đ But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, […]
Lesson #287: Adjectives, Adverbs, And Intensifier Adverbs in Eliotâs ‘Middlemarch’ Read More »
đ The old man, contrary to expectation, seemed to be on the way to recovery, when one night Silas, sitting up by his bedside, observed that his usual audible breathing had ceased. – George Eliot, Silas Marner (1861) How would you describe something dramatic and memorable that happened to you âone nightâ, as happened to
đ Our novel today is George Eliotâs Daniel Deronda (1876), which tells the story of two characters on a quest to find out their meaning in life and their place in the community they live in. While each of them has personal questions and struggles to face, sometimes they are able to share those experiences
Earlier this week we delved into (dived into) the ‘nuts and bolts‘ (an expression that means ‘everything relating to’) of direct and indirect speech. But of course, it takes time and space to cover such a large topic, and I noticed that some students had questions about the difference in tenses used in retelling indirect
Lesson #231: How two different tenses can be used together correctly in reported speech Read More »
This Lesson post builds on what was covered in Part 1, so if you missed it why not quickly review our basic outline of âïž 1) what direct and indirect speeches are, âïž 2) the main differences between them, and âïž 3) how to correctly use the verbs âto sayâ and âto tellâ in those
For the last couple of years, I have been reading George Eliotâs Middlemarch throughout May and June. It has 8 books (or sections) and so I read one book per week, finishing one of the longest books in just 8 weeks! đ It is a marvellous work, and has in fact been described as âone
đ Arthur had passed the village of Hayslope and was approaching the Broxton side of the hill, when, at a turning in the road, he saw a figure about a hundred yards before him which it was impossible to mistake for any one else than Adam Bede, even if there had been no grey, tailless
Lesson #216: Seven Nouns with Identical Singular and Plural Forms in ‘Adam Bede’ Read More »
đ ‘Ah, you’re fine and strong, arn’t you?’ said Silas, while Eppie shool her aching arms and laughed. ‘Come, come, let us go and sit down on the bank against the stile there, and have no more lifting. You might hurt yourself, child. You’d need have somebody to work for you – and my arm
If you have ever read books set in Victorian Britain, you may have noticed that women were generally discouraged from reading any books that might cause them to become intellectual. While novels, magazines, and some plays were considered acceptable for them to read, they were discouraged from reading works of science, philosophy, theology, or the
đ âWhy do you say âpoor Rosamondâ?â said Mrs Plymdale, a round-eyed sharp little woman, like a tame falcon. – George Eliot, Middlemarch (1871) As observed in our last lesson post (Part 1 of this lesson, ‘American vs British Quotation Mark Punctuation’), there are 4 main rules on how to punctuate quotations in English. Today we will
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 »