Sometimes, sometime, and some time are very different words so you need to be careful when you use them. These are words that even native speakers get confused with! Sometimes Sometimes is an adverb of frequency. Use sometimes to talk about how often you do something. Think of it as halfway between never and […]
English Vocabulary: 16 NEW Words Added to the Dictionary in 2012!
Last week, the American dictionary company Merriam-Webster announced that it had added 100 new words & definitions to its Collegiate Dictionary [= dictionary for people in college/university]! These words are slang words and words that have been created to describe new events or products. They have been in use for a few years, but this […]
English Vocabulary: Brand Names that are Regular Nouns
This is a lesson for people learning to speak English as a foreign language. I have chosen common American brands for this article. An English learner recently asked me a question on Facebook about the word ‘Xerox.’ Even though it is a brand name, she heard people use it as a synonym for ‘photocopy.’ This […]
English Grammar: Plural Proper Nouns
Why do we call the American music awards show The Grammys, and not The Grammies? One of the first things you learned in English class was the “rule” making the plural form of nouns that end with -y. If a noun with two or more syllables ends in consonant + y, the plural is made […]
English Grammar: When is It OK to Use “Foods” and “Fruits”?
One of the first “rules” that English students learn is that uncountable nouns can’t be used in the plural form. As you continue studying English, you start seeing foods and fruits, and you wonder, “is the rule wrong?” There are some nouns that are both countable and uncountable nouns. In this English grammar lesson, you […]