Tag Archives: word nerd

Word Nerd: 6 foreign words and phrases now popular in English

7 Jan

via GIPHY It’s incredible that the more sophisticated your use of English, the more likely you are to speak words that are not … English. Whether you’re going to the bazaar with your fiancé, ordering a pizza with pesto and burrata, or coming to terms with a profound sense of déjà vu you will be […]

5 English errors that drive us nuts

7 Jan

We agree that English is a nutty language. To be fluent in English also means you have a smattering of German and French. But, there are still rules about good usage which we need to recognize, just as there are common ways to flout them. If you’re wondering what they are – here are common […]

Word Nerd: 4 Words inspired by comic book characters

30 Dec

via GIPHY English is a busy language. Every year, English dictionaries can add up to 1000+ words. The words can come from memes, movies and comics! The coinages of comics have a mass appeal and often slip into canon. So, here’s a list of four words that the comics gave us. 1. Milquetoast The word […]

Word Nerd: 5 Exciting Words You Must Know This December

30 Nov

Image via GIPHY Whether you’re thinking of writing Christmas wishes or just keen to learn more about the most festive season of this year – we’ve got you covered with this exciting list. From Christmas monsters to spongey desserts, this list has it all (and none of them is Santa’s famous laugh). 1. Krampus: Well, […]

Word Nerd: 5 Odd Words that Start with an O

21 Oct

The seasons have changed and we are well on our way towards the end of the year. You might just be amazed at how time has flown by and go, “Oh!” We share your expression of surprise and love for this cool month. So, for this edition of Word Nerd, we are sharing 5 odd […]

Word Nerd: 5 cool words that you will enjoy using this season

8 Oct

Depending on your latitude and longitude, you’ve probably detected a change in the air. It could be the browning of leaves or the nightly scent of jasmine. It could be that wherever you go – it seems like you’re on the planet of pumpkins. They’re in coffees and soups and purees… On fields and porches […]

Word Nerd: 4 cool figures of speech that you must use

20 Aug

Figures of speech or rhetorical devices help us create drama in language and call for attention. Are you familiar with the four that we’ve listed here?

Are you a serious word nerd? Here are 7 signs that give it away

12 Aug

BrainGain Magazine started this Word Nerd series in March 2016. Since then we’ve written about Americanisms, the secrets to writing a good sentence, to best way to insult someone, accents, and other oddities of this common language we speak. For this edition, we thought about the series itself, and its name. We thought too about […]

Word Nerd: Top 5 writing errors made by undergraduate students

29 Jul

In 2008, Andrea Lunsford and Karen Lunsford conducted a national study on undergraduate writing in the US. The study was called “Mistakes Are A Fact of Life.” It revealed the most common errors made by college students in essays, papers, and other submissions. Even today these errors are common and continue to attract negative attention […]

Word Nerd: 5 important elements that your writing needs

29 Jul

Perhaps you’ve come across tips like, “Show don’t tell” or “No ideas but in things.” You’ve probably considered these tips were best used by those interested in writing poetry, features, or stories. It’s true that a poet needs to give “airy nothing” a “[l]ocal habitation and a name (Shakespeare).” But, say you’re a lawyer writing an important brief, you would do well to keep your senses in mind. Great writing is concrete. US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor advises lawyers in her memoir, “It is the particulars that make a story real.”