English Tips

We have put together some tips on the proper use of English.  Contact us if you have any questions.

In, At, On, To for place:

In is used with spaces, bodies of water, or lines: “in Canada” or “in the room”, “in a lake” or “in the sea”, “in a row” or “in a line”

At is used with places: “at the bus stop”, “at a restaurant”, “at the end of the street”

On is used with surfaces, smaller islands, or directions: “on the table”, “I stayed on Cypress”, “the cafe is on the right side of the street”

To is used with movement from on place to another: “I went to Greece”, “I went to school”, “Did you go to the doctor?” Note: do not use ‘to’ with ‘home’.

It’s vs. Its:

It’s is a contraction of the two words ‘it is’: “It’s going to snow today”, or “It’s a good idea to…”

Its is the possessive form of ‘it’: “Its colour is purple”, or “I liked its design”.

There, Their, They’re:

There is most often used as ‘in or at that place’: “She is there now” or “There are three eggs”  It is also used as the opposite of Here.

Their indicates something that belongs to ‘them’: “Their house is beautiful”, or “He enjoyed their cooking”

They’re is a contraction of ‘they are’; “They’re coming over for dinner”, or “They’re very nice people”

 

More to come soon!