Inherent or inherited?
Inherent or inherited? Inherent and inherited are similar words with different meanings. You could easily confuse them, so this might help you to learn the difference. We use “inherent” when we talk about a...
Category: Adjectives
Less or fewer?
Less or fewer? “Less” and “fewer” are used in different ways from each other but many people – especially native speakers of English – get them mixed up. Both words are comparative adjectives and...
What is the difference between “comfortable” and “convenient”?
In English there is quite a big difference between “comfortable” and “convenient”, but in some other languages, the difference might not be quite so clear. In Russian, for example, the word “Удобный” (udobnyy) can...
Unperturbed or imperturbable?
To understand the difference between unperturbed and imperturbable, let’s start with the meaning of “perturbed”, which is something like upset or troubled. We say that someone is “unperturbed” when they are not perturbed –...
Order of adjectives
When there are two or more adjectives in front of a noun they are placed in a particular order. Most native English speakers wouldn’t be able to tell you this order but they would...
Parts of Speech
In English, words are classified according to nine types. These types are called “parts of speech”. The nine parts of speech are: Nouns naming words Examples: Ivan; bird; London; president, car, computer, wind Verbs...
Comparative and superlative adjectives
Comparative and superlative adjectives. The comparative form of an adjective is used to compare two items, The superlative form is used to compare three or more items. There are three degrees of comparatives and...
“Incredible” or “incredulous”?
“Incredible” and “incredulous” are similar words that have different meanings. They are often confused, even by native speakers of English. “Incredible” means that something is unbelievable. “Incredulous” means that someone doesn’t believe something. Examples:...
What is meant by “thick-skinned”?
“Thick-skinned” is an English idiom used about someone who is not easily upset or insulted: “I don’t mind you criticising me. I’m very thick-skinned”. “It’s all right; she won’t feel insulted. She’s quite thick-skinned”....
What does “precarious” mean?
“Precarious” is an adjective meaning dangerous. It is usually used about a particular situation. If I am walking in the middle of a busy road, I am in a precarious situation. If I only...