đ “… my mother has not gone into details. She chiefly communicates with us by means of telegrams, and her telegrams are rather inscrutable. They say women donât know how to write them, but my mother has thoroughly mastered the art of condensation. ‘Tired America, hot weather awful, return England with niece, first steamer decent […]
âđ ‘Marilla whisked into the kitchen, grievously disturbed, leaving a very much distracted little soul in the porch behind her. Presently Anne stepped out bareheaded into the chill autumn dusk; very determinedly and steadily she took her way down through the sere clover field over the log bridge and up through the spruce grove, lighted
Lesson #140 (Part 2): How To Correctly Identify And Position Adverbs Read More »
đș ‘Now, you mustnât cry any more, but come down with me and show me your flower garden. Miss Cuthbert tells me you have a little plot all your own. I want to see it, for Iâm very much interested in flowers.â – Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables (1908) [emphasis mine] Even if you are reading this
Lesson #140 (Part 1): How To Correctly Identify And Position Adverbs 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 »
The last day of October, Halloween, or âAll Hallowâs Eveâ as it used to be called! I personally don’t like dark and spooky stories, so to end the month of October, I’m going to share with you something bright and cheerful: a picture of the sun shining on the birch trees at the bottom of
Lesson #131: All Hallow’s Eve Reflections On Autumn, With Scottish Poet James Thomson Read More »
I thought that today it would be nice to share from my current reading, Frances Burneyâs Evelina, and use some texts from it to elaborate on what we looked at yesterday, namely, the value of COMMAS in your writing. We talked about the âOxford commaâ (also known as the âserial comma) and how it can be
Lesson #130: Introducing ‘Evelina’ (And Appositive Phrases) Read More »
Do you ever wonder, when you are writing a series of items, whether or not you are using commas in the correct manner? In the past, I also used to be unsure about this serial comma, also known as the âOxford commaâ because of its widespread use by the Oxford University Press. Today I will
Lesson #129: The Oxford Or Serial Comma (And When It Should Be Used) Read More »
In the previous post, we defined gerunds and participles in English grammar and discussed the differences between them. We also read two passages from Hard Times (1854) by Charles Dickens in order to find out which ones contain gerunds or participles. Do you have confidence in your ability to identify gerunds from present participles when
For many students, one tricky point in English grammar is understanding the distinction between gerunds and participles. How do you find them? Are they understandable? If not, thatâs fine! I will offer a brief explanation and a couple of illustrations from Charles Dickensâ classic, Hard Times. Firstly, a participle is a word that derives from a verb and can end with
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 »