We have reached the end of the road, for some at least. The final episode of A Murder of Mistakes is upon us and I hope you have enjoyed unravelling the story as much as the grammar.

We conclude by focusing on the usage of the semicolon. It is oft misunderstood, more often misused, or simply not used at all. After this finale, you shall know how to wield it with absolute ease.

As Professor Merriweather elegantly put it, the semicolon is “half-stop, half-trumpet”, which is a fitting end to such a case. The semicolon: neither a comma nor a full stop, but a measured pause in the conversation.

Who knows? We may see some of these suspicious characters again.

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There are rather curious instances in English where one wonders why a certain manner of speaking is favoured over others. Our language is deeply idiosyncratic, often preserving exceptions to prevailing standards like flies trapped in amber.

Today’s instance is the use of demur in the phrase without demur. We routinely say things such as “without objecting” or “without complaining”, so why do we rarely say “without demurring”?

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We have reached the penultimate episode of A Murder of Mistakes. However well the suspects have conducted themselves, masks have certainly slipped—as has grammar. No one’s alibi is watertight, and some did not live to see the end; nevertheless, everyone remains a suspect.

In today’s episode, we look at the use of however and nevertheless. While many writers treat them as identical twins, they are actually just cousins. They both signal a shift in thought, but they do entirely different jobs in a sentence.

Yours sincerely,
Thomas

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Ah, a longstanding miscommunication between British English and American English: In British English, the inclusion or omission of the definite article (“the”) before the word “hospital” changes the entire meaning of the sentence. It determines your relationship to the institution.

It is believed to be George Bernard Shaw who once quipped, ‘Britain and America are two nations divided by a common language’

Yours sincerely,
Thomas

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Understanding can come slowly and laboriously after painstaking time spent working something out. Whereas realisation usually comes thick and fast, rather like an epiphany.

The difference between these verbs boils down to action versus possession. Are you actively trying to solve a puzzle, or do you already hold the knowledge in your head?

Yours sincerely,
Thomas

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In English, because, since, and as can all be used as conjunctions to explain why something happens. However, they are not perfectly interchangeable.

The correct choice depends entirely on what you want the listener to focus on: the reason or the result.

Let us explore the subtle nuances contained within each choice and how we can use them to our stylistic advantage.

Yours sincerely,

Thomas

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Navigating the English language when you are feeling under the weather can be a headache—quite literally. The rules governing which articles precede illnesses depend largely on how the English language categorises the condition.

If you want to precisely declare which vintage of misery one has caught, do read on.

Yours sincerely,
Thomas

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We have a strange case of “like-itis” in contemporary society. The word has evolved to become as useful as a Swiss Army knife, pervading our everyday speech with such ease that even the most sophisticated amongst us cannot escape its influence.

While “like” serves many functions, today’s lesson focuses solely on its use as a preposition meaning “similar to”, being distinct from “such as”.

Whether one likes it or not, “like” is here to stay; however, should one wish to add a little distinction to your expression, read on.

Yours sincerely,
Thomas

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I am loth to admit I was not personally aware of this particular distinction in advance of researching it. The more gaps one seems to fill in one’s knowledge, the more gaps seem to appear—language, after all, is a lifelong journey—and may today’s lesson go some way to expanding one’s own knowledge.

Yours sincerely,
Thomas

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Today’s lesson is a perennial headache of grammatical confusion. It is ‘lie’ or ‘lay’? The difference depends entirely on whether there is an object (a thing being acted upon).

To untangle this mystery, we must interrogate their usage.

Yours sincerely,
Thomas

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Recently, we officially crossed the halfway point of this year (2nd July). While your New Year’s resolutions may be long forgotten—hazy vows made in the temporal no-man’s land of possibility that exists between the 31st of December and the 1st of January—I hope today’s lesson at least provides yet another solution to the resolution to improve one’s English.

Yours sincerely,
Thomas

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These two words (or three, if you are being pedantic) still give me pause for thought. One hopes that today’s lesson will shed enough light to dispel any further confusion.

Are we all together ready? Very well, do carry on!

Yours sincerely,
Thomas

P.S. The subtitles may be helpful for this one.

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In British English, the difference between these two words comes down to a single vowel, but that vowel completely changes the stakes of the situation. It is the difference between asking for directions and being interrogated by a detective.

Read on to unravel the differences between these two seemingly similar verbs.

Yours sincerely,
Thomas

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Has a witting suspect finally been caught in a grammatical trap of their own making? Or do they possess enough education to evade sentencing?

The lawyers amongst us surely know the power of words and the importance of their placement.

However, as with any language, there is a large degree of ambiguity one can leverage to their advantage.

Yours sincerely,
Thomas

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Are you famous for a celebrated achievement? Are you infamous for a scandal in the community? Are you notorious for confusing these words?

Or perhaps you feel similar to Mae W…

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Today we have an exquisite look at a particular grammar issue (i.e., the misuse of i.e. and e.g.). While e.g. is generally used with aplomb, i.e. can certainly cause some… issues.

May this lesson serve to clarify their usage and sharpen your prose.

Yours sincerely,
Thomas

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Today’s lesson brings you a playful look at the risks and benefits of distinguishing between assumption and presumption. Be careful—assuming too audaciously may land one in r…

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We are now entering the fourth and final act of A Murder of Mistakes.

Please take today’s lesson with a large pinch of salt. For this is more a question of style than of strict grammar agreements.

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When dealing with time in English, precision is always better than pretension. The confusion between “currently” and “presently” has caused many a social misunderstanding. Here is the…

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