by Phil Williams | Aug 18, 2016 | Definitions, Vocabulary, Words
Insure, ensure and assure are easily confused words as they both look and sound similar – and have rather closely connected meanings. They do have distinct differences, however. Consider the following example sentences: We would like to insure our boat for £10,000. I...
by Phil Williams | Nov 3, 2015 | Vocabulary, Words
Many words in English can be adapted to be used for different grammatical functions. We often use prefixes and suffixes (extra parts of the word added at the beginning or the end) to change the meaning of a word for a variety of purposes. Adjectives and verbs can be...
by Phil Williams | Oct 21, 2014 | General English, Vocabulary
As the end of October approaches, and all things creepy are upon us, it’s time to brush up on some more Halloween vocabulary. Having set the scene with our abysmal adjectives for Halloween, now it’s time to meet the cast of objects and creatures that populate the...
by Phil Williams | Nov 12, 2013 | Exercises, Grammar
Verbs, doing words, tell us what the subject is doing. This usually takes the form of an action, though it can also be a state or an event. Actions show things happening: The man ran. States show what condition the subject is in (which can also demonstrate an event):...
by Phil Williams | Sep 23, 2013 | Exercises, Grammar
Adjectives describe nouns, and are usually placed either before a noun (as part of the noun phrase) or after a noun, pronoun or verb. Their place in a sentence, and in noun phrases, is explained briefly in the ELB Word Order in English Guide, where the general rules...