Published on
9 February 2023
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
4 October 2023.
No one is an indefinite pronoun meaning ‘nobody’. No-one, with a hyphen, is also considered acceptable in UK English (though it’s less common than ‘no one’).
‘Noone’, written without spaces, is incorrect and should be avoided.
Published on
8 February 2023
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
14 March 2023.
Offence and offense are two different spellings of the same word, a noun used to refer to a crime or breach of rule, the state of being insulted, or a sports position intended to score on an opponent.
The spelling tends to vary based on whether you’re writing in UK or US English:
In UK English, ‘offence’ (with a ‘c’) is standard.
In US English, ‘offense’ (with an ‘s’) is more common.
Examples: Offense and offence in a sentenceIn spite of the court’s judgment, there is no evidence that Tim committed the offence/offense.
Some members of the audience took offence/offense to the young comedian’s jokes.
When he was in college, Darren played offence/offense for the football team.
NoteMany words that are spelled with ‘-se’ in US English are spelled with ‘-ce’ in UK English. Some other common examples include ‘defense/defence‘, ‘license/licence’, and ‘pretense/pretence’.
Published on
3 February 2023
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
28 August 2023.
Auxiliary verbs (also called helping verbs) are used along with a main verb to express tense, mood, or voice. For example, in the statement ‘it is raining’, ‘is’ functions as an auxiliary verb indicating that the action of the main verb (‘raining’) is ongoing.
Auxiliary verbs are used in various verb tenses, including the continuous tense (e.g., ‘I am talking’), the perfect tense (e.g., ‘you have run’), and the future tense (e.g., ‘they will dance’).
Examples: Auxiliary verbs in a sentenceAlice has been working here for a month.
Published on
2 February 2023
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
14 March 2023.
Organisation and organizationare different spellings of the noun referring to a systematic arrangement, a business or association, or the act of organising. The word is closely related to the verb ‘organize/organise’.
The spelling varies depending on whether you’re using UK or US English:
In US English, ‘organization’ is the only accepted spelling.
In UK English, ‘organisation’ is standard (though ‘organization’ is still acceptable).
Examples: Organization or organisation in a sentenceThe library shelves displayed no obvious sign of organization/organisation.
Oran is the spokesperson for a national labourorganization/organisation.
The festival was cancelled due to poor organization/organisation.
NoteMany words that are spelled with a ‘z’ in US English are spelled with an ‘s’ in US English. Some other common examples include ‘analyze/analyse’, ‘realize/realise’, ‘recognize/recognise’, and ‘apologize/apologise’.
Published on
1 February 2023
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
14 March 2023.
Labor and labour are different spellings of the noun meaning ‘work’, ‘a group of manual workers’, and ‘the process of giving birth’ and the verb meaning ‘work hard’ and ‘discuss something at unnecessary length’.
The spelling varies depending on whether you’re using UK or US English:
In US English, ‘labor’ (no ‘u’) is standard.
In UK English, ‘labour’ (with a ‘u’) is the correct spelling.
Examples: Labor and labour in a sentenceThe prisoner was sentenced to hard labor/labour.
The woman was in labor/labourfor a full day before her child was born.
The workers labored/labouredto repair the damaged bridge.
You don’t need to labor/labour the point! I know I was wrong.
Published on
31 January 2023
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
19 December 2023.
A linking verb (or copular verb) connects the subject of a sentence with a subject complement (i.e., a noun, pronoun, or adjective that renames or describes the subject). For example, in the statement ‘Max is excited’, the verb ‘is’ links the subject ‘Max’ to the adjective ‘excited’.
Linking verbs are used to indicate conditions or states of being. They’re often contrasted with action verbs, which describe physical or mental actions (e.g., ‘run’). Some verbs can be classed as either linking or action verbs, depending on how they’re used.
Examples: Linking verbs in a sentenceVera wasmy favorite aunt.
An intransitive verb is a verb that doesn’t require a direct object (i.e., a noun, pronoun or noun phrase) to indicate the person or thing acted upon. For example, the verb ‘yawn’ is intransitive because it’s not possible to ‘yawn’ something.
The opposite is a transitive verb, which must take a direct object. For example, a sentence containing the verb ‘hold’ would be incomplete without a direct object clarifying the action of the verb (e.g., ‘Bill holds a book’). Some verbs can be classed as either transitive or intransitive, depending on the context.
Examples: Intransitive verbs in a sentencePaul is leaving.
Published on
24 January 2023
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
14 March 2023.
Honor and honour are different spellings of the noun meaning ‘integrity’ or ‘privilege’ and the verb meaning ‘regard something with great respect’ or ‘fulfil an obligation’.
The spelling varies depending on whether you’re using UK or US English:
In US English, ‘honor’ (no ‘u’) is standard.
In UK English, ‘honour’ (with a ‘u’) is the correct spelling.
Examples: Honor and honour in a sentenceThe film’s protagonist fought out of a sense of honor/honour.
The young doctor felt it was an honor/honour to shadow such an accomplished neurosurgeon.
One day each year, the king would honor/honourthe townspeople with his presence.
Please honor/honourthe terms of our agreement.
NoteMany words that end in ‘-our’ in UK English end in ‘-or’ in US English. Some other common examples include ‘behaviour/behavior‘, ‘colour/color‘, ‘favour/favor‘, and ‘flavour/flavor’.
