#englishlesson — Public Fediverse posts

Grammar dilemmas: ‘in the beginning’ or ‘at the beginning’?

A mistake I often hear in conversation classes has to do with the choice of preposition before the nouns ‘beginning’ and ‘end’. Did something happen ‘in the beginning’ or ‘at the beginning’? And what happened ‘in the end’? Or is it ‘at the end’?

Likely due to influence of Serbian / Croatian – most of my students’ mother tongue – I also often hear ‘on the beginning’ and ‘on the end’ (na početku, na kraju). 

So, which one is it?

To eliminate one for starters, ‘on’ the beginning / end is NOT an option, as it’s grammatically incorrect. It’s also a good lesson: never translate prepositions literally!

The good news is that you can use both ‘in’ and ‘at’ with these nouns; the bad news is that they don’t mean exactly the same thing. Let’s check out the difference.

IN THE BEGINNING

This has a more general meaning, implying the beginning of a longer process, historical event or development. One usually has in mind a whole period of time, not any single moment. A great example of this is the opening verse of the Bible, which starts like this:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1)

Later verses describe these events in greater detail; all of which were “in the beginning.”

You can also use it to introduce contrast:

In the beginning, I didn’t like my neighbourhood, but now I’m very happy there. 

In this sense, it means the same as AT FIRST. 

AT THE BEGINNING

This refers to a specific time or place; a single point that was the start of something:

I introduced myself at the beginning of the meeting.

There was a horrifying scene at the beginning of the film.

IN THE END

Similar to ‘in the beginning’, IN here refers to the end of a longer process, development, situation etc. The phrase means the same as EVENTUALLY, FINALLY:

I was trying to learn Japanese; in the end, I gave up.

The war was very long and difficult, but we won in the end.

AT THE END

Same as with ‘at the beginning’, this too refers to a specific location or a point in time:

You’ll find my house at the end of the road.

The film was so sad, everyone cried at the end.

I hope this was not too difficult. You can practise this a bit by doing my short grammar quiz on this topic!

I’m a freelance language tutor (English, Latin, Classical Greek), researcher, and a literary scholar currently based in Belgrade, Serbia.  

If you wish to receive new content from my blog – as soon as it’s published – please enter your email address in the box below. You can also subscribe to my free monthly Newsletter and get a regular recap with additional content.

To support my work, you can send me a donation via PayPal. It would be greatly appreciated!

Grammar dilemmas: ‘in the beginning’ or ‘at the beginning’?

A mistake I often hear in conversation classes has to do with the choice of preposition before the nouns ‘beginning’ and ‘end’. Did something happen ‘in the beginning’ or ‘at the beginning’? And what happened ‘in the end’? Or is it ‘at the end’?

Likely due to influence of Serbian / Croatian – most of my students’ mother tongue – I also often hear ‘on the beginning’ and ‘on the end’ (na početku, na kraju). 

So, which one is it?

To eliminate one for starters, ‘on’ the beginning / end is NOT an option, as it’s grammatically incorrect. It’s also a good lesson: never translate prepositions literally!

The good news is that you can use both ‘in’ and ‘at’ with these nouns; the bad news is that they don’t mean exactly the same thing. Let’s check out the difference.

IN THE BEGINNING

This has a more general meaning, implying the beginning of a longer process, historical event or development. One usually has in mind a whole period of time, not any single moment. A great example of this is the opening verse of the Bible, which starts like this:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1)

Later verses describe these events in greater detail; all of which were “in the beginning.”

You can also use it to introduce contrast:

In the beginning, I didn’t like my neighbourhood, but now I’m very happy there. 

In this sense, it means the same as AT FIRST. 

AT THE BEGINNING

This refers to a specific time or place; a single point that was the start of something:

I introduced myself at the beginning of the meeting.

There was a horrifying scene at the beginning of the film.

IN THE END

Similar to ‘in the beginning’, IN here refers to the end of a longer process, development, situation etc. The phrase means the same as EVENTUALLY, FINALLY:

I was trying to learn Japanese; in the end, I gave up.

The war was very long and difficult, but we won in the end.

AT THE END

Same as with ‘at the beginning’, this too refers to a specific location or a point in time:

You’ll find my house at the end of the road.

The film was so sad, everyone cried at the end.

I hope this was not too difficult. You can practise this a bit by doing my short grammar quiz on this topic!

I’m a freelance language tutor (English, Latin, Classical Greek), researcher, and a literary scholar currently based in Belgrade, Serbia.  

If you wish to receive new content from my blog – as soon as it’s published – please enter your email address in the box below. You can also subscribe to my free monthly Newsletter and get a regular recap with additional content.

To support my work, you can send me a donation via PayPal. It would be greatly appreciated!

Grammar dilemmas: ‘in the beginning’ or ‘at the beginning’?

A mistake I often hear in conversation classes has to do with the choice of preposition before the nouns ‘beginning’ and ‘end’. Did something happen ‘in the beginning’ or ‘at the beginning’? And what happened ‘in the end’? Or is it ‘at the end’?

Likely due to influence of Serbian / Croatian – most of my students’ mother tongue – I also often hear ‘on the beginning’ and ‘on the end’ (na početku, na kraju). 

So, which one is it?

To eliminate one for starters, ‘on’ the beginning / end is NOT an option, as it’s grammatically incorrect. It’s also a good lesson: never translate prepositions literally!

The good news is that you can use both ‘in’ and ‘at’ with these nouns; the bad news is that they don’t mean exactly the same thing. Let’s check out the difference.

IN THE BEGINNING

This has a more general meaning, implying the beginning of a longer process, historical event or development. One usually has in mind a whole period of time, not any single moment. A great example of this is the opening verse of the Bible, which starts like this:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1)

Later verses describe these events in greater detail; all of which were “in the beginning.”

You can also use it to introduce contrast:

In the beginning, I didn’t like my neighbourhood, but now I’m very happy there. 

In this sense, it means the same as AT FIRST. 

AT THE BEGINNING

This refers to a specific time or place; a single point that was the start of something:

I introduced myself at the beginning of the meeting.

There was a horrifying scene at the beginning of the film.

IN THE END

Similar to ‘in the beginning’, IN here refers to the end of a longer process, development, situation etc. The phrase means the same as EVENTUALLY, FINALLY:

I was trying to learn Japanese; in the end, I gave up.

The war was very long and difficult, but we won in the end.

AT THE END

Same as with ‘at the beginning’, this too refers to a specific location or a point in time:

You’ll find my house at the end of the road.

The film was so sad, everyone cried at the end.

I hope this was not too difficult. You can practise this a bit by doing my short grammar quiz on this topic!

NOTES

I’m a freelance language tutor (English, Latin, Classical Greek), researcher, and a literary scholar currently based in Belgrade, Serbia.  

If you wish to receive new content from my blog – as soon as it’s published – please enter your email address in the subscribe box below.

To support my work, you can send me a donation via PayPal. It would be greatly appreciated!

Grammar dilemmas: ‘in the beginning’ or ‘at the beginning’?

A mistake I often hear in conversation classes has to do with the choice of preposition before the nouns ‘beginning’ and ‘end’. Did something happen ‘in the beginning’ or ‘at the beginning’? And what happened ‘in the end’? Or is it ‘at the end’?

Likely due to influence of Serbian / Croatian – most of my students’ mother tongue – I also often hear ‘on the beginning’ and ‘on the end’ (na početku, na kraju). 

So, which one is it?

To eliminate one for starters, ‘on’ the beginning / end is NOT an option, as it’s grammatically incorrect. It’s also a good lesson: never translate prepositions literally!

The good news is that you can use both ‘in’ and ‘at’ with these nouns; the bad news is that they don’t mean exactly the same thing. Let’s check out the difference.

IN THE BEGINNING

This has a more general meaning, implying the beginning of a longer process, historical event or development. One usually has in mind a whole period of time, not any single moment. A great example of this is the opening verse of the Bible, which starts like this:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1)

Later verses describe these events in greater detail; all of which were “in the beginning.”

You can also use it to introduce contrast:

In the beginning, I didn’t like my neighbourhood, but now I’m very happy there. 

In this sense, it means the same as AT FIRST. 

AT THE BEGINNING

This refers to a specific time or place; a single point that was the start of something:

I introduced myself at the beginning of the meeting.

There was a horrifying scene at the beginning of the film.

IN THE END

Similar to ‘in the beginning’, IN here refers to the end of a longer process, development, situation etc. The phrase means the same as EVENTUALLY, FINALLY:

I was trying to learn Japanese; in the end, I gave up.

The war was very long and difficult, but we won in the end.

AT THE END

Same as with ‘at the beginning’, this too refers to a specific location or a point in time:

You’ll find my house at the end of the road.

The film was so sad, everyone cried at the end.

I hope this was not too difficult. You can practise this a bit by doing my short grammar quiz on this topic!

I’m a freelance language tutor (English, Latin, Classical Greek), researcher, and a literary scholar currently based in Belgrade, Serbia.  

If you wish to receive new content from my blog – as soon as it’s published – please enter your email address in the box below. You can also subscribe to my free monthly Newsletter and get a regular recap with additional content.

To support my work, you can send me a donation via PayPal. It would be greatly appreciated!

Grammar dilemmas: ‘in the beginning’ or ‘at the beginning’?

A mistake I often hear in conversation classes has to do with the choice of preposition before the nouns ‘beginning’ and ‘end’. Did something happen ‘in the beginning’ or ‘at the beginning’? And what happened ‘in the end’? Or is it ‘at the end’?

Likely due to influence of Serbian / Croatian – most of my students’ mother tongue – I also often hear ‘on the beginning’ and ‘on the end’ (na početku, na kraju). 

So, which one is it?

To eliminate one for starters, ‘on’ the beginning / end is NOT an option, as it’s grammatically incorrect. It’s also a good lesson: never translate prepositions literally!

The good news is that you can use both ‘in’ and ‘at’ with these nouns; the bad news is that they don’t mean exactly the same thing. Let’s check out the difference.

IN THE BEGINNING

This has a more general meaning, implying the beginning of a longer process, historical event or development. One usually has in mind a whole period of time, not any single moment. A great example of this is the opening verse of the Bible, which starts like this:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1)

Later verses describe these events in greater detail; all of which were “in the beginning.”

You can also use it to introduce contrast:

In the beginning, I didn’t like my neighbourhood, but now I’m very happy there. 

In this sense, it means the same as AT FIRST. 

AT THE BEGINNING

This refers to a specific time or place; a single point that was the start of something:

I introduced myself at the beginning of the meeting.

There was a horrifying scene at the beginning of the film.

IN THE END

Similar to ‘in the beginning’, IN here refers to the end of a longer process, development, situation etc. The phrase means the same as EVENTUALLY, FINALLY:

I was trying to learn Japanese; in the end, I gave up.

The war was very long and difficult, but we won in the end.

AT THE END

Same as with ‘at the beginning’, this too refers to a specific location or a point in time:

You’ll find my house at the end of the road.

The film was so sad, everyone cried at the end.

I hope this was not too difficult. You can practise this a bit by doing my short grammar quiz on this topic!

I’m a freelance language tutor (English, Latin, Classical Greek), researcher, and a literary scholar currently based in Belgrade, Serbia.  

If you wish to receive new content from my blog – as soon as it’s published – please enter your email address in the box below. You can also subscribe to my free monthly Newsletter and get a regular recap with additional content.

To support my work, you can send me a donation via PayPal. It would be greatly appreciated!

One of the most frequent mistakes I hear from students has to do with the use of the words “work” and “job”. 😬

In my latest blog post, I explain their core meaning and try to make a clear distinction between them. If you never know which one to choose, this post is for you!

Link in bio or visit
https://grammaticus.blog/2025/12/03/work-vs-job/

#learningenglish #englishteacher #englishvocabulary #englishlesson #education

One of the most frequent mistakes I hear from students has to do with the use of the words “work” and “job”. 😬

In my latest blog post, I explain their core meaning and try to make a clear distinction between them. If you never know which one to choose, this post is for you!

Link in bio or visit
https://grammaticus.blog/2025/12/03/work-vs-job/

#learningenglish #englishteacher #englishvocabulary #englishlesson #education

One of the most frequent mistakes I hear from students has to do with the use of the words “work” and “job”. 😬

In my latest blog post, I explain their core meaning and try to make a clear distinction between them. If you never know which one to choose, this post is for you!

Link in bio or visit
https://grammaticus.blog/2025/12/03/work-vs-job/

#learningenglish #englishteacher #englishvocabulary #englishlesson #education

One of the most frequent mistakes I hear from students has to do with the use of the words “work” and “job”. 😬

In my latest blog post, I explain their core meaning and try to make a clear distinction between them. If you never know which one to choose, this post is for you!

Link in bio or visit
https://grammaticus.blog/2025/12/03/work-vs-job/

#learningenglish #englishteacher #englishvocabulary #englishlesson #education

One of the most frequent mistakes I hear from students has to do with the use of the words “work” and “job”. 😬

In my latest blog post, I explain their core meaning and try to make a clear distinction between them. If you never know which one to choose, this post is for you!

Link in bio or visit
https://grammaticus.blog/2025/12/03/work-vs-job/

#learningenglish #englishteacher #englishvocabulary #englishlesson #education

Did you wake up to a thick blanket of snow this morning? ❄️ Then it's the perfect time to revise some English #vocabulary and learn a few new words related to #snow! ✍️

https://grammaticus.blog/2021/12/07/snow/

#learningenglish #englishteacher #englishvocabulary #englishlesson

Image credit: Pei Yu via Unsplash

Did you wake up to a thick blanket of snow this morning? ❄️ Then it's the perfect time to revise some English #vocabulary and learn a few new words related to #snow! ✍️

https://grammaticus.blog/2021/12/07/snow/

#learningenglish #englishteacher #englishvocabulary #englishlesson

Image credit: Pei Yu via Unsplash

Did you wake up to a thick blanket of snow this morning? ❄️ Then it's the perfect time to revise some English #vocabulary and learn a few new words related to #snow! ✍️

https://grammaticus.blog/2021/12/07/snow/

#learningenglish #englishteacher #englishvocabulary #englishlesson

Image credit: Pei Yu via Unsplash

Did you wake up to a thick blanket of snow this morning? ❄️ Then it's the perfect time to revise some English #vocabulary and learn a few new words related to #snow! ✍️

https://grammaticus.blog/2021/12/07/snow/

#learningenglish #englishteacher #englishvocabulary #englishlesson

Image credit: Pei Yu via Unsplash

Did you wake up to a thick blanket of snow this morning? ❄️ Then it's the perfect time to revise some English #vocabulary and learn a few new words related to #snow! ✍️

https://grammaticus.blog/2021/12/07/snow/

#learningenglish #englishteacher #englishvocabulary #englishlesson

Image credit: Pei Yu via Unsplash

Let’s talk about mushrooms!

[The following post is primarily intended for English language learners, level B1 and above.]

If you’ve been following this blog or any of my social media accounts, you probably know how fascinated I am with the incredible world of mushrooms. I just love seeing them in nature, taking photos of them, reading about them… They are so weird and amazing!

In this blog post I’ll present some of the basic words you’ll need when describing mushrooms in English. You never know when they might come in handy. You’ll notice that all of them have other meanings, so you probably already know at least some of them from other contexts.

In the post I’ll be using photos made earlier this month on one of my walks through the Forest of Bojčin, some 30 km from Belgrade.

PARTS OF A MUSHROOM

What you notice first when looking for mushrooms is their top, which often looks like an umbrella. This is a cap. The official botanical term is pileus, which is a Latin word for a type of cap worn in some parts of Europe in ancient and mediaeval times.

The stalk supporting the cap is called a stem or stipe. The latter word comes from the Latin stipes – a post, a trunk.

If you look at the underside of a mushroom, some of them have these elegant, almost geometrical structures known as gills. Fish also have gills, which allow them to breathe. In mushrooms, these gills serve to produce and distribute spores. The Latin term is lamella (pl. lamellae), which literrally means “a thin plate.”

In the same photo you can see the ring, which is simply a translation of the Latin term annulus. As a mushroom grows, some of the tissue is left over on the stem. The presence of rings can help a lot when identifying mushrooms.

I used to have these on my fingers, and I hated them – warts! On humans and animals, warts are benign (but annoying) growths on the skin caused by certain viruses. On some mushrooms they look like scales or flakes. They are not an infection, but are the remnants of a structure that covered the mushroom when it was young (the so-called “universal veil”).

As you can imagine, there are many more words to describe mushrooms in much greater detail. To explore, have a look at the list of recommended resources at the end of this post.

SOME COMMON WORDS AND PHRASES

I never pick wild mushrooms by myself, because I’m never sure which ones are edible and which ones are poisonous. 

• wild mushrooms grow in nature; the ones you can buy in a supermarket are cultivated mushrooms
• edible is an adjective meaning suitable or safe to eat; the opposite is inedible; another possible antonym is the adjective poisonous – those ones can easily kill you

Some mushrooms contain a powerful chemical substance that causes hallucinations. Such mushrooms are known as magic or psychedelic mushrooms or simply shrooms.

Mushrooms with healing properties are referred to as medicinal mushrooms.

DESCRIBING TASTE AND SMELL

I love adjectives that bring to mind the rich taste, aroma and texture of food. These ones you can also use when talking about mushrooms.

• woody: this one can refer to either taste, aroma or texture – or all three combined; when describing fungi and vegetables, it can refer to their tough texture which may be difficult to chew, or the taste similar to earthy – some people love it, others think it tastes like mud!
• earthy: deep taste or aroma often used to describe vegetables such as potatoes and beetroots
• nutty: tastes like nuts 
• savoury: salty; also very tasty and flavourful
• delicate: has a light and subtle flavour
• fruity: has a sweet taste or smell, like fruits
• meaty: it has a lot of flesh, feels like eating meat

The following ones describe more unpleasant flavours or aromas:

• bitter: if you chew on a bitter mushroom, it’s typically a bad sign; this is a sharp taste that some people (myself included) actually like – think of black coffee or dark chocolate: yum!
• musty, mouldy (A.E. moldy): mould, in this case, is a nasty, dark type of fungus growing on wet surfaces, often in bathrooms or basements; you can use these adjectives to describe something with that unpleasant earthy taste and smell
• astringent: this is a very rich word that describes something that’s at the same time sharp, sour, bitter, and feels kind of dry; certain berries have that astringent taste, also many mushrooms

Here are some more of my lovely mushrooms. For homework, choose one of them, write a brief description, and post it in the comments section! I’ll be happy to read and check your writing!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Mushroom Anatomy: A Deep Dive Into the Parts of a Mushroom

The Parts of a Mushroom – online vocabulary quiz

Mushrooms as Medicine

NOTES

If you wish to receive new content from the Grammaticus blog in your inbox, please enter your email address in the box below. You can also subscribe to my free monthly Newsletter.

To support my work, you can send me a donation via PayPal. It would be greatly appreciated!

#EnglishLanguage #EnglishLesson #EnglishTeacher #EnglishVocabulary #fungi #learningEnglish #mushrooms #mycology #nature #naturePhotography #photography

What "World Ain't All Sunshine and Rainbows" REALLY Means | Famous English #Idiom Explained

If you're looking to improve your vocabulary and speaking skills, you're in the right place!

👍 Like this video if you learned something new!
🔔 Follow ReviewEng for more English lessons.
💬 Comment below with your favorite idiom!

#LearnEnglish #EnglishIdioms #SunshineAndRainbows #AdvancedEnglish #ESL #SpeakEnglish #ReviewEng #EnglishLesson #IdiomOfTheDay #RockyBalboa

That Awful Feeling When You Have to 'Bite the Bullet' 😫

Ever been in a tough spot where you just had to face the music? That's "biting the bullet"! 💥

In this short video, we break down one of the most common English idioms with two real-life examples you've DEFINITELY experienced.

Don't forget to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE for more daily English lessons! ❤️

#Shorts #LearnEnglish #BiteTheBullet #EnglishIdioms #Viral #Reels #EnglishLesson #SpeakEnglish #Idiom #LanguageLearning #StudentLife #ReviewEng

#dereinzige #englishlesson

i read stirner again and i try a little bit to compare wolfis translation with the original berlin edition

You have bats in your belfry!

Du hast einen Sparren zu viel!

#dereinzige #englishlesson

i read stirner again and i try a little bit to compare wolfis translation with the original berlin edition

You have bats in your belfry!

Du hast einen Sparren zu viel!

#dereinzige #englishlesson

i read stirner again and i try a little bit to compare wolfis translation with the original berlin edition

You have bats in your belfry!

Du hast einen Sparren zu viel!

Don't always say VERY! Advanced English Vocabulary

#english #learnenglish #vocabulary #shorts #speakenglish #englishvocabulary #englishlesson #esl #englishlearning #englishspeaking #englishteacher #englishtips #englishclass #very #abclearningenglish

Informal vs Formal English
#english #learnenglish #vocabulary #shorts #speakenglish #englishlearning #englishteacher #englishlesson #esl #englishvocabulary #englishspeaking
#englishclass #englishgrammar

Instead of "very" #english #learnenglish #vocabulary
🔍 Looking to enrich your vocabulary and express yourself more precisely? This video is a fantastic resource for anyone seeking to avoid overusing the word 'very' in their speech and writing.

🗣️ It offers a variety of alternative words and phrases that can be used in place of 'very,' helping viewers to communicate more effectively and creatively.

#shorts #englishlearning #speakenglish #englishlesson #very #englishvocabulary

We noticed a floor lamp in a movie scene with a glass shade quite like an upside-down chandelier, and decided to name the style "ghandelier," as an #opposite, just like #stalactites and #stalagmites.

"C" for ceiling and "G" for ground. Get it? #EnglishLesson

We noticed a floor lamp in a movie scene with a glass shade quite like an upside-down chandelier, and decided to name the style "ghandelier," as an #opposite, just like #stalactites and #stalagmites.

"C" for ceiling and "G" for ground. Get it? #EnglishLesson

We noticed a floor lamp in a movie scene with a glass shade quite like an upside-down chandelier, and decided to name the style "ghandelier," as an #opposite, just like #stalactites and #stalagmites.

"C" for ceiling and "G" for ground. Get it? #EnglishLesson

We noticed a floor lamp in a movie scene with a glass shade quite like an upside-down chandelier, and decided to name the style "ghandelier," as an #opposite, just like #stalactites and #stalagmites.

"C" for ceiling and "G" for ground. Get it? #EnglishLesson

We noticed a floor lamp in a movie scene with a glass shade quite like an upside-down chandelier, and decided to name the style "ghandelier," as an #opposite, just like #stalactites and #stalagmites.

"C" for ceiling and "G" for ground. Get it? #EnglishLesson

Crisps and chips.
You're welcome.
#englishlesson #crisps #chips