Grammar Stammer Blog - Grammar Stammer

However vs. But (part 1)

6/26/2023

We may have lost the fight, but we haven't lost the battle!

In part 1 of ‘However’ vs. ‘But’, we’ll look at when they have similar meanings - to indicate a contradiction. Most of the time they can be used interchangeably, with a few minor changes in punctuation. Most of the time. Let’s explore.

‘However’ as an adverb is a transition word. This means that it is used to connect to independent clauses. When used, it must be separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma. This can occur is a few ways:
Example:
I love to travel. However, it requires time and money. (Two sentences. ‘However’ introduces the second sentence. Must use a comma after use).
I love to travel; however, it requires time and money. (Two independent ideas separated by a semi-colon. Must use a comma after use).
I love to travel. It requires time and money, however. (Two sentences. Must use a comma before use).

‘But’ is a coordinating conjunction - a structure often used to connect ideas that contrast each other. Other examples of coordinating conjunctions are ‘Or’ and ‘And’. Commas are often used to separate longer or more complicated clauses. Shorter pairs of clauses are often connected without commas.
Example:
I love to travel but it requires time and money.

Some more examples of when these words can be used interchangeably because of their purpose - to indicated contrast:

That’s a valid point, but I think we should go together.
That’s a valid point; however, I think we should go together.
That’s a valid point. However, I think we should go together.

I understand where you are coming from, but I feel differently.
I understand where you are coming from; however, I feel differently.
I understand where you are coming from. However, I feel differently.

I see what you’re saying, but I can’t go.
I see what you’re saying; however, I can’t go.
I see what you’re saying. However, I can’t go.

We’ll explore the other uses of ‘However’ and ‘But’ in our next post.

Thirst Trap

5/27/2023

Contrary to what you may believe at first, thirst traps have no relation to water. It refers to a viewer's "thirst", a colloquialism likening sexual frustration to dehydration, with the afflicted individual being described as "thirsty”.

The usage of the phrase derived from selfie culture. A thirst trap is a sensual photograph intended for social media to catch a viewer’s eye. 👀

But, more than anything, a thirst trap is all about being confident — because as we know, there's nothing hotter than being your authentic self. 💖

Formerly vs. Formally

4/30/2023

The cat dressed formally to attend the wedding. Formerly, he was in his pj's.

Formerly is an adverb. It means something that happened before. Previously.
Example:
I had formerly been a teacher. Now I work in Strategic Communications.

Formally is also an adverb. It means something that is official. Officially.
Example:
I’m going to a wedding this Friday. My husband and I will both be formally dressed.

If it’s difficult to remember, just think of the root.
Formerly = former
Formally = formal

Envelop vs. Envelope vs. Enveloppe

3/26/2023

Envelop and envelope are the same word in different grammatical forms. Because of this, they are also pronounced differently. Let’s explore.

Envelop is a verb meaning to cover or surround something completely. Pronunciation wise, the accent is on the second syllable.
Example: The long dress was too big for her. It enveloped her completely. (note that the simple past adds an ‘ed’ to Envelop, making it look even more like Envelope.)

Envelope is a noun meaning a paper covering for documents sent by mail. Pronunciation wise, the accent is on the first syllable.
Example: I received an envelope in the mail last week. For once, it wasn’t a bill.

Enveloppe is the French word for envelope. Living in Canada and being bilingual in both of its official languages, English and French, I often forget which is which until spellcheck tells me otherwise. That’s only helpful if I’m writing on a digital platform. Sadness.

Do you have any tricks to share to remember the difference? Asking for a friend. 😉

Allude vs. Elude

2/28/2023

Spot the cat has alluded to his humans that there are mice in the house, whereas the mice have luckily eluded the humans.

Both allude and elude are verbs that sound similar, but their meanings are completely different.

Allude is used when someone suggests, calls attention to, or hints at something indirectly.
Example:
From just a sorrowful look in her eyes, Beverly alluded to the fact that Jack was indeed Jean-Luc’s son. It had been kept secret for 20 years.

Elude means to evade or escape from a danger (perceived or real), an enemy, or pursuer, typically in a skillful or cunning way.
Example:
The crew of the ship was forced to elude the enemy named Vadic or risk being annihilated.

The trick I use to remember the difference? Evade and Escape, similar in meaning to Elude, both start with an “e”. Hopefully that helps!

Into Vs. In To

1/3/2023

The cat stuffed herself into a glass bowl

I’ve observed some confusion over which to use (into or in to) when writing.

Time to clarify!

Into – This is a preposition and indicates movement.
Example:
I walked into the building.

In to – These two words are also prepositions.
“In” can be used to create phrasal verbs.
“To” is often used when creating the infinitive (to + verb).
Both are used frequently but are not normally paired together.
Example:
I learned to drive in 2011. (This is an example of the infinitive)
My cats get to play outside in our yard. When it’s time for my cats to come in, I ring a bell and they run inside. (This is an example of a phrasal verb)

The simple trick: If you’re describing something that involves movement, use into.

References:
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/common-grammar-mistakes-list

Phrasal Verbs

12/30/2022

Warning: this is probably the most difficult thing in English to learn, mostly because it requires that one memorize everything. Logic has no place here.

A phrasal verb combines a verb with an adverb or preposition to create an entirely new word with a totally different meaning than the original separate words. When used in a sentence, the verb portion of the phrasal verb acts the same as all other verbs – meaning that it still conjugates as any other regular verb normally would.

Here are some common phrasal verbs to get you started, noting that there are indeed thousands:

Pass out – become unconscious

I went skiing the other day and when I got home, I was so tired I passed out.

Come back – return

After dinner I invited my friends to come back to my house to watch the hockey game.

Set aside – to reserve

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to buy a dress, so I asked the store attendant to set it aside for a couple of hours to give me time to decide.

Get up – to stop sleeping and leave the bed

The act of getting up isn’t difficult. It’s when I must get up to go to work that is a challenge.

Wake up – to stop sleeping

The first thing I do when I wake up is spend a few minutes cuddling my cats.

Calm down – relax

Surprisingly, the worst thing to say to someone who is angry is “calm down”.

Give up – to stop trying

I tried to make things work, but eventually their abuse of power took its toll, and I gave up.

Continue learning with this phrasal verb quiz!

Advice vs. Advise

11/29/2022

There are a few differences between these words:

Spelling
Pronunciation
Grammatical function

Advice (with a C) is a noun. The ‘c’ is voiceless, meaning the voice is “turned off” when pronouncing this sound. The phonetic symbol for this sound is /s/. As a noun, it’s an opinion or recommendation offered as a guide to action.
Example: My friend gave me great advice about where to get my cat groomed.

Advise (with an S) is a verb. The ‘s’ is voiced, meaning the voice is “turned on” to make this sound. The phonetic symbol for this sound is /z/. As a verb, it’s when one gives a recommendation or info to someone.
Example: My friend advised that I go to the local animal groomer.

And that's a wrap!

Contranym

10/30/2022

A contranym describes single words that have two contradictory meanings.

Some examples:

Bolt – to secure or to flee
Bound – heading to a destination or restrained from movement
Left – remained or departed
Oversight – failing to notice something or providing effective supervision
Sanction – to approve or to boycott
Weather – to withstand or to wear away

Know of any other contranyms to share?

Righteous vs. Self-Righteous

9/21/2022

Righteous – A righteous person is a good person with a code of morality – where a standard is set for themselves and they adhere it.

Self-righteous – A person who is self-righteous is a person who thinks they are better than everyone else; one who judges people by their standards that in many cases, they don’t even keep themselves. Another word for self-righteous is pompous.

Sympathy vs. Empathy

8/24/2022

These words do appear quite similar, but they are quite distinct in meaning and use.

Sympathy involves understanding from your own perspective. When a person feels sympathy, they care and are sorry about someone else’s grief. A person who is sympathetic feels sorry for a person, which might not be helpful in situations where people are in pain.

Empathy involves putting yourself in the other person's shoes and understanding WHY they have these feelings. When a person feels empathy, they understand and share another person’s experiences and emotions. Empathy becomes a bridge that connects two people and creates a space for more genuine healing, understanding, and compassion.

To summarize, empathy is a much more effective way to connect with those who are going through significant emotional pain.

Reference: The Difference Between Empathy and Sympathy

Go, Went, Gone

7/22/2022

Go is an irregular verb, meaning that it doesn’t simply take on “-ed” when changing the verb tense to the past or participle (used in the present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect tenses). Go is a verb that someone communicating in English will encounter regularly, so thought it wise to review this one with you.

Examples:
Present tense

I must go to the store.
He goes to the store every Sunday.

Past tense

We went to the store last Sunday.

Participle

He has gone to the store every Sunday for the past few years.

Ready to test your skills?

Anyway vs. Any way

6/29/2022

I’ve seen this error made only a handful of times, but thought it a good idea to address.

Anyway is an adverb that can also mean “in any case”, “in spite of reasons already mentioned”, “at any rate”, or “regardless”. Use these alternative phrases if trying to express yourself more formally.

Example:
I wasn’t sure the approach would work, but I asked my boss, anyway.

We’ve also seen this word being used in a rude manner. If someone is talking and someone else either cuts them off or waits for them to finish and then says “anyway” before changing the subject, it might be perceived as rude, especially depending on the tone used. It can also be used to continue an interrupted story.

Any way is an adjective-noun phrase that means “whichever path” or “In any manner”.
Example:
While I was teaching in Korea, I tried any way possible to get the students to enjoy learning and reading English.

More:
A note about “anyways”. It means anyway, but it's definitely non-standard. It’s accepted in informal speech, but please refrain from using it in writing, unless want to sound informal. Personally, I would delete this word from your brain.

More than one way to skin a cat

5/31/2022

A very cruel expression that made its first appearance in print in the 1840s is “there’s more than one way to skin a cat”. The variations of this expression are even more vile and graphic.

People use this expression to suggest there are several ways to do something or get something done.

Example:
It’s been quite the challenge to get support for something at work. The colleague I confided in replied that there is more than one way to skin a cat – let’s brainstorm some ideas. While taken aback at the horrendous use of this expression, their heart was in the right place to help me come up with other ways to achieve my goal.

I cannot confirm whether the following is true, but one comforting explanation for this phrase is that it’s not actually referencing skinning our cute little feline friends, but rather a phrase that originated in the American south region that pertains to the preparation of a catfish.

The question then becomes, “Who shortened it to cat?! WHO?!”

Reference:
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-mor1.htm

Case in Point

4/27/2022

A friend of mine was kind enough to correct me when I mistakenly used the expression “case and point” when trying to present an example that supported an argument. Ironically, he succeeded in his argument by using the correct expression, which is "case in point".

So why do we say “case in point”?

It comes from the French expression a pointe. In English, it was “in point” in the mid-1600s, and then became “case in point” in the 1700s.

Case in point is a popular expression used more often in conversation than in writing. My example:

It is difficult to cover a song and have everyone love it as much as the original, but some people can do it successfully. Case in point: Hurt by Johnny Cash. (It was originally written and sung by Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails.

Reference:
https://writingexplained.org/idiom-dictionary/case-in-point