Marketers now rely on cutting-edge AI paraphrase tools to create original content. Utilising their precious time therefore becomes considerably simpler. 

Today, it can be challenging to pick an appropriate AI tool out of the numerous available online. Despite having the same basic function, these tools are not identical.

Your content needs to be original, regardless of the audience or sector for which you are writing. Google penalises duplicate and copied material, so keep that in mind. If your work isn’t original, it drastically affects its visibility.

Their functionality and design play a role in this. An effective AI paraphrasing tool can provide you with quick results that are of high quality. Again, creating quality content is always valued in the marketing industry nowadays.

Paraphrasing Tools for Effortless Rewriting

All website users and newsletter subscribers seek out useful stuff. However, even a talented writer occasionally has trouble producing high-quality content. The rise in popularity of AI writing aids today is due to this. 

A useful AI writing tool and an AI paraphrase tool are the same. A reliable paraphrase tool plays a crucial role in preventing plagiarism and producing properly prepared textual materials.

Therefore, we have covered the seven best and most effective AI paraphrasing tools in this article.

1. Paraphrasing.io

The most effective paraphrasing tool is paraphrasing.io. It first examines the provided content to determine its context before rewriting it.

The main goal of this paraphrasing tool was to make writing easier. You can rephrase the material at the phrase, sentence, and paragraph levels thanks to it. The diction and syntactic structures are changed, resulting in fully original and error-free content.

Rewriting the information in a way that avoids plagiarism and preserves readability works well. This tool employs cutting-edge AI algorithms to guarantee that the information is paraphrased accurately and quickly.

You can choose from any of the 15 available languages to rewrite the material as necessary.

This paraphrase tool is available to users everywhere without any subscription fees or usage restrictions.

2. GetGenie AI

The most recent and effective paraphrase tool is GetGenie AI. With Genie, you may edit any web material, including sentences, paragraphs, and whole websites. It is now offered as a WordPress plugin.

The tool includes a template for paraphrasing called Content Rewriter. However, all GetGenie templates are intuitive to use and well-organized. 

For a single input, GetGenie can generate several outputs. For the content that is generated, GetGenie provides outstanding SEO services. This material may rank on SERPs and drive new traffic to your website. If you buy the premium package, the templates also include more features.

3. Spin Rewriter

The most capable online paraphrasing tool at users’ disposal was Spin Rewriter.  Spin Writer enables the software to produce text that is on par with that written by a real human. The online tool for paraphrase called Spin Rewriter uses cutting-edge technologies for superior outcomes.

The programme gives the user the freedom to rephrase as many articles as they like. It may simultaneously paraphrase up to 1,000 articles, saving time and effort.

For consumers who are interested in signing up for the yearly plan, the Spin Rewriter tool provides a 5-day free trial. All of the tool’s subscription tiers provide complete access to all of its features. Additionally, it offers a reasonable lifetime subscription plan.

4. QuillBot AI

One of the greatest and most often used paraphrase tools available is Quillbot.

More than 150 million users use Quillbot every day to shorten paragraphs and speed up article creation. Advanced NLP techniques are used by Quillbot AI to paraphrase the content and provide you with an original result.

Anyone may get started using QuillBot with a free account. You have a 125-word paraphrase limit with it, but you can paraphrase as much stuff as you like. This means that you are limited to paraphrasing a few sentences or shorter paragraphs at once.

You can paraphrase an infinite quantity of information each day when using Quillbot Premium. You can reword paragraphs with Quillbot’s free extensions for Microsoft Word and Chrome.

5. Article Rewriter

If you want to paraphrase the text on your site, Article Rewriter Tool is the best online paraphrasing tool. It has the ability to reword full articles as well as single sentences and brief phrases. 

It will enable you to quickly divide up a single blog article into numerous blog posts. You can make the quantity of blog articles available into twice or three times as much material by using the Article Rewriter. This will enable you to produce content for the same or different blogs that is more readable.

In addition to paraphrasing the original text, it also adds some pretty advanced vocabulary. This gives the altered content the appearance of being produced naturally and by a talented writer. It gets rid of the characteristic that most rephrase sentences share: a robotic writing style.

6. Wordtune 

Wordtune is a singularly focused paraphrase tool that excels at what it does. Once more, you may immediately begin using Word Tune for nothing. You can perform up to 20 rewrites each day rather than being restricted to one per world like other tools. Unlimited rewrites are available if you subscribe to a premium plan.

The tool functions a little differently than others because it gives you a variety of options to choose from rather than just replacing the text. 

Outside of the app, you can paraphrase thanks to a Chrome extension. In the commercial version, you can select between informal and formal writing styles and shorten or lengthen the text.

7. Jasper

It is simple to use Jasper’s AI paraphrasing tool. Simply select a template for the kind of content you want to rewrite, and the programme will generate original content for you in a matter of seconds.

Jasper AI rewriter saves you time and produces unique text because it is coupled with a plagiarism detector. The material can be rephrased in more than 25 other languages.

You may write more quickly and the copy is search engine optimised with Surfer SEO integration. Jasper is capable of rewriting text in a variety of formats, such as blogs, emails, social media posts, and more.

Conclusion

In the world of content generation, paraphrasing tools are becoming essential. They speed up the rewriting process while maintaining precision, effectiveness, and high-quality output. You can improve your content creation process and save a lot of time and work by choosing the appropriate paraphrase tool that fits your unique needs. Explore the highlighted paraphrase tools without hesitation and take advantage of what they can do to improve your writing in 2023.

The post Top 7 Paraphrasing Tools for Effortless Rewriting in 2023 appeared first on Linguix Blog.

So, if you want to make your English speech more nativelike and feel more confident at work, this blog post is exactly what you need. Let’s start!

abide by

Meaning: to accept and comply with a rule

Example: All newly hired employees have to get familiarized with internal company rules they have to abide by.

back up

Meaning: to make a copy of the information on a PC (documents, files and programs) to avoid losing it.

Example: My laptop has crashed. Luckily, I’ve backed up all my files, so I can recover them later.

book up (booked up)

Meaning: When someone or something is booked up, they have no spare time or

space, so they’re unable to offer any appointments or accept any reservations.

Example: My boss is fully booked up for this week. Do you want to make an appointment early next week?

bring forward

Meaning: move a meeting or event to an earlier date or time than it was planned

Example: Please bring the next month’s meeting forward to the end of the current month.

bring up

Meaning: to mention a subject or start to talk about it

Example: I’m going to bring up my proposal for the project in today’s meeting.

burn out

Meaning: to become extremely exhausted or ill due to overwork or stress 

Example: Even after quitting her stressful job, Martha felt burnt out for a month. 

call off

Meaning: to cancel an event or agreement 

Example: He’s called off the meeting at the last minute.

carry out

Meaning: to perform a task

Example: We have to carry out our mental health research next month.

close down

Meaning: cease business permanently

Example: He admitted that it’s time to close down his company. 

come up with

Meaning: to suggest or think of an idea or plan

Example: After an hour-long video conference call we’ve finally come up with a solution.

contract out to

Meaning: to employ other companies to perform a job instead of your company

Example: We’ve decided to contract out IT services to a highly-reliable IT company.

copy in (somebody)

Meaning: to send someone a copy of an email you are sending to someone else

Example: I’ll copy you in on the correspondence related to this project.

draw up

Meaning: prepare a plan or any other document

Example: I’ve finally drawn up a detailed business plan.

fall through

Meaning: to not happen, fail

Example: The deal fell through because our main competitor made a better offer.

fill in for (somebody)

Meaning: to do someone’s work because they are away; to substitute for someone

Example: I’ll have to fill in for Andrew until he gets back.

fill out

Meaning: to complete a form or document

Example: To sign up, you have to fill out an online application first.

get back to

Meaning: to contact someone later or reply to a message

Example: I’ll get back to you as soon as I figure out who was in charge of carrying out the report.

go over

Meaning: examine or check something

Example: Today we’re going to go over their proposal with great attention.

jot down

Meaning: to write something briefly and quickly on a piece of paper so that you remember it

Example: I was jotting down every word he said during his presentation.

lay off

Meaning: to stop employing a worker temporarily or permanently because of a shortage of work

Example: Many employees were laid off during the pandemic crisis.

meet up

Meaning: to see another person or group to discuss something

Example: Mary and I met up for lunch to discuss our business plan.

pencil in

Meaning: to provisionally put someone or something on a schedule, calendar or list

Example: Sarah, could you please pencil me in for Monday morning at 10:30?

point out

Meaning: to make someone aware of something or call attention to it

Example: He pointed out that our AI strategy needs to be slightly pivoted.

push back

Meaning: to delay or postpone something until a later time or date

Example: The date for the conference has been pushed back until next week.

put off

Meaning: to postpone something

Example: I’ll have to put our meeting off since I might get Covid.

reach out (to)

Meaning: to contact someone by phone or email

Example: Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions.

report back (to)

Meaning: to bring information to someone in authority

Example: Report back to me as soon as you finish your research.

sign up

Meaning: to sign one’s name to get, do, or join something

Example: Today our company has signed up with six marketing influencers to promote our product.

slack off

Meaning: to do something with less effort or energy than usual, to become less active

Example: If you feel you’re slacking off at work, you might experience burnout.

snowed under

Meaning: To be very busy or overwhelmed with something

Example: After these two projects started at the same time, I’m constantly snowed under reports.

stay behind

Meaning: to stay late at work after everyone else has left

Example: Alice, you can go, I’m going to stay behind to finish my research.

step down

Meaning: to resign from an important position 

Example: He stepped down as a CTO a month ago. 

take on

Meaning: agree to do some work or be responsible for it; employ 

Example: Luke, I don’t have the time to take on one more project now.

take over

Meaning: take control of something

Example: This corporation has taken over 3 promising startups within one year.

team up

Meaning: to join someone to do something together

Example: Guys, let’s team up and finish this project today.

turn down

Meaning: to reject something offered or proposed

Example: I’ve turned down this job offer because the salary was too low.

work out

Meaning: solve a problem

Example: We need to work out a plan to finally get rid of the issue.

That’s it! What phrasal verbs do you use at work?

Pro tip: to make your online writing better, we recommend using our AI-powered grammar checker and paraphrasing app. Those tools will fix your grammar, punctuation, and style mistakes as well as help to make your writing more compelling.

The post 37 Common Phrasal Verbs at Work appeared first on Linguix Blog.

So, let’s investigate how to combine adjectives in the English language like a pro!

Basic adjective order

In real life, we don’t often use more than 2-3 adjectives in a row. However, it’s still important to put them in the right order. And if you’re taking an examination, you can well be asked to place three or more adjectives in the correct order in a sample sentence. This is where you’ll need to recall the general adjective sequence, which goes as follows:

Examples:

• We saw beautiful gigantic ancient sequoias in the national park. (opinion, size, age)
• She gave me this weird red Japanese plastic device. (opinion, color, origin, material)
• Have you seen my favorite big dotted coffee cup? (opinion, size, color, purpose)

If two or more adjectives in a sentence happen to be from the same group, they are usually separated with a comma, the last one typically being connected with an “and”:

• There were lots of tiny blue, red and yellow flowers in the garden.
• This was the first glass and concrete building in our town.

Specific cases

In the examples above, all adjectives are positioned before the noun, but there are also cases when we use them after a linking verb (such as be, seem, become, feel, etc.):

• The house was old and derelict.

Or, we can put it another way:

• It was an old and derelict house.

Please note that certain adjectives are only used after a linking verb. These are called predicative adjectives. Often, they start with a prefix a-, with a few exceptions. Here are some examples:

• afraid
• alike
• alive
• awake
• ill
• well

Incorrect: We found an afraid little boy in the kitchen. 

Correct: We found a frightened little boy in the kitchen. 

Correct: The little boy we found in the kitchen was afraid.

Incorrect: I saw an ill old dog.

Correct: I saw a sick old dog.

Correct: The dog I saw was ill and old.

***

As you can see, mastering adjective order in English is not rocket science, although it might require some training to memorize the sequence. 

The post Mastering Adjective Order in English appeared first on Linguix Blog.

You’ll definitely encounter difficulties on your way to fluency in English, but it doesn’t mean you can’t learn it. Just look at millions of English learners who have overcome the same obstacles. So can you.

Let’s debunk the most common myths about learning English together, so you’ll realize that they shouldn’t stop you from achieving your goals.

Myth 1: Native Speakers Can Teach You Better

Have you noticed that most language learners prefer lessons with native English speakers? It’s common disbelief, however, that native speakers are better teachers. Why?

First of all, native speakers didn’t have the experience of learning the language as adults. Therefore, they may not be able to understand and empathize with most struggles non-natives adults face. 

Moreover, they can often use English grammar correctly without knowing why. It implies that they speak or write accurately but they can’t explain or teach it.

On the contrary, non-native teachers can be more helpful than a native speaker.

It doesn’t mean there are no excellent native teachers, but it’s important to pay attention to skills and qualifications your teacher possesses in the first place.

Myth 2: You Need to Live in an English-speaking Country to Learn the Language 

Many non-natives believe that after living in the US, for example, they’ll become fluent in English. Unfortunately, going to one of the English speaking countries isn’t equal to mastering the language. Without learning grammar first, for instance, you won’t be able to improve it. You’ll probably be able to use simple phrases while buying groceries or looking for a restaurant, but that’s far from fluency.

In the Internet era you don’t need to travel around the globe to learn the language. Instead, look for learning opportunities where you are. Create an environment in which your mind always has to use English. Change the language on your smartphone and laptop, watch movies and read books in English, find offline or online friends who are native English speakers and so on. 

Myth 3: To be Fluent You Have to Make no Mistakes

Some learners believe that they’ll become fluent only if they observe and correct all mistakes in their speech or writing. It doesn’t work this way as fluent English isn’t only about accuracy. 

It’s actually the other way around: focusing mainly on accuracy negatively impacts your fluency and ability to speak naturally and rapidly. Additionally, by constantly eliminating errors or being afraid of making them, you may avoid using complex sentences with sophisticated vocabulary and structure. Not surprisingly, this complexity also adds to your fluency level.

Therefore, try to balance accuracy and complexity and remember that accuracy isn’t everything. Mistakes are totally acceptable and even necessary.

Myth 4: You’re too Old to Learn English at a Sufficient Level

Let’s rely on the studies of respected universities. For example, MIT scientists proved that adults learn language to fluency nearly as well as children.

Instead of limiting yourself by believing that you’re too old to learn English, think of exact difficulties that make you procrastinate? What are you afraid of? Maybe you don’t like offline lessons or learning methods are too tough?

Find what really stops you and modify your learning practice, so that it’s enjoyable and easy. Test different methods with your teacher or by yourself.

Myth 5: Learning English is Boring

If you still believe that English is boring, the problem lies in the chosen learning method, not the language itself! 

To increase your motivation, change your learning strategies. Do something new, challenging and exciting. Find situations that force you to use your English skills.

Stop reading boring textbooks. Instead, 

• Listen to favorite podcasts; 
• Learn songs’ lyrics and sing them using correct pronunciation; 
• Follow bloggers whose English you like;
• Video chat with study buddies, who are also interested in learning English.

These are just a few examples of how to make your learning more colorful and engaging. Find what excites and challenges you, and believe us, you’ll love the process.

Myth 6: After Learning All Grammar Rules You’ll Become Fluent

It’s another limiting belief that delays your ability to sound fluent. Many learners believe that when they have learned enough English grammar, the fluency automatically comes into play.

Yes, you’ll eventually be able to use complex, sophisticated structure in your sentences with hard work, but you don’t have to wait until you’ve learned every grammar rule. Take small steps towards fluency everyday from now on. Learned rules should be practised, otherwise you’ll forget it later. Think about every grammar lesson you learn as something you will apply the next day. Cultivate habits that will enhance your fluency on a daily basis and you’ll see the results much sooner.

Myth 7: Once You’re Fluent, You’re Always Fluent

Most people learn the language, spending a lot of time and money, but end up forgetting everything they’ve learned. The reason is that without creating an environment contributing to lifelong learning, the chances to forget the language are too high. Bad news, you have to literally insert English in your life if you want to maintain fluency. 

Good news, however, is that you can learn to enjoy the process. Remember to apply methods that you like, experiment with video, audio and other ways of learning, dedicate some time every day and keep the language fresh.

Good luck in your English journey!

The post 7 Myths About the English Language appeared first on Linguix Blog.

So, here is all you need to know about using indefinite articles in English.

The difference between ‘a’ and ‘an’

The first thing to establish is exactly what is the difference between ‘a’ and ‘an’ because there are some misconceptions about this.

The first thing to say is that ‘a’ and ‘an’ represent exactly the same thing, meaning that they are used in the same situations.

The decision to use ‘a’ or ‘an’ only comes with what the next word is, be that the noun or adjective that is following the article.

And contrary to popular belief, it is not decided on spelling, but on pronunciation.

‘A’ is used when the following word begins with a consonant sound. ‘An’ is used when the next word begins with a vowel sound. In most cases this is self-evident, except:

A university (not ‘an’). University begins with a ‘y’ sound, which is a consonant.

A European country (not ‘an’. Again, European begins with a ‘y’ sound.

An hour (not ‘a’). Hour begins with a silent ‘h’, so is, therefore, a vowel sound.

An honest person (not ‘a’). Again, the ‘h’ is silent.

A one-legged man (not ‘an’). One begins with a ‘w’ sound, which is a consonant.

It is therefore important to remember that using ‘a’ or ‘an’ depends on sound, not spelling.

It is important to note that, when speaking, it should be easy to identify when to use these articles as the sounds should connect easily, which is exactly why the rule exists. ‘An’ + consonant sound, or ‘a’ + vowel sound will mean gymnastics for your mouth!

Where and when to use indefinite articles

So, when should I use an indefinite article in English?

Indefinite articles are used with singular, countable nouns, when you are only providing an example of that thing, or when you are introducing that thing for the first time.

Here are examples of both of those situations:

I have always wanted a dog. I think it would be fun. (an example of something, not specific)

I have a dog. His name is Benji. (You are introducing your dog into the conversation for the first time).

Contrasting the indefinite articles with the definite article ‘the’

‘The’, as a definite article, is used to introduce something specific, or something unique. Here are examples:

The dog that lives next door to me is very big. (a specific dog that you are referencing)

Paris is the capital of France. (it is unique in that it is the only capital)

The sun is shining today. (there is only one sun)

Substituting ‘a’ or ‘an’ in any of the examples above would mean that you are talking about one of many. Here are some examples:

A dog that lives next door to me is very big. (there is more than one dog that lives next door).

Paris is a capital of France. (if France had more than one capital, which is doesn’t. You could say ‘Paris is a city in France’, which is, of course, true!)

A sun is shining today. (this just sounds ridiculous, as there is only one sun)

Failing to use any article with these single, countable nouns is always a mistake in English.

The post How to Use the Indefinite Articles ‘A’ and ‘An’ appeared first on Linguix Blog.

‘Been’ is the past participle of the verb ‘to be’, and so, as such, is used in perfect tenses. Here are some examples:

‘I have been very tired recently.’

‘My car has been stolen.’

‘Gone’ is the past participle of the verb ‘to go’, and so is used in perfect tenses to represent this common verb. Again, here are some examples:

‘My brother has gone to Europe.’

‘Where have they gone?’

However, there is one situation when these two participles, which appear to be totally different, are linked. That situation is in movement.

Gone

‘Gone’, as the past participle of ‘to go’, represents when a person of thing has moved to another place, such as in the examples above. Here are some more examples:

‘My colleague Simon has gone home early today.’

‘Where have you gone? We need you back here in the office.’ (A cell phone conversation)

The emphasis in these examples is that the subject of the sentence is no longer in the place where the statement is made, or where the subject began.

‘Been’

‘Been’, as the past participle of ‘to be’, is often used to speak about states, such as emotions and feelings, or to describe a passive action (where ‘to be’ is used as an auxiliary).

However, ‘been’ is also used to speak about movement. In this case, the person or thing moved to another place, but has since returned to the original place. Here are some examples:

‘Have you ever been to Mexico?’

‘Yes, I’ve been to Mexico three times.’

In this instance, the conversation is definitely not taking place in Mexico, so represents a journey that was made and then returned from. In this case, three times.

In this way, ‘been’ is typically used in the present perfect tense to talk about experiences of travel or movement, again such as in the example above.

‘Gone’ Vs ‘Been’

There is, therefore, a fundamental difference between using ‘gone’ and ‘been’ to talk about movement. Note the contrast in these examples:

‘Where have you gone?’ (A cell phone conversation between two people who were in the same place at some stage before the conversation)

‘Where have you been?’ (A face-to-face conversation between two people who are now in the same place, but one of whom was absent for a period).

In the second example above, it would also be acceptable to say ‘Where did you go?’, particularly in the United States. In British English, the present perfect tense with ‘been’ (as in the example above) would be more common.

So, in summary, ‘gone’ is movement in one directions, whereas ‘been’ represents a movement or journey that was returned from.

If you have ‘gone to France’, you haven’t come back (you are still in France).

If you have ‘been to France’, you are definitely not in France now.

Example mistakes

These are examples of typical mistakes when using ‘gone’ and ‘been’:

‘Have you ever gone to Mexico? – ‘been’

‘Yes, I’ve gone to Mexico three times.’ – ‘been’

‘I’ve gone there before.’ – ‘been’

‘Where did you go?’ ‘I’ve just gone to the shop to buy this soda.’ – ‘been’

Generally speaking, it is much more common to make a mistake by using ‘gone’ instead of ‘been’ than vice versa.

The post How to Use the Past Participles ‘Been’ and ‘Gone’ Correctly appeared first on Linguix Blog.

The Linguix AI-powered writing assistant is available to download for free as a browser extension on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. Here are just five reasons why you should:

Fix typos and grammar mistakes wherever you are writing on the net

At heart, the Linguix tool is an advanced grammar and style checking tool that goes beyond what you will have come to expect from most simple tools of this kind. The Linguix tool applies 2000+ context-based rules and over 1700+ common patterns developed by Linguists in order to power the algorithm that scans your texts in detail.

The result is stylish and error-free texts that you can be proud of. And the tools apply wherever you write on the web, once you have downloaded the free extension.

Brighten up your writing with suitable synonyms

As well as the correction of grammar, stylistics and spelling mistakes, the Linguix tool provides you with a detailed list of synonyms for whatever word you choose to highlight. As a result, you can peruse the list of options and select the word that is most suitable for the context and your audience. In this way, you are not just creating flawless texts, but you are developing your language skills too.

Enhance your vocabulary with the look up in Linguix feature

Another way in which Linguix educates as well as assists is in the “lookup in Linguix” feature. Once you have downloaded the extension, you now have the ability to click on any word you read on the web and get a definition of that word provided by Linguix, as well as a list of synonyms. In that way, you are benefitting from a powerful education tool that goes beyond just the simple correction of grammar (far beyond!)

Get lightning-fast Google Docs support

In February 2020 Linguix released a support feature for Google Docs, allowing instant grammar and style recommendations for any writing in Google Docs. But development continued and integration was redesigned in order to include document support for pieces of work up to 30 pages long, meaning the full Linguix support package can be applied to college essays, detailed business reports, blog posts or any other larger texts in Google Docs at the expected high level of Linguix performance. In fact, tests have shown that the Linguix tool works faster than most well-known competitors in this regard.

In addition, you can avoid any delays when opening and running documents that you don’t intend to edit by using the “view-only” option. However, if you change your mind as you are browsing, simply hit the “check it” button to start the AI-based algorithm for checking for corrections.

Get advanced statistics related to your writing

Upgrade to become a Premium user with Linguix and avail of the tool’s brand-new feature: advanced statistics. Copy and paste your writing into Linguix, and then move over to where the number of mistakes is accumulated on the side of the screen. Click the diagram icon here and immediately receive a comprehensive list of statistics and a readability score relating to your text.

The statistics included here cover all manner of elements such as document length, the time it will take to read the text, and the average length of words and sentences included in the text. The overall readability score provided is based on the Flesch test, and as a result, you can tailor your language and style to the audience that you intend to reach out to.

These are just some of the main reasons why the Linguix Grammar Checker is one of the best writing tools out there and can help elevate your texts, wherever they feature, to higher levels of quality and suitability.

The post 5 Reasons to Use Linguix Browser Extensions appeared first on Linguix Blog.

Here is all you need to know about when the words should be used, and the difference in meaning.

‘A few’ and ‘a little’

The fundamental difference between the words ‘a few’ and ‘a little’ is that ‘a few’ is used with countable nouns (nouns that can have an ‘s’ added to make the plural) and plural nouns (a noun that always represents more than one of something), whereas ‘a little’ is only used with uncountable nouns (nouns that cannot be counted individually). Here are some examples:

I have a few friends who go to that college. (countable noun)

There are a few people at the party already. (plural noun)

I have a little money left, so we can buy a few more things. (uncountable noun)

But the meaning of ‘a few’ and ‘a little’ is fundamentally the same: some, although not many.

However, it is important to understand that this word also suggests something positive, or at least neutral in nature. That means that as well as giving you numerical information (about how many friends, people or how much money we are speaking about), you can also interpret from the speaker that the situation is something positive, or at least not negative.

The best examples of this concept are in these examples:

There are a few people at the party already.

I have a little money left, so we can buy a few more things.

Here we can understand that the party is starting to come alive (probably a good thing), and in the case of the money, although the amount is not large, it is enough to do something with, which can be interpreted as a small positive.

‘Few’ and ‘little’

Regarding countable, plural and uncountable nouns, the rules for ‘few’ and ‘little’ are exactly the same.

I have few friends who go to that college. (countable noun)

There are few people at the party. (plural noun)

I have little money left, so we can’t buy any more things. (uncountable noun)

As you can see by the way the two last examples have been changed, the connotation (interpretation of the words used) is not different. That is because there is now a negative feeling to what has been said.

So, in the case of the party, it suggests a disappointing party (because not many people have attended). And in the case of the money, the amount is now too small to do anything with.

In the first example, relating to friends, it is the feeling of the speaker that has now changed from something positive (‘a few friends’) to something disappointing (‘few friends’).

So, there you have it, just that tiny indefinite article makes a big difference to the connotation of the speech. Tread carefully with such language to avoid misunderstandings.

The post A Few, A Little, Few and Little appeared first on Linguix Blog.

The zero article in English is a rather misleading name in some respects, because it basically means a situation in which no article is used at all before a given noun or noun phrase.

Here are examples of all the different article types in English:

I have a friend from Sweden = indefinite article

I have an old sweater than I always wear when it’s cold = indefinite article when the following word begins with a vowel sound.

Last night I went to the cinema = definite article

New York has great restaurants = zero article

When should I use the zero article in English?

According to rules, there are a handful of specific cases when the zero articles, also known as the zero determiners, should be used.

With proper nouns

A proper noun is defined as a name of a person, place or organization, and that which has its first letter capitalized. Here are some examples of proper nouns:

Names of people: Charles, Tina, Juan, Adele

Names of places: New York, Belgium, Buckingham Palace

Names of specific things (a business, illness, etc.): Apple, Chicken Pox

Names of Days, Months, etc.: Monday, January

Note that there are some exceptions to this rule when the name is given to something that is comprised of a collective. Here are some examples:

The United States, the Netherlands, the European Union.

With plural nouns, more than one countable noun, and with uncountable nouns

Zero articles are used when we talk about more than one thing, or something uncountable (such as water), and we speak about that thing in general. For example:

I like dogs

I like children

I like water

However, if you want to speak about these things more specifically in a place, then you must use the definite article ‘the’. For example:

I like the dogs in this street.

I like the children in this school.

I like the water that comes out of the faucet in this country.

With abstract nouns

Unlike many other languages, English doesn’t use articles with abstract nouns, unless they are being attributed to specific things. For example:

Wisdom and knowledge are not the same things. (Unspecific, general example)

The wisdom of your father was gained through years of experience. (Specific example)

With institutions, when they are being spoken about for their given purpose

The zero article is never used in English when you speak about an institution for the reason that exists, but you introduce articles when you instead choose to speak about the building, or one example of such an institution. For example:

I go to church every Sunday (meaning I am religious)

I need to stop at the church on the way home (the building, which is a church)

Is there a church near here? (one example of that institution)

The same rules apply for the following places: school, college, university, prison, jail, hospital, court.

With some other specific nouns and combinations

There are more examples of categories of nouns that, for one reason or another, take the zero article. Sometimes, these categories can also be used with an article but with no change in meaning:

Directions: north, east, south, west

Seasons: (the) spring, (the) summer, (the) autumn, (the) winter

Games and sports: football, tennis, poker

Habitual places: at home, at work, in bed

Transport: by bus, by plane, on foot

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Noun + number: classroom 6, flat 74b, platform 3

How to get used to using the zero article

Of course, native speakers do not think about the rules when they speak, but instead rely on the sound of the expression. That is why it is so important to listen to as much English as possible. The sound combinations become familiar over time, and in combination with an appreciation of these rules, success is possible.

And of course, when you are writing, use a writing assistant such as Linguix that can assist in identifying all kinds of grammar, vocabulary and style mistakes, including zero articles.

The post The Zero Article appeared first on Linguix Blog.

There are two reasons for these problems:

1) Modal verbs can operate differently in the learner’s mother tongue

2) Modal verbs in English have different meanings at different times, so it is a mistake to learn only one meaning.

Here we will look at the meanings of both ‘can’ and ‘may’, and then make a comparison between the two.

Using ‘can’

‘Can’ has two distinct meanings in English: ability and permission. It is vitally important to think about what meaning of ‘can’ is being used in any one sentence.

‘Can’ to express ability

‘Can’ as an ability is probably the first meaning that learners discover in English, and this then creates the problem that this is the only meaning of ‘can’ (which we already know to be untrue).

Here are some examples of ‘can’ meaning ability:

‘I can speak two languages.’

‘I can’t play the piano.’

‘Can you work late tonight?’

All of these sentences are concerned with your ability (or inability to do something). It is important to understand that this ability is not always something personal, but also related to external factors. So, for example, perhaps you can’t work late tonight because you have an appointment, which is an external factor, rather than your own personal ability or skill (such as speaking a language or playing the piano).

‘Can’ to express permission

‘Can’ is also used to speak about permission, which could be self-prescribed, or due to external circumstances, such as formal rules. Here are some examples:

‘In the UK, you can drive when you are 17.’

‘You can’t wear shoes in the house, my wife doesn’t like it.’

However, it is not considered totally correct to use ‘can’ to ask for permission. For example:

‘Can I smoke here?’

We will talk about this more in a moment.

Using ‘may’

‘May’ also has two meanings in English: to talk about possibility, and to talk about permission (like ‘can’). It is, therefore, this second meaning of ‘may’ (permission) that causes the confusion with ‘can’.

‘May’ to express possibility

‘May’, much like ‘might’ is used to suggest that there is a possibility that something will happen, but without confirming it. Here are some examples:

‘It may rain later.’

‘There may not be another opportunity to do this.’

However, notice that ‘may’ is not used to talk about personal actions. For example:

‘I may go to the party.’

That is because the meaning of ‘may’ then becomes confused with the second reason that we use ‘may’, which is to expression permission.

‘May’ to express permission

‘May’ is typically used to talk about permission to do something. Here are some examples:

‘I may go to the party’. (I have been given permission to go to the party)

‘I may not go to the party.’ (I am not allowed)

‘May I go to the bathroom?’ (Do you allow me to do that?)

In is in this last instance that ‘can’ would be used more informally to have the same meaning.

Comparing ‘can’ and ‘may’

So, let’s take a look again at the way we would ask for permission in English. In such instances it would be better to use ‘may’ so as not to confuse the meaning of ‘can’ as an ability or as permission. For example:

‘Can I smoke here?’

‘I don’t know, can you?’ (asking if you have the ability to smoke)

‘May I smoke here?’

‘Yes you may’ or ‘No you may not’ (Giving permission)

However, in reality, English speakers would use ‘can’ in the above example with the same result:

‘Can I smoke here?’

‘Yes you can’ or ‘No you can’t’ (Giving permission informally)

It therefore all comes down to context, and who your audience is. The reality is that, in informal settings (with friends, for example), ‘can’ is very often interchanged with ‘may’ to ask for permission and to even express that the permission has been given.

However, technically speaking, and therefore in a more polite or formal environment, it would always be better to use ‘may’ to ask for permission, and to express that permission has been given or denied.

That’s why these two words ‘can’ cause problems, or is that ‘may’?

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