Tutoring English, the literal meaning of a word or phrase is important. The tutor opines about the expression “more or less.” Here is my definition of the expression “more or less”: more or less (adverb): true for practical purposes, if…

Tutoring English, vocabulary is always interesting. The tutor mentions the word plunk. plunk (verb): to drop abruptly. Source: Mish, Frederick C. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Springfield: Merriam-Webster, 2004.

Tutoring English, homonyms continue to be a favourite topic of mine. The tutor mentions yolk vs yoke. Occasionally I forget, between yolk and yoke, which means which, so have to re-check. Yolk means the yellow centre of an egg. On…

Tutoring English, you notice devices that catch attention. The tutor mentions the use of opposites. I think people are interested when they hear opposites in the same sentence. I know I am, and still recall a couple of examples from…

Tutoring English, you try to discourage redundancy. The tutor observes an apparent redundancy that perhaps isn’t. Sometimes the phrase “for some reason” is used. For example, someone might say, “I didn’t think you’d want coffee, for some reason.” For a…

Tutoring English, word curiosities are always interesting. The tutor mentions a pair of opposites. Aptitude means ability even without training, whereas ineptitude suggests scarcity of ability even past lack of training. The words are close to opposite, if not actually.…

Tutoring English, subtleties can be important. The tutor mentions an interesting one. The pronoun everyone means everybody, so it can only stand for people. However, every one is general purpose. Consider the two following cases: She drove the large van…