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 »
Over the last few days I have been listening to several podcasts and YouTube videos while doing housework. Almost all of these are hosted by English speakers from the U.S.A., and I noticed how many expressions are used in conversational American English that aren’t typically employed in the U.K. or Ireland. Many English language learners
Lesson #124: Some Ways British English Expressions Can Differ From American Expressions Read More »
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 »
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 »
Perhaps the English grammar tense that learners (and even native speakers) struggle most with is the SUBJUNCTIVE. ✍️ It has various forms that can be used in different situations, as long as those expressions refer to either a demand, a wish, a suggestion or a hypothetical situation (a situation that could happen but hasn’t yet happened). ✍️
Lesson #122: Different Usages of the Subjunctive in George Eliot’s ‘Middlemarch’ Read More »
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 »
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 »
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
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL Before the global pandemic, I had very different plans for Autumn 2020. As a matter of fact, this evening, I had planned to meet my fellow students and had had a special dinner that celebrated the beginning of a new academic year. (Have you noticed the past perfect tense in those sentences?) Being
Lesson #110: Being Focused and Intentional about Reading to Improve Ourselves Read More »
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL Sharing a short poem that I memorised in my childhood: O Rose thou art sick. The invisible worm, That flies in the night In the howling storm: Has found out thy bed Of crimson joy: And his dark secret love Does thy life destroy. – William Blake, ‘The Sick Rose’ (1794) Have you
Lesson #108: Why Reading Classic Poetry is Important: Blake’s ‘The Sick Rose’ Read More »