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Grammar
Posted by: Cathy Dann
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 […]
Posted by: Catie Holdridge
What is ‘singular they‘? Singular they is the use of they, their or them (plural pronouns) with a singular antecedent (the word the they, their or them refers back to). And singular they is typically used to refer to a noun that could be either gender (such as client, person or student), or to an […]
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 […]
24 / 02 / 12
You may have a vague memory of once being told to use I shall for formal occasions, but is it too formal? Too old-fashioned? Will people point and laugh? Or are shall and will simply interchangeable? Let’s explore, shall we? Modal (helping) verbs Shall and will are modal verbs (sometimes called ‘helping verbs’). These combine […]
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. […]
26 / 01 / 12
The distinction between who and whom may seem abstract, or pertinent only to the pompous. But, technically, it’s no different from differentiating between she and her, he and him, or they and them. Subject and object What we’re essentially looking at is the difference between the subject and object in a sentence. (Quick reminder: the […]
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