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Yester's English Lessons 21–40 Compilation!
5 years ago
#21: Analyses, theses, and crises are the correct plurals of analysis, thesis, and crisis respectively!
All of the ending syllables have an '-ease' sound at the end instead of '-iss' for their plurals.
#22: This might sound stupid, but 'stupider' is technically correct! And so are cleverer and gentler!
You'd usually just say 'more stupid' anyway. In formal writing you'd never even use the word 'stupid' lol—cleverer and gentler are fine however.
#23: A device is a plan, to devise is to plan or build. Advice is a suggestion, to advise is to suggest!
To turn a noun into a verb, you'd usually use '-ise' (or -ize in America). This is similar, except you just remove the '-ice' part. (Also, it's still devise in America, not 'devize'.)
#24: Assent means (to) approve. Ascent is a climb or rise upwards. Accent is an emphasis or dialect.
Suppose 'Ass' in assent could also mean 'assure'. Also, if I ever have 'to' in parenthesis, that means the word can be a noun or a verb.
#25: A login (noun) is the process of logging onto a device. To 'log in' is the verb tense!
I see huge websites mix this up! 'Please login to your device.' It's been a pet peeve of mine lol
#26: Coming in to say 'into' means literally inside. You log in to a device or tune in to a radio!
'Into' can also denote a transformation. 'Turning into a driveway' means you transformed into a driveway! You turn in to a driveway.
#27: 'Never mind' is always two words—'pay no nevermind' however is an archaic saying for 'take notice'!
If you're referring to the Nirvana album, it's of course one word. Chances are they didn't know 'never mind' was two words lol
#28: A portmanteau is a hybrid word created with two existing words (ex. emoticon = emotion + icon)!
'Wario' is actually a pormanteau as well, mixing 'Mario' and the Japanese word 'warui', meaning 'bad' or 'evil'!
#29: Capitalise earth, moon, and sun in the context of space! (e.g. 'out in the sun'—'orbiting the Sun')
This is according to MLA format (citation style). English classes use MLA, which is typically the only class where capitalisation counts.
#30: A 'compliment' is an admiration, but 'complements' complete (two 90° angles complement each other)!
I actually mess this up to this day sometimes. In maths, complementary angels equate to 180°!
#31: If 'ran' accompanies have, did, etc., you actually say 'run'! (e.g. have run, had run, did run)
This is called the 'past participle': when a verb accompanies had, did, etc. Today I run, yesterday I ran, the day before I had run!
#32: Clothes go in the dryer, but some may be drier than others (dryer is a noun, drier is comparative)!
This one is pretty straight-forward. Nothing to say here uvu
#33: 'May be' and 'maybe' may be similar-looking, but 'may be' is a verb phrase and maybe is an adverb!
Basically if 'may' and 'be' just happen to be next each other, don't morph them for no reason.
#34: A 'pareidolia' is an obscure word describing a stimulus in an object, such as faces in the clouds!
Technically emoticons like 'owo' are pareidolias because they are letters used to create a face!
#35: Lay means to place something down. Lie means to rest or recline (has nothing being acted upon)!
I still might mess this one up, since I do admit, it can be confusing. Natives often know the difference naturally, however.
#36: Today I lay, yesterday I (had) laid… Today I lie, yesterday I lay, before I had lain!
This is essentially a sequal to #35, demonstrating 'lay' and 'lie's simple past and past participle forms. I really wanted to include 'laying' vs. 'lying' (present participle) but I couldn't fit it in!
#37: 'Persons' could be a valid plural for an exact or small number of people! (100 people, 96 persons)
'People' in any circumstance works as a plural for 'person' however. Only under legal documents is 'persons' commonly used.
#38: If you can replace 'who' with (s)he, use who. If you can replace it with him or her, use whom!
Depending on its wording, you may have to temporarily change the word order. e.g. 'To ___ did she speak?' to 'She did speak to ___?'
#39: Vulcan, Martian, and Klingon have always been capitalised, but until 2017, 'Earthling' wasn't!
If you're quoting or writing something written before 2017, don't capitalise Earthling!
#40: Avoid redundancy in formal writing, unless it's for emphasis! e.g. Free gift, end result, total of…
I see redundancy as a form of literary device, so use it with that approach!
All of the ending syllables have an '-ease' sound at the end instead of '-iss' for their plurals.
#22: This might sound stupid, but 'stupider' is technically correct! And so are cleverer and gentler!
You'd usually just say 'more stupid' anyway. In formal writing you'd never even use the word 'stupid' lol—cleverer and gentler are fine however.
#23: A device is a plan, to devise is to plan or build. Advice is a suggestion, to advise is to suggest!
To turn a noun into a verb, you'd usually use '-ise' (or -ize in America). This is similar, except you just remove the '-ice' part. (Also, it's still devise in America, not 'devize'.)
#24: Assent means (to) approve. Ascent is a climb or rise upwards. Accent is an emphasis or dialect.
Suppose 'Ass' in assent could also mean 'assure'. Also, if I ever have 'to' in parenthesis, that means the word can be a noun or a verb.
#25: A login (noun) is the process of logging onto a device. To 'log in' is the verb tense!
I see huge websites mix this up! 'Please login to your device.' It's been a pet peeve of mine lol
#26: Coming in to say 'into' means literally inside. You log in to a device or tune in to a radio!
'Into' can also denote a transformation. 'Turning into a driveway' means you transformed into a driveway! You turn in to a driveway.
#27: 'Never mind' is always two words—'pay no nevermind' however is an archaic saying for 'take notice'!
If you're referring to the Nirvana album, it's of course one word. Chances are they didn't know 'never mind' was two words lol
#28: A portmanteau is a hybrid word created with two existing words (ex. emoticon = emotion + icon)!
'Wario' is actually a pormanteau as well, mixing 'Mario' and the Japanese word 'warui', meaning 'bad' or 'evil'!
#29: Capitalise earth, moon, and sun in the context of space! (e.g. 'out in the sun'—'orbiting the Sun')
This is according to MLA format (citation style). English classes use MLA, which is typically the only class where capitalisation counts.
#30: A 'compliment' is an admiration, but 'complements' complete (two 90° angles complement each other)!
I actually mess this up to this day sometimes. In maths, complementary angels equate to 180°!
#31: If 'ran' accompanies have, did, etc., you actually say 'run'! (e.g. have run, had run, did run)
This is called the 'past participle': when a verb accompanies had, did, etc. Today I run, yesterday I ran, the day before I had run!
#32: Clothes go in the dryer, but some may be drier than others (dryer is a noun, drier is comparative)!
This one is pretty straight-forward. Nothing to say here uvu
#33: 'May be' and 'maybe' may be similar-looking, but 'may be' is a verb phrase and maybe is an adverb!
Basically if 'may' and 'be' just happen to be next each other, don't morph them for no reason.
#34: A 'pareidolia' is an obscure word describing a stimulus in an object, such as faces in the clouds!
Technically emoticons like 'owo' are pareidolias because they are letters used to create a face!
#35: Lay means to place something down. Lie means to rest or recline (has nothing being acted upon)!
I still might mess this one up, since I do admit, it can be confusing. Natives often know the difference naturally, however.
#36: Today I lay, yesterday I (had) laid… Today I lie, yesterday I lay, before I had lain!
This is essentially a sequal to #35, demonstrating 'lay' and 'lie's simple past and past participle forms. I really wanted to include 'laying' vs. 'lying' (present participle) but I couldn't fit it in!
#37: 'Persons' could be a valid plural for an exact or small number of people! (100 people, 96 persons)
'People' in any circumstance works as a plural for 'person' however. Only under legal documents is 'persons' commonly used.
#38: If you can replace 'who' with (s)he, use who. If you can replace it with him or her, use whom!
Depending on its wording, you may have to temporarily change the word order. e.g. 'To ___ did she speak?' to 'She did speak to ___?'
#39: Vulcan, Martian, and Klingon have always been capitalised, but until 2017, 'Earthling' wasn't!
If you're quoting or writing something written before 2017, don't capitalise Earthling!
#40: Avoid redundancy in formal writing, unless it's for emphasis! e.g. Free gift, end result, total of…
I see redundancy as a form of literary device, so use it with that approach!
