2021-08-06 How ‘So’ Can Replace a Lot of Information
Think about American movies or books that you know. You have probably heard or read statements such as “I guess so,” “I don’t think so,” or “he said so.” In…
2021-07-30 Vocabulary for New Sports at the Tokyo Olympics
In the Tokyo Games, there are several “new” Olympic sports: karate, skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing and baseball for men and softball for women. Baseball and softball are actually not new.…
2021-07-23 Crime and Prepositions
Reporters writing news stories must be careful not to say someone is guilty before a trial in a court of law gives a decision. The expressions we use to talk…
2021-07-16 Grammar, Planning, and Summer Trips
Imagine you want to talk about a plan you are making, perhaps for a trip this summer. In today’s Everyday Grammar, we will explore some important ideas for discussing plans.…
2021-07-09 Simplify Your Language to Sound Smarter
It has happened to all of us. We open an instruction book for a new machine or read a publication and find their language is more complex than it needs…
2021-07-02 Grammar for Summer: Rest, Relaxation
In the United States, summer is a time when students can have fun, rest, and relax — at least those not attending summer school. In many countries around the world,…
2021-06-25 Is a Situation a Condition?
Today we look at two words that may cause some difficulty for English learners. Both can help us describe what is happening in a place or with a person. “Situation”…
2021-06-18 Verbs and Summer Weather
Summer is near in the United States. And with summer comes higher temperatures and strong storms. Americans often discuss the bad and good weather that is taking place by using…
2021-06-11 Making Sense of Demonyms – Nationality Nouns
Last week in Everyday Grammar, we looked at how English forms adjectives for country names. We found that, as is often true, history can explain some of the irregularities in…
2021-06-04 Making Sense of Adjectives from Country Names
Recently a reader asked us about how English defines the adjective of nation or country. Hien Lai gave these examples: “We have American as the adjective of America, Vietnamese as…
2021-05-28 Memorial Day and Grammar
Memorial Day is an American holiday that honors the memory of people who died while serving in the U.S. military. This year, it will be celebrated on Monday, May 31st.…
2021-05-21 Mom, Dad, or Parent? Lawmakers Rule on Gendered Words
In the U.S. House of Representatives on January 4, 2021, Representative Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri closed a prayer to mark the swearing in of the 117th Congress. He changed the…
2021-05-14 Bob Dylan Teaches You About Questions, Count Nouns
Nobel prize winner Bob Dylan is considered to be one of the best American songwriters. The answer is blowin’ in the wind In today’s Everyday Grammar, we will explore how…
2021-05-07 Grammar and Mother’s Day
Many countries around the world will celebrate Mother’s Day on May 9th. In celebration of the holiday, we will explore what a Mother’s Day poem can teach you about English…
2021-04-30 Phrasal Verbs with Spring in Them
Spring is lovely time of year in the United States. It is a time of growth and movement. Trees flower and birds sing. In a celebration of spring, this week’s…