Mars and English Literature Posted by Gary Locke on Feb 25, 2021
Mars is back in the news. Not that it was ever really out of the news, but Mars has lately become the go-to place in our solar system. A probe launched by the United Arab Emirates, Hope, began orbiting the planet in early February to study the Martian atmosphere. China’s Tianwen-1 landed on Mars a…
The Incomplete Sentence Posted by Gary Locke on Feb 18, 2021
An incomplete sentence, or sentence fragment, is an incomplete thought. There is some vital piece of information missing. Usually, what’s missing is either a verb or a noun. This is elementary English and should be easy to identify. We know an incomplete sentence when we see one. Or, do we? When does a sentence fragment…
English Words and Phrases of Transition Posted by Gary Locke on Feb 11, 2021
In English, a transition is a word or phrase that links the idea from one paragraph to the next. It’s necessary to connect sentences and paragraphs so that thoughts and ideas merge. We need a bridge from one to the other, otherwise it just seems as though we are jumping from one thing to the…
It’s British, but is it English? Posted by Gary Locke on Feb 5, 2021
I admit to being an Anglophile, someone who is very fond of England, its culture, history, and people. Unfortunately, I also love the English language. Sometimes the two conflict with each other. I’m not just talking about words and phrases that the British use that are strange to those of us who are Americans. I’m…
Have a perfect future with the future perfect Posted by carol on Jan 29, 2021
Good morning, dear readers! January is drawing to an end and many of the questions and uncertainties from the previous year still haven’t been answered. My favorite discussion topic for this month, New Year’s Resolutions, ended up falling flat, as none of my friends or students were really eager to make any plans for the…
English Idioms and Expressions about Art Posted by Gary Locke on Jan 28, 2021
In English, we have many idioms and expressions that reference art. Perhaps because art is such a personal thing, producing emotional responses, we strive to find ways to express how it makes us feel and how to define it. I’m sure that the very word art means something different to everyone. “Life is sometimes hard…
The Hill We Climb Posted by Gary Locke on Jan 21, 2021
If you are studying the English language, you could not find a better example of its power than Amanda Gorman’s poem performed at the inauguration ceremony for President Joe Biden. The Hill We Climb is filled with rich imagery and figurative allusions from culture, history, and the Bible. Gorman was writing her poem for the…