by Phil Williams | Apr 11, 2023 | Definitions, Grammar, Punctuation, Writing skills
A problem many native English writers and foreign English learners have in common is combining independent clauses without the appropriate punctuation or conjunctions, often seen with what we call comma splices. I thought this would be an interesting topic to cover,...
by Phil Williams | Mar 14, 2023 | Grammar, Vocabulary, Words
I always find it interesting to look at ways that words connect, so we can see how one type of word might become another. I was struck by a specific area of this recently while editing a crime novel, which included a lot of compound nouns that stem from phrasal verbs....
by Phil Williams | Feb 7, 2023 | General English
It’s my tremendous honour to share that this February marks 10 years of articles on this website, and it’s still going as strong as ever. In celebration, I invite you to join me in looking back at the site’s history, some its achievements, and the...
by Phil Williams | Jan 10, 2023 | Grammar
Imperative verbs are used as commands or instructions in English. They are sometimes called “command words” and may be considered bossy or authoritative, as they are typically used to tell someone what to do. However, they can also just urge people towards an action,...
by Phil Williams | Dec 13, 2022 | Exercises, Reading Exercise
Christmas is nearly upon us again, so it’s time for another holiday-themed exercise to get you in the merry spirit. I’ve decided to revisit the same style of exercise I produced for Christmas last year: a short story gap-fill exercise to test your understanding of...