Sunday, January 29, 2006

Can or may?

Taken from The New Oxford Dictionary of English:

Is there any difference between may and can when used to request or express permission, as in may/can I ask you a few questions?

It is still widely held that using can for permission is somehow incorrect, and that it should be reserved for expressions denoting capability, as in can you swim? Although this use of can is not regarded as incorrect in standard English, there is a clear difference in formality between the two verbs: may is, generally speaking, a more polite way of asking for something and is the better choice in more formal contexts.

Friday, January 13, 2006

Basic Grammar - Pronouns

Pronoun

noun a word that can function as a noun phrase used by itself and that refers either to the participants in the discourse (e.g. I, you) or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse (e.g. she, it, this).

Sunday, January 08, 2006

Cold or cool?

Cold

adjective of or at a low or relatively low temperature, especially when compared with the human body

Cool

adjective of or at a low or relatively low temperature

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Enmity

Word for the day is: Enmity

noun (pl. -ies) [mass noun] the state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something
Disclaimer: I am neither an English native speaker nor a qualified English teacher.