Some idioms have a meaning that is very different from the actual words they use. For example, the phrase “the cat’s in the cradle” doesn’t really give you any kind of clue as to what the idiom actually means. Others are little bit more straightforward. Once you understand their meaning, you can see how it …
English
English is a language with endless examples of odd phrases. If you know how to turn the other cheek or told someone something happened in a hot minute, that shouldn’t come as a surprise. When it comes to discussions that take place online or via text message, however, even native speakers of English can quickly …
Death is an inevitable and irreversible event that causes intense emotional and physical strain on the social and familial kins of the person who passes away. For this, we are expected to express our concern or sympathy to the ones who are left behind, especially those we know very well. Doing so exemplifies the important …
Throughout our lives, there are many occasions when we have to write thank-you notes or letters. For example, in a work context, you might want to thank someone for their cooperation. If you are an employee or a volunteer for an organization or you just run an informal fundraiser at some point, you might need …
Modern culture has brought about innovations in language, and more often than not, these newly devised words are categorized as slang language. It is usually unclear how a specific slang term takes root, and how a new established meaning is given to that word because it’s hard to tell who used it first. “Flexer” is …
While some people find it hard to start writing a piece of text, others meanwhile think it’s way more challenging to conclude it; this is often true with regards to formal writing scenarios. People struggle to conclude texts such as narrative, descriptive, and expository essays because they tend to feel like there’s nothing left to …
Picture this: You are watching an old-timey, black-and-white film from the mid-20th century. The setting is an elaborately decorated hotel lobby. A man in a suit with neatly combed hair and wearing a freshly pressed suit approaches the reception desk. The receptionist looks up, smiles, and says, “Good evening Mr. Carlson, are you here for …
By the time most of us reach adulthood, we have forgotten all about the excitement that a new, blank page in a coloring book used to inspire in us. Black line drawings of people, animals, dinosaurs––or whatever they may have been of––had the power to conjure up such eagerness and animation in most of us …
Many native and non-native speakers of English alike are on the same boat regarding the confusion as to whether “Welcome aboard” or “Welcome on board” is grammatically correct. To shed light on these language-related peculiarities, this post tackles the grammatical nuances between “Welcome aboard” and “Welcome on board,” together with some contextualization for an easier …