Published on
December 3, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA.
Revised on
November 27, 2025
We use is with singular nouns and โhe,โ โshe,โ and โitโ (third-person pronouns) but are with plural nouns as well as โyouโ and โthey.โ However, deciding what is singular or plural, or which pronoun to use, can sometimes be tricky.
Published on
November 26, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA.
Revised on
November 5, 2025
Quiet is the opposite of โloudโ or โnoisy,โ while quite means โveryโ (e.g., โItโs quite expensiveโ) or โcompletelyโ (e.g., โHeโs quite wrongโ).
Quiet is an adjective (e.g., โa quiet nightโ) or a noun (e.g., โpeace and quietโ). It has two syllables (
).
Quite is an adverb and has one syllable (
). It โintensifiesโ an adjective or adverb more than โfairly,โ but a bit less than โvery.โ
Quiet vs quiet in a sentence examples
Quiet in a sentence examples
Quite in a sentence examples
My new computer is very quiet; I can hardly hear that itโs switched on.
The chairโs quite comfortable, thanks.
Can we have some quiet, please? Claire would like to say a few words.
You did quite well for a first attempt.
NoteIn British English, quite is sometimes closer in meaning to โfairlyโ when used with adjectives such as โgood,โ โinteresting,โ and โcoldโ (i.e., โgradable adjectivesโ that can be โintensifiedโ with words like โveryโ and โextremelyโ). If it’s used like this in speech, the word “quite” is given the same emphasis, or more emphasis, than the adjective.
So, if a British person says, โthe food was quite good,โ they probably mean that the food was โmoderately goodโ or โokayโ but not that the food was โvery good.โ
In American English, quite can typically be used as a direct substitute for โveryโ with gradable adjectives. So, if an American person says, โthe food was quite good,โ they probably mean it was โvery good,โ “surprisingly good,” or “actually very good,” depending on the context.
Published on
November 20, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA.
Revised on
November 5, 2025
The modal verbsmay and might can be used interchangeably to describe something that will possibly happen (e.g., โI may/might go to the movies tonight, but I havenโt decided yetโ) or that is possibly true (e.g., โI think you may/might have a feverโ). However, these words are not interchangeable in some other contexts.
We use may to โgrant permissionโ and may not to โdeny permissionโ (e.g., โYou may/may not walk on the grassโ).
We use might have, like โcould have,โ to make critical statements about the past (e.g., โThey might have given us a bit more time to prepareโ).
We typically use may when asking for permission or making a request (e.g., โMay I have a glass of water, please?โโusing โmightโ can have an overly formal, old-fashioned effect in these contexts).
We use may for expressions of desires, hopes, and wishes (e.g., โMay all your dreams come trueโ).
May vs might examples
Function
May in a sentence
Might in a sentence
Granting/denying permission (synonymous with โcanโ/โcanโtโ)
The examination has now finished, and you may leave the room.
The examination has now finished, and you might leave the room.
Critical statements about the past (synonymous with โcouldโ)
But Iโm not free on that day; you may have asked me first to check.
But Iโm not free on that day; you might have asked me first to check.
Asking for permission/making a request
May I take your phone number, please?
Might I take your phone number, please? [But very formal/polite]
Expressions of desires, hopes and wishes
May the new year bring you happiness and good fortune.
Might the new year bring you happiness and good fortune.
NoteSome grammar books suggest that using might instead of may expresses that a possibility is less likely to happen (e.g., โThe Yankees might winโ expresses less certainty than โThe Yankees may winโ). However, the choice of word here is more a matter of personal preference.
We do, however, use โmightโ instead of โmayโ to express โunreal possibilityโ when describing scenarios that we view as โimaginary/hypothetical,โ โcontrary to realityโ or โnot really possible,โ for example:
โI might consider staying here if the rents werenโt so high.โ [Imagining if the rents were lower]
โHe might sleep better if he didnโt drink so much coffee!โ [Complaining about his coffee drinking by imagining the alternative, rather than discussing realistic solutions to his sleep problems]
โYou never know, I might win the lottery one day!โ [Joking about a scenario that we think of as impossible]
Published on
November 15, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA.
Revised on
March 17, 2026
Your conscience is your โsense of what is right or wrongโ (e.g., โa guilty conscienceโ), while conscious means โawareโ (e.g., โconscious of the dangerโ) or โdeliberateโ (e.g., โa conscious decisionโ).
โConscienceโ is a noun (e.g., โI have a clear conscienceโ), but โconsciousโ is an adjective (e.g., โI am conscious that we donโt have much timeโ).
The pronunciation of conscience
and conscious
is very similar; they both have two syllables, and the only difference in the way they sound comes at the end of their second syllables.
Conscience vs conscious examples
Conscience in a sentence
Conscious in a sentence
I acted according to my conscience and did what I thought was right.
We are conscious of parentsโ concerns about the closure of the swimming pool and will discuss the issue at the next meeting.
He made the decision out of conscience, guided by his religious beliefs.
It was a conscious, strategic decision; we were fully aware of the consequences.
Published on
November 11, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA.
Revised on
November 5, 2025
Criterion is the singular form of criteria.
A criterion is a measure, standard or guideline used to make decisions or evaluations (e.g., โPrice was the key criterionโ).
The plural of this noun is criteria (e.g., โPrice was only one of the criteriaโ).
Criteria or criterion examples
Criteria in a sentence
Criterion
We have simplified the assessment criteria.
Each criterion now only contains five descriptors.
We need to introduce a set of objective selection criteria.
Formal academic achievements should not be the sole criterion.
What are your criteria for judging the success of a project?
Cost is an important criterion but not the only one.
NoteMost usage guides recommend using criterion as the singular form of the noun and criteria as the plural (e.g., โa/each/every/this criterion isโ vs. โsome/all/these criteria areโ). This is the best advice to follow for formal writing such as academic writing.
However, in practice, and particularly in speech, โcriteriaโ is also increasingly being used as a singular noun (e.g., โAge should not be a criteriaโ) and in an uncountable sense when referring to a โsetโ of individual requirements or standards (e.g., โThe criteria is not objective enoughโ).
Published on
November 8, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA.
Revised on
November 5, 2025
Hoping is the present participle of the verb โhopeโ (e.g., โI was hoping you would come!โ), while hopping is the present participle of the verb โhopโ (e.g., โWhy are you hopping around on one leg?โ).
Hoping vs hopping examples
Hoping in a sentence
Hopping in a sentence
We were hoping for better weather, but at least itโs not raining.
We had a great time hopping between the islands just off the costs.
Iโm not sure what he was hoping to achieve by doing that.
Look! Thereโs a rabbit hopping across the field.
Published on
November 8, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA.
Revised on
November 5, 2025
You are a patient person or have patience if you are able to stay calm in a frustrating situationโif you โhave patients,โ you are probably a doctor.
Patient is an adjective meaning โable to remain calm rather than become annoyedโ (e.g., โYou need to be a patient person to work with childrenโ).
Patience is an uncountable noun meaning โthe ability to remain calm rather than become annoyedโ (e.g., โI donโt have enough patience to work with childrenโ).
โPatientโ is also a noun meaning โa person receiving medical treatmentโ (e.g., โDr. Sanchez is treating a patient at the momentโ). Patients (the plural form of this noun) and patience are often pronounced in the same way in natural, connected speech
.
Patient or patience examples
Patient (adjective) in a sentence
Patience (uncountable noun) in a sentence
Patient (noun: medical meaning) in a sentence
Patients (plural: medical meaning) in a sentence
The doctor was very patient with me and answered all my questions.
You need a lot of patience to work as an assistant in a busy doctorโs office.
Iโd like to register as a new patient with Dr. Sanchez.
Iโm afraid Dr. Sanchez isnโt accepting any new patients right now.
Use โhungโ for all meanings except โdeath by hanging,โ when โhangedโ is correct (e.g., โHe hung the clothes on the lineโ vs. โHe was hanged for his crimesโ).
Hanged vs hung examples
Hanged in a sentence
Hung in a sentence
After arresting him in November 1605, they hanged him the following January.
This painting hung in my grandparentsโ living room.
Many people believed they had hanged the wrong man.
Where have you hung the family portrait?
He was hanged for high treason.
These paintings are going to be hung in the hallway.
NoteIn practice, people often use the past tense/past participle form hung to refer to โdeath by hanging.โ However, hanged is the best option for formal writing (e.g., academic writing) because lots of English usage manuals advise against โhungโ for this meaning, and some readers will therefore consider it incorrect.
Published on
November 5, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA.
Revised on
November 5, 2025
The nounfiancรฉ refers to a man who is engaged to be married, while the noun fiancรฉe refers to a woman who is engaged to be married. Both of these words are pronounced in the same way (with emphasis on either the second syllable
or the third syllable
).
Published on
October 31, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA.
Revised on
November 5, 2025
The following two pieces of advice will help you to use me or I correctly in lots of everyday contexts.
If youโre talking about you and someone else, use the word that sounds correct if you take the other person out of the sentence.
TipTo test if โX and meโ or โX and Iโ is correct, recast the sentence without โand X.โ
Test sentence: Max and me went to the store. Sentence without the โother personโ: I went to โฆ [โmeโ sounds wrong] Grammatically correct sentence: Max and I went to the store.
Test sentence: He told Max and I to go to the store. Sentence without the โother personโ: He told me to โฆ [โIโ sounds wrong] Grammatically correct sentence: He told Max and me to go to the store.
In everyday spoken English, we normally use me and not I after the verbbe.
