Idioms | The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

Apocope Definition and Examples

GrammarBook.com — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 11:00:46 +0000

We often use language techniques and functions in our writing and speech with such familiarity that we might not even know what they are nor what we’re applying. As one more-recognizable example, when we merge will with not to form won’t, we are contracting the words. Another operation we use with instinct but perhaps not […]

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How to Use Only Correctly

GrammarBook.com — Wed, 03 May 2023 11:00:27 +0000

Any language has its accepted daily misuses, even as they miff the grammatical purist. In English, we might often deal in statements with solecisms such as: Please inform Sheila and I about the tickets. I must of left my backpack on the bus. Every dog has it’s day. We’re still in awe of the enormity […]

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Interjections: What They Are and Examples

GrammarBook.com — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 11:00:32 +0000

Way to go! If you’re engaging this discussion, you have a sincere interest in understanding how specific parts of speech function in American English. Congrats! An English interjection communicates a writer’s or speaker’s feeling or focus in emphasizing a statement or drawing someone’s attention to it. It is a reaction to someone or something. Interjections […]

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Bring vs. Take: What’s the Difference?

GrammarBook.com — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 11:00:43 +0000

“Would you bring me to the train station?” “How much money are you taking to the concert?” You’ve probably said, read, or heard such expressions. Bring and take are common verbs in English, and we use them often in our daily writing and speech. But are the questions above correctly conveyed? Both verbs involve actions […]

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Colloquialism Examples to Help You Learn About Them

GrammarBook.com — Mon, 16 May 2022 11:00:37 +0000

You might be familiar with the word “colloquialism.” Even if you aren’t, there’s a good chance you use colloquialisms often, especially in your speech. They’re so common to us that we may not even notice them unless we come upon one we don’t recognize. Let’s review the definition of colloquialisms as well as some examples. […]

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What Is an Idiom? (With Examples and Usage)

GrammarBook.com — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 12:00:17 +0000

Idioms are a big part of language—as well as a common source of confusion, particularly for non-native speakers. Because idioms are used so often in communications from emails to text messages to daily conversations, understanding them is important to mastering American English. In today’s post we’ll explain what idioms are and how they work, as […]

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Euphemisms: What Is a Euphemism?

GrammarBook.com — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 11:00:15 +0000

Some people may not be able to say what a euphemism is, but there’s a good chance they often use euphemisms, including sometimes without being aware. In today’s grammar post, we’ll explain what euphemisms are and how to use them. What Exactly Is a Euphemism? A euphemism is a mild term—typically an idiomatic one—that’s used […]

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Contractions in English

GrammarBook.com — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 11:00:49 +0000

Contractions in English are the shortening of words, phrases, or numerals by omitting characters and replacing them with an apostrophe. The apostrophe represents the missing letters or numbers. You likely use contractions daily in your communications. In writing and speech, they help us save time in exchanging thoughts and ideas. They conserve space and length […]

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Ending a Sentence in a Preposition

GrammarBook.com — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 11:00:56 +0000

Many of us who learned American English in school likely received certain inviolable decrees about usage. One of them was to use “___ and I” only as a subject. Another was never to split an infinitive (not true). Yet another was never to end a sentence with a preposition, a breach of form that can […]

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For All Intents and Purposes vs. For All Intensive Purposes

GrammarBook.com — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 15:00:08 +0000

You’ve probably heard this expression used a couple of different ways. You may also have wondered which one is correct and where the confusion comes from. Let’s break down what you should write and say, what the phrase means, and why there is confusion about it. Is For All Intents and Purposes Right, or Is […]

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