Semicolons
People often get confused by semicolons. They are not sure how to use them so they either avoid them or use them badly. In reality, though, it isn’t too complicated to learn when to...
Graham's Grammar Posts
Down in the mouth
When we say that someone is down in the mouth, we mean that they are sad, unhappy, miserable, depressed or dejected. Examples: We often use “down in the mouth” when we want to describe...
What’s the difference between horrible and horrid?
What’s the difference between horrible and horrid? “Horrible” and “horrid” are synonyms. Both words are used to describe something that is unpleasant. They can also be used to say that something is bad. In...
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket is one of a surprising number of idioms that refer to eggs. This particular idiom is a warning not to focus all your resources or energy...
An expert in or an expert at?
An expert in or an expert at? “In” and “at” are both prepositions. There are over a hundred prepositions in English. They are almost always small and very common words. Prepositions usually tell us...
Show up and showdown
Up is the opposite of down but show up is not the opposite of showdown. They are two different things entirely. First “show up”. Notice that this consists of two separate words. It is...
Life and Soul of the Party
In British English we often talk about someone being the “life and soul of the party”. The American English equivalent is “life of the party”. We use the phrase to refer to people who...
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...
Bonfire Night
People in the United Kingdom celebrate Bonfire Night on 5th November each year. Other names for Bonfiore Night are Guy Fawkes Night or Fireworks Night. The story of Bonfire Night starts in the year...
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...