The words saw and seen are forms of the irregular verb see. As you can see, unlike most verbs, saw and seen don’t end in -ed or -d, which can make it tricky to determine when each should be used. In this article, we’ll break down when and how to use saw and seen, explain what makes see an irregular verb, and provide examples of …
When should you use the word should and the word shall? Continue reading and you shall learn the answer! In this article, we will explore the differences between should and shall, explain when and how we typically use these words, and provide examples of how we typically use them in sentences. The word shall is an auxiliary verb, also known as a helping verb. It …
The apostrophe is a punctuation mark that is responsible for a few specific jobs. Despite this, the apostrophe is a heavy-hitter in the world of punctuation because the few jobs it has are both very important and very common. So, let’s give credit where credit is due and explore more about how useful apostrophes can be. Punctuation is the system of marks, symbols, and characters …
When writing using proper grammar, it is important to remember proper punctuation. Punctuation is the system of symbols and marks we use in writing, such as the period, question mark, and comma. Right now, we are going to look at one specific punctuation mark: the colon. While it may not be as commonly used as the period or the comma, the colon is useful for …
The semicolon is a punctuation mark that is not used as often as a period or a comma, possibly because people are afraid of using it incorrectly. This is unfortunate; the semicolon can really spice up your writing if you know how to use it. The semicolon may be one of the trickier marks that we use, but it’s not as intimidating as most people …
Imagine this: you’re writing an essay and just jotted down a particularly insightful point. You’ve backed it up with examples, and are feeling pretty good about your work … so, what comes next? If you answered, “a transition word,” you’re right! Transition words do the hard work of connecting one sentence or paragraph to the next. A transition—which sometimes requires a phrase or full sentence—can …
Twice a year—once in March and once in November—we’re forced to change our clocks forward and then backward an hour. You’ve likely heard a passionate voice or two in the debate over whether this is necessary. Yet there’s another debate that comes up from the switch as well: whether it’s daylight-saving time or daylight-savings time. And as you can probably imagine, this one can get …
Sometimes, you find yourself … and you can’t … it is hard to … you don’t know the right words. The ellipsis is the perfect punctuation mark to use to express this difficulty in informal writing. But that’s not the only way we can use an ellipsis. The ellipsis is a handy punctuation mark to use in fiction to create dramatic pauses or to indicate …
Prefixes and suffixes are super useful for customizing the meanings of words, but what are they? What is a prefix? A prefix is a group of letters (or an affix) that’s added to the beginning of a word. Prefixes modify the meaning of a word. They can make a word negative, show repetition, or indicate opinion. When you add a prefix to a word, you shouldn’t …
Something smells rotten… You probably know that stink, stank, and stunk are used to describe smelly things, but can you sniff out when to properly use each word? In this article, we will explain how and when to correctly use stink, stank, and stunk, explain why stink is considered to be an irregular verb, and provide examples of how to use stink, stank, and stunk …
It is a good idea to brush your teeth every day. It is good manners to be nice to each person you meet. When it comes to lions and tigers, you shouldn’t try to hug either one. Not only are these three sentences examples of good advice (especially the one about cuddling dangerous cats), but they all are examples of sentences that use adjectives. Adjectives …
Do you know why the past tense of begin is began and the past participle is begun? If not, you can begin to understand by reading on. In this article, we will explain how and when to correctly use begin, began, and begun, explain why begin is considered an irregular verb, identify some verbs similar to begin, and provide examples of how we use begin, …