10 Easily Confused Sets of Words and Phrases Explained
A few weeks ago I wrote an article about the differences between the words plain and plane; it’s one of many articles I have on this site exploring confusing, or easily misunderstood, words and phrases. With so much content on this site, I thought it was time I...What’s the difference between plain and plane?
Plain and plane are easily confused in English – they are homophones, so you may write one when meaning the other. They have a number of distinct definitions where their meanings are completely different – but one meaning where their meanings are very...
What does “would that it were” mean?
The new Coen Brother’s film Hail, Caesar! was recently advertised with a trailer focused on the strange English expression “Would that it were so simple.” (if you haven’t seen it, check it out here!). This is an interesting construction, which...Why we say Bachelors and Masters for degrees
When we refer to the degrees BA or MA in English, we use an s at the end – calling them a Bachelors or Masters. This may sound strange as it is one degree, not a plural, so why do we say it? Actually it’s not a plural at all, it is a possessive – and...
Why we say 21st Century for years starting 20…
The way we describe ages, including years or people’s ages, can sometimes seem strange if you consider that years beginning “20” are referred to as “21st Century” (and similarly, years starting “19” were the “20th Century”). There is a very logical reason for this,...Want to Master English?
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