Search results for “VIC”

With everything happening online these days, there are a lot of email and password combinations floating around. But IT professionals aren't the only ones left scratching their heads sometimes:  Confusion about tech-related language can lead to questions and issues of grammar and spelling as well. In today's post, we'll examine the difference between login and …

When you're working on enhancing your spelling in English, you might sometimes encounter two words that sound alike, with close spellings, pronunciations, and meanings. For example, some people might find themselves confused about whether to use drier or dryer when they are writing. We will distinguish these two words and provide some examples you can …

English grammar uses mood to establish how to regard a verb in a sentence, such as whether it is making a descriptive statement or expressing a wish or command. Verb mood differs from verb tense in that it more concerns the quality or form of the verb than it does when an action took place. …

Many movies feature a hero who comes to the rescue or otherwise saves the day. But what happens when more than one hero arrives to protect humanity from an intergalactic league of hostile aliens? What would be the correct spelling for the word meaning more than one hero? If you've ever wondered about the spelling …

Whether in conversation or in writing, we have likely shared expressions such as "if I were you" or "if I was in your position." We might also find ourselves shifting between "if I was" and "if I were" when making such statements. In these cases, we have a 50 percent chance of being grammatically right. …

An infinitive is the root form of a verb before it is conjugated. It contains the main verb and the word "to": to write, to study, to wish, to walk. An infinitive is split when something separates the main verb from its "to." Few grammatical items have received a rougher rap. As with starting a …

You might be familiar with the word "colloquialism." Even if you aren't, there's a good chance you use colloquialisms often, especially in your speech. They're so common to us that we may not even notice them unless we come upon one we don't recognize. Let's review the definition of colloquialisms as well as some examples. …

English verbs are simple to work with when they are regular—i.e., they follow an obvious pattern for conjugating their past tense and past participle. Verb Infinitive Present Tense Past Tense Past Participle to breathe breathe, breathes breathed breathed to dine dine, dines dined dined to jump jump, jumps jumped jumped The pattern is basic and …

As the second Sunday of May approaches, we are reminded again of the importance of motherhood. The holiday dedicated to mothers was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and later made an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Its origin can be traced to the ancient Greeks and Romans, but the foundation of the modern holiday …

English provides us with punctuation as a system of symbols and signs that allow us to structure, pace, and clarify communication. When used correctly, punctuation contributes to succinct and persuasive writing (the word punctuation originates from the Latin punctuare, which means “making a point”). When used incorrectly, it can confuse and even repel our readers. …