Tag Archives: language

Language Tip 8 (2014-15)

Who vs. that Some people claim that relative clauses which relate to persons should only be introduced by “who” and never by “that,” although the latter option is in fact very common. According to this logic, the following is WRONG: … Continue reading

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Language Tip 7 (2014-15)

Quoting. Quoting is not a get-out-syntax-free card. When you integrate quoted words into your sentence, your “combined” sentence has to be grammatical. This is nonsense: In “Strange Fits of Passion Have I Known” Wordsworth uses the symbol of the moon … Continue reading

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Language Tip 6 (2014-15)

“Albeit” is tricky to use correctly, which is probably why students don’t use it often. Also, dictionaries give “albeit” bad press. Some dicitionaries cautiously label it “formal” or “literary,” while others slander it with “old-fashioned,” “archaic” and “obsolete.” If “albeit” … Continue reading

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Language Tip 5 (2014-15)

The frequent confusing of “depressing” and “depressive” is depressing and it will soon turn us into depressives. In plain English: “depressing” is the (oft-used) adjective, “depressive” the (seldom-used) noun. If you want to say you’re feeling a little down or … Continue reading

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Language Tip 4 (2014-15)

Once upon a time, one of us had a job teaching sugar-charged Mexican kids English. “Maestro” was the charming term they used (as in, “Maestro, Pedro won’t stop hitting me!”). Slovenians have their own difficulties with “teacher” or “professor,” so … Continue reading

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Language Tip 3 (2014-15)

Do not mix up “motive” and “motif.” In English, a “motive” is what compels you to commit a crime. A “motif” is a recurring idea or image in a work of literature (or a thrice-heard theme in music). Because “motif” … Continue reading

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Language Tip 2 (2014-15)

E-mails are both difficult and easy to write. You know why they are easy to write, but why are they difficult? That’s a topic for an MA thesis (“Bad E-Mails: When Technology Meets Old Epistolary Conventions”). When writing emails in … Continue reading

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Language Tip 1 (2014-15)

Here’s the first of a series of language tips (prepared by Jason Blake and Monika Kavalir): Especially in formal writing, avoid using “way” as a synonym for “very.” Consider this example: “This is because the alloy has a distinct appearance … Continue reading

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Call for Papers: ELOPE XII – Spring (2015)

Call for Papers: Negotiating Cultural Encounters with the English-Speaking World ELOPE (English Language Overseas Perspectives and Enquiries), a double-blind, peer-reviewed academic journal, publishes original research articles, studies and essays that address issues of English language, literature, teaching and translation. The … Continue reading

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102 English Tips: Another Quick Guide to Avoiding ‘Slovenglish’

Spoštovani člani in članice društva SDAŠ, na portalu issuu.com si lahko ogledate novo knjigo “102 English Tips: Another Quick Guide to Avoiding ‘Slovenglish‘” (Jason Blake in Andrej Stopar, 2014). Knjiga je nastala na podlagi jezikovnih nasvetov, ki ste jih lahko … Continue reading

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