đ ‘I beg, Catherine, you will always wrap yourself up very warm about the throat, when you come from the rooms at night; and I wish you would try to keep some account of the money you spend; I will give you this little book on purpose.’ – Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey (1817) Have you […]
Lesson #150 (Part 1): When Should You Use ‘Shall’ Vs. ‘Will’? Read More »
‘And unrecorded left through many an Age, Worthy t’ have not remain’d so long unsung …’ – John Milton, ‘Paradise Regained’ (1671) These lines come from a poem â âParadise Regainedâ â which I first read as a teenager and whose opening section I copied into the notebook featured in the photograph above. ⊠You may have seen in an English lesson
Lesson #146: Do We Ever Use Double Negatives In English? Read More »
As I have mentioned in these short lessons before, I am convinced that one of the best ways to improve your standard of English is to memorise vocabulary in context. What better exercise then than to read some English poems, choose a few that you like, and learn them off by heart! I would like
Lesson #142: Improving Your English Expression By A Different Path Read More »
Do you find it challenging to write in English, despite having invested many hours, days or even years in studying the language? This is a common challenge not only for English language learners, but also among native English speakers. Writing encompasses the combination of processes: thinking, organising, recalling the appropriate vocabulary and spelling, and considering
Lesson #134: Improve Your Writing In English With Three Daily Exercises Read More »
Here we will look at a paragraph from Dombey and Son that illustrates how many âNON-ESSENTIAL CLAUSESâ (defined in the last post) Dickens tended to use. âïž By including such essential or non-essential clauses in your writing, you are discreetly REINFORCING or even INTRODUCING information that would otherwise âclutterâ your writing, and you are doing it in
Have you ever tried to write a sentence only to realise that you cannot seem to fit all the important points you wish to mention? We all understand that very long sentences are counterproductive; I am not recommending that you write those! But I have learnt that it is very effective sometimes to include some
Having read through George Eliotâs Middlemarch passage in the last post, I will share some insights into how she (George Eliot was Mary Ann Evansâ 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 »
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 eventâs ASPECTS. # 2 They can
Lesson #126: Mini-Lesson Monday (Part 1): Using Influential Adjectives in Written Texts Read More »
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 doesnât 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 arenât 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: đ ‘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 »