Search Results for: what

Homographs are words that are spelled the same way and with the same letters but have different pronunciation, meanings or both. There are very few ways to keep these straight other than learning them through use. Below are a few examples that people new to English are sure to run across. Homographs Notice how the…

An exclamation, also known as an interjection, is a word, short phrase or sound that shows emotion. Feelings conveyed can consist of disbelief, surprise, anger, pain, pleasure, and so forth. Commonly used words are ow, ouch, yay, wow, hey, what, stop, great and oh. These devices are frequently seen in conversation but are rarely used…

Etymology is the origin of a word and the study of how its use and meaning have changed over time. For instance, some words with a Latin origin have variations to their plurals. Instead of adding -s, the following four words change form. Some of these uses have faded out almost completely during this century,…

In Writing Ellipsis (plural, ellipses) is a technique in grammar, also called elliptical construction, that is used to avoid unnecessary repetition or to avoid stating information that the reader already knows. Just as a pronoun aids when referring to a known subject, the ellipsis omits known information that would make writing and conversation long-winded and…