grammar [n.]

1. the whole system and structure of a language or of languages in general, usually taken as consisting of syntax and morphology. 2. knowledge and use of the rules or principles of grammar : bad grammar. 3. a book on grammar. 4. the basic elements of an area of knowledge or skill.
- ORIGIN from Greek grammatike tekhne ‘art of letters’, from gramma ‘letter of the alphabet’.

vocabulary [n.]

[pl. vocabularies] 1. the body of words used in a particular language or in a particular sphere. 2. the body of words known to an individual person. 3. a list of words with an explanation of their meanings. 4. a range of artistic or stylistic forms or techniques.
- ORIGIN Latin vocabularius, from vocare ‘to call’.

Oxford Dictionaries

An understanding of Grammar and a wide vocabulary are at the core of most language studies. Without them, our understanding of both oral and written language becomes at best difficult, at worst non-existent.

The following information is provided to assist in developing understanding of both. Covered are grammar, its rules and structures, examples, tutorials, exercises and more. Vocabulary is also covered with general information as well as examples and explanations of special types of vocabulary from individual words to abbreviations and expressions.

Punctuation and Spelling were considered more closely linked to Writing and have been moved to that page.

We continually add to information available and are willing to consider suggested areas and sources as time permits.

Grammar

Classic English Language Texts

• The Elements of Style
  Strunk, William, Jr. 1918.
• The King’s English, 2nd edition
  Fowler, H. W. 1908.

General Information

• American Heritage Book of English Usage
  Find grammatical rules using the search engine. Further information.
• Big Dog’s Grammar
  Enjoy improving language skills. For older students.
• English Grammar Resources on the Internet
  ‘Everything is available on the Internet; grammar rules and examples of each; colleges that contain lessons and tests; explanations of punctuation rules and sites that merely ‘talk’ about the English language and the rules governing it. I have attempted to find a large sampling of the previously mentioned web sites that deal with grammar, punctuation, and writing. Sites that follow will deal in large part with words - sentence structure, phrases and clauses, etc.’.
• English Page
  Select from the menu on the left. A range of grammar sections are available as is a weekly lesson, Mini-tutorials and games.
• English Grammar Rules & Grammar Usage
  YourDictionary. ‘YourDictionary’s collection of articles on grammar rules and usage is here to help you get started on this pursuit, dig deeper, and become a true grammarian’.
• English the Easy Way
  Covers most aspects of grammar.
• English User Guides
  Use the menu on the left to access these. They provide an overview, explanation and examples for each.
• Explaining English Grammar
  Google Books. A solid text with a technical bent by George Yule.
• English Tenses - Rules and Exercises
  Rules plus a range of interactive exercises of various kinds.
• Free English Language Study Guides
  ‘Download your Free English4Today study Guides here !’ At present there are three, though one is not on grammar.
  Well presented !
• Grammar
  AskOxford. Jargon Buster, Word Classes, Sentences, Clauses & Phrases, Grammar Tips, Prefixes & Suffixes.
• Grammar Bytes
  ‘Find detailed definitions of common grammar terms - everything from abstract nouns to verbs’. There are also interactive exercises to do.
• Grammarfun
  ‘This is a site for anyone who wants to learn about grammar, especially those who want to have fun’. Resources, games, Why learn grammar ?, access to workshops, more.
• Grammar Rules
  Part of a presentation on English rules from GrammarBook. There are also Punctuation Rules and Commonly Confused Words. Select the individual rule you want to check.
• Grammar Style and Usage
  ‘There are plenty of grammar do’s and don’ts and we’ll guide you through them all from Academic Writing Skills and Steps to Writing a Research Paper to some Commonly Confused Words, Examples of Misplaced Modifiers and the 100 Most Often Mispronounced Words and Phrases in English’.
• Grammatically Correct
  ‘Intended to be a quick and easy introduction to correct English grammar’.
• Improve your English
  Oxford Dictionaries Online. ‘This section gives you lots of advice on good writing, helping you to avoid making some of the most common mistakes of usage. You can find more help with the correct use of English in Grammar tips’.
• Jargon Buster
  ‘Our jargon buster gives clear and concise definitions for grammar and literary terms’. From AskOxford. Select by alphabetical plus subject choices.
• Kid Info Grammar Helper
  ‘Welcome to KidInfo.com&$8217;s Grammar Helper Resource Page. Become an expert in the field of grammar by exploring the best available links to Grammar Guides and Grammar Skill Learning Activities’.
• Online Grammar Handbook
  Done from the University of Minnesota. ‘A Grammar Guide : 21 Chapters of Links to Grammar, Punctuation, Writing, Research Help and more’. More suited for tertiary level.
• Skillswise, Word Grammar
  Multiple topics. You can also access Skillswise - Sentence Grammar here. From the BBC.
• Teaching and Assessing Grammar
  A Power Point presentation that covers this topic. The OWL at Purdue.
• The Grammar and Punctuation Glossary
  Much more than just a glossary. Click on the item link to access further explanation, examples, rules and/or other assistance. Information is drawn from a wide range of sources.
  Well presented !
• The Free Online English Grammar
  All areas, including specific instruction, FAQs, punctuation information, tips, writing tips, language tests, games, more. Check the visual link at the top of this page.
  Exceptional !
• The Internet Grammar of English
  ‘Online course in English grammar primarily for university undergraduates. However, we hope it will be useful to everyone who is interested in the English language’.
• The Internet Grammar of English
  Tense, punctuation, all aspects of English Grammar.
• The Online English Grammar
  UK site. Table of contents, alphabetical listing and by subject. Their Grammar Topics page has an extensive presentation of all aspects of grammar, while other pages include questions, tests & quizzes and more.
• The Tongue Untied
  ‘This site offers instruction in basic grammar, sentence structure and word choice, as well as rules for punctuation. The menu on the left provides links to explanations in each of the major components of English grammar and syntax. The top menu offers links to quizzes, curriculum and discussion’.
• Web Grammar
  Grammar, style guides, language, links to dictionaries, writing, research help.

Grammar Quizzes & Questions

• English Grammar
  Email questions about grammar and have them answered.
• Interactive Quizzes
  Quizzes about different aspects of grammar. Part of the bigger ‘Guide to Grammar & Writing’ site.
• Self-Study Grammar Quizzes
  HTML quizzes, easy to difficult, on specific topics. Links to other language aspects. Done for ESL students.

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Vocabulary

Vocabulary

• 100 Commonest English Words
  ‘Based on evidence from the billion-word Oxford English Corpus, Oxford have identified the hundred commonest English words found in writing globally. Note that these are the commonest words found in writing, which will not necessarily be the same as in speech’.
• 100 Most Often Mispronounced Words And Phrases in English
  ‘Here are the 100 most often mispronounced English words [mispronunciation among them]. There are spelling rules in English even if they are difficult to understand, so pronouncing a word correctly usually does help you spell it correctly’. Be aware this is an American site and Spelling can be different.
• 100 Words That All High School Graduates Should Know
  What a dictionary producer and publisher believes these are. 4 sections. Each word has spelling, pronunciation via audio files, meanings, linked forms. Interesting list.
• Banished Words List
  Words and expressions people feel should be banished. Archival lists. See what is recommended and why.
• Common Errors in English Usage
  Concerned with usage. Considered to be more vocabulary than grammatical. Select from alphabetical grouping of words or word pairs.
• Commonly Confused Words
  Part of the Better Writing information from Oxford Dictionaries [AskOxford]. ‘Here’s a quick-reference list of pairs of words that regularly cause people problems’.
• Confusing Words
  ‘3 210 words troublesome to readers and writers. Words grouped according to the way they are most often confused or misused’.
• Ethnologue
  Information, not only about English language, but other languages from around the world. Scope, culture, literacy % rates, geographic areas, considerably more information about each.
• Language Toolbox - iTools
  Dictionaries, thesauri, terminology, crossword helper, scrabble helper, tools for other languages.
• The Word Detective
  ‘Online version of The Word Detective, a newspaper column answering readers’ questions about words and language’. Words and Language in a Humorous Vein on the Web Since 1995.
• The Word Spy
  ‘Devoted to recently coined words and phrases, old words that are being used in new ways, and existing words that have enjoyed a recent renaissance, new words and phrases that have appeared in newspapers, magazines, books, press releases, Web sites’.
• Vocabulary
  Improve your vocabulary by working through the resources.
• Vocabulary University
• Wordcount
  Tracking the Way We Use Language. ‘Presents the 86 800 most frequently used English words, ranked in order of commonness’.
• World of Words
  FAQs, blog, more.
• World Wide Words
  Articles, topical words, turns of phrase, weird words, more. There are indexes and a search engine. You can find the meaning of expressions such as Get One’s Goat and Caught Red-Handed. A really interesting site with lots of information.
• WWW Virtual Library
  Linguistics/Language Resources. Virtually all things linguistic - dictionaries of all descriptions, thesauri, acronym explanations, translators, more.

Acronyms

• Acronym Finder
  Explains most acronyms you will encounter. More than 580 000 definitions supplied.
• All Acronyms
  ‘Free website with more than 600 000 published abbreviations. The main purpose is to have a convenient lookup tool to quickly find an acronym definition’. Multiple searches - alphabetical, specific, category popular.

Anagrams

• Anagram Engine
  Let the site make or solve a series of anagrams.
• Anagram Genius
  Create anagrams. Download a Free copy of the software.
• Andy’s Anagram Solver
  Type in a word and the program provides all possible anagrams.
• Internet Anagram Server
  ‘Discover the wisdom of anagrams. Enter the word or phrase in the form’. Anagrams supplied for the word chosen.
• The AnagramEngine
  For those who love wordplay. Also a crossword solver.

Metaphors

‘Metaphors are comparisons that show how two things that are not alike in most ways are similar in one important way’.

• Metaphor : A Practical Introduction
  ‘This clear and lucid primer fills an important need by providing a comprehensive account of the many new developments in the study of metaphor over the last twenty years and their impact on our understanding of language, culture, and the mind’. Google Books. Quite technical.
• Metaphor
  Structure, terms & categorisation, metaphor & simile, use in literature and language, use in historical linguistics, literature, references, links. From Wikipedia.
• Metaphor Examples
  ‘Each link points to a different collection of metaphors found on this site. For example, metaphors from cooking or farming. Essays and lessons on metaphors’.
• Metaphors
  RHL School. ‘Read statements that contain metaphors in italics. Then complete statements that explain the metaphors’.
• The Metaphor Observatory
  Where Metaphors Come to Die. ‘Blog dedicated to contemporary metaphors, written for those who love language. We publish the annual Top Ten Metaphors List, observing the most popular metaphors in the media’.
• Using Metaphors in Creative Writing
  Purdue Online Writing Lab. What a metaphor is, related terms, why use them, creative ways to use them, examples.
• What is a Metaphor?
  Examples, demonstrations.

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Names & Their Meanings

• Behind the Name …
  The Etymology and History of First Names. Where first names come from, what they mean. Names from different languages.
• Bubba Boo Baby Names
  Search for meanings alphabetically, by gender or origin [nationality, region].
• Think ! Baby Names
  Search for meanings alphabetically, by gender. Search for meanings, using names starting/ending with, or an actual meaning.
• What’s in a Name ?
  Thinkquest. The meaning of first names, last names, other groups of names.

Other Vocabulary Specialities

• Abbreviations
  ‘There are several kinds of abbreviation : the way an abbreviation is written usually depends on the category to which it belongs. The categories are listed below - click on the links to find out more : shortenings, contractions, initialisms and acronyms’.
• Alliteration
  What it means, use in poetry, other writing forms.
• Fun With Words
  Anagrams, palindromes, spoonerisms, other word activities.
• Nym Words
  ‘Don’t know your acronyms from your antonyms, your aptronyms from your autonyms ? Confused about what tautonyms and toponyms are ? You’ll find them all here, from homonyms and hypernyms to eponyms and exonyms. We guide you through explanations of each term, with helpful examples’. Links to anagrams, palindromes, spoonerisms, oxymorons, malaproprisms, more.
• OxymoronList.com
  Hundreds of oxymorons listed.
• Palindromes
  ‘The word palindrome is derived from the Greek palíndromos, meaning running back again [palín = AGAIN + drom-, drameîn = RUN]. A palindrome is a word or phrase which reads the same in both directions’. Examples, further explanation.
• Synonyms.net
  ‘The web’s most comprehensive synonyms resource. Simply type a word in the search box and click the Search button. A list of synonyms and antonyms for the different word senses will be returned followed with images and translation options’.
• Wordnet
  Princeton University. Enter a word to find its homonym, antonym, synonym, etc..
• The Heteronym Homepage
  ‘Heteronyms are words spelled identically but have different meanings when pronounced differently’. An example is Close : CLOZE - to shut; CLOSE - near.

Special Expressions in Language

Clichés

• Cliché Finder
  ‘Enter any words in the form, and this search engine will return any clichés which use that phrase’.
• Clichés
  Claimed to be the biggest database of clichés on the internet. Also has euphemisms and figures of speech.
• The Book of Clichés

Other Expressions

• English Idioms Daily Blog
  ‘This blog looks at a different English idiom every day - Monday to Friday - and hopes to provide [ESL teachers and] learners all around the world with some food for thought !’
• English Idioms, Sayings and Slangs
  Listed alphabetically. Very extensive.
• Idioms 4 You
  Idiom of The Day, what they are, how to find idioms, Ask The teacher, why they are important, more.
• Idioms, Slang, Colloquialisms, Proverbs, …
  Introduction, examples, MP3 audio files, more.
• Sayings and Everyday Expressions
  ‘At least one example each of : Adage, Aphorism, Apothegm, Axiom, Bromide, Cliché, Dictum, Epigram, Idiom, Platitude, Postulate, Proverb, Saw, Truism, Expression, Phrase, or Word can be found on this site’.
• WikIdioms
  ‘WikIdioms is a multilingual dictionary of idioms’. Arranged alphabetically, so browse by letter.

Tongue Twisters

• Tongue Twisters
  2 000+ entries in over 90 languages.
• Tongue Twisters for Kids
  A mix of simple and poetic tongue twisters suited to children.

Word Games

• Analogy Quiz
• Cricklers
• Crossword Express
• Crossword Puzzle Home Page
• Palindrome Connection
• Phonespell
  Makes words from your telephone number.
• Puzzles.com
• Think.com
• Word Quiz
  Daily word quiz from the Family Education Network. Several possible responses.

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