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englishgrammar.bsky.social
Bas Aarts
@englishgrammar.bsky.social
1.8K followers 3.4K following 57 posts
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
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englishgrammar.bsky.social
Bas Aarts @englishgrammar.bsky.social · Dec 8
My new substack on English Grammar is up and running:
basaarts.substack.com
englishgrammar.bsky.social
Whither the National Curriculum for English? New Substack post

open.substack.com/pub/basaarts...
Whither the National Curriculum for English?
Response to the Becky Francis Review of the National Curriculum
open.substack.com
November 22, 2025 at 12:44 PM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
New Substack post: Tricky relative clauses.
tinyurl.com/39x8cj8j

#grammar #relativeclause
Tricky relative clauses
The following attested example poses some interesting syntactic questions:
tinyurl.com
November 14, 2025 at 11:39 AM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
Are you in India and are you thinking of studying at UCL? Come and see us at the UCL India Open Days in Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Dehli!

www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-...
October 31, 2025 at 10:47 AM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
Did you attend this year's #EnglishGrammarDay? Check out this review by Peter Clark:

languagemiscellany.com/2025/08/engl...
English Grammar Day 2025 - Language Miscellany
I went last month to an event called English Grammar Day, hosted by University College London (UCL), the University of Oxford and the British Library. This annual event has been held ten times, but I ...
languagemiscellany.com
August 14, 2025 at 11:00 AM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
This really annoyed me in today’s UK press, a day before A-level results day
August 13, 2025 at 2:13 PM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
Great turnout at the 2025 #EnglishGrammarDay organised by UCL’s @uclenglishusage.bsky.social, @engfac.bsky.social and @britishlibrary.bsky.social
July 7, 2025 at 11:27 AM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
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
June 30, 2025 at 10:43 AM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
New Substack post: On so-called adjective clauses: a label to avoid

tinyurl.com/yc32zr4a

#grammar #adjectiveclause #TeHirangaTangata #nzcurriculum
June 27, 2025 at 9:05 AM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
Another day, another daft grammar quiz:

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/g...
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...
www.independent.co.uk
June 21, 2025 at 10:53 AM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
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
June 13, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Reposted by Bas Aarts
linguisticdiscovery.com
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
Do You Think Differently in Different Languages?
The brain’s response to information depends on language’s grammatical structure
www.scientificamerican.com
May 1, 2025 at 2:25 PM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
I never use semicolons, except sometimes in lists.

Do you?

www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
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
www.theguardian.com
May 18, 2025 at 1:37 PM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
"Could the English language die?"

Nah....

www.theguardian.com/books/2025/m...
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
www.theguardian.com
May 14, 2025 at 12:05 PM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
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
May 3, 2025 at 12:35 PM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
New Substack post: Can clauses function as Subject?

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

#grammar
April 30, 2025 at 5:00 PM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
New Substack post on Subjects.

basaarts.substack.com/p/subjects

#EnglishGrammar
Subjects
How do we define the notion of ‘Subject’ in grammar?
basaarts.substack.com
April 8, 2025 at 11:22 AM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
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...
engliciousucl.bsky.social Englicious - Free English Language Resources for Schools @engliciousucl.bsky.social · Apr 4
English Grammar Day is back for 2025 -- and tickets are on sale now!

Join us on Mon 7 July at the British Library for another great roster of speakers and discussion of all things grammar!

#EnglishGrammarDay

🔗Booking and more info:

www.ucl.ac.uk/english-usag...
April 4, 2025 at 1:21 PM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/m...
Gigil: word for ‘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
March 27, 2025 at 10:12 PM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
New verb 'anti-age' in The Times.
March 26, 2025 at 10:28 AM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
New Substack post: Can prepositional phrases function as Subject in a clause?

basaarts.substack.com/p/can-prepos...
Can prepositional phrases function as Subject in a clause?
Yes, but in a restricted way
basaarts.substack.com
March 21, 2025 at 11:37 AM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
When did human language emerge? www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
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.
www.sciencedaily.com
March 19, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Reposted by Bas Aarts
yvanspijk.bsky.social
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:
March 16, 2025 at 7:15 PM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
New research chapter, just published: 'Verb Phrases as Attributive Nominal Modifiers'

tinyurl.com/49crkbv4
March 6, 2025 at 11:55 AM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
New Substack post: 'Can adjective phrases function as Subject in a clause?'

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

#grammar #adjective
March 2, 2025 at 3:22 PM
englishgrammar.bsky.social
New Substack post: More on Predicative Complements: 'for' and 'as'

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

#grammar #EnglishGrammar
February 20, 2025 at 1:32 PM