English Vocabulary

Lesson #126: Mini-Lesson Monday (Part 2): Using Influential Adjectives in Written Texts

/

Having read through George Eliot’s Middlemarch passage in the last post, I will share some insights into how she (George Eliot was Mary Ann Evans’ pseudonym) used ADJECTIVES to achieve her purpose. A little bit of background: This passage describes Dorothea Brooke, a young woman who is newly married to a middle-aged scholar. In this passage, she has […]

Lesson #126: Mini-Lesson Monday (Part 2): Using Influential Adjectives in Written Texts Read More »

Lesson #126: Mini-Lesson Monday (Part 1): Using Influential Adjectives in Written Texts

/

Mini-Lesson Monday (Part 1): While admiring these white cyclamens in the pale autumn sunshine, I was reminded of the power of ADJECTIVES in description. Especially when they are suitably chosen! Adjectives are so important for several reasons.  # 1 They are valuable in DISTINCTLY DESCRIBING a person, object or event’s ASPECTS. # 2 They can

Lesson #126: Mini-Lesson Monday (Part 1): Using Influential Adjectives in Written Texts Read More »

Lesson #125: How Reading Rhythmically Can Improve Your English Intonation

/

As I sit at my desk, I can see how windy, even stormy, the weather is outside. Sometimes, the sun breaks through the clouds for a while, but it doesn’t last long! This changeable windy weather is very common here in Ireland during the autumn months, but it is one of the reasons that I

Lesson #125: How Reading Rhythmically Can Improve Your English Intonation Read More »

Lesson #123: Discovering a Writing Style or Voice That Reflects Personality (Part 2)

/

In the previous post, we began looking at a passage by Jane Austen (continued below) to consider how she created distinctive voices for different characters: 📙 ‘Marianne was astonished to find how much the imagination of her mother and herself had outstripped the truth. “And you really are not engaged to him!” said she. “Yet

Lesson #123: Discovering a Writing Style or Voice That Reflects Personality (Part 2) Read More »

Lesson #123: Discovering a Writing Style or Voice That Reflects Personality (Part 1)

/

One of the most rewarding stages in language learning is when you begin to have your own STYLE or VOICE in the language you have been studying.  As a proofreader of various texts, I must exercise caution when correcting a text so that I do not end up changing the writer’s style, but rather know

Lesson #123: Discovering a Writing Style or Voice That Reflects Personality (Part 1) Read More »

Lesson #119: Teatime Literary Reflections (and the Power of Good Storytelling) (Part 2)

/

As promised, here are some observations on the passage from Elizabeth Gaskell’s Cranford, as referenced in the previous post: 🖋️ Gaskell’s approach here is more conversational than the style of other classic novels. This is because the story is told by one of the characters in the book.  🖋️ Gaskell uses the word ‘very’ several times

Lesson #119: Teatime Literary Reflections (and the Power of Good Storytelling) (Part 2) Read More »

Lesson #119: Teatime Literary Reflections (and the Power of Good Storytelling) (Part 1)

/

Teatime! A light dinner eaten in the late afternoon or evening that is still popular in Britain and Ireland.  I’m at home alone this evening, so I decided to serve my tea and scone on my Grandmother’s china, an heirloom passed down through the years. However, teatime is traditionally a time for the family (and

Lesson #119: Teatime Literary Reflections (and the Power of Good Storytelling) (Part 1) Read More »

Lesson #117: More Vocabulary to Help with Reading Hardy’s ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’ (and Other Books!) (Part 2)

/

As mentioned in the previous post, where I quoted from Thomas Hardy’s Under the Greenwood Tree (1872), here is a short list of vocabulary to help with understanding the same passage. 🍃A quick question: how did you find the text? Was it challenging in terms of vocabulary? Did you understand most of it? ✨Did you enjoy his

Lesson #117: More Vocabulary to Help with Reading Hardy’s ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’ (and Other Books!) (Part 2) Read More »

Lesson #117: Starting to Read English Classics? (Part 1)

/

In my previous post, I offered a few pointers to help English students get started with classic literature. Can I recommend some good classics to start with? Of course! When I conducted a bookshelf search, I immediately came across Under the Greenwood Tree (1872), one of Thomas Hardy’s early works and a good choice for most

Lesson #117: Starting to Read English Classics? (Part 1) Read More »

Lesson #116: ‘Passion for Dead Leaves’: Tips on How to Read (and Enjoy) Old Classics as an English Language Student

/

After admiring these acer tree leaves today, I was reminded of a memorable conversation among the Dashwood sisters in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (1811): “Dear, dear Norland,” said Elinor, “probably looks much as it always does at this time of the year. The woods and walks [are] thickly covered with dead leaves.” “Oh,” cried Marianne, “with

Lesson #116: ‘Passion for Dead Leaves’: Tips on How to Read (and Enjoy) Old Classics as an English Language Student Read More »

Lesson #115: Some Tips for Memorising Even More Vocabulary

/

When we are learning a language, we often memorise new vocabulary by using flashcards or repeatedly writing out lists of words. These methods can be helpful, but not everyone remembers what they have so diligently studied afterwards! 🤔 A French teacher once shared a very helpful tip with me, and I want to share it

Lesson #115: Some Tips for Memorising Even More Vocabulary Read More »

Lesson #114: Mini-lesson Monday (Part 2): Charles Dickens and How Vocabulary ‘Groups’ Create a Strong Atmosphere in Your Writing

/

Mini-lesson Monday, Part 2: 2) While having the definitions of difficult vocabulary does help us to understand the passage, the most important thing when reading this paragraph from the opening pages of Bleak House ( as seen in the previous post) is to focus on the repetitive word ‘FOG’ particularly in the context of London’s setting, establishes

Lesson #114: Mini-lesson Monday (Part 2): Charles Dickens and How Vocabulary ‘Groups’ Create a Strong Atmosphere in Your Writing Read More »