ or ‘I look forward to’?
Blog reader Annemarie asks: For a while now, I have been wondering whether I should write ‘I look forward to [doing something]’ or ‘I’m looking forward to [doing something]’. In all my English lessons,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is it 'stadia' or 'stadiums'?
Blog reader Jo asks: I recently watched a television interview with David Cameron during which he used the term ‘stadia’ as the plural of stadium. It sounded very affected, but is it correct? Stadia is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What's the difference between 'fast' and 'quickly'?
Blog reader Paul asks: I’ve seen ‘fast’ and ‘quickly’ used as though they were interchangeable. Is this correct? Strictly speaking, fast is an adjective while quickly is an adverb. Fast refers to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
'Whether' or 'whether or not'?
Blog reader Helen asks: Can I have some advice on how to use ‘whether’? As in ‘whether to write something’ or ‘whether or not to write something’. Leaving out ‘or not’ feels incomplete but putting it...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What is the difference between 'ie' and 'eg'?
Blog reader Fritz asks: I realised just recently that I have been using ‘eg’ and ‘ie’ as though they were interchangeable, yet I have a nagging suspicion that this isn’t the case. Can you enlighten...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hit or myth: you can’t start a sentence with ‘and’ or ‘but’
It’s a rule beloved by schoolteachers: you can’t start a sentence with and or but. It’s also one of the few rules of grammar many people remember actually being mentioned at school. But could we in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
iGE iPhone app review
Apple boasts that there are now more than 500,000 iPhone apps available. Some are useful, and some less so (we particularly love the virtual stapler). But which camp does University College London’s...
View ArticleIn or on
This may be a post mostly for our non-native English speaking readers. When to use in or on at any given moment is something native speakers give little thought to, simply because they’ve grown up...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hit or myth? Use ‘an’ before h-words
No one ever said English was a straightforward language. No sooner have you learned one rule than you are presented with all the exceptions. As dewy-eyed innocents, we were taught to put a before words...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Grammarly review: does Grammarly work?
Most of us have felt the limitations of the typical grammar- or spell-check at some point. And who hasn’t stared in bewilderment at one of Word’s seemingly random squiggly lines and cried: ‘What do...
View Article‘I’m looking forward to’ or ‘I look forward to’?
Blog reader Annemarie asks: For a while now, I have been wondering whether I should write ‘I look forward to [doing something]’ or ‘I’m looking forward to [doing something]’. In all my English lessons,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is it 'stadia' or 'stadiums'?
Blog reader Jo asks: I recently watched a television interview with David Cameron during which he used the term ‘stadia’ as the plural of stadium. It sounded very affected, but is it correct? Stadia is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What's the difference between 'fast' and 'quickly'?
Blog reader Paul asks: I’ve seen ‘fast’ and ‘quickly’ used as though they were interchangeable. Is this correct? Strictly speaking, fast is an adjective while quickly is an adverb. Fast refers to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
'Whether' or 'whether or not'?
Blog reader Helen asks: Can I have some advice on how to use ‘whether’? As in ‘whether to write something’ or ‘whether or not to write something’. Leaving out ‘or not’ feels incomplete but putting it...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What is the difference between 'ie' and 'eg'?
Blog reader Fritz asks: I realised just recently that I have been using ‘eg’ and ‘ie’ as though they were interchangeable, yet I have a nagging suspicion that this isn’t the case. Can you enlighten me?...
View Article
