Have you ever found yourself typing “should of” instead of “should have”? The mistake is an easy one to make if you don’t pay attention. The trouble is that “f” and “v” are corresponding letters. We make their sounds in almost exactly the same way. The only difference, in linguistic terms, is that one is…
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Can “they, their, or them” ever be singular?
March 24, 2017 was a breakthrough day for writers: The Associated Press style guide allowed — for the very first time — that forms of “they” might sometimes be used to stand for singular nouns. It was by no means a full-blown endorsement. But it opened the door to a usage that has appeared in…
“Make do…not due”
Avoid stepping in major English grammar do-do (or is it due-due???). Keep reading to learn more. The following sentences have all appeared in recent newspaper articles: “While traditional biopsies require billions of tumour cells be carved or drawn out of patients, this new technology can make due with several thousand.” “While La La Land had a record…
“Fewer” or “Less”?
People may have corrected you from time to time on your use of “fewer” or “less” in English sentences. So what’s the difference? The issue is a matter of count nouns vs. non-count nouns. Use “fewer” when you are speaking about things that can be counted and are in the plural. These are nouns like…
Why do we study English, anyway?
Posted on Author nKz27B5dNPPosted in High school essay writing, IELTS, Middle school essay writingLeave a Reply
“Miss L,” a student began, looking up at me from her desk to where I, as a novice teacher stood at the front of the room and asked me one of those crucial questions that throws a lesson plan out the window; she asked: “Why do we study English, anyway?” Whether you teach English literature…
“Than me” vs. “Than I”
Perhaps this usage issue is a losing battle, but it’s worth taking one last stand! Did you know that when a speaker says someone is “taller than me” or “smarter than him,” the speaker is using incorrect expressions? The statements should be “taller than I” or “smarter than he” – short forms for “taller than…
“Affect” vs. “Effect”
You’re not alone if you sometimes have trouble differentiating between the English words “affect” and “effect.” The distinction can be tricky, even though on the surface the difference between the two words is simple. “Affect” is almost always a verb meaning “to influence” or “to change.” Having a cold might affect your performance on a…
How Studying Abroad Taught Me to Write Essays
I studied abroad twice as an undergraduate. After graduating, I spent a year in Germany with a Fulbright scholarship, which was administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, a division of the Institute of International Education. As a Ph.D. student, I spent another year in Germany researching for my dissertation. As an instructor, I advised many students in…
Translating academic skills into career skills
You’ve studied hard, received good grades, completed graduate school, and then you find yourself out there trying to convert essay writing skills and exam taking skills into professional skills in the workplace. So are all those academic skills relevant to your professional life? I’d definitely say, “Yes!” In fact,I wrote about my own transition…
Accessing Accessibility Resources
“I need to talk to you about something.” Toward the end of a semester, I always had a handful of conversations with students that started this way. Students who hadn’t turned in any term work, or who hadn’t attended class, or who had earned low marks came to my office to confide in me. /…