ENGLISH. Ambiguous Words. MIT: The advantage of ambiguity in language. Public release date: 19-Jan-2012 [ Print | E-mail Share ] [ Close Window ] Contact: Caroline McCallcmccall5@mit.edu Massachusetts Institute of Technology CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Why did language evolve?
While the answer might seem obvious — as a way for individuals to exchange information — linguists and other students of communication have debated this question for years. Many prominent linguists, including MIT's Noam Chomsky, have argued that language is, in fact, poorly designed for communication. As evidence, these linguists point to the existence of ambiguity: In a system optimized for conveying information between a speaker and a listener, they argue, each word would have just one meaning, eliminating any chance of confusion or misunderstanding. "Various people have said that ambiguity is a problem for communication," says Ted Gibson, an MIT professor of cognitive science and senior author of a paper describing the research to appear in the journal Cognition.
Words of Estimative Probability. Thesaurus .com. Word Dynamo. Merriam -Webster Online. Language Tools for Geeks. Americans and Brits Different Accents. NSFW: English Language In 24 Accents. If the English don't speak English, who does? Spelling - Spelling Rules. If you can pronounce correctly every word in this poem, you will be speaking English better than 90% of the native English speakers in the world.
After trying the verses, a Frenchman said he’d prefer six months of hard labour to reading six lines aloud. Dearest creature in creation, Study English pronunciation. Plain English Alternatives. English. The English Faculty. Scientists don't understand journalism. Infographics for Language Teachers. Infographics are great learning materials.
The colourful graphics, clear text and their size make them ideal for classroom integration. I have been posting some of the ones I deem educationl to help teachers leverage this resource to create engaging, relevant and personalized learning experiences in their classes. In this regard, I am introducing you today to a series made up of four parts all containing the best infograpgics about English language teaching and learning. Due to their size we could not embed all the infographics in one post instead we distributed them on four posts with each one of them containing links to other posts to make it easy for you to navigate the four posts without having to move away.
Teachers can print them out and pin them on the class wall for students to access throughout the whole year. Overhauling the calendar. Researchers at The Johns Hopkins University have discovered a way to make time stand still -- at least when it comes to the yearly calendar.
Using computer programs and mathematical formulas, Richard Conn Henry, an astrophysicist in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and Steve H. Is It Time to Overhaul the Calendar? Forget leap years, months with 28 days and your birthday falling on a different day of the week each year.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland say they have a better way to mark time: a new calendar in which every year is identical to the one before. Their proposed calendar overhaul — largely unprecedented in the 430 years since Pope Gregory XIII instituted the Gregorian calendar we still use today — would divvy out months and weeks so that every calendar date would always fall on the same day of the week. Christmas, for example, would forever come on a Sunday. Hanke Henry Permanent Calendar. Get it Write Online. Future Perfect - grammar tips.
Getting it write!
Written English seems to be as easy to get wrong as it is to get right. When you’re stuck, everyone seems to have a different ‘opinion’. How do you find out what’s actually right? Simple – ask an expert! 20 Common Grammar Mistakes. I’ve edited a monthly magazine for more than six years, and it’s a job that’s come with more frustration than reward.
15 Grammar Goofs. Everyone makes mistakes, but that notion seems to go out the window anytime syntax is misused.
If the wrong there, their, or they’re is used at the wrong time on the internet, prepare for every web user to attack your intelligence and attempt to obliterate your self-esteem. I know, we all have our momentary lapses. Advanced English lessons. Condolence Phrases in Short Prose.
The erosion in the paid media pyramid. Since the invention of media (the book, the record, the movie...), there's been a pyramid of value and pricing delivered by those that create it: Starting from the bottom:
Do you know what an 'interrobang' is? Another advantage of blogging : Aetiology. As you may have noticed from the extended radio silence, it’s been a busy few months between classes (both taking them and giving them), tenure packaging, and research.
English Grammar - Adverbs - Position in a Sentence. Grammar Home | Table of Contents | Alphabetical Index | Exercises | Next Chapter Words which are used to modify verbs or adjectives are usually referred to as adverbs. Grammar Exercises OWL. These OWL resources contain grammar exercises about adjectives, adverbs, appositives, articles, count and noncount nouns, prepositions, and tense consistency. Please use the navigation bar on the left or the links below to access the individual exercises. Adjective or Adverb? These two exercises ask you to practice and apply these rules by completing multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank activities that you may print. Once you print and complete the exercise, click the "Go to Answers" link to see the answers for this exercise. Grammar Quizzes. 10 Tips on Writing from David Ogilvy.