What does each word mean? By is a preposition that is used to identify who or what performed an action, the means by which something was achieved, the amount or size of a margin, a deadline or the end of a particular time period, the period in which something happens, or the location in relation to what is beside it. As an adverb it means ‘to go past a certain point’. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is by used in some example sentences: The damage was caused by a tornado. The house was cleaned by my brother. He got full marks on his spelling test by practising every day. Coursework must be submitted by the end of the...
Last week we looked at redundant expressions and why you should cut them from your writing. Here ten examples: I am absolutely certain that the train is at 3pm. Since ‘certain’ means ‘established beyond doubt or question’, the word ‘absolutely’ is redundant. A better sentence would be: I am certain that the train is at 3pm. They should have given us advanced warning that the road would be closed. A ‘warning’ is usually given ahead of time, so the word ‘advanced’ is unnecessary. Better sentences would be: They should have given us warning that the road would be closed. They should have warned us ...
What is a redundant expression? A redundant expression, or tautology, is an expression in which a word or group of words is unnecessary because it repeats something that has already been expressed by another word. For example: This envelope contains important documents inside. While at first it might seem like there is nothing wrong with this sentence, if you take a closer look, you’ll notice that the word inside is redundant. This is because the word contains already indicates that the envelope holds documents within it. Why is it important to be aware of redundant expressions when writing? If your writing contains redundant expressions, a reader might think th...
What is a hyphen? A hyphen is a short dash which is used to link words together. There are three main situations in which hyphens are used: in compound words, when adding a prefix to another word, and to denote word breaks. This week, we will look at how to use hyphens in compound words. What is a compound word? A compound word is a word that is made up of two or more other words. Hyphens are often used in compound words either to show that when the included words are together they have a combined meaning, or to show the relationship between the included words. There are different types of compound words and you don’t need to use hyphens in all of them. Compound Adjectives...
Often, in our Commonly Confused Words and Word for Wednesday blog posts, we use word classes to describe the way a word functions within a sentence. Over the next couple of weeks, we’re going back to the drawing board. What are the main word classes? What are their functions? There are nine main word classes: adjective, adverb, conjunction, determiner, exclamation, noun, pronoun, preposition, and verb. While this list might look daunting, it is very likely that you are already using words within each of these classes instinctively and correctly. Knowing the names of the word classes is useful for describing what a word is doing in a sentence and for helping you tell apart commonly c...
What does each word mean? As a noun and an adjective, the word quiet describes a lack of noise. As a verb, quiet refers something becoming less loud. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is quiet used in some example sentences: The sea was calm, but he was worried it was quiet before the storm. The library is usually quiet during the day, but it becomes noisier once school finishes. She tried to quieten the crying baby. Click here for the Spellzone word lists which include the word quiet. Quite is an adverb that shows the extent or degree to which something is the case. The word has different...
It’s been a while since we’ve looked at a pair of commonly confused words, but today we’re back with the words ‘passed’ and ‘past’. Because these words sound so similar, people often think they’re interchangeable – but be warned: they’re not! Scroll down to make sure you’re using each word in the correct context! What does each word mean? The word passed is the past tense form of the verb pass. The Spellzone dictionary defines the word pass as ‘to go across or through’, but the word can also be used in other contexts such as ‘to pass laws’ (i.e. to create laws) or ‘to pass exams’ (i...
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