There is a difference between “assume” and “presume.”

HERE ARE SOME MORE EXAMPLES:

• If you go to take the SAT exam without #2 pencils, snacks, a calculator, or water because you assume that the testing center will provide them, you’ll have a bad time. (You would be foolish to assume such a thing when even the school you attend every day doesn’t provide them for free.)

• If you go on a blind date without bringing your wallet because you assume that the other person (whom you’ve never met) will pay for dinner, you will probably have an awkward moment when the check arrives.

(Source: theyuniversity, via theyuniversity)

Good question.

“Like” is overused (i.e., used when it shouldn’t be), and both “as if” and “as though” are underused (i.e., not used when they should be).

The distinction between “like” and “as though / as if” is both simple and straightforward:

In the first example, “me” is a pronoun. In the second example, “a screaming cat” is a noun.

For all intents and purposes, “as if” and “as though” are interchangeable. Here is how they should be used:

In the above two examples, we find verbs in the phrases “I had eaten” and “she were dead”; therefore, we use “as if” or “as though.”

Here are some more examples:

In closing, “like” is often used in place of “as if / as though” in everyday conversation, and only the most ardent Grammar Nazi would correct someone who does so. However, in formal writing and on standardized tests (e.g., the SAT), you will be expected to know when to use which.

Therefore, you might as well master this concept and use the correct terms in your conversations, tweets, and text messages.

By the way this popular expression is grammatically correct:

(SpongeBob makes a Krabby Patty like a boss.)

Thanks for the compliment.

Here is a quick illustration of what the two words mean:

Pretty simple, right?

We hope no one ever confuses the two words again.

Thanks for the compliment.

Here is the difference between “awhile” and “a while”:

These two terms are confusing because they look and sound virtually identical.

Fear not. There is an easy way to remember how to use “a while”:

“Try and” is commonly heard in everyday conversations, but it is inappropriate in formal writing.

(Source: theyuniversity)

Let’s tackle “easier” first. “Easier” is the comparative form of “easy,” which is an adjective. And as we all know, adjectives modify nouns. Therefore, “easier” should be used to describe nouns:

On the other hand, “easily” is an adverb, and adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. In the following sentences, “easily” modifies verbs:

So, to answer your question, something is done (verb) more easily (adverb), not easier (adjective).

“Disinterested” is an interesting word:

• The average person thinks that it means “not interested,” i.e., “uninterested.”
• But veterans of standardized tests and people with strong vocabularies insist that it doesn’t mean “not interested”; it actually means “unbiased” or “impartial.”
• However, the original definition of “disinterested” actually meant “not interested.”

WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!?!

Therefore, if you were on trial for murder, you would want a disinterested judge, not an uninterested one.

An uninterested judge couldn’t care less why you were in the courthouse, what crime you were charged with, or what the punishment would be if you were found guilty.

In fact, he or she might be doing everything possible not to fall asleep.