A Few, A Little, Few and Little
Articles can make a big difference in English, and in no other situation is this more evident with the quantifiers a few, a little, few and little. Here is all you need to know about when the words should be used, and the difference in meaning. ‘A few’ and ‘a little’ The fundamental difference between […]
5 min read
The Zero Article
Articles are always troublesome for those learning English. In fact, articles are an aspect of language that causes problems in general, because many languages don’t have them at all, and those that do never use them in exactly the same way. The zero article in English is a rather misleading name in some respects, because […]
6 min read
Using ‘Can’ and ‘May’
‘Can’ and ‘may’ are what are known as modal auxiliary verbs in English, a category of grammar that causes problems for learners. There are two reasons for these problems: 1) Modal verbs can operate differently in the learner’s mother tongue 2) Modal verbs in English have different meanings at different times, so it is a […]
6 min read
So Vs Such
It’s one of the most common mistakes made by English learners: not using the intensifiers ‘so’ and ‘such’ in the correct context. Here are some examples of typical mistakes: ‘He has so money.’ ‘He is such funny.’ ‘So’ and ‘such’ can often mean the same thing, but have their own distinct structures to remember. Here […]
5 min read
I Vs Me: A Common Grammar Mistake
When it comes to favorite grammar mistakes, there are few more popular, and few less often made, than the mistake with the pronouns ‘I’ and ‘me’. Let’s have a look at some typical sentences with a mistake of this nature, and talk about why, in fact, those sentences are wrong. ‘Me and Jane went to […]
5 min read
Common Grammar Mistakes that Kill Credibility
We all make grammar mistakes (and anyone who says they don’t…well, let’s just they are not being entirely honest!) But in business, obviously, it’s better to keep those mistakes to a minimum. If you are going to make mistakes, then follow this advice: · Don’t make the sort of simple mistakes that ruin your credibility […]
7 min read
Who Vs That: A Common Grammar Mistake
What’s the difference between ‘who’ and ‘that’? That’s a good question, and here’s a rule for you: use ‘who’ when you are talking about people, and ‘that’ when you are talking about things. And that’s the end of the lesson! Except it isn’t, because things are a little more complicated than that. Because ‘that’ can […]
6 min read
Why Good Grammar is Crucial For Work
Bad grammar is becoming more prominent than ever, perhaps in part due to the relentless march of social media. But let’s not be too quick to point the finger, because bad grammar certainly existed in the time when only a bird was capable of producing a tweet. There is no doubt that social media has […]
6 min read
6 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Learning a Language
Learning a second (or even third or fourth) language isn’t an easy thing to do: the sooner we acknowledge that is the case, and ignore the promises that we can pick up Spanish in a week (as some learning tools suggest), the easier it will be for everyone. In fact, that is probably the first, […]
7 min read
3 Important Grammar Rules to Define Your Business English
Conducting business in English is a little different from speaking the language on an every-day level. That’s because the English we use in a meeting, in a work email, or in business literature in general, will be characterized by a formality that we rarely use when having normal conversations outside of work. English grammar is […]
7 min read