Among and between: choose the right preposition
Use among for a position or action within a group. Use between for a relationship involving distinct items, including more than two when you name or treat them separately.
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Animal idioms in English: figurative meaning and everyday context
Animal idioms are fixed expressions whose meaning is different from the literal meaning of the animal words. Use the surrounding situation to understand the intended idea.
Animal idioms: meaning, register, and examples
Animal idioms usually describe a feeling, action, or situation through an animal image. Read the whole sentence before guessing. In "After moving abroad, I felt like a fish out of water," the new place tells you that the speaker felt uncomfortable and unfamiliar with the situation.
Another and other: add or distinguish
Use another before a singular countable noun when you mean one more or a different one: another chair, another idea. Use other before plural or uncountable nouns: other chairs, other information. Before a singular countable noun, put a determiner before other: the other chair or any other idea.
Antonyms quiz: test opposite meanings with short contexts
To choose an antonym, find the key meaning in the sentence and choose a word that changes that meaning in the right direction. Keep the same word class and read the new sentence to make sure it still works.
Antonyms: choose the opposite that fits the meaning
Choose the opposite for the meaning in your sentence. An antonym of light is heavy for weight, but dark for color.
Apostrophes: possession, contractions, and common errors
Use an apostrophe plus s for one owner, and after s for most plural owners. Use an apostrophe in contractions such as we're. Do not add one to ordinary plurals such as emails or to possessive pronouns such as yours.
Appetizer or starter: what is the difference?
An appetizer and a starter can both be a first course before the main course. Appetizer is common in North American English, while starter is common in British English.
Articles before nouns: when to use a, an, and the
Use a or an for one non-specific countable noun, and use the for a specific noun. Use no article with many general plural, uncountable, and proper nouns.
Articles exercise: choose a, an, the, or no article
Choose a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound. Choose the for a particular person or thing. Leave the article out when you make a general statement about plural or uncountable nouns.
Articles for general and specific meaning
Use a or an for one non-specific countable example. Use the when the listener can identify the person, thing, group, or amount. Use no article when plural or uncountable nouns refer to a class or substance in general.
Articles with geographical names
Use no article with a simple name such as Spain, Rome, or Mount Etna. Use the with many feature and group names, such as the Danube, the Pyrenees, and the United Arab Emirates. The place type gives you a strong first clue.