Trial and error describes a process of trying things repeatedly, even when they go wrong, until you find the correct way of doing it. It underpins innovation, invention, and artistic endeavors, as well as many daily tasks—think of a child learning how to stand and walk, for instance.
Continue reading: Trial and Error: What It Means and How To Use It
Sometimes both English language learners and native speakers make the mistake of using two words interchangeably, even if they don’t have the same meaning.
Although your audience may infer what you’re trying to say, even if you’re using the wrong word, experienced writers know that it’s important to always use accurate vocabulary.
This blog post will go over the difference between connote and denote to help you avoid errors in your writing.
Continue reading: Learn How To Use “Connote” and “Denote” Correctly
Metaphors are a figure of speech in which a link is established between two unrelated things, actions, or ideas. This link expresses an implied comparison, making what you’re trying to describe easier to visualize and understand.
Put simply, metaphors draw a comparison by saying something is (or does) something else.
However, even though all metaphors compare two separate things, not all metaphors explicitly follow the formula that x=y. There are different types of metaphors, some more discreet than others.
Continue reading: Metaphors: What They Are and How To Write Them
Elusive and illusive are both adjectives, and they are homophones, so it can be easy to mix them up. They have very distinct meanings, so it’s good to learn how to use them properly.
Continue reading: Don’t Let the Difference Between “Elusive” and “Illusive” Elude You
Happy holidays is a festive phrase used towards the end of the year to express well wishes when people are celebrating various holidays, including Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s, and more. The expression gained popularity due to its secularism and inclusivity, which made it a versatile greeting during a season packed with several celebrations.
Yes, happy holidays is a flexible phrase, but it undeniably lacks warmth. For more personal and heartfelt messages, explore the alternative greetings listed below.
This is a traditional and formal greeting commonly used on holiday cards. It’s perfect to use with your bosses and colleagues.
Sincere and slightly formal, this expression is ideal for professional communication but is also suitable to send to friends and family.
This synonym conveys heartfelt wishes during the festive time of year and can be used in formal and casual settings.
You’d most likely see this type of message on a workplace holiday card or email, but it’s versatile and is suited for informal communication, too.
This exclamation is a bit more cheerful and casual than the previous options and expresses joy.
This is a courteous and semiformal expression that conveys hope that someone will have an enjoyable holiday period.
This synonym is friendly, warm, and expresses festive happiness to the recipients and their loved ones.
This expression is an enthusiastic way of wishing someone a luminous and cheerful season.
Amicable and affectionate, this expression is ideal for friends and family to convey a feeling of closeness even if you’re physically apart.
Although formal, this expression is heartfelt, making it appropriate for business contexts.
This go-to classic is cheerful, loving, and suitable for formal and friendly settings.
This is another upbeat option that expresses enthusiastic joy for the holiday period. It’s slightly informal, but still acceptable for messages being expressed in professional situations.
If you know which holiday the recipient celebrates, then there’s no problem offering tailored wishes for that occasion.
Think of the last two options as inside jokes—they only make sense to use if you’re certain the recipient understands them.
This one is perfect for Seinfeld fans, which is where the fictional holiday originated. Festivus is celebrated on December 23rd as an alternative to the commercialism of the Christmas season.
In the early 2000s, the telecommunications company Virgin Mobile released an ad campaign that included a playful and inclusive approach to the holiday season by combining the names of three major holidays: Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.
Now you have fifteen cheerful, loving, and fun synonyms for happy holidays. But if you want more help crafting the perfect holiday cards that will surely make your friends and family say, “Aww,” make sure to entrust LanguageTool as your personal writing assistant.
However, when used in the middle of a sentence where it’s not treated as a proper noun, it’s usually lowercase.
LanguageTool not only checks for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors, but it also makes sure your text is stylistically optimized, whether you’re writing a letter, thesis, or email to your boss.
Try it today and give yourself the gift of flawless writing!
Continue reading: “Happy Holidays”: 15 Heartwarming Seasonal Messages
The answer depends on the message you want to convey. We’ll go over what these words mean and how to use them correctly.
The couple wanted to adopt the young girl they were fostering.
The constitution will adopt the new amendments.
When I moved to New England, I had to adapt to the cold weather.
Continue reading: Is It “Adopt” or “Adapt”?
If you’re looking for another way to say “I just wanted to follow up,” you’ve come to the right place. Here you’ll find seven effective alternatives.
Continue reading: What To Say Instead of “I Just Wanted To Follow Up”
Sorry to bother you (or sorry for bothering you) is a phrase many people start their emails with. Although it’s common and courteous, a lot of people seek alternatives because most of the time, writing an email is nothing to be sorry about.
Or, sometimes people want alternatives to sorry to bother you because they feel the phrase is overused and insincere. Below, you can find five different phrases you can use instead.
Continue reading: “Sorry To Bother You” Synonyms You Can Use in an Email
These words differ by only one letter, so many people use them incorrectly. We’ll go over their definitions, parts of speech, and also provide example sentences.
I was experiencing a moral dilemma: Should I tell the truth and get my partner in trouble or lie to protect her?The team’s morale was high. They were confident they were going to win the tournament.
Continue reading: How To Correctly Spell (and Use) “Morale” and “Moral”
Bring and take are both verbs that have to do with the movement of someone or something from one place to another. Because of their similar definitions, bring and take are often used interchangeably, but is this correct? Let’s take a look at the following sentences:
Which one is correct? As with many words in the English language, it’s all about perspective. We’ll explain below.
Continue reading: Learn How To Use “Bring” and “Take” Correctly