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Meet the famous Oxford Comma

13-April-2020 · by Verbalist

There has been a long and heated debate among linguists and publishers about this popular comma. A song was even written about it. ! It has also earned many names – Oxford Comma, Harvard Comma, Serial Comma…however, in this brief intro, we will stick to “Oxford Comma.” It is interesting that the Oxford Comma originated from British English, but is more used in American English. There are many debates and views about the Oxford Comma, yet we Verbalists like the best the article made by Oxford Royal Academy. So, let’s meet this “serial offender” up close. READ MORE

How the changes in the landscape of global power and business have affected the importance of various languages

11-October-2019 · by Verbalist

It used to be – and not that very long ago – that the list of most important languages in the world to know would have been quite small. French, English, Spanish, and German would have made the list, plus a handful of others depending on where in Europe and Asia one lived. Accordingly, these were the languages most in demand by students across the world looking to extend their linguistic repertoire beyond their mother tongue either for career or cultural/personal reasons. READ MORE

Easter in Italy and the meaning of the Italian word Pasqua

17-April-2017 · by Verbalist

Commemoration of Pasqua

The most celebrated holiday in Italy (after Christmas, of course) is Pasqua, the Italian word for “Easter” whose etymological roots are found in the Greek Pascka and Hebrew Pasach, which mean “Passover.” And while Pasqua is celebrated throughout Italy, each region, commune and village has its own traditions – deep and rich – to commemorate the death and resurrection of the Christ In the Eternal City of Rome, just outside the Colosseum, many watch and participate as the Pope leads a procession through the 14 stages of the Passion on Good Friday, reading meditations along the way. READ MORE

Languages dynamics and change

01-March-2017 · by Verbalist

Over the course of human history, thousands of languages have developed from what was once a much smaller number. How did we end up with so many? And how do we keep track of them all? Alex Gendler explains how linguists group languages into language families, demonstrating how these linguistic trees give us crucial insights into the past.

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Best books to improve your English skills

30-January-2017 · by Verbalist

Get cozy this winter with some tea or coffee and a good book to help you improve your English skills. While it may seem intimidating to read an entire book in English, it is great for mastering fluency. You can even keep a notebook full of words you may not understand to help you with your vocabulary! Here are the top picks from the readers of Goodreads, a site which allows book fans to choose their top picks from each genre.

Best Fiction

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

A couple who share what seems to be a dream life with their two daughters have their lives turned upside down when they attend a neighbour’s barbecue. Two months later, they regret what happened that day and can’t stop wondering what would’ve happened if they had never gone.
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Rare Shakespeare First Folio, one of the most sought-after books in the world that was recently discovered, authenticated as genuine

02-May-2016 · by Verbalist

Shakespeare First Folio was discovered on Scottish island

A copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio, one of the most sought-after books in the world, was last month discovered in a stately home on a Scottish island. On April 7, Emma Smith, professor of Shakespeare Studies at Oxford University, travelled to Mount Stuart on the Isle of Butea and authenticated the First Folio as genuine. The discovery comes on the 400th anniversary of the playwright’s death.

Internet slang and SMS texting language that you should know

26-April-2016 · by Verbalist

Love them or hate them, these are the newly created words and abbreviations on everyone’s lips, that is keyboards 🙂

Nowadays, our communication often happens online, so the Internet has developed almost its own language. This language is even more casual and has many abbreviations (shortenings of words and phrases). The English language on the Internet changes almost every day, as sayings, images and videos “go viral”.

Much of Internet slang is made up of abbreviations and shortenings, and some of the most commonly used Internet abbreviations are: READ MORE