Appositive phrase

An appositive phrase is one that is used just for description and is usually set off by commas.

Example: "The Dead Sea Scrolls, written by an ancient people called the Essenes, shed an interesting light on early Christianity."

Mnemonics for spelling words that begin with 'b', 'c' and 'd'

These are some mnemonics for words that begin with the alphabets beginning with - 'b', 'c' and 'd'.

• believe: "Don't believe a lie."
• business: "I often take the bus in my business."
• calendar: "January is the first month of the calendar." 
• cemetery: "Epitaphs are found in a cemetery."
• defendant: "At a picnic, it would be hard to defend an ant."
• dilemma: "Emma faced a dilemma."
• doctor: "Get me to a Doctor or else!"

I know this is particularly difficult in English as many words are derived from the languages of the various conquerors of the British Isles, the Saxons, the Vikings, the Angles (yes, there were a people called that and I'm not sure if they were very geometric!😀), the Normans, the Romans and that is why you will often find several words that mean the same thing. 

Cliché

What is a cliché?

A cliche is a clever turn of phrase that has become so familiar that it does not seem so clever any more.
Examples of clichés are :

• Slippery as an eel 
• Pretty as a picture
• Happy as a lark
• Sharp as a tack
• Blind as a bat

Most grammar authors advise you to avoid them, especially in academic writing;  but in business writing, they do not seem to mind as long as the meaning conveyed is clear.

A common fault: using adjectives instead of adverbs.

Do not use adjectives where adverbs are needed.

These sentences are wrong:
The contractor worked real quick.
She painted good.
The clock struck loud.

They should be:
The contractor worked really quickly.
She painted well.
The clock struck loudly.

Spelling Mnemonics for words beginning with 'a'

• abundance: Is it -ance or -ence? Remember "An abundance of people can dance."
• ache: Remember the first letter of each word of this sentence,"Aches Can Hurt Everywhere".
• acquire: Most misspellings miss the c. Remember: " I want to ACquire AirConditioning".
• across: One c or two? Remember: "Walk across a cross walk"
• address: One d or two? Remember: "I'll add you to my address book"
• aisle: Remember the first letter of each word of this sentence: "Athletics In Stadiums Looks Easy"

The prefix 'AMBI'

The prefix AMB or AMBI means 'around', 'about', 'both'.It comes from the Latin ambo, ambio,  ambitio.  This last is the basis for the words ambition and ambitious, especially for candidates seeking election.

Word	part of speech	Meaning
amble	AMB le v.	Walk leisurely about
ambidexter	AMBI dexter n.	One who uses both hands adeptly
ambidextrous	AMBI dextrous adj.	Using both hands adeptly or skillfully
ambition	AMBI tion n.	Desire to achieve
ambitious	AMBI tious adj.	Desirous to achieve
ambiguity	AMBI guity n.	Uncertainty of meaning, position
ambiguous	AMBI guous adj.	Where the meaning is uncertain
ambiparous	AMBI parous adj.	that has both leaves and flowers
ambit	AMBI t n.	Boundaries of a place or subject
ambient	AMBI ent adj.	Surroundings, moving around
ambilateral	AMBI lateral adj.	Relating to both sides
ambivalence	AMBI valence n.	Simultaneous attraction & repulsion
ambivalent	AMBI valent adj.	Being simultaneously attracted & repelled
ambivert	AMBI vert adj.	One who is both an introvert & extrovert
ambisinister	AMBI sinister adj.	Clumsy with both hands
ambitendency	AMBI tendency n.	Having both tendency and counter-tendency
amburbia	AMBI urbial adj.	Related to circuit of a city
perambulator	per AMB ulator n.	Wanderer, baby carriage
ambulance	AMB ulance n.	Vehicle to transport the sick and injured

Words from Native American languages

AS with other languages, English adopted several words from Native American languages.Some of them are familiar to most of us and some less so.
Have chosen a few below:-

• Caribou - a large deer, related to the reindeer.

  

  caribou

•  Caucus - a group of people that advise/ form policies for a political party.
• Canoe: A slim boat. 
• Cassava: An edible root!
• Chipmunk: a range of squirrels found in North America
• Coyote: a kind of wolf-like animal, but much smaller
• Eskimo: a person who lives in Alaska, Northern Canada and Greenland.
• Guacamole: A sauce made from avocados.
• Hammock: a net tied between vertical supports, a good place for resting

  

  hammock

• Hickory: a group of North American trees that bear edible nuts. Their wood is also very valuable.
• Hurricane: a violent storm
• Husky: a large dog used for pulling sledges.

• Kinkajou: It is a very cute animal that lives in trees.
• Mangrove: A tree that grows on shorelines 
• Maize: Corn! the stuff that makes popcorns, tacos and nachos.
• Moccasin: a very comfortable kind of shoe.
• Moose: a large deer that stands about 6 feet tall as an adult.
• Muskrat: A semi-aquatic North American rodent with a musky smell
• Opossum: A North American marsupial with a prehensile tail
• Persimmon: A fruit with a sweet and tart taste.
• Racoon: A mammal with eyes ringed with a spectacle like making

  

  racoon

• Squaw: A word for wife, in Native American
• Terrapin: A tortoise
• Tobacco: The stuff that makes cigarettes and lung cancer.
• Toboggan: A native American sled.
• Totem: A decorated pole with Native American cultural significance.  
• Wapiti: A native American word for 'elk'.
• Wigwam: A native American tent.
• Woodchuck: A Groundhog.