Published on
July 23, 2024
by
Magedah Shabo.
Revised on
September 24, 2024.
Weasel words are expressions that create ambiguity, allowing the speaker to avoid making firm commitments or statements. These words often make claims sound impressive while remaining vague and non-committal.
Weasel words are especially common in persuasive contexts like marketing, advertising, and politics. They are best avoided, though, if you want to establish credibility with your audience.
QuillBot’s Paraphraser can help you choose the appropriate vocabulary for your writing.
Published on
June 28, 2024
by
Magedah Shabo.
Revised on
October 14, 2024.
Transitive verbs are verbs that require a direct object to complete their meaning. The direct object (which can be a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase) receives the action of the verb.
For example, the sentence “The builder constructed a new house” would not make sense without the direct object, “a new house.”
Intransitive verbs, in contrast, do not require a direct object to complete their meaning. They express a complete action without an object. For example, the verb “sleep” makes sense without an object (e.g., “The children slept”).
Ambitransitive verbs are verbs that can be used with or without a direct object, depending on the context (e.g., “sing,” “read,” “eat”).
Published on
June 28, 2024
by
Magedah Shabo.
Revised on
November 7, 2024.
Concrete nouns name people, places, and things that we can perceive with our five senses.
Not limited to solid or tangible objects that you could theoretically touch, concrete nouns can also name anything that can be heard (e.g., “symphony”), seen (e.g., “sunlight”), tasted (e.g., “sourness”), or felt without being touched (e.g., “heat”). Words such as “spaceship,” “Mariana Trench,” “amoeba,” and “Jeffrey” are all concrete nouns.
In contrast, abstract nouns describe mental constructs. These include feelings, frameworks, and concepts that cannot be directly perceived, such as “fascination,” “sleepiness,” “Pareto principle,” and “motif.”
Published on
June 28, 2024
by
Magedah Shabo.
Revised on
October 14, 2024.
Intransitive verbs are verbs that don’t take a direct object (a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that receives the action of a verb). For example, “exist” is an intransitive verb, as it’s not possible to “exist” something.
In contrast, a transitive verb is one that does require a direct object. A sentence that uses the verb “examined,” for instance, would not make sense without specifying who or what receives the action of the verb (e.g., “Mary examined the manuscript”). Depending on the context in which they’re used, some verbs can function as either transitive or intransitive verbs.
Published on
June 27, 2024
by
Magedah Shabo.
Revised on
September 22, 2024.
A noun clause is a type of dependent clause that functions as a noun. As a dependent clause, it contains a subject and verb but cannot stand alone as a sentence.
Published on
June 27, 2024
by
Magedah Shabo.
Revised on
September 22, 2024.
Common nouns are not capitalized—they are general terms for people, places, things, or ideas (e.g., “father,” “village,” “pencil,” “envy”). Proper nouns, in contrast, are always capitalized.
A common noun can name something concrete (e.g., “infant”) or abstract (e.g., “love”), including types of living organisms, inanimate objects, and intangible concepts.