English Language FAQ

Here are the top ten words with the most entries in the Oxford English Dictionary:

The ten most heavily used verbs in the English language are: 

Regular verbs conform to a standard pattern  see this table

phrasal verb noun   [ C ]   / ˌfreɪ.z ə lˈvɜːb /       / -ˈvɝːb / a phrase that consists of a verb with a preposition or adverb or both, the meaning of which is different from the meaning of its separate parts: 'Look after', 'work out' and 'make up for' are all phrasal verbs. Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus  A phrasal verb is a verb with two parts; the verb and a preposition. The preposition changes the meaning of the verb - to turn on a light is different from to turn a corner. Is there an easy way to learn phrasal verbs? Not if 'easy' means without practice. Phrasal verbs are tricky for English language learners because there are no universal rules. They are the inner secrets of the language; available only to those with the curiosity and patience to discover them. There are, however, a few useful guidelines that can help - see here : Use offer code CQDWKF0 to download English FAQ Teach...

Robert McCrum, the writer of the influential  How the English Language Became the World's Language   has suggested that 'English .. has a grammar of great simplicity"  The argument for this is broadly as follows: English grammar is based on simplified form of German Verb conjugation is simple for regular verbs: four  endings for regular English verbs ( paint/paints/painted/painting ).  French, German & other key languages have  50+. There are fewer irregular verbs - and most are irregular in the same way. Written & spoken forms are comparatively similar English.  Noun and adjectival forms do not divide by gender Adjectives do not change form for plural nouns ( blue car/blue cars ) A version of this post is included in  50 FAQ about English    ($1.75)