Homographs are words with different pronunciation, meanings and origins but the same spelling. They are not to be confused with homonyms, homophones and heteronyms. In order to work out which pronunciation and which meaning is appropriate, you need to be aware of the context. Here are a few homographs and their meanings: agape – with … Read more
Fundamentalism (fŭn’də-mĕn’tl-ĭz’əm) in a religious sense is an effort to return to “fundamentals,” or founding principles. It was first applied in the early 20th century to an American militant conservative Protestant movement that rejected the new science of textual criticism, insisting instead upon a literal interpretation of the Bible. The term is now used to … Read more
Of course, all you really need in order to write is a notebook and pen. But there are lots of software packages that can make life easier for writers. Whatever you want to be able to do, there’s almost certainly some software out there to help you. The list below includes the best packages to … Read more
English verbs are said to have two voices: active and passive. Active Voice: the subject of the sentence performs the action: His son catches fly balls. Creative children often dream in class. Note: Verbs in the active voice may be either transitive or intransitive. Passive Voice: the subject receives the action: The ball was caught … Read more
If you work in an office, you probably write emails every day – to colleagues, to your boss, to clients. Even if you’re still at college, you’ll need to email your lecturers once in a while (maybe to plead for an essay extension, or to ask for help) – and many employers now expect resumes … Read more
I love travel writing, but the strangeness of the internet marketplace means that sometimes I have to write travel articles about places that I’ve never been to. I’ve now done several of these, and here’s what I have learned from the process. As a writer you can make connections between what you have done and … Read more
Avatar [ă’vətär’] is a religious term that signifies a deity that has taken an earthly form. For example, Krishna is an avatar of the god Vishnu. In popular Western culture, the word has come to have secular meanings: 1. another version of someone or something; 2. an icon representing an Internet screen identity; 3. a … Read more
English has three kinds of Verbs: transitive, intransitive, and incomplete. 1. Transitive Verbs A verb is transitive when the action is carried across to a receiver: The farmer grows potatoes. Elvis sang ballads. The receiver is called the direct object. It answers the question “What?” or “Whom? after the verb. Grows what? Potatoes. Sang what? … Read more
When you’re thinking of becoming a freelance writer, you will find a lot of advice about starting a writing career. However, there’s one thing that you should do above anything else. That’s to write. If you don’t write, you are not a writer. Skills Development There are several reasons why it’s a good idea to … Read more
Writing in the active voice means constructing sentences where the subject “acts”: I threw the ball. You are making too much noise. Ben will eat popcorn and watch a movie tomorrow evening. In each of these sentences, the subject (I, You and Ben respectively) performs the action of the verb (threw, making, will watch). The … Read more
The English language can certainly be said to be in flux when college professors write such stuff as: 1. She reached into her carpetbag to her side and found her ever-present notepad. 2. This was the first unsolicited compliment her figure had ever gotten by a young man 3. Pneumonia, thought Lucy calmly, and at … Read more
Below you will find the most popular articles over the past month. Check them out if you missed any. 44 Resume Writing Tips: Having a solid and effective resume can greatly improve your chances of landing that dream job. That is beyond discussion. How does one make sure that his resume is top notch and … Read more