Word order or Order of Words?

Word Order in Positive Sentences For the beginning, remember this simple rule:     If you are a more advanced learner, remember the following rule:     Word Order in Negative Sentences The word order in negative sentences is the same as in affirmative sentences. Note, however, that in negative sentences we usually need an auxiliary… Read More

French words and expressions commonly used in English

Over the years, the English language has borrowed a great number of French words and expressions. Some of this vocabulary has been so completely absorbed by English that speakers might not realize its origins. Other words and expressions have retained their “Frenchness” – a certain je ne sais quoi which speakers tend to be much… Read More

Confusing words: Travel, Trip, Voyage and Journey

Travel (v) is used in general terms as a verb – it usually means to change location. The word travel is very rarely used as a noun. For example: I have to travel a lot for work. Trip (n) is often substituted for the word ‘holiday’ when the travelling distance was short. For example: How… Read More

Confusing words: Say and tell

 Word  Explanation  Example  say  to say something (say is followed immediately by a noun clause). If you want to put a personal object after say, use the word to.  Andrew said that he was right.He said to his father that he was right.  tell  to tell someone something (tell is followed by an object noun… Read More

Confusing words: I and Me

Usually we choose the correct form by instinct. For example;- I am a teacher. (not me) Give that to me. (not I) There are other times when people make mistakes with these two pronouns. I/me is difficult when it is coupled with another pronoun or with a noun. This is when you have to think… Read More

Creative Punny Business Names Intended

The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect.These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic, homographic, metonymic, or metaphorical language. Here is a list of business names… Read More

O slogan da primeira campanha global do McDonald’s no Brasil não foi uma tradução literal, e por isso foi um sucesso

Uma boa tradução captura o espírito de um texto sem segui-lo à risca. Ele captura a energia, a textura e a voz do texto de origem e as replica na tradução, valendo-se de todos os recursos do idioma de destino. Uma boa tradução transmite o que está escrito nas entrelinhas, e foi o que aconteceu… Read More

Woof Woof: Dog Barks in Different Languages

Woof is the conventional representation in the English language of the barking of a dog. As with other examples of onomatopoeia or imitative sounds, other cultures “hear” the dog’s barks differently and represent them in their own ways. Some of the equivalents of “woof” in other European and Asian languages are as follows: English –… Read More

List of 100 Irregular Plural Nouns in English

Singular:           Plural: abyss               abysses alumnus         alumni analysis          analyses aquarium        aquaria arch                 arches atlas                atlases axe                  axes baby                babies bacterium       bacteria batch               batches beach              beaches brush               brushes bus                  buses calf                  calves chateau          chateaux cherry              cherries child                children church             churches circus              circuses city                   cities cod                  cod copy                copies crisis               crises curriculum     curricula deer                 deer dictionary       dictionaries domino          dominoes dwarf               dwarves echo               echoes elf                    elves emphasis      emphases family              families fax                   faxes fish                  fish… Read More

Confusing words: Words With No Plural Forms

Many students who are learning English are very surprised to learn that the words information, knowledge, and jewelry have no plural forms. These are called uncountable noums: Here is my list so far: accommodationadvicebaggagebreadbraverychaosclaritycouragecowardiceequipmenteducationevidencefurnituregarbagegreedhomeworkhonestyinformationjewelryknowledgelivestockluggagemarketingmoneyinsurancemudnewspastapatriotism (and the other -ism words)progressracismresearchsexismtravelweatherwork