Published on
December 10, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA
Revised on
November 11, 2025
When we use the word evening to refer to plans and arrangements, we are generally thinking of a period of the day that begins at about 5 or 6 p.m. (17:00–18:00) and lasts up to about 11 p.m. or midnight (11:00–12:00). In other words, from when most people finish their working day until when most people go to bed.
As evening time is not a precise concept, it is best to clarify statements like “Let’s meet tomorrow evening” with exact times. If an event starts after about 9:30 p.m., we will probably describe it as starting in the “late evening,” rather than in the evening.
Evening examples
Evening in a sentence
Scenario
Comment
What about tomorrow evening?
Someone arranging when to go to the movies with a friend.
They are probably referring to a showtime in the earlier part of the evening (i.e., starting no later than about 9 p.m.)
I booked an evening flight.
Someone informing their family about vacation arrangements.
If the speaker is referring to a flight time after about 9:30 p.m., they would more likely specify “a late-evening flight” or “a flight in the late evening.”
Did you have a nice evening?
A babysitter welcoming the child’s parents home at 1 a.m. after they have been to the theater.
The word “evening” here refers to the parents’ entire outing to the theater, even though it continued past the typical evening hours.
Published on
November 6, 2024
by
Julia Merkus, MA
Revised on
November 11, 2025
Dogfooding refers to a practice where a company tests and evaluates its own products or product updates in real-life settings to collect feedback from its employees before public release. It comes from the phrase eating your own dog food.
Dogfooding can help businesses ensure the quality, usability, or reliability of their products and is a common practice in the tech industry. Dogfooding has two variants that are often combined:
Many companies use dogfooding before a product reaches its customers. This allows businesses to collect user experiences and identify bugs without harming their reputation. They process the feedback from the research process before the official release to actual customers.
Most companies also promote the internal use of their own software products after their release in order to collect more feedback on real-life issues other users might also face.
Dogfooding exampleMeta, Microsoft, and Google are examples of companies that use dogfooding during the development of new products or product updates. For example, Microsoft offers “Outlook Dogfood,” which helps them test the newest versions of Outlook before they release it to the public.
Published on
September 23, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA
Revised on
November 11, 2025
The phrase be supposed to is commonly used in everyday language to express obligation, expectation, or intention. A frequent misspelling of this phrase is “be suppose to.”
If you think something “is supposed to happen,” you expect it to happen because it is a prediction or plan (e.g., “It’s supposed to rain today”).
If you say someone “is supposed to do” something, you think that they should do it because it is the right thing to do, or because it is a rule or instruction (e.g., “You’re supposed to put glasses in this cupboard, not that one”).
Supposed to in a sentence examplesWe’re supposed to be going to a party this weekend.
Demure is an adjective that means “modest,” “shy,” or “reserved.” It is most commonly applied to women and girls or their clothing, though it can be used to describe people of any gender.
Demure in a sentence examplesThe CEO’s demure demeanor belied her shrewd negotiation skills.
She wore a demure dress to the gala, choosing understated elegance over flashy trends.
In response to the interviewer’s question, the actor gave a demure smile and changed the subject.
Published on
July 18, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA
Revised on
November 11, 2025
As of yet and as yet are adverbial phrases meaning “yet.” You use them to say something has not happened up to now, but you expect it to happen at some point.
In formal or academic writing, it is generally best to reduce as of yet or as yet to “yet,” or use an alternative formulation such as “has/have yet to.”
Examples: As of yet in a sentence
We cannot provide you with any further information as of yet.
We cannot provide you with any further information yet.
According to the CEO, a decision has not been taken as of yet.
According to the CEO, a decision has yet to be taken.
When you imply something (i.e., suggesting something without stating it directly), then you are making an implication. Implication is a noun, which also means implicating someone in a crime (i.e., strongly suggesting they were involved in the act).
The plural form, implications, is used in academic writing and refers to the consequences or influence of a study’s findings .
Implication in a sentence examplesThere was an implication in the prime minister’s farewell speech that she would fight to return to power.
If this is true, then the implications are far-reaching and potentially disastrous.
Is the implication that there might be the chance of promotion later in the year?
The suspect’s full and frank confession led to the inevitable implication of his brother in the offense.
NoteImplication and inference (from imply and infer) are often incorrectly used interchangeably. An implication is made by a speaker or writer, and the listener or reader makes the inference from what is said or written.
A protagonist is the main character in a work of fiction. It is a noun that can be used in a more general sense outside of fiction to refer to the principal people involved in a real-life situation. This use is less common, however.
The idea of a protagonist comes from ancient Greek drama and refers to the actor who plays the main role in a play and is often opposed by an antagonist.
Protagonist in a sentence examplesIt was clear within the first few pages who the protagonist was in this novel.
Macbeth is the protagonist of the eponymous Shakespeare play.
The Luddites were protagonists in the 19th-century fight for workers’ rights in the UK.
The teacher stepped in and separated the two protagonists in the brawl.
Alike is both an adverb and an adjective that means “in a similar way.” The degree of similarity expressed by alike varies with context, from almost identical to a general resemblance.
Alike in a sentence examplesIt was difficult to believe they were brothers, as they were nothing alike.
My father and I sound very alike on the phone, and people have difficulty knowing which one of us it is.
Lab-grown diamonds and the real thing are so alike that for most people it’s not worth paying extra for the real ones.
