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Bas Aarts

@englishgrammar.bsky.social

Professor of English Linguistics, UCL Here, I post on (English) language topics. On Substack, I post on English Grammar: https://basaarts.substack.com/ #grammar #syntax #parsing

1,774 Followers  |  3,414 Following  |  51 Posts  |  Joined: 26.10.2024  |  1.7732

Latest posts by englishgrammar.bsky.social on Bluesky

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Great turnout at the 2025 #EnglishGrammarDay organised by UCL’s @uclenglishusage.bsky.social, @engfac.bsky.social and @britishlibrary.bsky.social

07.07.2025 11:27 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Next week!

events.bl.uk/events/engli...

#EnglishGrammarDay #Grammar #EnglishLanguage

@bethmalory.bsky.social
@hwimbushenglish.bsky.social
@debsadelight.bsky.social
@robdrummond.bsky.social
@billylinguist.bsky.social
@artshumsucl.bsky.social
@britishlibrary.bsky.social
@engfac.bsky.social

30.06.2025 10:43 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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New Substack post: On so-called adjective clauses: a label to avoid

tinyurl.com/yc32zr4a

#grammar #adjectiveclause #TeHirangaTangata #nzcurriculum

27.06.2025 09:05 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

probably

21.06.2025 10:55 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Test yourself with our ultimate grammar quiz Inspired by the passionate response to the semicolon’s supposed decline, this quiz invites you to test – and perhaps rediscover – your grasp of English grammar, from the basics to the beautifully obsc...

Another day, another daft grammar quiz:

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/g...

21.06.2025 10:53 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Come to this fabulous event, hosted by Charlotte Brewer, Jonnie Robinson and me on 7 July.

tinyurl.com/36z77b29

#EnglishGrammarDay #grammar
@blevents.bsky.social
@engfacoutreach.bsky.social
@bethmalory.bsky.social
@hwimbushenglish.bsky.social
@robdrummond.bsky.social
@artshumsucl.bsky.social

13.06.2025 15:29 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

The question is WHY does it irritate you? Genuine question.

31.05.2025 16:11 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

No, it doesn’t matter.

31.05.2025 16:10 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Do You Think Differently in Different Languages? The brain’s response to information depends on language’s grammatical structure

Do our brains try to predict what’s coming next in a sentence? It may depend on the language you speak

www.scientificamerican.com/article/does...

#linguistics #language #neuroscience #English #Dutch @SciAm.bsky.social

01.05.2025 14:25 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
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Our best punctuation mark is dying out; people need to learn how to use it The poor, misunderstood semicolon is under threat. Helen Coffey laments its decline and makes the case for re-educating ourselves on its usefulness as the chicest grammatical tool

There's more:

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/s...

20.05.2025 10:18 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

FWIW, the Guardian article says that the semicolon appears "typically between two main clauses". In your case it separates a noun phrase from a clause. But yes, you can't have a full stop or comma there. You could have a colon, though....

18.05.2025 15:31 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

You could have used one here! πŸ™‚

18.05.2025 15:20 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Marked decline in semicolons in English books, study suggests Usage of punctuation down almost half in two decades as further research finds 67% of British students rarely use it

I never use semicolons, except sometimes in lists.

Do you?

www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

18.05.2025 13:37 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 6    πŸ“Œ 0
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The big idea: could the English language die? For the time being it’s dominant – but as the Romans could tell you, nothing lasts for ever

"Could the English language die?"

Nah....

www.theguardian.com/books/2025/m...

14.05.2025 12:04 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Book now for the English Grammar Day!

Teachers: do bring your GCSE and A-level students!

www.ucl.ac.uk/english/engl...

#EnglishGrammarDay #grammar

@blevents.bsky.social @engfac.bsky.social @engfacoutreach.bsky.social @bethmalory.bsky.social @hwimbushenglish.bsky.social @robdrummond.bsky.social

03.05.2025 12:35 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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New Substack post: Can clauses function as Subject?

basaarts.substack.com/p/can-clause...

#grammar

30.04.2025 16:59 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Subjects How do we define the notion of β€˜Subject’ in grammar?

New Substack post on Subjects.

basaarts.substack.com/p/subjects

#EnglishGrammar

08.04.2025 11:22 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Together with Charlotte Brewer and Jonnie Robinson I am one of the organisers of the #EnglishGrammarDay which will take place again at the British Library on 7 July. Book here: events.bl.uk/events/engli...

04.04.2025 13:20 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Gigil: word for β€˜cute aggression’ among new Oxford English Dictionary entries Other foreign language additions include alamak, a cry of outrage in Singapore and Malaysia, and tapau, a Chinese word for takeaway

www.theguardian.com/books/2025/m...

27.03.2025 22:11 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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New verb 'anti-age' in The Times.

26.03.2025 10:27 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Can prepositional phrases function as Subject in a clause? Yes, but in a restricted way

New Substack post: Can prepositional phrases function as Subject in a clause?

basaarts.substack.com/p/can-prepos...

21.03.2025 11:37 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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When did human language emerge? Humans' unique language capacity was present at least 135,000 years ago, according to a survey of genomic evidence. As such, language might have entered social use 100,000 years ago.

When did human language emerge? www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...

19.03.2025 21:31 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The words 'wheel', 'cycle', and 'chakra' are distantly related.

Via Germanic, Greek and Sanskrit, they can be traced back to Proto-Indo-European, the reconstructed common ancestor of these languages. Sound changes made them grow apart.

Moreover, 'Ku Klux (Klan)' is related too.

Click for more:

16.03.2025 19:15 β€” πŸ‘ 130    πŸ” 29    πŸ’¬ 14    πŸ“Œ 2
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New research chapter, just published: 'Verb Phrases as Attributive Nominal Modifiers'

tinyurl.com/49crkbv4

06.03.2025 11:55 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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New Substack post: 'Can adjective phrases function as Subject in a clause?'

basaarts.substack.com/p/can-adject...

#grammar #adjective

02.03.2025 15:22 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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New Substack post: More on Predicative Complements: 'for' and 'as'

basaarts.substack.com/p/more-on-pr...

#grammar #EnglishGrammar

20.02.2025 13:32 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Rebel with a Clause documentary film by Brandt Johnson starring Ellen Jovin A grammar guru takes her pop-up grammar advice stand on a road trip across all 50 US states to show that comma fights can bring us closer together in a divided time.

This film should be fun to watch. It comes out on the Americans' National Grammar Day, 4 March.

www.rebelwithaclause.com

@grammartable.bsky.social

#EnglishGrammarDay
#grammar
#EnglishGrammar

04.02.2025 11:24 β€” πŸ‘ 14    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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This time with the correct day of the week: Monday 7 July 2025.

03.02.2025 08:29 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Yes, you're right! Will change this. Thanks.

03.02.2025 08:26 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

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