Introduction Apostrophe happens to be one punctuation mark that has been abused and misused as far as the English language is concerned. Most people feel the English language is complicated because It has various rules that need to be followed. Punctuation marks were created to help us read easier but since their creation there has … Read more
The ellipsis (. . ., …) also known as dot-dot-dot is a grammatical term (usually three dots) that’s used to indicate an intentional omission of a sentence, word or whole section from a text without changing its original meaning. The word “ellipsis” originates from the Greek word élleipsis, and it means, leave out. When it comes to how … Read more
The hyphen is used to join words together and also to separate syllables of a single word. Hyphenation is the use of hyphens. The punctuation mark should not be confused with dashes (en dash –, figure dash ‒, horizontal dash —, and em dash —), which are longer and have their own different use. The … Read more
The period is one of the first punctuation marks we learn when at the start of our reading and writing years. In comparison to other punctuation marks such as the semicolons or commas, the use of the period is easy to learn and understand. The period is known as the “full stop” in British English … Read more
The comma is one of the most used punctuation marks there is, and perhaps the most misused and abused punctuation mark in the English language. The comma is used in various languages and context, mainly to separate parts of a sentence such as items in lists or clauses. The word comma is derived from the … Read more
Syntax, in linguistic, pertains to the set of rules, principles and processes that govern how words are combined to form clauses, phrases, and sentences. The goal of most syntacticians around the world is to discover the syntactic rules common to all languages. The word “syntax” is derived from the Greek, meaning “arrange together.” The term … Read more
How to use question marks will remain one of the primary worries of every writer and reader because that is one of the punctuation marks that demands something from us. As the word implies, it is a question, and an answer is required. And the right punctuation will tell your reader if the sentence is … Read more
Not everyone understands the importance of using the right punctuation during writing. Just like with speaking, where the use of intonation helps your listeners understand you better. That’s what these symbols do to your writing. They help you communicate your writing to readers. People rarely have issues using the full stop, comma, bracket, exclamation, and … Read more
Has anyone ever sent you a message that you wanted to read, but it wasn’t well-punctuated, and it just wasn’t coming together? If you have, you already know what punctuation do- Make texts easy to read and understand. The absence of punctuation can wreak a lot of havoc in writing because punctuation give the written … Read more
Introduction Language acquisition is a process that can happen at any point in human life. However, when we talk about the first language acquisition by a child, we refer to the process or way by which children learn their native language. (Learn about the nativist theory of language acquisition) Learning a new language can be … Read more
The qualitative research method is a branch of research that focuses on the use of conversational methods to collect data. It boasts a plethora of tools at its disposal, and discourse analysis is one of its most popular instruments for research and data collection. Discourse analysis is utilized in several disciplines, including the humanities and … Read more
The nativist theory of language acquisition became very popular in the late 20th century through Noam Chomsky who claimed that language is an innate faculty. The theory holds that children learn their mother’s tongue through their natural ability to organize the laws of language, but are only able to fully utilize this talent with the … Read more
In short: Language development theories explain how we learn languages, including grammar rules, words, and expressions. When we talk about language development, what we mean by it is the process by which children come to understand and communicate language during infancy and through their early childhood. The word or term language itself has many definitions. … Read more
The English language has a beautiful history behind it. In this article, we will look at the first events that marked the beginning of a great moment in the language. The most iconic pioneer moments, or as we call them the firsts in English, are below: The First Book Printed In English: The book, The … Read more
You may have been writing and speaking in the English language, but you probably don’t know that the English language, which was preceded by Celtic, belongs to the Germanic languages. The development of the English language started with the invasion of Britain by three Germanic tribes (the Saxons, Angles and Jutes) during the 5th century. … Read more
The English we speak today is a result of the several influences of cultures and individuals. English grammar – most importantly has seen different changes over the centuries (Learn about outdated grammar rules). One of the most iconic figures associated with English grammar is Lindley Murray, a Quaker lawyer, writer, and grammarian. Today, Lindley Murray … Read more
The novel today is considered one of the most important art forms in the English language. This is because it affects grand aspects of the language and is now considered an integral part of the art. However, the rise of the English novel occurred primarily in the 18th century; this does not mean that there … Read more
The English language is filled with thousands of words, and every day, new words are added to its vocabulary. It is the same with every language, where new words are added through interactions with other cultures. The English language has experienced several evolvements over several centuries, evolving into what we speak today. The English language … Read more
Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech that is used to describe a word that mimics the natural sounds made by an object or animal. An onomatopoeia is usually used to create an audio effect, and this could make a simple description more expressive, or even dramatic. For example, when you write “woof” to describe the … Read more
There is a good chance you have wondered why there are so many foreign words in the English language. In this article, we will deal with some common words and their etymology i.e. their origin, and how they have changed over centuries. If you would like to learn about the origin of English words, this … Read more