Archive by Author
Top English “apple” idioms and phrases Posted by Gabriele on May 27, 2014
In a post last week, I introduced you to the American legend of Johnny Appleseed. Today I want to piggyback* off that post and introduce you to some great expressions in English that have the word “apple” in them. Apples are not only healthy and delicious, but they are also a culturally important food in…
Legend and folklore: Paul Bunyan and his big blue ox Posted by Gabriele on May 22, 2014
Here is another story about an American legend… Paul Bunyan is America character who is famous in folklore. The character Paul Bunyan, and stories about who he is, were first told among lumberjacks* in the Northeastern part of the United States and Canada. The first printed story about him was published in the state…
Legend and folklore: Johnny Appleseed one of America’s best Posted by Gabriele on May 20, 2014
This week (in this post and my next one later this week) I am going to introduce you to a few American legends. Today, I have a story and history lesson for you about, Johnny Appleseed. Johnny Appleseed was a real man who made a difference in America when it was a new country. The…
How to be perfect – using the perfect tenses Posted by Gabriele on May 15, 2014
Time for a grammar lesson! Let’s take a look at the perfect tenses. (If you want to know a little more about the picture above watch this commercial about The Most Interesting Man in the World!) Now back to grammar, the most interesting topic in English! There are three “perfect tenses” in English. No, this…
Metaphors and similes Posted by Gabriele on May 13, 2014
Check out this overview of metaphors and similes by Grammar.net. Learning to use metaphors and similes is a great way to make your written and spoken language more interesting, but first you have to know what these are and what the difference is between the two. First you should know; a simile is a metaphor…
Not quite human: From centaurs to zombies Posted by Gabriele on May 6, 2014
There are a lot of beings that are talked about in books, myths, and shown on movies and TV that aren’t human, but are like humans. Of course, all of these different beings have names and today I am going to present the English words/names for these creatures that are ‘not quite human.’ Creatures that…
Apostrophes are important too! Posted by Gabriele on May 1, 2014
According to Grammar.net, the most common grammar mistake in English is a misplaced or missing apostrophe! Do you believe this? I’m not sure I do, there are just so many grammar mistakes out there, but I do know that learning to use apostrophes correctly in English is very important and many ESL learners make mistakes…