Grammar terms
Bare infinitive An infinitive not preceded by to. Examples are: write, work, sing, draw, paint etc. Bound morpheme A morpheme which cannot stand alone to make a word. A bound morpheme must be combined...
View ArticleGrammar terms beginning with C
Complex preposition A preposition which consists of two or three words. Examples are: in spite of, in front of, out of, on top of etc. Compound A word constructed by combining two or more existing...
View ArticleGrammar terms beginning with Letter D
Dangling participle A dangling participle is a participle which is not grammatically linked to the rest of the sentence. For example, in the sentence ‘Standing at the gate, a scorpion bit him’, the...
View ArticleGrammar terms beginning with letters D and E
Double negative A construction in which two or more negative words occur in a single clause. Examples are: I don’t have nothing to prove. I didn’t see nothing. Double negatives are common in colloquial...
View ArticleGrammar terms beginning with letter F
False friend A word in a foreign language which looks very much like a word in your own language but which has a very different meaning. Finite verb A label applied to a verb-form which is marked for...
View ArticleGrammar terms beginning with letter L
Labile verb A verb which can be either transitive or intransitive. English has many labile verbs. Examples are: sink, smoke, dress, wash, swim, jump etc. Susie smokes expensive cigarettes. (Transitive)...
View ArticleGrammatical terms
Person The grammatical category which is used to distinguish participants in a conversation. English distinguishes three persons. The first person represents the speaker or speakers. The pronouns are I...
View ArticleGrammar terms: Sentence Adverb and sequence of tenses
Sentence adverb Adverbs usually modify a verb or a verb phrase. A sentence adverb is an adverb which does not merely modify a verb or a verb phrase, but which instead modifies the entire sentence...
View ArticleGrammar terms: simple sentence, singular, split infinitive
Simple sentence A sentence which contains only one main clause. Examples are: She is coming; The king is dead; My brother wants to buy a new car. Singular The simplest form of an English noun. This is...
View ArticleColor related idioms
Color-related idioms and expressions are very common in English. Meanings of colors change across cultures. We will discuss some of these expressions here. In the black If a business is in the black,...
View ArticleExpressions with take
Take is one of the most frequently used words in English. Needless to say, nearly fifty expressions in current use incorporate the verb take. Take something / somebody for granted There are two...
View ArticleFind the meaning of the idiomatic expressions
Find the meaning of the idiomatic expressions. 1. To catch a Tartar is to a) catch a dangerous person b) encounter a person who is too strong for the assailant c) catch a criminal with great difficulty...
View ArticleIdioms exercise
Every sentence given below contains an idiom/phrase. From the given options you have to select the sentence or phrase which best expresses the meaning of… Continue reading
View ArticleCommon similes
A simile is a figure of speech in which one thing is compared with another things. Here are some common similes in English. As crooked… Continue reading
View ArticleExpressions with set
Here is a list of phrasal verbs with set. Each expression is followed by its meaning. Example sentences are also given. Set about To set… Continue reading
View ArticleIdioms – W
Idiomatic expressions formed from words beginning with W In the wake of Following as a result of In the wake of the recent terror attacks… Continue reading
View ArticleCommon idioms in English
Here are some idiomatic expressions Hot under the collar When you are hot under the collar, you are angry or annoyed. He behaved as if… Continue reading
View ArticleImportant idioms in English
Here are some common idiomatic expressions in English. A bitter pill A bitter pill is an unpleasant or difficult situation or information that must be… Continue reading
View ArticleEnglish idioms
Here are some common idiomatic expressions in English. Get your head around it To get your head around something is to understand it. Dig in… Continue reading
View ArticleSome common idiomatic expressions starting with letter A
Here are some common idiomatic expressions. About to When you are about to do something, you are on the point of doing it. I was… Continue reading
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