English Lessons

Between you and me vs Between you and I
Between you and me, the phrase "between you and I" grates on my ears like nails on a chalkboard. I hear the wrong version about 3 times as often as I hear it said the right way, so lets get this straightened out once and for all.

Lightening vs Lightning
The English words lightening and lightning are only one letter apart in spelling and pronunciation, but worlds apart in meaning. The lightning bolt of comprehension you get after reading this lesson will start lightening your confusion.

Who vs Whom
For those who want to know the difference between who and whom, here is an explanation.

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Fewer vs Less
The words fewer and less are commonly confused in English, or rather, less is used while fewer tends to fall by the wayside. You'll be less confused and make fewer mistakes after reading through this lesson.

Despite vs In spite of
The English terms despite and in spite of are very similar in meaning and usage; in spite of this, English speakers sometimes find them confusing.

Their, There, They're
What's the difference between their, there, and they're? They're really not that complicated; once you understand their differences there shouldn't be any more confusion.

If I would have...
When talking about something that didn't happen in the past, many English speakers use the conditional perfect (if I would have done) when they should be using the past perfect (if I had done).

e.g. vs i.e.
The Latin abbreviations e.g. and i.e. are commonly used in English, and nearly as commonly mixed up. If this sounds like you, i.e., you are never sure whether to use e.g. or i.e., read through this lesson to learn the difference.

Your vs You're
What's the difference between your and you're? Your presence on this page means you're about to find out.

I Before E
Whether to spell any given word with ie or ei can often stump native English speakers. In school many of us were taught the mnemonic device "I before E except after C or when sounding like A as in neighbor and weigh." This is a fairly good rule, but it has a lot of exceptions.

Drop the Final e
Whether to drop the final -e on some English words before adding a suffix can be confusing for some English speakers.
 

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