While modern English is becoming lenient, maintainin…

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By the end of today’s lesson you shall have mastered the subtle differences between these two prepositional phrases. At the end of the publication you will find your quiz, and in the end, you will be all the more accurate for it.

Yours sincerely,
Thomas

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Today’s bite-sized lesson brings a touch of class, history, and formality to your choice of preposition that follows the adjective ‘enamoured’.

Perhaps you can use it this week to …

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In English, the difference between Find, Find Out, Discover, and Search comes down to the process versus the result.

Each one has their individual nuances and characteristics. A brief look at their etymologies may aid you in today’s lesson:

1. Search

• Meaning: To examine carefully and in detail.

• Etymology: Dates to around 1300 from Old French cerchier (Modern French chercher). This ultimately derives from the Latin circare, meaning “to go about or wander”, which comes from circus (meaning a circle).

2. Find

• Meaning: To come upon or meet with something.

• Etymology: A native Germanic word originating from the Old English findan. This traces back to the Proto-Germanic findan (originally meaning “to come upon”), which relates to ancient Indo-European roots meaning to go, pass, or find a path.

3. Find Out

• Meaning: To learn something or reveal information through inquiry, asking, or testing.

• Etymology: A phrasal verb developed in English by combining the native root find with the directional particle out (which comes from the Old English ute) to emphasise pulling information to the surface.

4. Discover

• Meaning: To obtain knowledge of for the first time, or to unearth something that already exists but was previously hidden.

• Etymology: Enters Middle English around 1300 from Old French descovrir. This is built from the Latin prefix dis- (the opposite of) and cooperire (meaning to cover up).

Search carefully, find everything, discover the answers.

Yours faithfully,
Thomas

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Before we go any further, here’s a quick primer on the difference between the Indicative and Subjunctive moods:

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Dearest member,

We have safely passed the threshold of the twentieth episode in A Murder of Mistakes. Whether you have been here since the beginning or have just joined, this quarterly review quiz is …

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The confusion between Expect, Wait, and Await usually stems from translating directly from other languages where one verb covers all three meanings. In English, they are distinct actions involving the mind, the body, and the clock.

Let us not dilly-dally any longer, for the answers to their usages awaits!

Yours faithfully,
Thomas

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In standard sentences, the verb agrees with the subject (e.g., “The cat is,” “The cats are“).

However, when you use correlative conjunctions (pairs like Neither/Nor, Either/Or, Not only…

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In English, Fit, Match, and Suit all relate to how things go together, but they focus on completely different criteria: Dimensions, Aesthetics, and Appropriateness.

These three verbs are easily confused because in many languages, a single verb covers all three meanings.

If grammar precision be the food of love, read on dear reader.

Yours faithfully,
Thomas

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Ever, Never, and Always are adverbs of frequency that tell us how often something happens. In British English, their position in the sentence is crucial, and their meaning shifts slightly depending on the context.

Yours ever faithfully,
Thomas

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The distinction between Fun and Funny often trips up non-native speakers (and the occasional native speaker in high-pressure situations). While they relate to positive feelings or amusement, they function differently grammatically and semantically.

When we use ‘funny’, we can mean ‘funny haha’ or ‘funny peculiar’. To confuse the two can make one appear sociopathic, or cold-hearted. Enjoy guessing the various meanings of ‘funny’ in today’s quiz.

Yours faithfully,
Thomas

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1. The Core Rule

The difference lies in the motivation of the person you are describing.

• Disinterested: Means impartial, unbiased, or neutral. A “disinterested” person …

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Borrow and lend may seem straightforward at first blush, but just like make and do, bring and take, they have their nuances.

These words are commonly confused because they describe the same temporary transfer of ownership from two opposite perspectives—giving versus taking. The confusion is exacerbated by influence from other languages that use a single word for both, and the fact that “borrow” is often used incorrectly to mean “lend” in colloquial speech (e.g., “borrow me a pen”).

May this lesson lend you a hand in your pursuit of mastering them.

Yours faithfully,
Thomas

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Bring, take, and fetch may already feel perfectly, or intuitively logical to you; however, I assure you there is some nuance to be discovered because the appropriate word hinges on a question of perspective.

Consider these two scenarios:

Scenario 1. Both people are in the sitting room.

A: Where are you going?
B: To the kitchen?
A: Can you bring/fetch/get me some water?

Scenario 2. One person is already in the kitchen; the asker calls out from the sitting room.

A: Are you in the kitchen?
B: Yes
A: Can you bring/fetch/get me some water?

How would you answer in such scenarios? You may try your hand in today’s quiz.

Yours faithfully,
Thomas

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The verbs Remember and Forget are unique because they change their meaning entirely depending on what comes next: an Infinitive (to do) or a Gerund (doing).

It is a question of time tr…

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The difference between Make and Do is one of the most common stumbling blocks for learners of English, as many languages use a single verb for both.

If English is one of our mother tongues, we learn this distinction through collocation—which is the habitual juxtaposition of a particular word with another word or words with a frequency greater than chance—or more simply expressed: through exposure and repetition.

I hope you do your homework, and make a note of any mistakes.

Yours faithfully,
Thomas

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Homophones are words that sounds the same, but are spelt1 differently. Think: there, they’re, their.

While question words are not typically confused for other words, here is a playful s…

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Today is a curious case of comparisons.

As we most aspects of grammar, there is the rule, and—to keep one ever guessing— exceptions to the rule.

When learning language as a child, we us…

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Today we have the curious grammar case of collective nouns. Sometimes they are singular; sometimes they are plural—how capricious of them. American English tends to favour using singul…

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