When Double Negatives Were Common and Word Order Mattered Not
Have you ever heard the song “Ain't No Mountain High Enough”? Or heard the phrase, “ain’t nobody got time for...
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Grammar
Featured Articles
Spot the Difference: "Could You" vs "Would You"
Basically every day, at least one student will ask a question like, “Tutor, what’s the difference between X and Y?”...
- Grammar
Why Some Contractions Are OK in Writing While Others Are Not
If you’ve ever been asked to check a student’s formal writing, you may have noticed they used reductions (like “gotta”...
- Grammar
Why Dogs Are Man's Best Friend — How to Teach Generic Reference
Which of the following is correct? Dogs are man’s best friend. The dog is man’s best friend. A dog is...
- Grammar
Pragmatics — aka "Why We Just Don’t Say It That Way"
“Hmm … There’s nothing incorrect with your sentence, but we just don’t say it like that.” If you’ve ever found...
- Conversation
- Grammar
"I'm Boring": An Easy Way to End the "Boring/Bored" Madness Once and for All
If we got a dollar every time a student said “I’m boring” or “I’m exciting” instead of “I’m bored/excited,” we’d...
- Grammar
How to Explain Exceptions to Rules (Without Saying "That's Just the Way It is")
Sometimes, students get upset over variations in grammar and spelling. For example, they might demand to know why one native...
- Grammar
3 English Grammar Mistakes to Always Correct With Beginners
Beginners make all sorts of grammar mistakes! Today, let's go over three categories of mistakes we should look out for....
- Grammar
How to Explain Pay vs. Spend vs. Cost
Similar to "say" and "tell," there are small but important differences between "pay," "spend" and "cost" that can be difficult...
- Grammar
- Online Tutoring
How to Teach For vs. Since
"For" and "since" are common English words that are used to talk about time and duration. The difference between them...
- Grammar
- Online Tutoring
Explaining the Difference: "Look," "See" and "Watch"
"Look" and "see" are two of the most basic verbs that all English learners come across early in their study....
- Grammar
The Ultimate Guide to Explaining "Can" and "Be Able To"
"What's the difference between 'can' and 'be able to'?""Should I use 'can' here or 'be able to'?""What about 'I am...
- Grammar
Helping Students Agree Correctly with "Me Too" and "Neither Do I"
Many English learners will probably know that "Me too" is a simple and easy way to agree with someone. However,...
- Grammar
Explaining the Passive Voice: Why, When and How
Most of the English we all speak is in the active voice. But the passive voice also has its place,...
- Grammar
Strengthening Questions and Negative Statements with "At All"
"At all" is a quick and effective way to add emphasis to statements and questions. It's also something that many...
- Grammar
"Say" vs. "Tell": How to Explain the Difference
"Say" and "tell" – these two words are so simple yet so confusing. Today, let's review the main differences between...
- Grammar
When to Use (And Not Use) "Whom"
English learners often don't know how to use the word "whom." After all, the rules they learned about it in...
- Grammar