SOS English: “too” vs. “to” vs. “two”

Words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings are called “homophones.” And while it might be interesting that there’s even an actual term for those words, in reality, people are rather frustrated because it’s easy to fall into the trap of mixing them up. “To,” “too,” and “two” are such homophones, and since they serve their own purposes in a sentence, it’s time to explain why you need to look out for them. Continue reading SOS English: “too” vs. “to” vs. “two”

The Active Voice

When talking about “Active” and “Passive Voice,” we typically refer to the form of a verb that tells us if the “subject” in a sentence either performs or receives an action. In other words, when we use the “Active Voice,” the subject in a sentence is also the person or thing that carries out the act. But let’s have a closer look. Continue reading The Active Voice

How to Use Apostrophes

Who would’ve thought that one tiny symbol like an apostrophe (‘) could (rightfully) confuse so many people? They not only look so similar to other punctuation marks (like the single and double quotation marks, the prime symbol, and the acute accent) but also serve a couple of different purposes. But with a bit of training and knowing some simple rules, you’ll become the master of apostrophes in no time. Continue reading How to Use Apostrophes