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Keyword Transformations
Author Archives: Robert D. E. Senior
could / be able to: what’s the difference?
This one comes up in class a lot. Here’s the best explanation I’ve found: could / be able to
Posted in Easily Confused Words, Grammar
Tagged be able to, could, easily confused words, grammar
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marry / get married: what’s the difference?
Although there are exceptions it is generally better to use marry with an object i.e., marry somebody. For example: ▪ He married his college sweetheart. ▪ I want to marry a doctor or a lawyer ▪ I asked her to marry me. … Continue reading
Cockney Rhyming Slang
Some of my students asked about this, so here’s a link. Dunno how useful this is for exams and such like but it is entertaining 🙂 http://www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk
rise / raise: what’s the difference?
Raise vs. Rise Both words mean ‘to move upwards’, but they are not interchangeable. ‘Rise’ is what we call an intransitive verb and ‘raise’ is a transitive verb. To explain: Intransitive verbs, like rise, do not require an object. For … Continue reading
so/such: what’s the difference?
http://www.englishpage.com/minitutorials/sosuch.html Here is a fine explanation of the differences in how we use so/such, along with exercises at the bottom.
Hyphen and dash: what’s the difference?
I’ve been asked a few times now what the difference is between a hyphen and a dash. So here’s the answer, perfectly answered at http://www.writingforward.com/ : http://www.writingforward.com/grammar/punctuation-marks/punctuation-dashes-and-hyphens-whats-the-difference Just to add that my own preference is to include a single space before and … Continue reading
Language Bias
As many of you know, I am always quite keen to stop you from using sexist language such as “policeman” or masculine pronouns to refer to gender neutral words. So having just stumbled across this page, I thought I would … Continue reading
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obsessive / obsessional: what’s the difference?
Here’s another one I was asked about recently. It seems that they are used interchangeably to talk about a person or an animal who/which has a “compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea or an unwanted feeling or emotion, often accompanied … Continue reading
Posted in Easily Confused Words
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grant / subvention: what’s the difference?
I can see no clear difference between these two words. They both refer to financial aid that is given by a giver to a receiver. Givers are often government bodies, either local or national, but not always. Receivers can be … Continue reading
Posted in Easily Confused Words
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Northernmost or northern most?
I was asked if this should be one word or two, and the answer is ONE. You can also say “most northern” or even northmost, although I notice my spellchecker doesn’t like that one, hehe. It is listed in the … Continue reading
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