Found 245 articles starting with S:
Saccharin vs. Saccharine: Navigating Distinctions in Sweeteners Understanding the differences between "saccharin" and "saccharine" involves recognizing variations in terminology and usage. This article aims to clarify the distinctions bet... |
noun and verb |
sacrilegious - correct spelling adjective |
noun |
adjective |
Woe to the person who confuses these two in the wrong situation.Salutary means “wholesome” or “designed to create a healthy improvement.”Salacious means “appealing to sexual desire.”... |
noun |
adjective |
adjective |
This is an example page. It's different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say s... |
Sample Page - Build Your Vocabulary
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Sample Page - Common Grammatical Mistakes
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Sample Page - Developing a Powerful Writing Style This Grammar eBook will teach you how to develop a powe... |
Sample Page - Egg on Your Face
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Sample Page - The Awful 'Like' Word
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Sample Page - Understanding the Parts of Speech
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adjective |
noun |
noun and verb |
adjective |
Sanguine might be one of the most misused words in the English language, and that is partly because it has two meanings that seem almost the opposite of each other.Sanguine means “reddish,” ... |
adjective |
noun |
verb |
proper noun (often serving as an adverb |
Languages can shift over time, even in different parts of the world. Many differences in spelling and usage have grown prominent between British and American English. Saviour and savior, for instance, are American and British Eng... |
Languages can shift over time, even in different parts of the world. Many differences in spelling and usage have grown prominent between British and American English. Saviour and savior, for instance, are American and British English spellings of the... |
adjective |
adverb |
adjective |
noun |
noun |
noun (plural of the noun scent) and verb (third-person singular of the verb scent... |
A German word meaning the delight in the suffering of others. It often appears capitalized, as all German nouns are capitalized. But in English, the lowercase is perfectly proper.Pronounced: shahd-n-froi-duh. ... |
Schadenfreude vs. Freudenfreude Can we be conscious of an emotion when we have no word to describe it? “Schadenfreude”... |
noun and verb |
noun |
adjective |
noun |
adjective |
When do we use “sea”?Always used as a noun, “sea” mainly defines a very large, natural expanse of salt water. The same word can also be used when trying to express a large expanse of something, such as a big gathering of people.... |
Seam vs. SeemFirst and foremost, one of the main reasons why “seam” can and should never be replaced with “seem” can be seen grammatically: “Seam” is always used exclusively as a noun, whereas “seem” is always used exclusively as a v... |
noun and verb |
verb |
English grammar is not very complicated it just needs a little bit of concentration and understanding. When ... |
noun |
verb (past participle of the verb see)Grammar.com’s section on Problem Words discusses scene and seen. Click here for... |
Seen is the past participle of see. Note that it is not the simple past tense of ... |
verb |
The enemy countries ceased fire and then one seized the other’s air force base. Does the above sentence makes sense to you? It uses two homophones i.e. a pair or words that have same pronunci... |
Punctuation is the basic element of English grammar and without it a sentence is not only incomplete but als... |
The semicolon should be placed outside quotation marks. When the quoted matter ends with a semicolon, the semicolon is dropped. According to the editor, writers do make mistakes when "quoting from research sources";... |
Semicolons and Independent Clauses A semicolon separates two or more independent clauses joined without a coordinating conjunction: The Court required police to warn suspects of their constitutional rights; in doing so, it made judicial histor... |
If the series is long and complex or any one element has a comma within it, separate each element of the series with a semicolon: The company has offices in Greensboro, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia;... |
Semicolons Separating Elements in a Series Semicolons Instead of CommasWe reviewed this rule when we discussed the serial-comma rule in the discussion on the comma above. It bears repeating, however. When elements in a series are long and complex or involve internal p... |
Semicolons with Quotation Marks Semicolon Comes OutsideThe semicolon should be placed outside ending quotation marks. When the quoted matter ends with a semicolon, the semicolon in the quotation is dropped: The agen... |
noun |
noun and verb |
A sense can be any one of the faculties: taste, touch, hearing, smell, sight, or equilibrium. It can also mean “understanding” or “perception.”Since means “from a certain point in time up un... |
adjective |
Both words mean “of or appealing to the senses.” The difference in usage is that sensual is more closely associated with physical senses and sexual desires. Sensuous is used to describe things that ... |
A grammatically complete sentence has a subject and a conjugated verb, as in Mary sang. A sentence is also an in... |
In order to understand and have full command over English language, you need to know what about its grammar.... |
A sentence adverb modifies an entire sentence or clause. According to top authorities, adverbs, including those ending in ‑ly, can modify entire sentences. Here are some examples drawn from reputable sources: ... |
A sentence is any group of words that appear together and make up a complete thought. There are different ty... |
adjective and verb |
noun |
septuagenarian - correct spelling noun and adjective |
noun |
When you join three or more elements in a series, put a comma before the conjunction (usually and or or). Thus: red, white, and blue. This is the s... |
Serial-Comma Rule - Red, White, and Blue When you use a coordinating conjunction to join two elements of a series, no comma comes before the conjunction. But when you join three or more elements, the preferred rule requires a comma before the coordinati... |
Here are some examples of correctly using the serial comma: The flag is red, white, and blue. (Three predicate adjectives.)In her will, the woman left jewelry, coins, stocks and bonds, but... |
Serial-Comma Rule ‑ Red, White, and Blue (2) Comma, Comma, and CommaWhen you use a coordinating conjunction (usually and or or) to join two elements of a series, no comma comes before the conjunction. But when you join three or more el... |
noun, adjective, and verb |
Serving as Other Parts of Speech Prepositions Serving Double DutyMany words that serve as prepositions also serve as other parts of speech. The word up, for example, acts as a preposition: He looked ... |
Generally, sit is something you do yourself, while set is something you do to something else.The verb sit is ... |
The first pronouns our forbears invented were the (1) personal pronouns, words that could substitute for Igor, Amber, and other members of the tribe. Then they invented (2) reflexive and intensive pronouns, those ‑self word... |
adjective |
adverb |
Other tricks can help you avoid the problem of sexist writing:1. When you need a possessive pronoun, don’t write his or her. Instead, use an article so that the need for a pronoun goes away. ... |
Make your antecedents plural.Refer to people, not a person. Refer to readers, not a reader. Talk about neighbors, not a neighbor. Then you can use they, their... |
Sexist Writing - A QuagmireWhen Amber, Igor, and Miss Hamrick developed our language, they dreamed up another rule:Pronouns must agree with the gender of the nouns they replace or refer to. A ... |
A lot of people get confused on correct usage ... |
Shall we fix the chapter title? The chapter title read: “You and him confuse the case of pronouns.” Let’s fix it:You and he confuse the case of pronouns.Remember, when a pronoun acts as a subject, you... |
In American English, the auxiliary verb will universally shows futurity for all persons: first, second, and third. Thus: I will go to the ... |
Her sheer hard work sheared all the obstacles in her way to success. Sheer and shear are two words that have the same origin and sound but entirely different meanings. They are often confused... |
noun and verb |
noun |
verb (present participle of the verb shine) and adjective |
verb (present participle of the verb shin)See shining |
shish kebab - correct spelling noun |
Shone is both the past tense and the past participle of shine, which means “emit light.” (Shine... |
auxiliary verb |
Should I use "oldest friend" or "longest friend"? "Oldest friend" typically refers to a friend that a person has known for the most amount of time, regardless of how often they may see or communicate with each other. It emphasizes the length of the friendship, and suggests a deeper connection or his... |
Should – generally should is used to indicate an advice or the best suggestion for a situation. ... |
In American English, we use the auxiliary verb should with all three persons (first, second, third) to express a sense of duty. Thus: ... |
noun and verb |
Professor R. L. Trask (Ph.D. in linguistics) has the following to say on show and shew: Except in quotations and in certain legal contexts, the spelling shew for show is now obsolete and should not be used. The past t... |
A Sentence Ending with an AbbreviationThe period shows abbreviations such as Co., Ave., Corp., Bldg., and a host of others. If a sentence ends in an abbreviated word, the single period serves double duty to ... |
verb and noun |
adjective |
noun and verb |
noun and verb |
noun and verb |
significance - correct spelling noun |
significant - correct spelling adjective |
adjective |
noun |
noun |
noun |
noun |
Simple means “easy,” “plain,” or “naive.”Simplistic is a pejorative adjective meaning “overly simple, facile.”Careful writers reserve ... |
adverb |
simultaneous - correct spelling adjective |
adverb |
Nouns and pronouns are either singular or plural |
noun and verb |
Cite means either “to quote” or “to commend” and is usually a verb |
Situations Requiring the Subjunctive Mood Let’s explore the modern uses of the subjunctive mood.1. situations contrary to fact 2. wishes 3. suppositions 4. commands1. Situations Contrary to FactLet’s look at the contr... |
Now you’re ready to conjugate to skip in the six tenses of verbs.To conjugate a verb, you must include all tenses: present, past, future, present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect. You must account for all persons: first, sec... |
There are many spelling differences between American and British English. In some cases, the same word will be spelled one way in American English and another way in British English. There are times when this inconsistency is ver... |
verb (present participle of the verb ski) and noun |
Meanings: Snicker: The term "snicker" refers to a suppressed or stifled laugh, expressing amusement subtly. It conveys a lighthearted sense of mirth without an overt display. A snicker is often a discreet expression of amusement ... |
Don’t hesitate to start a sentence with So. It’s a coordinating conjunction, and great writers have been starting sentences with conjunctions for hundr... |
So our chapter title should read… You are leaving out the word are.Or perhaps:You’re leaving out the word are.... |
So the title to this chapter should read… The chapter title read: “Their mixing up they’re theres.”Do you see the problems? They are mixing up their... |
So to fix the title of this chapter… Our chaper read: “Should you take out it’s apostrophe?”But now you know that “it’s” is a contraction of “it is.” And you know that “its” is the possessive case... |
So So is a conjunction. It can join t... |
Social And Cultural Influence On Education This also holds true for seeking academic help. In the US, you may be encouraged to seek help to write your assignment. This has led to the popularity of MyAssignmentHelp.com and similar academic pro... |
verb |
Sole vs. SoulWhether it’s for a paper you’re writing or for your own general knowledge, it’s essential to know the distinct meanings of “sole” and “soul” in order to use them properly in your writing.But before we get in... |
noun |
adjective |
adjective (comparative state of the adjective solid)Example: This material provides solid... |
Somber and sombre are a pair or words that are opposite to homophones that is, they have different spellings but same meaning. The words like these with different spellings and same meaning causes equal confusion to writers as does the homophones ... |
adjective |
Son vs. SunBesides their similar spellings and the fact that they both function as a noun within most phrases, the words ``son” and “sun” actually have nothing else in common. They are not synonyms, or words from the same semantic fi... |
“I am planning to start a business soon…” “I will have an early lunch tomorrow…”... |
noun |
noun and adjective |
noun |
noun and adjective |
noun and verb |
In these discussions on Grammar.com, I cite some of my favorite sources. To save space, I use the “short citations” below: Short Citation... |
noun |
adjective and noun |
Specially Specially is an adverb that is used to indicate something done ... |
specifically - correct spelling adverb |
verb (past tense and past participle of the verb specify)Example: She specified exactly wh... |
noun |
noun |
Every verb has a base infinitive form. We think of the infinitive as the verb with the preposition to in front of it: as in to have, to hold, ... |
Perhaps no “rule” of grammar sparks more controversy than the “rule” against splitting infinitives. Leading experts on the English language, however, point out that the split infinitive appeared in the great works of English as early as the thirteent... |
noun and verb |
spontaneous - correct spelling adjective |
adjective |
Stanch is the most commonly accepted spelling for the verb meaning “to stop the flow” of a liquid, but staunch is also an acceptable spelling.Generally thoug... |
Standard and Non-Standard English We all know that a language has different dialects and pronunciations in various areas where it is spoken de... |
Start a Sentence with a Conjunction And you may start a sentence with And.You probably learned in grade school: Never start a sentence with but, and, or any other conjunction. Poppycock!Not on... |
States of Adjective: -er or more, -est or most How to Form the States of AdjectivesYou ask, therefore, how to tell when to use the ‑er and ‑est endings and when to use the helping words more and most? There’s no hard and fast rule, but ... |
States of Adjectives: -er or more, -est or most Adjectives Comparative and SuperlativeYou ask, therefore, how to tell when to use the ‑er and ‑est endings and when to use the helping words more and most? There’s no hard and fast rule, bu... |
adjective |
noun |
Stationery is writing paper.Stationary means “unmoving.”Example: He sat stationary at his desk for hours addressing invitations on ... |
noun |
noun |
A statute is an edict, decree, or law passed by a legislature.A statue is a lifelike sculpture that might become valuable when the arms fall off.Stature mea... |
adjective |
noun and verb |
Dealing with similar spellings of various words, using them correctly and avoiding misspelling is often overwhelming; though it gets easier once you sort out which spellings refers to what. If you are in doubt about “story” and “storey”, we’ll help y... |
Story An absolutely common word, story is used by everyone to describe events that are real or imaginary, usually told for entertainment. Story can be short or long and can descri... |
adjective, adverb, and noun |
noun |
noun |
adjective |
verb, noun, and adjective |
verb (present participle of the verb strike) and adjective |
Stride Stride is a verb that means to take a careful step towards an aim, or to cross even difficult obstacles in a p... |
stubbornness - correct spelling noun |
verb (present participle of the verb study)Example: We are studying effective writing.... |
verb |
... |
noun |
Subconscious vs. Unconscious: What is the Difference? In this article:1. I will define these three levels of mind by comparing them to an iceberg.2.... |
The grammatical subject of a sentence or clause is a noun, a group of words acting as a noun, or a pronoun |
You would have come across the word complement a thousand times while reading, listening or writing English ... |
Subject-Verb Agreement - Plural Subjects Watch OutBefore winding up our discussion of conjunctions, we need to visit the notion of subject-verb agreement in number. When you write a plural subject, you must use a plural verb. When you write a singular subject, you m... |
No matter what type of writing you are working on, you will sooner or later face the need for proofreading and editing your piece since these are important stages of the entire writing process. Therefore, any... |
Subjective Subjective is an adjective that means a report or statement submitted based on a person’s individual ideas and opinions. Subjective statements are usually lengthy and represent personal opinions rather than ... |
Statements that are facts based on evidence and opinions taken from valued judgments need to be differentiated in today’s extremely practical life. To differentiate such statements two terms; subjective and objective are used. In this article, I will... |
Subjects Joined by Other Connectors Watch OutWatch out for along with, as well as, together with, not to mention, and others. These are not conjunctions and do not form plural subjects.Writers often use other connecti... |
A compound subject consists of two or more words acting as the subject of the sentence. When the series is joined conjunctively, that is, with the word and, in the vast majority of cases the subject is plural and requires a plural v... |
When you have a series joined disjunctively by the word or, the number of the verb is determined by the number of the noun closest to the verb, that is, the last in the series. One apple, one orange... |
verb |
First, understand this: The word mood has nothing to do with frame of mind, as in happy or sad. It actually refers to mode, which is the attribute of a verb suggesting the speaker's attitude t... |
What is mood? – a mood is a form a verb takes to show how it (the verb) should be regarded. For example, command, wish, request etc… Subjunctive moods tell about a wish or su... |
The mood of a sentence is described as the mood of the sentence. The grammatical mood in English language is... |
subordinate - correct spelling adjective, noun, and verb |
A subordinate clause is also called a dependent clause |
We have a long list of subordinating conjunctions. These words are used to start a subordinate clause, which can act as an adjective, adverb, or noun... |
Each sentence has three essential parts: (1) the subject, (2) the verb, and (3) the other stuff, which is governed by the kind of verb chosen. Writers then begin to add to this basic ... |
noun and verb |
substantial - correct spelling adjective |
adjective |
noun |
adjective |
verb |
noun |
adjective |
noun |
adjective |
adjective |
Learning a language is an art at its best form. If you are a native English speaker, then you would probably... |
For many years there has existed a difference in the spelling for the name of element number 16 with the symbol S. British English spelt it "sulphur" while North American Engli... |
“Sundae” vs. “Sunday”The main reason why some people tend to confuse “Sundae” and “Sunday” is their similar spellings. To make things even more confusing, both words are nouns as well as common, everyday words in English. Despite sou... |
adjective |
adjective |
superintendent - correct spelling noun |
Most of us who have some basic knowledge and understanding of English language are familiar with the term ad... |
Most adjectives and adverbs come in three states. The positive state describes the basic attribute (the hot plate, ... |
verb |
The correct spelling is supersede. With an -s, not a -c.... |
verb |
noun |
verb |
“Suppression” and “Repression” are two terms that are often used (and confused) in daily language. • Do you know the differen... |
adverb |
noun |
noun and verb |
noun |
verb and noun |
susceptible - correct spelling adjective |
noun |
adjective |
verb and noun |
I coined this term to describe two-word pairs. The two words are spelled and sometimes pronounced identically. One word acts as a noun, the other as a verb |
noun |
noun |
symmetrical - correct spelling adjective |
noun |
The terms sympathy and empathy is an addition to th... |
noun |
adjective |
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