20 Practical Grammar Tips (Reader's Digest)

Found this article with a list of practical grammar tips by Reader's Digest. I hope you all find this helpful!


https://www.rd.com/culture/most-confusing-grammar-rules/

Confusing and Misused Words - Access v Assess

Access 

(noun) - getting near to a person or place.

• The only access to the island is by boat.
• The main access to (= entrance to) the museum is at the side.

(noun) - opportunity to use or look at sth.

• The hackers had complete access to the company's confidential files for more than 24 hours. 

(verb) - enter a place.

• It is definitely a challenge for anyone on a wheelchair to access this building.
• You need a card to access the lab.

Assess

(noun) - to judge or decide on the value, quality or importance of sth.

• Insurance companies are assessing the flood damage.
• Exams are not the only means of assessing a student's intellect.

(verb) - to judge

• Our lecturer is going to assess us based on our project grades.
• Insurance companies assessed the flood damage in the millions of dollars.

Homonyms - Group (As a Noun and Verb)

1. (noun) - a number of people of things put together.
- A small group of people were waiting outside the bank when I got there this morning.
- All the house chores were completed quickly because we worked as a group.


2. (verb) -  to put people or things together.
- All the children grouped together around the birthday boy for a photo.
- All the books at the book fair are grouped by price. 

Words From The Same Family - Sudden v Suddenly

Sudden (adj) - occurring or done quickly or without warning. 
- Mrs Lee's sudden death took everyone by surprise.

- Timothy was rushed to hospital when he had a       sudden heart attack at the office this morning.  



Suddenly (adverb) - quickly and unexpectedly.
- John suddenly appeared in the doorway, giving me a fright.

- I was woken up suddenly by a loud knock on my door. 

Homonyms - Mask (As a Noun and Verb)

1. (noun) - an object used to cover all or part of the face.
- No one saw the bank robbers faces as they were wearing masks.
- The outbreak of COVID-19 has caused a sudden      surge in demand for face masks.


2. (verb) - to conceal or hide sth from view.
- The thick, creamy gravy masked the tastelessness of the meat.
- I hope having the air freshener in the car will mask the smell of rotten eggs.

Homonyms- Drive (As a Verb and Noun)

(verb) - operate

• Tim drives like a maniac (= mad person)! I am never getting into his car again!

(noun)  
1. trip

• Thankfully, the 3-hour drive to my aunt's house was a pleasant one.  
• The Johnsons went for a drive in the country last Saturday and loved it.

2. desire

• His drive to be successful was so great that he became the CFO of a multinational company by the time he was 35.
• Melissa's boss was so impressed by her drive and focus to succeed that he immediately hired her.

Homonyms - Voice (As a Verb and Noun)

1. (noun) - Sound coming from the mouth.

• Sarah lost her voice again when she caught the flu two days ago.
• John lowered his voice when he spoke to avoid being heard by the others in the room.

2. (verb) - To express feelings, opinion etc. 

• Upon voicing his dissatisfaction for his meal, the restaurant immediately responded by serving John a complimentary dessert.   
• Mr Johnson voiced his concern when his son insisted on travelling despite the recent Coronavirus outbreak.