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Foreign Words in English (Part IV) Posted by Gabriele on May 11, 2012
Nobody knows for sure how many words there are in the English language because new words are being added all the time, but the number of words is estimated to be between 250,000 and a million. One reason for English’s large vocabulary is that it is a very inclusive language, meaning it absorbs words from…
The Family Tree Posted by Gabriele on May 10, 2012
Since I have been writing about plants and gardening in my last few posts I thought I might discuss a different kind of “plant” today, the family tree. A family tree is not a real plant or a real tree, but is in fact a chart representing family relationships in a hierarchical way. I…
Garden Vocabulary Posted by Gabriele on May 8, 2012
Here is some important gardening vocabulary you will need to know if you want to grow an English speaking garden 🙂 Below is also a picture of a garden with a short description of what is in the picture. In this short passage I use vocabulary outlined below as well as some new vocabulary that…
April showers bring May flowers Posted by Gabriele on May 6, 2012
We have a saying in English that goes like this: “April showers bring May flowers.” This is a simple saying, a rhyme, and a proverb that most English speakers know well. Since we have now entered the month of May and it is the time of year (in the northern hemisphere) that we start…
“Within” vs. “with in” vs. “in” Posted by Gabriele on May 4, 2012
A while back I wrote a post on the difference between can not and cannot and in the comments to that post a reader asked me to write about the difference between within and with in and without and with out. Well, it turns out there really is not a difference in meaning between without…
Lady Liberty Posted by Gabriele on May 3, 2012
A few days ago I gave a brief description of the persona “Uncle Same”, describing who he is, what he stands for, and the importance of this American icon. Today I thought I would introduce you to another patriotic American figure, this time a woman whose name is Lady Liberty. Unlike Uncle Sam, Lady…
May Day Posted by Gabriele on May 1, 2012
Today, May 1st, is what is known as “May Day” in English. This day is celebrated as a holiday in many countries around the world with varying significance and varieties of festivities. The celebration of May Day in the United States began with its early settlers who brought this holiday with them from England, France…