Research On or Research In - Usage of noun form of research

If you are someone who does a lot of research in English to make sure that you frame sentences grammatically correct, your research might have already landed at the word 'research' and some of you might feel stranded about whether to use 'research on' or 'research in' in your sentences. The clarification for this is simple. Firstly, remember that both the phrases 'research on' and 'research in' are correct. It's about the usage of these phrases. Take a look at the following examples.

1. I am doing my research in English.
2. I am doing my research on grammar.


Researches can be done on anything. But, if the field in which you do the research is a big one, the preposition 'in' has to be used. Everywhere else, the preposition 'on' is used. The following examples will give you better clarity on the difference between 'research on' and 'research in'.

3. I am doing my research on cardiology.
4. I am doing my research in Science.
5. Andy is doing his research on psychology.
6. Federer's research on single-handed backhand is finally a success.

Feel free to post your queries.

Home vs House difference and example sentences

Many of you would have juggled the words 'home' and 'house' whenever you use those in sentences. You might have become good as a juggler, but people would never appreciate your English skills, especially people who know the difference between 'home' and 'house'. If you had ever heard somebody telling that 'home' is your own place and 'house' is a rented place, forget about it. That has to be the most insane explanation one could give for home vs house. The following are the meanings of home and house.

Home:
A place where you will find happiness, affection and satisfaction. It is a building that is made of bricks, where the bricks are joined together by a bond called 'love'.

House:
A place where you just live to survive. It is a building that is made of bricks, where the bricks are joined together by a bond called cement.

The following images will give you better clarity on the difference between home and house.

Why is the knowledge of home vs house important?

I am confident that, now you would know the difference between 'home' and 'house' and their exact meanings. If you still don't have a clue why one should be very particular about using 'home' and 'house', just imagine this. You are in love with a girl named Jessica. What would you say to propose to her? Would you say, I love you, Jessica or I like you, Jessica? When you want love to be expressed, express it with the right word.

If you want people to know that you are happy being in your house, call it 'home' and people will realize it on their own. The beauty of love is, it is most beautiful only when expressed.

Click here to know the usage of 'home' and 'house' in sentences & explanation of 'am home' or 'am in my house' phrases.

Your feedback or queries are welcome!

Am Home or Am In My House - know the difference

Use of home and house in sentences:

Having known the difference between home and house, many of you might have trouble in knowing how to use these words in sentences, especially while using the word 'home'. If you are confused about the difference between I am home and I am in my house, don't worry! This post will let you know that understanding the phrases 'am home' or 'am in my house' is a cakewalk. Take a look at the following sentences and then, see the explanation that follows.

Examples:

1. I will be there tomorrow.

2. I will be in that place tomorrow.

From the above examples, remember that when you mention 'place', you use the preposition 'in' (example 2). On the other hand, example 1 doesn't have a preposition as you have mentioned the place using the word 'there'. This same principle is applied while using the words 'home' and 'house'. Some of the examples are given below.

3. I will be home tomorrow.

4. I will be in my house tomorrow.

5. I will go home at 5 p.m.

6. I will go to my house at 5 p.m.

The above four examples clearly let you know that when you use home, preposition is avoided and when you replace 'home' with 'my house', preposition is compulsory.

Based on the above explanation, now let's see the difference between 'am home' and 'am in my house'.

7. I am home.

8. I am in my house.

Examples 7 and 8 are both grammatically correct as we have avoided any preposition for 'home' and the preposition 'in' is included for 'my house'.

Note: Always use home or my house. Never use my home as home itself indicates that the place is your house.

Your feedback or queries are welcome!

Sitting On a chair or In a chair

If you are someone who has been facing a lot of confusions over the past few days just because you are not sure whether you could say that a person is sitting on a chair or in a chair, believe me.. this is a sign of you getting better at your English. Before, I could tell you the difference between on a chair and in a chair, take a peek at the following images.

Example 1

Example 2

The above two images are classic and clear examples to let one know the difference between 'on the chair' and 'in the chair'.

Difference between sitting on the chair and sitting in the chair:

'On the chair' is similar to 'on the couch'. When we use a chair or a couch just to sit and kill sometime or do work, we say 'on the chair'. The tricky part is.. where to use 'in the chair'.

From example 2, it can be clearly seen that the old man is reading a newspaper sitting in an armchair. An armchair is one type of chair that apart from letting you sit, will also help you feel relaxed by getting some rest. You would almost feel like you would be surrounded by the chair because it's huge. Hence, here we use 'in the chair'. From the image, it is understood that the old man is so comfortable, he almost is relaxing in the chair like it's a bed. That is why, 'in the chair' is used for example 2.

Only when the chair is big with armrests and soft cushion to help us relax, we say 'in the chair'. For everything else, we say 'on the chair'.

Note: In corporate offices, you might find big chairs with armrests and great cushions, but you should only say 'on the chair' to sound professional.   

Your feedback or comments are welcome!

Difference between Fun and Funny

I am pretty sure that most of you know what the words 'fun' and 'funny' mean. The important thing is, not many realize that the word 'fun' apart from being a noun is also an adjective. I have hardly seen people using fun as an adjective. Let us first see the meanings of the words fun and funny.

Fun (adjective)     - something that results in amusement, joy or entertainment.
Funny (adjective) - something that results in laughter, humour, etc.

The difference between fun and funny can be easily understood with the following examples.

1. Dexter is a funny guy. (Avoid saying this)
2. His speech was funny.
3. I had a fun time playing at the amusement park.
4. We had a fun experience on our last tour.

Both the adjectives, funny and fun mean amusement, joy, etc. But, 'funny' is mostly used to indicate laughter and humour.

Fun vs Funny:

Example 1 means that you say that Dexter is funny. Dexter might get offended because instead of being particular telling that Dexter's speech or acts were funny, you say that Dexter himself is funny, which is an informal way of speaking.

Be more specific and example 1 could be modified as follows.
5. Dexter's speech was funny.
6. American Pie is a funny movie.

If you still would like to follow the same pattern of example 1, say the following.
7. Dexter is a fun guy
              or
    Dexter is full of fun (fun is a noun here).

The above example lets us know how the adjective 'fun' would really be useful to speak formally. Because, not many realize that fun is also an adjective, we usually say that we had a great time, it was a great movie, we had a good talk, etc.

What do you mean by great? Are you trying to say that you spent some time doing something which was entertaining. Then don't use the word 'great'. Use a word that actually means entertainment. This is when the word 'fun' can be used.

When you use the adjective 'fun', the sentences may be as follows.
8. We had a fun time.
9. It was a fun movie.
10. We had a fun talk.


Feel free to post your comments or queries and expect replies right away.

6 Easy Tips To Speak In English Fluently

The 6 easy tips that you find below will be very helpful in letting you realize the difference between speaking in English and speaking in English properly. Many people say that English is a funny language. But, only people who have done their research in English or on a  particular topic in English will know that English is not a funny language, but a fun language after all.

If you are someone who is very keen on improving your English skills, you already would have started wondering about the difference between the adjectives funny and fun (Click here for fun vs funny) & the usage of 'in' and 'on' for the word research. (Click here for 'research on' vs 'research in')

Now, coming back to the 6 easy tips to speak in English fluently, the following are the tips that will let you tweak your English slightly to result in huge differences positively.

1. Don't ask questions in the form of answers.

2. Start using simple phrases.

3. Avoid one-word conversations.

4. Watch BBC News regularly.

5. Speak with kids in your neighbourhood.

6. Don't confuse English with your mother tongue.

1. Don't ask questions in the form of answers:

I do not know from which country you are reading this post. I belong to a beautiful country called India where I realize that many people ask questions that are answers actually. But, they speak it in such a way that the listener will understand that it is a question. The following are the wrong ways people ask questions.

Wrong examples:

1. You made the mistake no?

2. You made the mistake ah?

The above examples are an awful way of speaking in English, especially when people concentrate on your English. The correct or suitable ways of speaking the above sentences are mentioned below.

Correct examples:

A). You made the mistake, didn't you?

                       or

      You have made the mistake, haven't you?

                       or

      You made the mistake, right? (Using 'right' is not advisable, but may be followed)

B). Have you made the mistake? 

                       or

      Did you make the mistake?

When you already know the answer for your question, but still, you would like to get it confirmed, follow example(A). When you completely do not know the answer for your question, follow example(B) which is the normal way to ask a question. No matter whether you follow A or B, never follow the wrong examples that I have given for your reference.

2. Start using simple phrases:

This is one of the simple tips that will make you speak in English fluently in a significant manner. Phrases are two or more joined together that could be used regularly for different scenarios. Some of the commonly used phrases are

Would you like to ........?

Do you ....?

May I ....?

Examples:

Would you like to have a cup of tea?

Would you like to come with me for a movie tonight?

Do you need any help?

Do you know what time it is now?

May I come in?

May I go out?

May I help you?

When you start using phrases, you'll find English very easy because, most people speak in English without phrases. So, when you include phrases, you are almost perfect with your English.

3. Avoid one-word conversations:

Follow this tip and you'll realize that speaking in English is a cakewalk. I know that you are very convenient in giving 1-word answers like yes or no for most questions, but, believe me...you might save energy following this tactic, but your English will never improve at all.

Sample questions:

1. Do you know where Ramesh is?

2. Do you love Jessica?

3. Have you ever watched the movie, 'American Pie'?

Wrong answers:

1. No.

2. Yes.

3. Definitely.

Correct / Advisable answers:

1. No, I don't know where Ramesh is.

2. Yes, I do love Jessica.

3. Definitely! I have watched the movie 'American Pie'.

You might know what number comes after 100. That doesn't confirm that you know all the numbers till 101. This is similar to Roger Federer. He makes his own tennis schedules right now cause he is a complete tennis player. Similarly, first, learn the language and then play with the language as you wish.

4. Watch BBC News regularly:

I know it's a pain in the back to watch a channel, especially a news channel, just to learn a language. As the proverb goes, 'no pain...no gain'. BBC News is a great channel for people who follow British English. Become a follower of that channel and you will have both the knowledge of the world and English in your finger tips. Click here for the Learning English app from BBC, a fun and informative way to learn English.

5. Speak with kids in your neighbourhood:

No language can be mastered without practicing to speak. English is no exception to this. But, if you are a grown-up, it might be tough for you speak in English when you are in the learning phase. You might make a lot of grammatical mistakes and the listeners might laugh at you and you might find it embarrassing, Still, speaking practice is required. The best way is...speak with kids in your locality. I am pretty sure you can speak better than them. You could also end-up training them on English. Wouldn't that be a great way to show off!

6. Don't confuse English with your mother tongue:

English, as much as is a universal language, it has some of its words imported from various other languages. Hence, English is one language that you should never try to learn comparing it with your mother tongue.

'For' vs 'Since' in terms of time

The words for and since have a lot of meanings. But, many people get confused about the usage of for and since when time is considered. To make things easy to understand, the following are the correct examples that let you know the differences between for and since in terms of time.

Examples of 'for' and 'since' in past continuous tense:
I have been waiting for the train for the past 30 minutes.
I have been waiting for the train since 30 minutes ago.

Imagine that today is Wednesday and read the following examples of for and since.
I have been working here since Monday.
I have been working here for the past 3 days.

From the above examples, it is clear than 'for' is used to mention the entire time or no. of days spent on a task and 'since' is used to indicate the exact time or day when the task started initially.

Practical example: To make you not forget the difference between since and for, remember this. 'For' is like the duration of a movie and 'since' is like the time when the movie started.

Note: I used past continuous tense for examples, because 'for' and 'since' are mostly used for past continuous tenses. The exception is past tense which just uses the word 'for'. Avoid using 'since' in past tense as it makes the sentences more complicated.

Examples of 'for' in past tense:
I waited for 3 hours in the queue to buy a movie ticket.
I waited for 30 minutes before the train arrived.

Feel free to post your comments or queries.

'next month' vs 'in the next month'

You might have found many websites that give you various explanations about the differences between next month and in the next month. I am pretty sure that you would be confused right now. I will make you understand the difference with the following two examples.

Examples:
1. I will see you next month.
2. I will see you one day in the next month.

From the above two examples, it can be clearly seen that, you just say 'next month' when you are not sure about the exact time or day. 'In the next month' is used in the 2nd example as you are mentioning a particular day in that month.

Note: Feel free to post your comments or queries and expect replies right away. 

Can or Can able? - Return or Return back? - Which one should you use?

Are you someone who often uses the phrase, 'can able' in your sentences? Eg: I can able to do this. I can able to speak in English fluently. I can able to understand this.
Or, are you someone who uses the phrase, 'return back'? Eg: I will return back to India tomorrow. I will return back your book later.

If you are someone who often uses 'can able' and 'return back' while talking, it is time for you to stop talking and start learning English. Why? Both the phrases, 'can able' and 'return back' are wrong as they give redundant meanings. The following explanation will make you better understand why these phrases should not be used.

Can or Can Able?

This is one of the common mistakes in English, that almost many people make. Both the words, can and able mean an ability to do something. Many people know that these two words mean the same to an extent. But, not many people realize that they are supposed to use just one of these words while talking or writing. Instead, they use both the words together which results in redundancy and grammatically incorrect sentences.

Wrong sentence: 

I can able to do this.

Correct sentences:  

I can do this. (or)

I am able to do this.

Return or Return Back?

This is also one of the common mistakes in English that people make when they speak. Most competitive English exams will have a question based on return and back. 'Return back' is also similar to 'can able', which is grammatically incorrect.

Wrong sentences:

I will return back your book on Monday.

I will return back to India next month.

Correct sentences:  

I will return your book on Monday. (or) I will give back your book on Monday.

I will return to India next month  (or) I will come back to India next month.

Note: While there are many other mistakes that people commonly make in English, 'can able' and 'return back' are mistakes that almost every learner of the English language makes in the beginning.
Feel free to post your comments about any queries that you might possess regarding English. I will be more than glad to write a post regarding that topic.

Difference between little, a little, few, a few

The difference between little, a little, few and a few is simple. The meaning of the base word will never change. The base words are Few and Little. Forget about the article 'a' that comes as the prefix for these base words. Generally, few is something that is very less in number and little is something that is very less in magnitude or amount.

The following are some of the examples that will give you better clarity on where to use little, a little, few and a few.

Example sentences using few / little:

1) I have made few mistakes in my life. (imagine you've made 1 or 2 mistakes)
2) I have little money in my wallet. (imagine you have 5 bucks)

3) I have few friends who help me with everything. (imagine you have 2 or 3 friends)

4) I have little water in my bottle. (imagine you've 10 ml of water)

Now when the article 'a' is used to the base words, Few and Little, the above 4 sentences would be modified as follows.

Example sentences using a few / a little:

5) I have made a few mistakes in my life.(imagine here that you've made 5 or 6 mistakes)

6) I have a little money in my wallet. (imagine that you've 20 or 30 bucks)

7) I have a few friends who help me with everything. (imagine you have 7 or 10 friends)

8) I have a little water in my bottle. (imagine you've 100 ml of water)

The last 4 example sentences using 'a few' or 'a little' have slightly bigger values than the first 4 examples using 'few' or 'little' in terms of quantity and number. Remember that all the examples are used to indicate that something you possess is less. But, because article 'a' is not used in examples 1, 2, 3 and 4, it means that the amount is the least. And, when article 'a' is used, like in examples 5, 6, 7 and 8, it means that the value is slightly bigger than the value mentioned in the first 4 sentences.

Note: The word 'few' is used for countable nouns and 'little' is used for uncountable nouns. That is why, the word 'little' is used for money and water. 'Few' is used for friends and mistakes.

Parts of speech with examples

Parts are very essential in anything and everything. We, as human-beings are mostly capable of surviving by ourselves because we know the parts that make our body and we try to utilize the parts to their full potential. For example, we know that we have two hands, eyes, legs, ears, a brain and so on. We also know what we can do with our hands, legs, etc.

Similarly, before we could speak in English or any other language, we need to know the parts that form a speech. This article will make you understand the parts of speech with examples.

Parts of speech:

There are 9 parts of speech.

1. Noun

2. Pronoun

3. Verb

4. Adverb

5. Adjective

6. Preposition

7. Conjunction

8. Interjection
9. Article

Let us now understand all the parts of speech in detail.

1. Noun:

Many people say  name, place, animal and thing to let you understand noun easily. That is correct. To go one step further, a noun is any word that is complete in its form or the base word that results in other parts of speech. Only from a noun, we'll get words like verb, adjective, adverb, etc. You need not worry about this, as you'll automatically understand about noun once you speak in English regularly.

2. Pronoun:

A pronoun is used to replace a noun.

Example: I saw a dog walking on a road near my house. It was 

looking tired.

In the above example, I introduced a dog in the first sentence and I replaced the word 'dog' with 'it'. Hence, 'dog' is a noun and 'it' is a pronoun. Similarly, he, she, they, etc. are pronouns.

3. Verb:

Any word that defines an action is a verb. To understand verb better, remove the verb from any sentence and you'll find the sentence looking awful.

Example: I am walking on the road.

In the above example, remove 'am walking' and read the sentence to understand the importance of verb.

4. Adverb:

The word itself says it. An adverb gives additional information about the verb. Let us use the same example, 'I am walking on the road'. When an adverb is added, the sentence may become,

I am walking on the road slowly.
The word 'slowly' indicates the speed at which the person is walking. Hence, it is an adverb.

5. Adjective:

Any word that describes a feeling or an emotion is an adjective.

Example: Ramesh is feeling sad.

In the above example, the word 'sad' is an adjective as it lets us know how Ramesh is feeling. The word 'sad' comes from its noun form, 'sadness'.

6. Preposition:

The word says it. A pre-position gives us the position of the object even before the sentence is completed.

Example: The pen is on the table.

In the above example,  'on' is the preposition as it lets us know where the pen is. From the example, eliminate the words 'the table' and the sentence would be like,

The pen is on "object".

This means that position is always known first and then, the object is known. That is why this is called as preposition. In this example, the object is a table. 

7. Conjunction:

A conjunction is the easiest of the all the parts of speech to understand. When two or more sentences are joined together, we use a conjunction. Conjunctions are and, if, but, etc. There are many conjunctions which you might have used even without realizing.

Example: Vincent is my friend. He is a spoken English trainer.

In the above example, when we use a conjunction 'and', the resulting sentence is,

Vincent is my friend and a spoken English trainer.

8. Interjection:

The last of the parts of speech, an interjection, is a word of expression followed by an exclamation point. Examples are wow, ouch, hey there, etc.

Examples:  Wow! He looks handsome!

                    Hey there! How are you?

                    Ouch! That is painful!

9. Article/Determiner:

An article is a very important part of speech. But, I have mentioned this as the 9th and final one in parts of speech because many websites lead to confusions with this, as some call this as the determiner, some call this as articles. Regardless of the confusions, a, an and the are three articles which are used in any and every sentence. I will write a separate post to talk about the articles and their usage in detail. For time being, remember that 'an' is used only for words that have the sounds, ah, eh, i, o and uh.

(Click here for tips on how to speak in English with ease.)

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