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Advice and tips
Posted by: Catie Holdridge
24 / 02 / 12
You may have a vague memory of once being told to use I shall for formal occasions, but is it too formal? Too old-fashioned? Will people point and laugh? Or are shall and will simply interchangeable? Let’s explore, shall we? Modal (helping) verbs Shall and will are modal verbs (sometimes called ‘helping verbs’). These combine […]
Posted by: Cathy Dann
20 / 02 / 12
Is it learnt or learned? Spelt or spelled? Dreamt or dreamed? If you’re unsure, you’re in good company, writes Cathy Relf. Neither the dictionaries nor the newspapers agree, so it’s hardly surprising that the rest of us are confused. We carried out a quick poll on X (formerly Twitter) and found that opinions were scattered. […]
14 / 02 / 12
Do you have one of those friends that you love to bits but whose every word should be taken with an enormous bag of salt? Well, that’s basically the relationship you should have with your thesaurus. Love it, but with caution. Next time you reach for it, first ask yourself why. If it’s because you’re […]
24 / 01 / 12
‘Run-on sentences’ may sound like a newspaper headline announcing that sentences are flying off the shelves. In fact, they are a product of the grammatically incorrect practice of running complete ideas into each other. Observe: I rock she rolls. As you can see, a run-on sentence isn’t necessarily long. When we say ‘complete ideas’ (of […]
20 / 01 / 12
Disclaimer: the views expressed in this article are those of the author and not those of the rest of the staff at Emphasis. We like robins here, and none were harmed in the production of this article. Ed.] Christmas is a time for traditions. For many, this involves the holy trinity of tree, turkey and […]
24 / 12 / 11
Do you know your palates from your palettes from your pallets? It’s a particularly important distinction if you work with food or wine – or, indeed, paints or wooden platforms. Of course, it’s blinking typical of English to have three different spellings for one pronunciation. But that’s part of our dear language’s charm. Take a […]
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