Learn tips on how to teach grammar and usage from our editors and grammar experts. 

Grammar & Usage

<p>In many countries, the legalization of marijuana has been a hot topic for quite some time. The legalization comes into effect today in Canada (Oct 17, 2018). You can read all about it in our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/73/lessons" target="_blank">Mini‑Debates</a> lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/73/lessons/1313" target="_blank">Legalizing Marijuana</a>. This lesson presents the issues from both sides, and it should make for some interesting discussions and debates among your&nbsp;students.</p>

<p>Two terms that keep coming up with this subject are <strong>medical</strong> and <strong>medicinal</strong>. It is common to hear both <em>medical marijuana</em> and <em>medicinal marijuana</em>. Are these two terms interchangeable? Is there a difference in meaning? Since your students are bound to ask about these terms if you&rsquo;re discussing or debating this issue in class, we decided to focus on this timely topic&nbsp;today.</p>

<h1>Medical</h1>

<p>The term <em>medical</em> is used when something has to do with medicine or the field of medicine. <em>Medical</em> can often be heard when discussing locations, drugs, or practices involving hospitals, doctors, and&nbsp;pharmacies.</p>

<p>Merriam-Webster&#39;s Dictionary defines <em>medical</em>&nbsp;as:</p>

<div class="whiteBox">
<p>1 : of, relating to, or concerned with physicians or the practice of medicine (e.g., a medical&nbsp;journal)</p>

<p>2 : requiring or devoted to medical treatment (e.g., a medical&nbsp;problem)</p>
</div>

<p>When discussing cannabis, <em>medical marijuana</em> is commonly heard because many countries permit its use for medical purposes (e.g., as a pain reliever). In Canada, the regulation on access to cannabis for medical purposes was established by Health Canada in July 2001. As of October&nbsp;17,&nbsp;2018, the Cannabis Act makes marijuana legal for recreational as well as medical&nbsp;use.</p>

<h1>Medicinal</h1>

<p>The term <em>medicinal</em> is mainly used to describe the beneficial effects or a drug or herb. For example, the peppermint plant has well‑known medicinal properties that may help relieve nausea and muscle&nbsp;spasms.</p>

<p>Merriam-Webster&#39;s Dictionary defines <em>medicinal</em> as:</p>

<div class="whiteBox">
<p>1 : tending or used to cure disease or relieve pain (e.g., the plant&#39;s medicinal&nbsp;properties)</p>
</div>

<p>The term <em>medicinal</em> is heard when discussing cannabis mainly when people are describing how it beneficially affects people&rsquo;s health. For example, the medicinal properties of the THC compound in marijuana include relieving nausea, decreasing pain, and increasing the appetite. (For some people, though, the medicinal properties of marijuana do not outweigh the health risks, and thus the debate continues in many&nbsp;countries.)</p>

<h1>Conclusion</h1>

<p>The best term to use when discussing marijuana use is <em>medical</em>, not <em>medicinal</em>. However, there is some overlap. For example, there might be a discussion of the <em>medicinal</em> properties of the marijuana plant (i.e., the health benefits of cannabis). When referring to how it&rsquo;s used by people, though, it&rsquo;s best to stick to the term <em>medical marijuana</em> (i.e., medical vs. recreational&nbsp;use).</p>

<h1>Related</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/73/lessons/1313" target="_blank">Legalizing Marijuana</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/73/lessons/1311" target="_blank">Mini-Debates Teachers&#39; Notes</a></li>
</ul>


Medical Vs. Medicinal

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<p>There are many words in English with multiple uses, but one of the more common ones is the word &ldquo;actually.&ldquo; This adverb can occupy several sentence positions and can be used to emphasize a fact, express surprise, correct someone politely, or change topics in a&nbsp;conversation.</p>

<h1>Pronunciation</h1>

<ol>
	<li>
	<p>When speaking slowly, we pronounce <em>actually</em> with four&nbsp;syllables:</p>

	<p><span class="ipa inlineBlock">/ˈ&aelig;k tʃu ə ˌli/</span> <span class="inlineBlock">(<strong>ack</strong> choo uh lee)</span>.</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>When speaking quickly and naturally, however, we only use three syllables and drop the <span style="display:inline-block;">/u/</span>&nbsp;sound:</p>

	<p><span class="ipa inlineBlock">/ˈ&aelig;k tʃə ˌli/</span> <span class="inlineBlock">(<strong>ack</strong> chuh lee)</span>.</p>
	</li>
</ol>

<h1>Usage</h1>

<h2>1. To emphasize a fact or something that&nbsp;happened</h2>

<ul>
	<li>The interest on a credit card is <strong>actually</strong> higher than on a line of&nbsp;credit.</li>
	<li>Stop listening to gossip. I&rsquo;ll tell you what he <strong>actually</strong>&nbsp;said.</li>
	<li>I was so tired that I <strong>actually</strong> fell asleep in&nbsp;class.</li>
	<li>Did you <strong>actually</strong> see the&nbsp;accident?</li>
</ul>

<h2>2. To show surprise at something&nbsp;unexpected</h2>

<ul>
	<li>She <strong>actually</strong> apologized. She&rsquo;s never apologized to me&nbsp;before!</li>
	<li>I was putting off booking our trip, but the flights were way cheaper than I expected,&nbsp;<strong>actually</strong>!</li>
	<li>I was going to cancel our hike, but he told me that he <strong>actually</strong> doesn&rsquo;t mind the&nbsp;rain.</li>
	<li>They <strong>actually</strong> sold their house? It&rsquo;s been on the market for&nbsp;ages!</li>
</ul>

<h2>3. To correct someone&nbsp;politely</h2>

<ul>
	<li>A: The meeting starts at 2:00. B: <strong>Actually</strong>, I think the meeting starts at 3:00, not 2:00.</li>
	<li>A: You can get tickets online. B: The tickets are sold out,&nbsp;<strong>actually</strong>.</li>
	<li>A: How long have you been married? B: <strong>Actually</strong>, I&rsquo;m divorced&nbsp;now.</li>
	<li>A: Turn left at the light. B: I&rsquo;m pretty sure we need to turn right,&nbsp;<strong>actually</strong>.</li>
</ul>

<h2>4. To introduce a new topic or add&nbsp;information</h2>

<ul>
	<li>I <strong>actually</strong> need to ask you something before you&nbsp;go.</li>
	<li><strong>Actually</strong>, before class is dismissed, I want to go over the new&nbsp;schedule.</li>
	<li>There&rsquo;s a lot of research to support this,&nbsp;<strong>actually</strong>.</li>
	<li><strong>Actually</strong>, I&rsquo;ve been meaning to talk to you about&nbsp;that.</li>
</ul>

<div class="white-box">
<h2>Note</h2>

<p>While <em>actually</em> can mean &ldquo;currently&rdquo;&nbsp;in some languages, this usage is not common in North American&nbsp;English.</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="correct">They currently live in&nbsp;Florida.</li>
	<li class="incorrect">They actually live in&nbsp;Florida.</li>
</ul>
</div>

<h1>Actually Vs. Actual</h1>

<p><em>Actually</em> is an <strong>adverb</strong> and <em>actual</em> is an <strong>adjective</strong>. While their meanings are similar (<em>actual</em> means <em>real</em> or <em>factual</em> and it can be used for emphasis), they take different positions in a&nbsp;sentence.</p>

<p>The adjective <em>actual</em> is usually found before a&nbsp;noun.</p>

<ul>
	<li>The movie was inspired by <strong>actual</strong>&nbsp;events.</li>
	<li>This is the <strong>actual</strong> spot where he&nbsp;proposed.</li>
</ul>

<p>The adverb <em>actually</em> is usually at the beginning or end of a sentence or before a&nbsp;verb.</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Actually</strong>, I can&rsquo;t make it tonight after&nbsp;all.</li>
	<li>I can&rsquo;t make it tonight,&nbsp;<strong>actually</strong>.</li>
	<li>I can&rsquo;t believe she <strong>actually</strong> said&nbsp;that.</li>
</ul>

<h1>Related</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/7-adverb-patterns" target="_blank">7 Adverb Patterns</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1626" target="_blank">Adverbs of Manner</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/2241" target="_blank">Adverbs of Frequency</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1616" target="_blank">Adverb Clauses of Time</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1619" target="_blank">Adverb Clauses of Contrast</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/grammar-usage/resources/2158-adverbs-with-two-forms" target="_blank">Adverbs with Two Forms</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/however-7-sentence-positions-2-uses/" target="_blank">However: 7 Sentence Positions &amp; 2 Uses</a></li>
</ul>


How to Use "Actually" in English

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<p>I don&rsquo;t know about you, but when I hear the word &ldquo;condiment&rdquo; I immediately envision an outdoor scene with burgers on the grill and ketchup, mustard, and mayo on the table. When our illustrator recently asked me where to put our new salt and pepper flashcards, I confess I was stumped for a minute! We have a <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/13/flashcard_categories/127">Condiments</a> flashcard category, but are salt and pepper truly&nbsp;condiments?</p>

<p>The only condiments we had in that flashcard section thus far were the ones we came up with for our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/2457">Word Bank &ndash; Condiments</a> vocabulary lesson, which included a mouth‑watering array of global&nbsp;condiments:</p>

<ul>
	<li>ketchup</li>
	<li>mustard</li>
	<li>mayonnaise</li>
	<li>vinegar</li>
	<li>oil salad dressing</li>
	<li>soy sauce</li>
	<li>fish sauce</li>
	<li>hot sauce</li>
	<li>barbecue sauce</li>
	<li>plum sauce</li>
	<li>salsa</li>
</ul>

<p>So are salt, pepper, and other spices truly condiments? What about other flavor‑enhancers for food, such as pickles and olives? These delicious questions prompted today&#39;s blog post. Let&rsquo;s take a closer look at the origin and dictionary definitions of the word&nbsp;&ldquo;condiment.&rdquo;</p>

<h1>Etymology</h1>

<p>The word <em>condiment</em> comes from the Latin <em>condimentum</em>, meaning &ldquo;spice,&rdquo; from <em>condire</em>, meaning &ldquo;to season&rdquo; or &ldquo;to&nbsp;pickle.&rdquo;</p>

<h1>Meaning</h1>

<p>What do the dictionaries have to say? The definition for the noun &ldquo;condiment&rdquo; is pretty similar across the&nbsp;board.</p>

<div class="whiteBox">
<h5><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/condiment">Merriam-Webster</a></h5>

<p>something used to enhance the flavor of&nbsp;food</p>

<p style="margin-top:0;">especially : a pungent seasoning</p>
</div>

<div class="whiteBox">
<h5><a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/condiment">Oxford</a></h5>

<p>a substance such as salt, mustard, or pickle that is used to add flavour to&nbsp;food</p>
</div>

<div class="whiteBox">
<h5><a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/condiment">Dictionary.com</a></h5>

<p>something used to give a special flavor to food, as mustard, ketchup, salt, or&nbsp;spices</p>
</div>

<h1>Conclusion</h1>

<p>According to the definitions above, it&rsquo;s pretty clear that most things that can add flavor to food can be classified in the <em>condiments</em> category. This would include sauces (such as ketchup and salad dressing), spices (such as salt, pepper, dill, cumin, etc.), pickles (such as olives and capers), and other seasonings (such as lemon rind or toasted sesame seeds). Anyone else&nbsp;hungry?</p>

<h1>Related Resources</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/2457">Condiments</a>&nbsp;(lesson)</li>
	<li class="flashcards"><a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/13/flashcard_categories/127">Condiments</a>&nbsp;(flashcards)</li>
</ul>


Condiments

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<p><em>So</em>, <em>such</em>, and <em>too</em> are words with similar meanings and usage that our students often struggle with. We&rsquo;ve previously blogged about <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/so-vs-too/"> So Vs. Too</a>, so let&rsquo;s examine <em>so</em> and <em>such</em> in more&nbsp;detail now.</p>

<p>Do your students get <em>so</em> and <em>such</em> confused? Mine sure did. They&rsquo;d use <em>so</em> incorrectly with a noun (e.g., <em>That was so good movie</em>) or <em>such</em> without an article (e.g., <em>That was such good movie</em>). We hope the patterns and examples below will help your students remember how to use <em>so</em> and <em>such</em>&nbsp;correctly!</p>

<h1>So Vs. Such</h1>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2772" target="_blank"><img alt="Screenshot of our So Vs. Such resource" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/231/content_Tanya_So-Vs-Such_Chart.png" /></a></p>

<p class="caption"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2772">So Vs. Such</a> &ndash; Grammar &amp; Usage&nbsp;Resources</p>

<h1>Notes</h1>

<h2>Note #1</h2>

<p>Teach students to look for the <strong>noun</strong>, not the article, when deciding whether to use <em>so</em> or <em>such</em>. For singular count nouns, the pattern will be <strong>such + article + adjective + noun</strong>, but for non-count nouns and plural count nouns, the pattern will be <strong>such + adjective +&nbsp;noun</strong>.</p>

<ul>
	<li>That was such a boring book. (<em>singular count&nbsp;noun</em>)</li>
	<li>That was such heavy rain. (<em>non‑count&nbsp;noun</em>)</li>
	<li>They were such good singers. (<em>plural count&nbsp;noun</em>)</li>
</ul>

<h2>Note #2</h2>

<p>Remind students that the pattern &ldquo;so + adjective + noun&rdquo; is&nbsp;impossible.</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="incorrect">That was so good&nbsp;movie.</li>
	<li class="correct">That was such a good&nbsp;movie.</li>
	<li class="correct">That movie was so&nbsp;good.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Note #3</h2>

<p>Note that <em>so</em> and <em>such</em> have many other meanings and functions in English. Check a dictionary for a list of all possible meanings and&nbsp;uses.</p>

<h1>Practice</h1>

<p>See our Grammar &amp; Usage Resource on <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/grammar-usage/resources/2772-so-vs-such">So Vs. Such</a> for a larger version of this chart and a handy practice exercise. You can also teach <em>so</em> and <em>such</em> in context in our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/90/lessons/1645">So &amp; Such Stories</a>&nbsp;lesson.</p>


So Vs. Such

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<p>We blogged about <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/so-such-too" target="_blank">so, such, and too</a> way back in 2014, but these commonly confused words have resurfaced in two of our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/110/lessons" target="_blank">Super Simple Questions</a> lessons (<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/110/lessons/2768" target="_blank">What Size Is It?</a> and <a href="https://www.ellii.com/courses/110/lessons/2778" target="_blank">Do You Like It?</a>). These lessons contain examples of the adverbs <em>so</em> and <em>too</em> in context, so we thought it was a good time to review and compare these terms in more&nbsp;detail.</p>

<p>My students often got <em>so</em> and <em>too</em> confused. They&rsquo;d use <em>too</em> incorrectly in a positive sentence (e.g., <em>That movie was too good</em>) or they&rsquo;d use it when <em>so</em> would be more natural (e.g., <em>The water was too cold, but I went swimming anyway</em>). We hope that teaching these adverbs using the chart below will help your students keep <em>so</em> and <em>too</em> straight once and for&nbsp;all.</p>

<h1>So Vs. Too</h1>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2773" target="_blank"><img alt="Screenshot of our So Vs. Too resource" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/232/content_Tanya_So-Vs-Too_Chart.png" /></a></p>

<p class="caption"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2773" target="_blank">So Vs. Too</a> &ndash; Grammar &amp; Usage&nbsp;Resources</p>

<h1>Notes</h1>

<h2>Note #1</h2>

<p>As mentioned above, students often use <em>too</em> incorrectly for positive situations. I&rsquo;ve found it helpful to explain what the meaning with <em>too</em> would actually suggest. It&rsquo;s usually illogical. For&nbsp;example:</p>

<ul>
	<li><em>The movie was too good</em> means that you were enjoying the movie so much that you couldn&rsquo;t stand it and had to leave before it was over. This doesn&rsquo;t really make&nbsp;sense!</li>
	<li><em>The cake was too delicious</em> means that you took a bite of cake and decided you couldn&rsquo;t eat it because it tasted too good. Strange,&nbsp;right?</li>
</ul>

<p>If you have higher-level learners, you could point out that we can use <em>too</em> in positive sentences for emphasis, if we stress <em>too</em> and the &ldquo;excessive&rdquo; meaning is clear. Tell students to think of the meaning as &ldquo;so much that I&nbsp;could barely stand&nbsp;it.&rdquo;</p>

<ul>
	<li>You are too&nbsp;funny!</li>
	<li>He is way too&nbsp;kind!</li>
</ul>

<h2>Note #2</h2>

<p><em>Too + adjective</em> is often followed by an infinitive verb (to + base&nbsp;verb).</p>

<ul>
	<li>The test was <strong>too difficult to&nbsp;finish</strong>.</li>
	<li>The pizza was <strong>too hot to&nbsp;eat</strong>.</li>
	<li>The assignment took <strong>too long to complete</strong> on&nbsp;time.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Note #3</h2>

<p>Note that <em>so</em> and <em>too</em> have many other purposes and functions in English. Check a dictionary for a list of all possible meanings and&nbsp;uses.</p>

<h1>Practice</h1>

<p>See our Grammar &amp; Usage Resource on <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/grammar-usage/resources/2773-so-vs-too" target="_blank">So Vs. Too</a> for a larger version of this chart and a handy practice exercise! You can also teach <em>too</em> in context in our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/110/lessons/2768" target="_blank">What Size Is It?</a> and <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/110/lessons/2778" target="_blank">Do You Like&nbsp;It?</a>&nbsp;lessons.</p>


So Vs. Too

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<p>Many words in the English language are easily confused because they&rsquo;re similar in sound or meaning. We&rsquo;ve examined many commonly confused words in the past. The words we&rsquo;ll look at today, while not as commonly used, are a set of terms that appear in context in our latest <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/82/lessons" target="_blank">Famous Things</a> lesson on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/82/lessons/2764" target="_blank">The Supreme Court (US)</a>. Let&rsquo;s take a closer look at how these two words differ in&nbsp;usage.</p>

<h1>Quick Tip</h1>

<p>In a nutshell, <em>confirm</em> is fairly common and means to validate the truth about something (e.g., She <strong>confirmed</strong> the gossip when she announced she was pregnant). <em>Affirm</em> is much less common and means to say something with a strong conviction (e.g., During her speech, she <strong>affirmed</strong> her commitment to making the school more environmentally&nbsp;friendly).</p>

<h1>Confirm</h1>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Type:</th>
			<td>The verb <em>confirm</em> is transitive (meaning it takes a direct&nbsp;object).</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Meaning:</th>
			<td>The most common meaning of <em>confirm</em> is &ldquo;to give approval or validity to something.&rdquo; It is used for both positive and negative&nbsp;situations.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Synonyms:</th>
			<td>authenticate, corroborate, substantiate, validate,&nbsp;verify</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Examples:</th>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>The attack <strong>confirmed</strong> her worst fears about the neighborhood. (<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confirm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Merriam-Webster</em></a>)</li>
				<li>The truth was reluctantly <strong>confirmed</strong> by the Pentagon after news reports corroborated the evidence. (<a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/confirm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Oxford</em></a>)</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h3>Use in Law</h3>

<p>Unlike <em>affirm</em>, <em>confirm</em> isn&#39;t used that often in law. In legal contexts, <em>confirm</em> means &quot;to give approval to, to ratify&quot;&nbsp;(<em>Merriam-Webster</em>). The following is an example from <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/28/politics/senate-supreme-court-guide/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>CNN Politics</em></a>:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement Wednesday, and almost immediately the US Senate was launched into the national spotlight as it&#39;s the legislative body that will formally <strong>confirm</strong> whoever the next justice will&nbsp;be.</p>
</blockquote>

<h1>Affirm</h1>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Type:</th>
			<td>The verb <em>affirm</em> can be transitive (meaning it takes a direct object) or intransitive (meaning it doesn&rsquo;t take a direct&nbsp;object).</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Meaning:</th>
			<td>The most common meaning of <em>affirm</em> is &ldquo;to assert or state positively.&rdquo; It is usually used for positive&nbsp;situations.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Synonyms:</th>
			<td>assert, avow, declare,&nbsp;protest</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Examples:</th>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>They neither <strong>affirmed</strong> nor denied their guilt. (<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affirm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Merriam‑Webster</em></a>)</li>
				<li>That means any two people who are not already married can publicly and formally <strong>affirm</strong> their commitment to each other. (<a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/affirm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Oxford</em></a>)</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h3>Use in Law</h3>

<p><em>Affirm</em> is frequently used in legal contexts. As a transitive verb, <em>affirm</em> means &ldquo;to assert (something, such as a judgment or decree) as valid or confirmed&rdquo; (<em>Merriam‑Webster</em>). As an intransitive verb, it means &ldquo;to testify or declare by affirmation as distinguished from swearing an oath&rdquo; or &ldquo;to uphold a judgment or decree of a lower court&rdquo; (<em>Merriam‑Webster</em>). The following example is from <a href="http://guides.library.ubc.ca/legalcitation/cases" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>UBC Legal Citation&nbsp;Guide</em></a>:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Further, you will want to let the reader know if the Court of Appeal decision is <strong>affirming</strong>/reversing the earlier decision and whether the Court of Appeal decision was <strong>affirmed</strong>/reversed by the Supreme Court of&nbsp;Canada.</p>
</blockquote>

<h1>Confirmation</h1>

<p>The noun <em>confirmation</em> describes the act of confirming something (e.g., The doctor&rsquo;s note provided the teacher with the required <strong>confirmation</strong>). It can also be used for a religious ceremony (where practitioners receive full church&nbsp;membership).</p>

<p>In law, it means &ldquo;the ratification of an executive act by a legislative body&rdquo; (e.g., the <strong>confirmation</strong> of a Supreme Court nominee), as defined by <em>Merriam‑Webster</em>.</p>

<h1>Affirmation</h1>

<p>The meaning of the noun <em>affirmation</em> that is most commonly used is that of a positive message or daily mantra. An example of an affirmation from this article, called <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-carmen-harra/affirmations_b_3527028.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">35 <strong>Affirmations</strong> That Will Change Your Life</a> (<em>Huffington Post</em>), is: &ldquo;I am the architect of my life; I build its foundation and choose its contents.&rdquo; <em>Affirmation</em> can also mean the act of affirming&nbsp;something.</p>

<p>In law, it means &ldquo;a formal declaration by a person who declines to take an oath,&rdquo; according to&nbsp;<em>Oxford</em>.</p>

<h1>Related Resources</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/82/lessons/2764" target="_blank">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;(lesson)</li>

	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/6-commonly-confused-word-pairs" target="_blank">6 Commonly Confused Word Pairs</a>&nbsp;(blog&nbsp;post)</li>
</ul>


Confirm Vs. Affirm

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<p>Words with similar meanings and subtle usage differences can really confuse our students. We&rsquo;ve already examined the differences between <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/see-look-watch">see, look, and watch</a> in a previous post, and now we&rsquo;ve received a request to explain the differences between <strong>hear</strong> and <strong>listen</strong>. Let&rsquo;s take a closer&nbsp;look!</p>

<h1>Overview</h1>

<p>Here are the general rules for these two&nbsp;verbs:</p>

<table class="has-borders">
	<thead>
		<tr>
			<th>#</th>
			<th>Rule</th>
			<th>Example</th>
		</tr>
	</thead>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>1</td>
			<td>Use&nbsp;<em>hear</em> for <strong>instant</strong>&nbsp;actions.</td>
			<td>I hear a loud noise&nbsp;outside.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2</td>
			<td>Use&nbsp;<em>listen</em> for <strong>longer</strong>&nbsp;actions.</td>
			<td>She is listening to the&nbsp;radio.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p>Now let&rsquo;s look at these verbs in more&nbsp;detail.</p>

<h1>Hear</h1>

<p><em>Hear</em> is classified as a non‑action (stative) verb because it happens in that instant only. It is one of the &ldquo;five senses&rdquo; verbs that also include <em>see</em>, <em>smell</em>, <em>taste</em>,&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>feel</em>.</p>

<ul>
	<li>I <strong>hear</strong> a police siren&nbsp;nearby.</li>
	<li>You don&rsquo;t have to yell. I can <strong>hear</strong>&nbsp;you.</li>
	<li>Did you <strong>hear</strong> that loud&nbsp;crash?</li>
</ul>

<p>We normally don&rsquo;t use progressive forms with non-action&nbsp;verbs.</p>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="correct">I <strong>hear</strong> a dog&nbsp;barking.</li>
	<li class="incorrect">I <strong>am hearing</strong> a dog&nbsp;barking.</li>
</ul>

<h1>Listen</h1>

<p><em>Listen</em> is classified as an action (active) verb. We can use <em>listen</em> for short or long periods of time. Progressive forms are common with this verb. <em>Listen</em> is often followed by the preposition&nbsp;&ldquo;to.&rdquo;</p>

<ul>
	<li>They <strong>are listening</strong> to their teacher talk about&nbsp;grammar.</li>
	<li>He <strong>listened</strong> to the first five minutes of the&nbsp;podcast.</li>
	<li>We <strong>have been listening</strong> to the news all&nbsp;morning.</li>
</ul>

<h1>Tip</h1>

<p>Point out that <em>listen</em> is usually followed by a preposition (such as <em>to</em> or <em>for</em>), whereas <em>hear</em> is&nbsp;not.</p>

<ul>
	<li>I am listening <strong>to</strong> my&nbsp;playlist.</li>
	<li>We listened <strong>for</strong> the&nbsp;bell.</li>
	<li>I hear something.</li>
</ul>

<h1>Exceptions</h1>

<h2>Exception #1</h2>

<p>When giving instructions or commands (using imperative verbs), we use <em>listen</em>, not <em>hear</em>, even though we expect the action to happen in that&nbsp;instant.</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Listen</strong> to me! You&rsquo;ll fail if you don&rsquo;t study&nbsp;harder.</li>
	<li><strong>Listen</strong>, that&rsquo;s not what I&nbsp;said.</li>
	<li><strong>Listen</strong> up! We only have 20 minutes to finish our&nbsp;project!</li>
</ul>

<h2>Exception #2</h2>

<p><em>Hear</em> is not usually followed by a preposition, but we can use &ldquo;hear about&rdquo; to introduce a topic. The topic is often news or gossip and can be positive or&nbsp;negative.</p>

<ul>
	<li>Did you <strong>hear about</strong> the big train accident?</li>
	<li>I <strong>heard about</strong> her award. That&rsquo;s great&nbsp;news!</li>
</ul>

<h2>Exception #3</h2>

<p><em>Hear</em> does not usually take a progressive <span class="inlineBlock">(-ing)</span> form, but we can use it for emphasis, especially when we&rsquo;re&nbsp;angry.</p>

<ul>
	<li>Why <strong>am</strong> I only <strong>hearing</strong> about this now? You should have told me&nbsp;before!</li>
</ul>

<h1>Related Resources</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1593">Simple Present Vs. Present Progressive</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/simple-present-vs-present-progressive">Simple Present Vs. Present Progressive</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/grammar-usage/resources/2329-non-action-verbs-exceptions">Non-Action Verbs &amp; Exceptions</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/non-action-verbs-exceptions">Non-Action Verbs &amp; Exceptions</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/see-look-watch">Commonly Confused Verbs: See, Look, Watch</a></li>
</ul>


Commonly Confused Words: Hear Vs. Listen

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<p>Why do some verbs in English have two different ways of spelling the past and/or past participle forms? Forms such as <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/got-vs-gotten" target="_blank">Got Vs. Gotten</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/learned-vs-learnt" target="_blank">Learned Vs. Learnt</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/lay-vs-lie-lets-lay-this-matter-to-rest" target="_blank">Laid Vs. Lain</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/hanged-vs-hung" target="_blank">Hanged Vs. Hung</a> differ because of region, meaning, or usage. What about the forms <em>sneaked</em> and <em>snuck</em>? The answer isn&#39;t so&nbsp;simple!</p>

<h1>To Sneak or Not to&nbsp;Sneak</h1>

<p>The verb <em>to sneak</em> is&hellip;well&hellip;sneaky! No one knows exactly when or how this verb came into being. Shakespeare seems to have been the first person to record it in writing back in 1596 and again in 1605. Back then, the past and past participle forms were clearly <em>sneaked</em>, which gave us <em>sneak&ndash;sneaked&ndash;sneaked</em> (similar to <em>leak&ndash;leaked&ndash;leaked</em>).</p>

<h1>It Snuck Up on&nbsp;Us</h1>

<p>The origins of the past tense and past participle form <em>snuck</em> are equally mysterious. The first documented use was in America in 1902, and early usage suggests that it was a form used by the uneducated rural class. However, there are no other verbs with the endings <span class="inlineBlock">-eak</span> or <span class="inlineBlock">-eek</span> that take <span class="inlineBlock">-uck</span> as the past form, so it&rsquo;s strange that <em>snuck</em> even exists at&nbsp;all.</p>

<h1>Historically Sneaking</h1>

<p>From its infrequent and underprivileged roots, <em>snuck</em> started being used much more frequently in the US and Canada in the 1950s. Nowadays, <em>sneaked</em> and <em>snuck</em> are almost considered equals in terms of frequency and status in North America. <em>Snuck</em> is less commonly used in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, though there is evidence that it is sneaking its way into the lexicon in these countries as well. <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sneak" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Merriam‑Webster Online</a> has this to say about its&nbsp;usage:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>From its earliest appearance in print in the late 19th century as a dialectal and probably uneducated form, the past and past participle snuck has risen to the status of standard and to approximate equality with sneaked. It is most common in the U.S. and Canada but has also been spotted in British and Australian&nbsp;English.</p>
</blockquote>

<h1>Sources</h1>

<ul>
	<li><em>Merriam-Webster&#39;s Dictionary of English Usage</em>, Merriam-Webster, Incorporated,&nbsp;1994.</li>
	<li><em>Fowler&#39;s Dictionary of Modern English Usage</em>, Oxford University Press, Fourth Edition,&nbsp;2015.</li>
</ul>


Sneaked Vs. Snuck

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<p>Sometimes it feels like we&rsquo;re always searching for ways to make grammar fun and interesting. Why not try an activity that gets your students moving? This acting activity is fun and easy to&nbsp;prepare!</p>

<p>Use this acting activity as a preview, filler, or review of almost any verb tense. It works very well for the present progressive, but it can also be adapted for the simple present, simple past, simple future, or present&nbsp;perfect.</p>

<p>Subscribers can use the <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/grammar-usage/resources/2247-verb-cards-present-past-past-participle">Verb Cards</a> (pages 1&ndash;2) in our <a href="https://ellii.com/resources">Grammar &amp; Usage Resources</a> for this activity. Non-subscribers can easily make their own verb cards by writing down 40&ndash;50 common base verbs on equally sized slips of&nbsp;paper.</p>

<h1>Method</h1>

<ol>
	<li>One student comes up to the front of the&nbsp;class.</li>
	<li>That student chooses a verb card from the pile. (Prepare the cards before class by cutting up pages 1&ndash;2 of our <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/grammar-usage/resources/2247-verb-cards-present-past-past-participle">Verb Cards</a> or making your&nbsp;own.)</li>
	<li>That student then tries to act out the verb that is written on the card. No speaking&nbsp;allowed!</li>
	<li>To answer, the rest of the class must make a guess using the verb tense you assign to the game. You can choose if you want all students to shout out their guesses (generates more enthusiasm) or if you&rsquo;d like to call on individual students for the answer (ensures everyone is&nbsp;participating).</li>
</ol>

<h2>Examples</h2>

<ul>
	<li>Present Progressive - She is washing her&nbsp;hair!</li>
	<li>Simple Present - He washes his&nbsp;hair!</li>
	<li>Simple Past - She washed her&nbsp;hair!</li>
	<li>Simple Future - He will wash/is going to wash his&nbsp;hair!</li>
	<li>Present Perfect - She has washed her&nbsp;hair!</li>
</ul>

<h2>Note</h2>

<p>If your students are shy, divide the class into smaller groups (or even pairs) so that it&rsquo;s less intimidating. Have them take turns acting out the verbs and&nbsp;guessing.</p>

<h1>Variations</h1>

<p>These variations involve dividing the class into two groups to make this activity more competitive. Before you begin, get the two groups to come up with team names (animals, food, etc.) and keep score by writing the points on the&nbsp;board.</p>

<h2>Variation #1</h2>

<p>Divide the class into two groups. One student comes to the front of the class and acts out the verb. Whoever guesses the action first gets a point for their&nbsp;group.</p>

<h2>Variation #2</h2>

<p>Divide the class into two groups. One student from each group comes to the front of the class and acts out the same verb at the same time, and whichever group guesses it first gets a point. (Be aware that the answers are shouted out quickly, so it&rsquo;s often difficult to tell who gets the&nbsp;point.)</p>

<h2>Variation #3</h2>

<p>Prepare two sets of verb cards. Divide the class into two groups. Set a timer for 15 seconds, and have one student from each group come up at the same time and act out as many verbs as their group can guess within that time frame. (Make sure the cards are shuffled into two different orders so one group can&rsquo;t overhear the other group say the next&nbsp;answer.)</p>

<h2>Variation #4</h2>

<p>For a mixed tense review, divide the class into two groups. One student comes to the front of the class and chooses a verb card. You will say which tense the guesses have to be in (e.g., present progressive, simple present, simple past, simple future, present perfect, etc.). Whoever guesses the action first gets a point for their group. You may also choose to deduct a point when a team member gives an incorrect answer (wrong tense, wrong form, and/or wrong action). Be sure to vary the tense each time a student comes to the front of the&nbsp;class.</p>

<h1>Related</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/grammar-usage/resources/2247-verb-cards-present-past-past-participle">Verb Cards</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/2464">Present Progressive</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons/2501">Present Progressive for Kids</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/2403">Simple Present</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1594">Simple Past</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1596">Simple Future</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1597">Present Perfect</a></li>
</ul>


Acting Activity for Verb Tense Review

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<p>English is full of tricky participle forms! Many verbs in English have two different ways of spelling the past participle form of a verb. The reasons are various, including different regions, different meanings, or different usages. Some participles we&rsquo;ve explored in the past include <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/learned-vs-learnt" target="_blank">Learned Vs. Learnt</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/lay-vs-lie-lets-lay-this-matter-to-rest" target="_blank">Laid Vs. Lain</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/hanged-vs-hung/" target="_blank">Hanged Vs.&nbsp;Hung</a>.</p>

<p>Today we&rsquo;ll explore <strong>Got Vs. Gotten</strong>, which we cover in our updated Grammar Practice Worksheets Lesson on the <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1604" target="_blank">Third Conditional</a>. (Note: the new and improved lesson will be available on the site next&nbsp;week).</p>

<h1>Got Vs. Gotten</h1>

<p>The choice of <em>got</em> or <em>gotten</em> as the past participle of the verb &ldquo;get&rdquo; mainly depends on where you&nbsp;live.</p>

<ul>
	<li>&ldquo;Gotten&rdquo; is more commonly used in the US and&nbsp;Canada.</li>
	<li>&ldquo;Got&rdquo; is more commonly used in the&nbsp;UK.</li>
</ul>

<p>Having said that, both <em>gotten</em> or <em>got</em> are acceptable in the US and Canada, so it&rsquo;s important that we teach our students that both forms are possible. I&rsquo;ve also heard, in various English language forums, that <em>gotten</em> is becoming more acceptable in the&nbsp;UK.</p>

<p>What do the dictionaries say? Both <em>Merriam‑Webster&rsquo;s</em> (US) and the <em>Oxford Canadian Dictionary</em> list the past participle form as &ldquo;got or gotten,&rdquo; while <em>Oxford Dictionaries</em> (online) list &ldquo;got&rdquo; as the British English past participle form and &ldquo;gotten&rdquo; as the North American past participle form. Again, we can see the importance of teaching both forms to our students no matter what region they&rsquo;re in, though I believe it&rsquo;s equally as important to point out the most commonly used form (<em>gotten</em> in North America and <em>got</em> in the&nbsp;UK).</p>

<p>What do the style and usage guides have to say? <em>Merriam‑Webster&rsquo;s Dictionary of English Usage</em> mentions that while some grammarians have insisted in the past that <em>gotten</em> is informal and shouldn&rsquo;t be used, both forms are frequently and commonly used in North America&nbsp;today.</p>

<p><em>The Chicago Manual of Style</em> (16th&nbsp;ed,&nbsp;5.250), which is a very reputable source used by many editors and publishers, has this&nbsp;entry:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>The verb is conjugated get&ndash;got&ndash;gotten in American English and get&ndash;got&ndash;got in British&nbsp;English.</p>
</blockquote>

<h1>Examples</h1>

<p>Here are some examples that use <em>gotten</em> in North American&nbsp;English:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Things have gotten out of hand&nbsp;lately.</li>
	<li>She has finally gotten her son to clean his&nbsp;room.</li>
	<li>He hasn&rsquo;t gotten very far with his&nbsp;homework.</li>
</ul>

<p>Here are the same examples in British English (using&nbsp;<em>got</em>):</p>

<ul>
	<li>Things have got out of hand&nbsp;lately.</li>
	<li>She has finally got her son to clean his&nbsp;room.</li>
	<li>He hasn&rsquo;t got very far with his&nbsp;homework.</li>
</ul>

<h1>Tips</h1>

<ul>
	<li>Remind students in North America that <strong>get&ndash;got&ndash;gotten</strong> is conjugated similarly to forget&ndash;forgot&ndash;forgotten.</li>
	<li>Tell students in the UK to use the same form for the past participle as they do for the past: <strong>get&ndash;got&ndash;got</strong>.</li>
</ul>

<h1>Did You Know?</h1>

<p>Both <em>got</em> and <em>gotten</em> have been around for centuries. <em>Got</em> was the past form of <em>get</em> in Middle English and <em>gotten</em> was the past participle form. The US and Canada held onto the original p.p. form, <em>gotten</em>, while most other English-speaking countries shortened the p.p. form to&nbsp;<em>got</em>.</p>

<p>Today, the verb <em>get</em> is one of the five most common English verbs, according to <em><a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/get" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Oxford&nbsp;Dictionaries</a></em>.</p>

<h1>Other Uses of Got</h1>

<h2>Have Got</h2>

<p>The expression <em>have got</em> can be used to show <strong>possession</strong> in the US, Canada, and the UK (especially in informal&nbsp;situations).</p>

<ul>
	<li>I&rsquo;ve got two brothers and one&nbsp;sister.</li>
	<li>She&rsquo;s got a red&nbsp;car.</li>
</ul>

<p>Showing two examples side‑by‑side will help highlight the difference for students learning English in North&nbsp;America:</p>

<ul>
	<li>I&rsquo;ve got a new jacket. (something that is possessed/owned)</li>
	<li>I&rsquo;ve gotten better at writing in English. (something that is&nbsp;obtained)</li>
</ul>

<p>If students learning North American English are struggling with this rule, point out that both forms are often acceptable, depending on the&nbsp;meaning.</p>

<ul>
	<li>I&rsquo;ve got a new jacket. (I now <strong>own</strong> a new&nbsp;jacket.)</li>
	<li>I&rsquo;ve gotten a new jacket. (I <strong>have bought</strong> a new&nbsp;jacket.)</li>
</ul>

<h2>Have Got To</h2>

<p>Another expression that never uses <em>gotten</em> is the modal expression <em>have got to</em>, which means &ldquo;must.&rdquo; Use <em>have got to</em> no matter where you&nbsp;live.</p>

<ul>
	<li>I&rsquo;ve got to study tonight. I have a big test&nbsp;tomorrow.</li>
	<li>You&rsquo;ve got to log in before you can access the&nbsp;site.</li>
</ul>


Got Vs. Gotten

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Stay up-to-date with ELT trends and ideas with articles from experts and teachers in the field.

Articles

<p>Commonly confused words can be tricky for language learners (and native speakers too) but can also be interesting teaching points. Recently a staff member at ESL&nbsp;Library mentioned that it would be great to have a post on the spelling of <em>Philippines</em> and <em>Filipino</em>. Why is the country spelled with a &ldquo;ph&rdquo; but the language and people with an &ldquo;f&rdquo;?</p>

<h1>Historically Speaking</h1>

<h2>Country</h2>

<p>In 1542 after the Spanish conquest, the Spanish named the islands <em>las Islas Filipinas</em> after King Philip II (the name <em>Philip</em> being <em>Felipe</em> in Spanish). The English spelling of the country name became <em>the Philippines</em> (since <em>Philip</em> is the English spelling of the name <em>Felipe</em>). Since there was no <span class="inlineBlock">/f/</span> sound in almost all of the islands&rsquo; many languages and dialects at that time, the country name was pronounced <em>Pilipinas</em> (with a <span class="inlineBlock">/p/</span> sound) by the native inhabitant of the&nbsp;Philippines.</p>

<p>Today, we say <em>the Philippines</em> in English and <em>Filipinas</em> in Spanish and Filipino. However, many Filipino people still prefer to call their country&nbsp;<em>Pilipinas</em>.</p>

<h2>Language</h2>

<p>The two current official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and English. <em>Filipino</em> is spelled with an &ldquo;f&rdquo; in almost all languages, including English and Spanish. There was a time where Filipinos called their language <em>Pilipino</em>, but its official name is now <em>Filipino</em>. Interestingly, there are approximately 182 languages in the Philippines, 12 of which have more than one million speakers each and are spoken by more than 90% of the population. The Filipino language was developed in the 19th century and is mainly based on Tagalog, which was the language spoken in the capital of&nbsp;Manila.</p>

<h2>People</h2>

<p>The terms Filipino (male) and Filipina (female) are used for the inhabitants of the Philippines. These words function as both nouns and adjectives (e.g., a Filipino [noun] / Filipinos [noun] / Filipino people [adjective]). English never came up with a suitable equivalent (possibly because the use of <em>Filipino</em> for an inhabitant of the Philippines only came about in the late 19th&nbsp;century), so the Spanish <em>Filipino</em> (with the &ldquo;f&rdquo; spelling) was adopted into&nbsp;English.</p>

<p>Like with the country name, many Filipino people still prefer to call themselves&nbsp;<em>Pilipino</em>.</p>

<p>What commonly confused words or spelling difficulties come up in your classroom? Share them with us in the comments section below. You might even inspire another blog&nbsp;post!</p>

<h1>Related</h1>

<p>See blog posts on <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/lay-vs-lie-lets-lay-this-matter-to-rest/" target="_blank">Lay Vs. Lie</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/especially-vs-specially" target="_blank">Especially Vs. Specially</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/everyday-vs-every-day" target="_blank">Everyday Vs. Every Day</a>. </p>

<h1>Sources</h1>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://www.pilipino-express.com/history-a-culture/in-other-words/127-the-basics-of-philippino-filipino.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.pilipino-express.com/history-a-culture/in-other-words/127-the-basics-of-philippino-filipino.html</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2010/04/why-is-filipino-spelled-with-an-f.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2010/04/why-is-filipino-spelled-with-an-f.html</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.hawaii.edu/cps/filipino.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.hawaii.edu/cps/filipino.html</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_Philippines#National_and_official_languages" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_Philippines#National_and_official_languages</a></li>
</ul>


Tricky Spelling: Philippines Vs. Filipino

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<p>At ESL Library, we think spelling is swell! We&rsquo;ve recently completed a <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/spelling-rules-for-regular-past-verbs/">blog post</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2732">grammar resource</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1594">grammar lesson</a> on spelling rules for adding -<em>ed</em> to regular past verbs. The rules for adding -<em>er</em> to form comparative adjectives and -<em>est</em> for superlative adjectives are quite similar to the rules for adding -<em>ed</em> to regular past&nbsp;verbs.</p>

<p>If your students aren&rsquo;t familiar with the form and function of these adjectives, review our posts on <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/comparative-adjectives/">comparative adjectives</a> and <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/superlative-adjectives/">superlative adjectives</a> before presenting the spelling rules below. You can also check out the related materials at the end of this post for further examples and&nbsp;practice.</p>

<h1>Spelling Rules for Comparative&nbsp;Adjectives</h1>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2162"><img alt="Spelling Rules for Comparative Adjectives chart" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/233/content_Tanya_Comparative-Adjectives-Spelling_Chart.png" /></a></p>

<p class="caption"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2162">Comparative Adjectives</a> &ndash; Grammar &amp; Usage&nbsp;Resources</p>

<h2>Examples</h2>

<ol>
	<li>The hotel room is <strong>larger than</strong> my bedroom at&nbsp;home.</li>
	<li>An elephant is <strong>bigger than</strong> a&nbsp;horse.</li>
	<li>Today&rsquo;s test was <strong>easier than</strong> last&nbsp;week&rsquo;s.</li>
	<li>My new pillow is <strong>softer than</strong> my old&nbsp;one.</li>
</ol>

<h1>Spelling Rules for Superlative&nbsp;Adjectives</h1>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2163"><img alt="Spelling Rules for Superlative Adjectives chart" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/234/content_Tanya_Superlative-Adjectives-Spelling_Chart.png" /></a></p>

<p class="caption"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2163">Superlative Adjectives</a> &ndash; Grammar &amp; Usage&nbsp;Resources</p>

<h2>Examples</h2>

<ol>
	<li>My painting is <strong>the largest</strong> one on the&nbsp;wall.</li>
	<li>He is working for <strong>the biggest</strong> company in the&nbsp;city.</li>
	<li>That was <strong>the easiest</strong> test I&rsquo;ve ever&nbsp;taken.</li>
	<li>This puppy is <strong>the softest</strong> one in the&nbsp;litter.</li>
</ol>

<h1>Practice</h1>

<p>Have students write the comparative and superlative forms of the adjectives below.</p>

<p>Example: big = bigger, biggest</p>

<h4>Adjectives</h4>

<ol>
	<li>hot</li>
	<li>loud</li>
	<li>close</li>
	<li>thin</li>
	<li>noisy</li>
	<li>quiet</li>
	<li>safe</li>
	<li>funny</li>
	<li>wet</li>
	<li>high</li>
</ol>

<h4>Answers</h4>

<ol>
	<li>hotter, hottest</li>
	<li>louder, loudest</li>
	<li>closer, closest</li>
	<li>thinner, thinnest</li>
	<li>noisier, noisiest</li>
	<li>quieter, quietest</li>
	<li>safer, safest</li>
	<li>funnier, funniest</li>
	<li>wetter, wettest</li>
	<li>higher, highest</li>
</ol>

<h1>Related</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1607">Equative, Comparative &amp; Superlative Adjectives</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1600">Comparatives &amp; Superlatives</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/89/lessons/1556">Comparatives &ndash; Who Is Taller?</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons/2531">Comparative Adjectives</a></li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/116/lessons/2532">Superlative Adjectives</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/grammar-usage/resources/2162-comparative-adjectives">Comparative Adjectives</a></li>
	<li class="resource"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/grammar-usage/resources/2163-superlative-adjectives">Superlative Adjectives</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/comparative-adjectives/">Comparative Adjectives</a></li>
	<li class="blog-post"><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/superlative-adjectives/">Superlative Adjectives</a></li>
</ul>
