Tag: sos english

SOS English

SOS English: “too” vs. “to” vs. “two”

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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”

SOS English

SOS English: People vs. Persons

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What is a person? By definition, a “person” is any human being, one’s actual self, or someone’s individual personality. Thus, it is clearly distinguished from any animal or thing. So far, so good. But what is a person in its plural form? Persons? People? Well, both are grammatically correct and might seem to mean the same thing. But beware: when you need to choose one, choose wisely. Continue reading SOS English: People vs. Persons

SOS English

SOS English: Literally vs. Figuratively

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The words “literally” and “figuratively” are indispensable to our everyday communication and social interaction. Most people will understand that when you say, “I literally peed my pants of fright when my friends pulled this stupid prank on me,” you most probably didn’t really pee your pants. However, you’d use “literally” for the case you’d actually peed your pants and “figuratively” when you were just really, really scared at that particular moment. Confused? Well, let’s dive in deeper and have a closer look. Continue reading SOS English: Literally vs. Figuratively

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SOS English: Who vs. Whom

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“Who” and “whoever” are so-called “subjective pronouns,” whereas “whom” and “whomever” are used for objective cases. Usually, we use those words in combination with a question or a relative clause about a person. Although the usage of “who” and “whom” is quite simple to most people, some may still stumble upon some difficulties.
With this short guide, it’ll be much easier for you to decide when to use “who” or “whom” correctly in the future! Continue reading SOS English: Who vs. Whom