SweetSerendipity

I used to read a lot in high school and then stopped as an adult just because I thought I was too busy to read. My sister finally got me to read some books that she really liked, and I remembered how relaxing it is to read before bedtime until my eyes get tired. I am not currently reading anything, but I plan to get back into reading by asking a friend or relative to borrow a book that they really liked. Word of mouth is how I find a new book or I see what everybody is talking about in social media. Another option would be to read the book version of a favorite movie. At least you have a pretty good idea if you will like the book.

Wow, I actually learned a lot reading through the responses to this question, and I think it is a rather interesting topic. I was thinking that German would be the best language to curse in, as it sounds harsh when it is spoken and you could probably say something completely innocent in a mean voice, and it would sound like cursing. I think the most satisfying language to curse in would be one in which the other person had no clue what you were saying. I enjoyed being creative with my words when I was learning French; I was not aware that Mexican Spanish was so expressive and vulgar, so that might be an interesting language to curse in if I knew the words! Regardless of which language you swear in, though, it's probably always best to use caution, as you don't know who around you can understand you!

If I had the time and patience to learn a new language, I would love to learn Irish Gaelic. It is a dying language and I would feel like I was helping to keep the language alive. I have a lot of Irish heritage, so that would be one justification for me to learn to speak it.

I think if you are seriously pursuing Bible studies, learning Hebrew and/or Greek would be very beneficial to you. Some of the best preachers that I have heard incorporate exact translations into their sermons and seem to gain a lot of knowledge from the Bible based on nuances and variances in word meanings based on their knowledge of Hebrew and/or Greek. Even if you don't plan to ever pursue teaching the Bible or becoming a preacher, I think those languages could be interesting to learn if you truly have the desire to do so.

I was unable to find any rules for using while over whilst and vice versa, but it seems that they are supposed to be interchangeable. Whilst is used more often in British, Canadian, and Australian English, but it is basically obsolete in American English. Whilst seems to be preferred over while in formal writing or academic writing, and in literary works. So to answer your question, your choice of using while or whilst depends a lot on where you are and if you are speaking or writing formally.

I think she meant to say adjective. I found this topic interesting, as I had always assumed that "lit" was correct. Most sources do say that these two words are interchangeable since they are both correct, but "lit" will always sound more correct to me. Any time the word "light" is referring to its illuminating definition, I will still say "lit." I was thinking that there are other times when "lighted" seems correct, such as in the other definitions of "light" when the word means to discover something, descend, or settle down, but you really don't hear this usage very often: "She gracefully lighted down the stairs." Thank you for sharing this information. I was not aware that "lighted" was proper grammar!

I believe the rule for using "an" versus "a" is that you use "an" when it precedes a vowel sound, even when the word starts with "h." So it would be "an hour" because you don't pronounce the h sound in hour but you instead hear the vowel sound made by the o and u. There are a few words starting with h that go against this rule, as there are exceptions to every rule in English! For example, "an hypothesis" instead of "a hypothesis." When words start with y, y typically does not have a vowel sound, so using "a" would be correct. English is my native language, so I can't speak for someone who knows English as a second language, but it seems to me that you can normally tell which is the correct article to use from how it sounds. The words flow together better when you use the right article, including when saying "an ear" as opposed to "a ear."

When I was younger, my dad would make me go through the dictionary and write down a word and definition into a notebook, along with three sentences using that word. Some of those words have stood out to me, but only ones that I shared with my brother and we had a laugh over. I don't recommend this method unless you can find a way to connect to the word somehow to make it stick in your head. I think the best way to learn new words is while reading a book. I would have a dictionary and notebook next to you, and then look up any words you come across that are new and you don't know what they mean. Having the words used in context and having that image from the book would be a great way to learn, and it also helps you to make sure you know how to use the word correctly. I know that the Internet makes looking up words easier, but writing the word and definition helps to reinforce it.

I had to cheat and looked up some lists to refresh my memory, but five of my favorite words are: bamboozled, catawampus, shenanigans, pantaloons, and rapscallion. There are not really many occasions to say all those words, so I think their rarity in being used makes them amusing to me.

I just came across a blog by journalist Ron Franscell that explained a likely origin of "hunker down" is probably from the Old Norse word huka, which means "to squat," or the old Dutch word hurken, which means the same thing. The phrase "hunker down" was used by the Scots in the 18th century. If a person squats, they are closer to the ground and less likely to be moved. They have a better chance of surviving and getting through tough times essentially.

I was taught that you can't start a sentence with words such as "and" or "but" also, and I was not aware that this rule had been officially dropped. I can't think of many people starting new sentences with those words very often when speaking out loud, but it seems very natural when writing, at least for me. It seems to add emphasis when you break apart two sentences and start the second sentence with "but" or "and." I've also noticed that some people seem to use "but" and "and" while speaking to create extremely long sentences. It isn't really obvious until you are typing what they are saying, and I do transcription, so I come across this a lot. When a sentence seems to go on and on, I take the liberty of starting a new sentence with one of those words. I am glad it's at least legal now!

I am so glad that you brought this up and pointed out that "irregardless" is not a word. I have never taken the time to look it up or analyze how the prefix and suffix cancel each other out, but I frequently hear this word used interchangeably with regardless. I will never make that mistake again! One phrase that I have heard forever and sadly just learned what it really was supposed to be is "for all intents and purposes" which is the same as saying essentially or effectively. For a long time, I thought it was "for all intensive purposes," and this is apparently a common mistake.

It's been a little while since I studied the proper grammatical terms such as "superlative," so I would be confused at first in a discussion involving technical terms. However, in a learning environment, I think it is very beneficial to properly define those terms and give students a solid understanding of them, and this certainly comes about by providing examples. Once the terminology has been established, students and scholars of language can communicate better when it comes to discussing the mechanics of a language. It would be too difficult to engage in a conversation about grammar if every term had to be explained in examples. Unlike other academic branches like science, I don't think language technical terms can even be described in layman's terms. The vertebrae might be the spine in anatomy, but a superlative is still a superlative. Outside of the classroom, I think most of us would still be in need of examples to get the point across though!

Grammar is very important to me when I am learning a new language. I want to learn the language correctly so that I can communicate clearly. Just knowing the words and basic sentence structure of a language doesn't mean that you have learned it. I feel that once you become comfortable in a language or have been exposed to it enough, you will probably reach a point where you figure out what grammar rules can be broken so that you can still communicate with native speakers without being judged too harshly. To compare it to my native English, I suppose it would be the difference between broken English and speaking in a regional dialect. So I think grammar is important to an extent in spoken language so that you can be understood. My opinion of grammar in written form is that it is much more important. I think there is a lot of leniency on social media sites because we understand that users are on mobile devices, etc, but typing or writing something down is much more permanent than speaking it. I think if you use poor grammar even while posting online, some might draw the conclusion that you aren't very bright or maybe you're lazy. In an online environment or other written media like a newspaper, your grammar and spelling are a representation of you and can make a statement about your intelligence and thoughtfulness on the matter. It's very hard to overlook these kind of errors while reading, and the ideas you are conveying may get lost. So to answer your question, proper grammar is not so important to me in spoken form as it is in written form. You might be able to get your point across even if you don't use proper grammar either way, but I think more effort should certainly be taken while writing because it is more permanent and more people will be scrutinizing what you say and how you say it.

I agree with the comments here that slang is a normal part of a language and I feel that, at some point, slang words should be embraced and accepted as part of the language. It seems that if some many people are using a slang word as part of their everyday vocabulary, that word should no longer carry the stigma of a slang word that should be avoided. Something else that I completely agree with and struggled with myself is the statement about trying to use proper English versus free communication. When I was younger, I felt obligated to use proper English and pronunciation any time I spoke, so I really felt like I was constantly being judged and focused more on my word and sentence structure than the ideas behind my communication. I ended up sounding like a fool. When I allowed myself to be okay with slang or enunciating my words in a flowing conversational manner, I was able to express myself much more freely.