Published on
December 12, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA.
Revised on
November 5, 2025
The adverbsespecially and specially are both synonyms for “particularly.” In formal writing, we typically use “especially” to mean “above all” and “exceptionally,” but “specially” with “designed,” “built,” “made,” etc. to describe the specific purpose of something.
Use especially to mean “above all” or “very much so” (before a preposition or subordinating conjunction) to emphasize that something applies more to a certain case or scenario (e.g., “It was important, especially for him,” “It is a highly flammable material, especially when dry”).
Use especially to mean “very” or “exceptionally” (e.g., “An especially good solution,” “It is especially flammable when dry”).
Use specially with past participles and the preposition “for” to describe the specific purpose of something (e.g. “a specially made machine,” “a watch specially designed for divers”).
Especially vs specially examples
Meaning
Correct use of especially or specially
Above all
Learning a new language is difficult, especially for adults.
It is an expensive vacation destination, especially at that time of year.
Exceptionally
We think that it is an especially useful tool for students.
The condition of the roads can be especially problematic in winter.
Specifically (purpose)
Finding enough specially trained personnel was extremely difficult.
Published on
December 11, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA.
Revised on
November 5, 2025
The most common spelling of the nounambience is with an “e,” but you can also spell it with an “a” (i.e., ambiance). The “ambience”/“ambiance” of a place is the “feeling” it gives you when you are there.
In American English, there are two ways of pronouncing the word “ambience”/”ambiance” (
or
). Either spelling can be pronounced in either way. In British English, you pronounce it
.
Ambience or ambiance in a sentence examplesThe restaurant’s rustic decor and soft lighting creates a very cozy ambience/ambiance.
I love the lively ambience/ambiance of a big city.
Published on
December 11, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA.
Revised on
November 11, 2025
Afternoon starts at 12 p.m. (midday) and finishes at about 5 or 6 p.m., when evening starts. However, as “afternoon” and “evening” are not precisely defined parts of the day, it’s best to clarify exactly what time you mean by “afternoon” with exact times when making plans and arrangements.
We start saying good afternoon instead of “good morning” as soon as the time reaches 12 p.m.
Afternoon in a sentence examplesPerson A: Are you free on Monday afternoon? Person B: Sure, is two thirty okay for you?
Published on
December 10, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA.
Revised on
May 20, 2026
A city is a larger and more important regional center than a town, but what we consider to be “large and important” may be subjective. If an urban center has an airport, freeways, and a metro system, people will typically think of it as a “city,” but if it has one main street with a few stores, offices, and a small bus station, it will probably be considered a “town.”
A place might commonly be referred to as a town in everyday conversation, despite being officially classified as a city under local law—like Abbeville, Alabama, for instance, which has a population of about 2,400.
The nounstown and city are used in some common expressions. You cannot typically use the two words interchangeably in these phrases.
Town vs city examples
Expression with town or city
Meaning
Example in a sentence
Go to town on something
Go to the city on something
To do something very enthusiastically and thoroughly
Wow! The teacher really went to town on your essay; there are so many comments and corrections.
Paint the town red
Paint the city red
To go out to have fun in bars or clubs
Let’s celebrate and paint the town red!
The only game in town
The only game in the city
The best choice or the only available option
When it comes to quality and service, NT&F Solutions is the only game in town!
City slicker
Town slicker
A person who leads a sophisticated urban lifestyle (often derogatory)
City slickers flock to this quaint country town on day trips during the summer months.
It was X city
It was X town
Emphasizes how something was defined or characterized by X (informal).
Episode one was boring city! I don’t think I’m going to continue watching it.
Published on
December 10, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA.
Revised on
February 2, 2026
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
December 9, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA.
Revised on
November 5, 2025
A fair is an event (e.g., a “trade fair,” a “county fair”), while a fare is the amount of money you pay to ride on public transportation (e.g., a “bus fare”).
Fair and fare are pronounced in the same way (i.e., they are homophones).
Fair is also an adjective meaning “reasonable and correct” (e.g., a “fair decision”), “light colored” when describing skin or hair (e.g., a “fair complexion”), and “good” when describing weather (e.g., “fair conditions with only light winds”).
Fare is also a verb used in combination with “well/better” and “badly/worse” to refer to how successfully something or somebody is performing, coping, or progressing (e.g., “The economy is faring better than expected”), and a noun meaning “food” (e.g., “traditional Irish fare”).
Fare vs fair examples
Fare in a sentence
Fair in a sentence
The transportation authority announced that fares will rise by 4% in January.
Visit us at our stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
The company was faring poorly compared to its performance the previous year.
I thought the referee was very fair to both teams.
The restaurant has been serving classic, reasonably-priced Italian fare for over five decades.
Published on
December 3, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA.
Revised on
November 27, 2025
We use is with singular nouns and “he,” “she,” and “it” (third-person pronouns) but are with plural nouns as well as “you” and “they.” However, deciding what is singular or plural, or which pronoun to use, can sometimes be tricky.
Published on
November 26, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA.
Revised on
November 5, 2025
Quiet is the opposite of “loud” or “noisy,” while quite means “very” (e.g., “It’s quite expensive”) or “completely” (e.g., “He’s quite wrong”).
Quiet is an adjective (e.g., “a quiet night”) or a noun (e.g., “peace and quiet”). It has two syllables (
).
Quite is an adverb and has one syllable (
). It “intensifies” an adjective or adverb more than “fairly,” but a bit less than “very.”
Quiet vs quiet in a sentence examples
Quiet in a sentence examples
Quite in a sentence examples
My new computer is very quiet; I can hardly hear that it’s switched on.
The chair’s quite comfortable, thanks.
Can we have some quiet, please? Claire would like to say a few words.
You did quite well for a first attempt.
NoteIn British English, quite is sometimes closer in meaning to “fairly” when used with adjectives such as “good,” “interesting,” and “cold” (i.e., “gradable adjectives” that can be “intensified” with words like “very” and “extremely”). If it’s used like this in speech, the word “quite” is given the same emphasis, or more emphasis, than the adjective.
So, if a British person says, “the food was quite good,” they probably mean that the food was “moderately good” or “okay” but not that the food was “very good.”
In American English, quite can typically be used as a direct substitute for “very” with gradable adjectives. So, if an American person says, “the food was quite good,” they probably mean it was “very good,” “surprisingly good,” or “actually very good,” depending on the context.
Published on
November 20, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA.
Revised on
November 5, 2025
The modal verbsmay and might can be used interchangeably to describe something that will possibly happen (e.g., “I may/might go to the movies tonight, but I haven’t decided yet”) or that is possibly true (e.g., “I think you may/might have a fever”). However, these words are not interchangeable in some other contexts.
We use may to “grant permission” and may not to “deny permission” (e.g., “You may/may not walk on the grass”).
We use might have, like “could have,” to make critical statements about the past (e.g., “They might have given us a bit more time to prepare”).
We typically use may when asking for permission or making a request (e.g., “May I have a glass of water, please?”—using “might” can have an overly formal, old-fashioned effect in these contexts).
We use may for expressions of desires, hopes, and wishes (e.g., “May all your dreams come true”).
May vs might examples
Function
May in a sentence
Might in a sentence
Granting/denying permission (synonymous with “can”/“can’t”)
The examination has now finished, and you may leave the room.
The examination has now finished, and you might leave the room.
Critical statements about the past (synonymous with “could”)
But I’m not free on that day; you may have asked me first to check.
But I’m not free on that day; you might have asked me first to check.
Asking for permission/making a request
May I take your phone number, please?
Might I take your phone number, please? [But very formal/polite]
Expressions of desires, hopes and wishes
May the new year bring you happiness and good fortune.
Might the new year bring you happiness and good fortune.
NoteSome grammar books suggest that using might instead of may expresses that a possibility is less likely to happen (e.g., “The Yankees might win” expresses less certainty than “The Yankees may win”). However, the choice of word here is more a matter of personal preference.
We do, however, use “might” instead of “may” to express “unreal possibility” when describing scenarios that we view as “imaginary/hypothetical,” “contrary to reality” or “not really possible,” for example:
“I might consider staying here if the rents weren’t so high.” [Imagining if the rents were lower]
“He might sleep better if he didn’t drink so much coffee!” [Complaining about his coffee drinking by imagining the alternative, rather than discussing realistic solutions to his sleep problems]
“You never know, I might win the lottery one day!” [Joking about a scenario that we think of as impossible]
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