Tag Archives: errors

A Word on Grammar: At the End or In the End?

A word on Grammar,

One week ago, my son came home from school and asked me: Mum, is there a difference between “at the end ” and “in the end“? Of course! I said. “But… is it very very important?”
I guessed he had made a mistake when writing his essay and the teacher had taken points off his mark .

If you go to a dictionary it will tell you that ” at the end” refers to a point when something finishes; and “in the end” introduces the result of the outcome of something . Well, you see,  I cannot disagree  with these grammarians but my son, being 16, would probably not understand these abstract definitions. So, I decided to show him some pictures and give him a more down-to-earth explanation to see if it helped him.
“In the end” means the same as “eventually” ” after something has been thought about or discussed a lot”

“At the end“ is more physical like “at the end of the road” “at the end of the book”, though you can also say ” at the end of the day”.

Hope this helps you! Now, why don’t you try doing an exercise about this?

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A word on Grammar: made from/of/by/with

A word on Grammar, ,

Today the focus is on the verb “make” and  what it means when it collocates with four
different prepositions, namely” from”, “of” “by” and “with”. Choosing the right preposition can be a bit tricky sometimes. I hope the explanation below helps you understand a bit better the differences.

🙁 She claimed that the jumper was made from wool

🙂 She claimed that the jumper was made of wool

🙁 Many components are made by plastic

🙂 Many components are made of plastic

🙁 Margarine, which is made by natural ingredients, is more acceptable

🙂 Margarine, which is made from natural ingredients, is more acceptable

♥Use made from when the original materials have been completely changed and cannot be recognised. “Bread is made from flour and water”.

♥ Use made of when the original materials have not been completely changed and you can still see them. “Their dining table is made of solid oak”.

♥ Use made by when you mention the name of the company or person that has made something (NOT the names of materials). “This new razon is made by Wilkinson Sword”.

♥Use made with to talk about one of several  ingredients or materials (for example in cooking). “Paella is made with rice “

Source: Longman Dictionary of Common Errors and Practical English Usage

Now, let’s try a quiz!

Houses are made __ brick

of

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Wine is made __ grapes.

from

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His jacket is made ___leather

of

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Penicillin was discovered ___ A. Fleming

by

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Spanish omelette is made __ potatoes

with

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All our furniture is made __ wood

of

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Paper is made ___ wood

from

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This sweater was knit ___ my granny

by

[collapse]

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A Word on Grammar: on the corner or in the corner?

A word on Grammar, , ,

That’s a question I’m often asked by my students and here’s the answer I offer them.

What kind of “corner” are you referring to? Is it the corner of a room or the corner of a street?

♥ If you are giving directions  to a shop, then you should say:

This shop is on the corner of High Street

♥ If you are saying that a person is sitting in a chair in a room, then:

Mary is sitting in a chair in the corner of the sitting-room.

Summarising: you use in, when the corner is inside and on, when the corner is outside.

Note: you can also say at the corner to refer to the corner of a street.

I’ll wait at the corner/ I’ll wait on the corner.

A word on Grammar: on the weekend or at the weekend?

A word on Grammar, , ,

No wonder we sometimes get confused with prepositions. They are crazy to learn and frustrating to teach, iiiif they can be taught !

So, the question of whether you say at the weekend or on the weekend is not a question of being grammatically correct  but of  speaking American English or British English, being at the weekend (BrE) and on the weekend (AmE).

So, both are correct. My only tip is that you stick to either American or British. Nobody says Alo (as in Santo Domingo) when answering the phone in Spain, although we understand it.

A word on Grammar: Is there a difference between Can and Be able to?

A word on Grammar, , ,

We use “able” especially in the structure be able +infinitive. This often has the same meaning as can. The negative form is unable.

  • Some people are able/can walk on their hands
  • I am unable/can’t understand what she wants

Can is preferred in the sense of “know how to” and in expressions, like can see, can hear..etc

  • Can you knit? / I can see a ship

Be able is used in cases where can is not grammatically possible (future/present perfect, conditional…)

One day scientists will be able to find a cure for cancer (NOT… will can find)