Gather vs collect: What is the difference?

June 7, 2022Posted inEnglish
If you want to use gather or collect, you may think they are interchangeable. In fact, if you as a native speaker, they won't be able to quickly tell you the difference, which tells us they are very similar. However,…

Mist vs fog vs steam: What is the difference?

April 5, 2022Posted inEnglish
Several of my students have asked me about these words, and if more than one person has questions about a set of words, I know it's a bigger problem than just them. What are the difference between these words about…

During vs for: what is the difference?

February 1, 2022Posted inEnglish
Many English learners have trouble knowing when to use during or for. Many people mix up these words because they don't know how they are different. This could be because their language does not have the same difference between words.…

How to say “feel” in German properly

January 18, 2022Posted inGerman
"Feel" is one of those words that are hard to translate perfectly into German because English uses it so widely. Many circumstances are all combined into this general English verb that is related to "sensing" things. As such, when we…

The bare infinitive

January 4, 2022Posted inEnglish
A grammar point that is tough for a lot of English learners is the bare infinitive. English learners usually have a strong grasp on gerunds that end in -ing, and they understand a common alternative, albeit with unique situations, is…

Should you use präteritum or perfekt?

December 21, 2021Posted inGerman
When learners study the past tense in German, they are taught "there are two past tenses, but you only need to know one." Is that accurate? Do Germans only use one and avoid the other? The truth between choosing präteritum…