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I have often heard it said that English is one of the most difficult languages to learn because the grammar rules have so many exceptions. As our Words Worth selection below also reveals, English provides a challenge to those learning how to spell correctly!
“Yes, English can be weird. It can be understood through tough, thorough thought though.”
Do you have any short English examples we can include? Leave them in the comments below!
I am not a member of the grammar police and I am not particularly fond of their worker’s union (wink, wink). All kidding aside, I do like to think I know a fair amount about grammar and word usage, but I must confess, I have some weak areas. If you would like to try your skill at a grammar and word usage test, check out the link below. Fair warning, however, some of the word pairs have fairly nuanced meanings which are often overlooked in common usage.
Ahem! I did manage to earn a “Grammar Pro” ranking.
Here are a few from the quiz to give you a hint. You are on your honor not to look these up for the correct answer beforehand; you’re being watched!
Which of the following words would fit in the blank space?
“The weather just gets worse the ______________ west you go.”
A – farther B – further
Do you know the difference between infer and imply?
What is the difference between the abbreviations e.g. and i.e. is a bit more tricky.
Try your luck at the linked quiz below:
How Well Do You Know These Commonly Misused Words?
How well did you do?
What publication are you reading if you see the following in print?
- naïve
- teen-ager
- coöperate
Well, if you must know, it is The New Yorker
Mary Norris is the copy editor for The New Yorker and she has some rather interesting tidbits to share about editing, language, readers and writers.
As an example, Ms. Norris pointed to the following sentence that appeared in the magazine:
“Last Tuesday, Sarah Palin, the pre-Trump embodiment of populist no-nothingism in the Republican Party, endorsed Trump.”
She was apparently raked over the coals, so-to-speak, for not catching the error [Did you?].
Mary Norris also quoted E.B. White’s comment about commas in The New Yorker: “They fall with the precision of knives outlining a body.”
If you enjoy exploring the English language in this way and learning about the process of editing, I urge you to watch this engaging presentation by Mary Morris via here TED talk.
You can watch the presentation HERE.
Mary Norris is author of Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen
OK, I know I am not a perfect writer and I am far from perfect as a grammarian. I thought this fast, easy, five-question grammar quiz was quite a challenge and it made me grateful for dictionaries (online or otherwise). One question, for example, is which of the spellings above is correct? To find out, visit the link below to test your knowledge and understanding of grammar. [ Isn’t is a strange feeling when you see something written that you have never read before; only heard? ]
The Quickest Grammar And Spelling Quiz You’ll Ever Take
See previous Words Worth entries HERE
I don’t declare that I am a grammar expert and I do have to look up certain grammar rules from time-to-time. The difference is that I take that extra step and do the research.
I am not an official member of the grammar police even though there are certain violations of English grammar rules that annoy me.
The proper use of then and than, the differences between two, two and too and of course…
are most disconcerting!
Many people are confused about when to use commas, but as you can see (below) it is even more confusing when they are not used.
Credit where credit is due. Even though JBRish is pleased to present the above as infotainment, it is not original to us. These were originally presented as part of a BuzzFeed post. You can see all of their grammar gift recommendations by clicking here:
