Browse public grammar questions, answers, and accepted solutions.
I'm writing a short story for my English class about a group of children exploring nature. In one part, I want to describe the area they are in, but I'm not su…
I’m working on my resume, and I want to describe my previous jobs accurately. Sometimes I see people say "salary" and sometimes they use "wage," but I’m not su…
I often hear people say they need to 'blow off steam' after a long day, but I'm not sure exactly what it means or how to use it in everyday conversation. For e…
I'm helping a classmate edit her essay, but I don't want to come across as too harsh or critical. For example, I'm not sure whether to say, "This paragraph is …
I'm editing an email to a coworker, and I'm confused about when to use 'informations' or 'advices' versus just 'information' and 'advice.' For example, should …
I'm writing a detective story and I keep getting confused about when I should use 'follow', 'chase', or 'pursue'. For example, one of my sentences is: 'The det…
I'm writing a report about a local festival, and I'm not sure how to describe the number of attendees. For example, should I say, 'Dozens of people attended th…
I'm writing a short story set in the countryside, and I'm not sure when to use 'river', 'stream', or 'creek'. For example, in one scene, my character crosses a…
I'm writing an email to a friend about getting a car for a trip, and I'm not sure which word to use. Should I say, "I want to rent a car," or would "hire a car…
I was backstage at my friend's school play, and just before she went on stage, someone told her, "Break a leg!" At first I thought it sounded a bit harsh, but …
Hi everyone, I’m working on some emails and casual messages in English and keep getting stuck on when to use 'kind of', 'sort of', or 'a bit'. For example, I w…
I'm having trouble understanding why some nouns in English are countable and others aren't. For example, I know you can say, "I have many ideas," but not "I ha…
I'm confused about when to use 'pass', 'spend', or 'waste' with the word 'time'. For example, should I say 'I passed the time by reading a book' or 'I spent th…
I'm editing a short story and keep getting stuck on whether I should use 'pair', 'couple', or 'few' to describe small groups. For example, should I write, 'He …
I'm currently writing a short story about a character who gets hurt while walking to work. I'm struggling a bit with which verbs to use to describe the acciden…
I'm writing a travel blog about my experiences in London, and I'm not sure which words to use when describing places to buy things. For example, should I write…
I was watching an American TV show and one of the characters said they made it 'by the skin of their teeth.' I think it means almost not making it, but I'm not…
I'm writing an email to a client and want to sound both polite and professional. In my draft, I wrote, 'Maybe we could schedule a meeting next week,' but then …
I'm editing a report and keep getting stuck whenever I have to mention uncountable nouns like 'advice' or 'information.' Sometimes I see phrases like 'a piece …
Hi everyone, I was writing an email to a friend and got stuck trying to decide if I should say, "I miss my keys," "I lost my keys," or "I lack my keys." I feel…