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Posted by: Cathy Dann
19 / 05 / 12
Every now and then, you’ll come across someone who insists that different to and different than are wrong, and that only different from is correct, writes Cathy Relf. For the most apoplectic example, we’ll cite the now semi-defunct Queen’s English Society’s, who complain: ‘At a conservative estimate, it can be said that some 90% of […]
19 / 04 / 12
Compare to is used to describe similarity, while compare with is used for differences as well as similarities. So, for example, while a man may be flattered to be compared to George Clooney, he may not find it quite as pleasant being compared with George Clooney. Hence Shakespeare mused ‘Shall I compare thee to a […]
20 / 03 / 12
Do you substitute one thing for another, or with another? Well, you can do both. But they have different meanings, writes Cathy Relf. You substitute the new for the old, but substitute the old with the new. The easiest way to get it right is to think of sport, where, if someone is injured, you […]
20 / 02 / 12
Is it learnt or learned? Spelt or spelled? Dreamt or dreamed? If you’re unsure, you’re in good company, writes Cathy Relf. Neither the dictionaries nor the newspapers agree, so it’s hardly surprising that the rest of us are confused. We carried out a quick poll on X (formerly Twitter) and found that opinions were scattered. […]
24 / 12 / 11
Do you know your palates from your palettes from your pallets? It’s a particularly important distinction if you work with food or wine – or, indeed, paints or wooden platforms. Of course, it’s blinking typical of English to have three different spellings for one pronunciation. But that’s part of our dear language’s charm. Take a […]
15 / 10 / 11
Ah, what a wonderful language English is. You can bear a child, bear a responsibility, ask someone to bear with you, bear a heavy load or bare your teeth. Confusion arises in the verb form, especially in the past tense. In the present tense, there are two spellings: bear and bare. to bear has two […]
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