The English Language

A spoonerism, which is a slip of the tongue, and other transpositions between words and within a word can negatively affect the message a person intends to convey. This article describes some famous spoonerisms and common transpositions that writers should avoid.

Exploring the background to words and their uses is a fascinating pastime. I like to try to use idioms and associations within a story or poem whilst delving into the meanings of what seems an ordinary word.

"Cool" at face value seems such an innocuous little word. But did you realize that it has so many meanings and interpretations? This article delves into the nuances of "cool" within English idioms and phrases. "Cool" really is the Coolest word.

Space, often referred to as the final frontier, is a frontier that humankind has just started to explore. Yet, 60 years since we first left our atmosphere, new idioms have already been added to the English language.

Music. A powerful force in people’s lives. It enhances our mood, expresses our feelings, and brings harmony and shared emotions to its audience. Little wonder then that music-related idioms have rippled through our language and form part of everyday speech.

Work. A four-letter word to some. The core purpose of our lives to others. It is hardly surprising then that this seemingly innocuous little word lies at the heart of so many English idioms and phrases.

These sayings, generated from the impact of summer seasons on generations long past, still have relevant messages of popular wisdom for those looking forward to renewed summer days ahead.

English and its idealogies

Have you heard of the saying: "time waits for no man?" Yes? Then bearing this in mind, let's get started on these idioms and phrases that express the concept of time on our daily lives.

Birds have ruled the skies above us for millennia. Over time, each specie has developed its unique adaptations—the fantastic variety of form and behavior contributing a rich source of expression to the English language.

Germanic branch of Indo European family of languages has three special characteristics which are unique. This article explains these features in terms of Grimm's Law, Verner's Law, Stress Shift and regularization of tense system. A must-read for students of Philology

What is Indo-European family of language? How is it relevant to evolution of English language? This article explains about the features and different classifications of Indo-European family of languages which is essential for the students of philology.

This blog essays about the introvert peoples and their nature.

This lesson will focus on reading and understanding innovative poetry.

While it is possible to converse in English without the use of idioms, the Second Language Learner (S.S.L.) will be at a disadvantage without some understanding of this literary term’s purpose and use. This article explains what idioms are and the functions they serve in the English language.

Have you heard about a phrase "up the creek without a paddle?" And when you are in trouble that even you cannot escape with it.

English language is very complex & even if spoken as their home language people sometimes have difficulty finding the right words or phrases. Styles of speech are changing with the times, and new communities bring their own vernacular to vary and enrich the language.

The article outlines how the need for creative invention in literature manifests lexically through the development of word-formation techniques. More specifically, it talks about the influence of Shakespeare on english language word-formation through the techniques of derivation, compounding, etc...

Writing a dictionary can seem to be a humanly impossible task if one looks at the size, volume and information that goes into one. Not to mention, the meticulous structuring and detailing. However, there were individuals who dedicated, single-minded and almost single-handed, their lives to this task

In English grammar a verb should agree with its subject in number and person.Thus if the subject is singular, the verb should be singular; and if the subject is plural, the verb should also be plural.

50 expressions and idioms that draw their message from societies use and dependence on the motor car.

Alexander James Guckenberger, who has memorized verses from the script, begins a modern translation of the classic British tale.

Local language and landscape go hand in hand. Here we explore two words which link two areas of England, north and south. Their meanings are similar but they have evolved differently due to dialect and history.

There are some idioms that used to be appropriate a long time ago, but they are no longer valid today. "The sky's the limit" is one of those sayings that is outdated.

Someone heard the expression, "I love you more" and thought it was cute. Now more and more people are saying it without realizing there are lots of things wrong with the expression. If I tell you "I love you" and you tell me "I love you more," I would be offended.

"Passing a test with flying colors" is a common expression. Many people say it, but they have no idea what it means or the origin of the saying. Here is a simple explanation of what the idiom means.

Do we really need 'silent' AND 'quiet', or 'angry', 'mad', 'incensed', 'nonplussed', 'disgruntled', AND 'enraged'? Do all these synonyms enrich or language or just make it too hard to learn?

These words and phrases will block a person from a dream job or be dissociated from the best of friend circles because nobody wants to hang around an unprofessional speaking individual.

Know the 5 Meanings of the word 'HOT' and when to use them.

Are you planning on moving to, visiting, or passing through Scotland? Or are you just curious about the Scottish dialect?

It is common knowledge that a police officer is called "a cop." What people don't know is the reason for the term. READ the short article to find out the origin of the expression.

A movie made it popular and marriage counselors used it to coin a very foreboding term. Yet, the seven-year itch once referred to a medical condition. Either way, it has a negative connotation.

Where does doofus come from? And how do you wear a Visard? These and more of our old English sayings and quotes. Hoist your own pecard, and take a look!

Common Errors in English: This article will explain you the most common errors in English. These errors are related to subject and verb agreement. It will help you avoid errors while using verbs.

Common Errors in English: This article will show you common homonyms errors in English. These errors are caused due to lack of knowledge of the speaker about the meaning of homonyms.

Parts of Speech: Every sentence is a combination of different words. These different words are divided into many categories according to their functions, which are called parts of speech.

In grammar, an object is a noun, pronoun or a group of words, which receives the action of the verb. For example, in He hit the ball the word ball is an object of the sentence, while the pronoun He is

Noun Definition: A noun is the name of a person, place, or thing. The word thing here means anything that we can think of. It can be animals, places, persons, ideas, events, objects, and so on.

Participle Definition: A participle is a form of verb which functions as a verb and an adjective. There are three types of participle: Present Participle, Past Participle and Perfect Participle.

Do you know what a formal letter is? What about what an informal letter, do you know what that is to? In this article, we take a look at the major differences between a formal and an informal letter.

'Morph' can refer to various shapes or creatures, can be a cartoon character or can apply to human form and languages. Find out more about it & read a short poem.

The first of a series, some musings on an English word chosen at random. What's a penny? Where does the word come from? Old and new pennies, plus idioms using the word 'penny'.

The third installment of the "Dictionary of Australian Slang, Strine and Colloquialisms. This time we will look at popular Aussie words beginning with J. K. L. M, N, O and P.

Part two of my Dictionary of Australian Slang, Strine and Colloquialisms. This installment covers the alphabet from "D" to "I". Follow each part in this series to learn how to talk like an Aussie.

Australia is a country of diverse flora, fauna and landscapes. It also has it's own diverse take on the English language as you will see with this dictionary of Aussie slang, strine and colloquialisms

A response to questions, this deals with the variation of where to place quotation marks, word order in a sentence affecting meaning and verb endings matching the subject of a sentence.