The curse of knowledge
You know how it is. It’s four o’clock on Friday, you’re on the last Zoom call of the day, and suddenly you’re woken from your daydream by Jones from Marketing: “Anyway, our AB readership, many … Read more
learning
When is ‘a ticket’ just the ticket?
I am always impressed by non-native speakers who take real pains to learn the ins and outs of English, and who get the details right in print and in conversation. It’s all the more frustrating, … Read more
All stressed out
One of the most important lessons for English speakers is understanding how a shift of emphasis from one word to another can alter the meaning of a single sentence. In the following short story, words … Read more
English evolution
English should be a relatively easy language to learn and use. After all, it has no genders (masculine or feminine), most plurals are made by the simple addition of ‘s’, and most verbs have a … Read more