<h1 id="battling-with-english---part-1">Battling with English - part 1</h1>
<h2 id="introduction">Introduction</h2>
<p>This is the first episode of a series about the English language. In it I want to look at some of the problems people (including myself) have with it. I plan to do several episodes and I want to keep them short.</p>
<p>The English language is old and has changed – evolved – in many ways over the years. It has come from a multitude of sources, and it's difficult to say what is <strong>correct</strong> in an absolute way.</p>
<p>For example, when I was at school we were taught that &quot;<em>nice</em>&quot; should not be used in written material. At that time it was becoming common to see phrases like &quot;<em>I had a nice time</em>&quot; meaning <em>pleasant</em> (in a bland sort of way). In my &quot;<em>Concise Oxford Dictionary</em>&quot; from 1976 the 6th definition, &quot;<em>agreeable</em>&quot; is marked &quot;<em>colloquialism</em>&quot;, whereas today this is a common usage.</p>
<p>However, it's easy to use the wrong word in the wrong context. You might choose one that sounds similar for example. You might also have problems with the spelling of a chosen word. Spelling in English is not always logical. You might also find yourself confused about the use of punctuation – the correct use of apostrophes can be challenging for example.</p>
<p>In this series I want to examine some of the problem areas and try to give you the means of remembering the <strong>right</strong> way.</p>
<p><strong>Note</strong>: I'm not an authority on this stuff, but I have tried to teach myself not to make these mistakes over the years. I just wanted to share what I have learnt<a href="#fn1" class="footnoteRef" id="fnref1"><sup>1</sup></a> with some links to higher authorities.</p>
<h2 id="long-notes">Long notes</h2>
<p>I have provided detailed notes as usual, and these can be <a href="https://hackerpublicradio.org/eps/hpr2558/full_shownotes.html">viewed here</a>.</p>
<h2 id="links">Links</h2>
<ul>
<li>Then:
<ul>
<li>Oxford Dictionaries: <a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/then">Definition of &quot;then&quot;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/then">Online Etymology Dictionary</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li>Than:
<ul>
<li>Oxford Dictionaries: <a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/than">Definition of &quot;than&quot;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/than">Online Etymology Dictionary</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li>Then versus Than
<ul>
<li>Writing Explained: <a href="https://writingexplained.org/then-vs-than-difference">Then vs. Than: What’s the Difference?</a></li>
<li>Grammarist: <a href="https://grammarist.com/usage/than-then/">Than vs. then</a></li>
<li>Merriam-Webster: <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/when-to-use-then-and-than">When To Use Then and Than</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li>There:
<ul>
<li>Oxford Dictionaries: <a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/there">Definition of &quot;there&quot;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/there">Online Etymology Dictionary</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li>Their:
<ul>
<li>Oxford Dictionaries: <a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/their">Definition of &quot;their&quot;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/their">Online Etymology Dictionary</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li>They're:
<ul>
<li>Oxford Dictionaries: <a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/they%27re">Definition of &quot;they're&quot;</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li>Tenet:
<ul>
<li>Oxford Dictionaries: <a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/tenet">Definition of &quot;tenet&quot;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/tenet">Online Etymology Dictionary</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li>Tenant:
<ul>
<li>Oxford Dictionaries: <a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/tenant">Definition of &quot;tenant&quot;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/tenant">Online Etymology Dictionary</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li>Tenet versus Tenant:
<ul>
<li>Quick and Dirty Tips: <a href="https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/tenet-versus-tenant">Grammar Girl</a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
<section class="footnotes">
<hr />
<ol>
<li id="fn1"><p>One thing I have <em>learnt</em> is that &quot;<em>learned</em>&quot; and &quot;<em>learnt</em>&quot; are both correct and mean the same. However, &quot;<em>learnt</em>&quot; is more common in the UK, whereas &quot;<em>learned</em>&quot; is used both in the UK and the USA.<a href="#fnref1">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>
</section>