And just what, may we ask, is the difference between these? While inquire means “to seek information in a formal way,” enquire means “to ask in a general way.” They can be used interchangeably. Inquire and enquire both originate from the same Latin word, meaning to seek. Both words mean to request information or examine facts. Ask As verbs, both words mean to ask for …
Do you break the glass in case of emergency or in the event of emergency? The phrases in case of and in the event of are both prepositions. The first one means if it should occur. The second means if or when something happens. A preposition is a word or phrase that shows a relationship between two elements in a clause. Some common prepositions are …
Let’s say you have a bit of extra information that’s too long for parentheses. What do you do? That’s where footnotes and endnotes come in. What are they exactly? Footnotes appear at the bottom of each page they refer to, while endnotes appear at the very end of a text. They usually show up in academic writing. Read on if you want to know more …
Do you know if you’re an alumnus or an alumni? Alumni actually is the plural form of alumnus, a Latin word that means a graduate or former student of an educational institution. Although alumnus usually refers to academics, it can also mean a former employee, associate, or member of any organized group. Alumni refers to more than one alumnus (think of a graduating class). The …
What does it mean? Supposably means capable of being supposed. In other words, it describes something that’s capable of happening. Though supposably is a valid word, it can be tricky to use in a sentence, and isn’t often used in modern speech. Contemporary writers are more likely to use its synonym, conceivably.Supposably is frequently confused with the similar-sounding word supposedly. The main difference is that …
If you need to say you’re sorry, it helps to know whether you’re sending your apology or apologies.The phrase my apologies is an idiom, while the phrase my apology literally means my act of apologizing. As an idiom, my apologies means excuses or regrets. This phrase is a way of saying you’re sorry. The phrase my apology is not an idiom. It only has a …
While they appear very similar, sometime, sometimes, and some time have slightly different meanings. Sometime means a vague point in time, and usually refers to a long amount of time. Sometimes means occasionally. Some time refers to a period of time. Sometime Sometime refers to an unspecified point in time. It functions as an adverb, and is also synonymous with someday, one day, or sooner …
The words assume and presume both mean that you take something for granted as being true, but the difference is based on how certain you are. Assume is typically used in situations where someone takes something as the truth with a very low level of certainty or with no proof at all. Presume usually involves a higher level of certainty and is used in situations …
Are you excited? We sure are! Hyperbole is a literary device that relies on exaggeration, while hype is a word associated with excitement and publicity. Hyperbole Hyperbole is extreme exaggeration. It’s not meant to be taken literally. Writers use hyperbole to create imagery, emphasize feelings, or provide insight about a character. Hyperbole appears in novels, songs, poems, and daily speech. The song “1,000 Miles” by …
Let’s start from the top: Hyper- is a prefix that means excess or exaggeration, while hypo- is another prefix that means under or beneath. Both hyper and hypo are usually used as prefixes, which are elements or partial words added to the beginning of a base word to modify its meaning. Hyper is derived from the Greek word for over, and hypo is a Greek …
First things first: former and latter are both terms that denote an item’s place in a two-part sequence. Former refers to the first of a set, while latter refers to the second, or last, item. They usually appear in the sentence immediately following the sequence they are describing. Former and latter in sequence Take this example from The Young Student’s Companion: “I have a grey …
What’s the difference between the interstate highway and the intrastate highway? Inter- is a prefix that means between two groups, and intra- is a prefix which means within or inside one group. Inter- and intra- are both prefixes, which are groups of letters that are placed at the beginning of a word in order to change its meaning. Inter- Inter- is a common prefix that …
