Daily Grammar – Week 7

I want to have my hair cut. (Yes)

(“Barber” is a noun and you cannot just derive a verb from it the same way you won’t derive “tail” from “tailor”, another noun! Maybe “barb” will become an English word in future but it is not one at present.)

2. You should arrive the venue to time. (No)

You should arrive the venue by time. (No)

You should arrive the venue on time. (Yes)

You should arrive the venue in time. (Yes)

(To be “on time” is to be somewhere at a particular designated time, neither especially early nor late. It is idiomatic. To be somewhere “in time” is to be there early enough, before a deadline. To be somewhere “by time” or “to time” is a solecism.)

3. I sent a word that I would not be in the office. (No)

I sent word that I would not be in the office. (Yes)

(To “send word” is a fixed expression that means to tell someone something by sending a letter or message. No one would make sense by sending a single word to anyone.)

Did You Know?

In addition to the word “lord”, which evolved from a word literally meaning “keeper of bread”, “lady” evolved from another word literally meaning “kneader of bread”.