This week, we answer a question from Noel from France.
He writes, "Can you explain the difference between matter, problem and issue? In English lessons these three words come often in the conversation and I am never sure which I have to use. Thank you in advance for the explanation and thank you very much for the daily news and lessons." -- Noel, France. Dear Noel, As a learner of English you probably wonder: Why does the language have so many words with similar meanings? One reason is that some words are more common in formal or official settings than others. Let me start with "problem," the least formal of the words that you asked about. "Problem" is a word that you can use in many different situations.