Archive for 'English Language'
What is a Limerick? Posted by Gary Locke on Aug 15, 2016
How about a little light verse? We compose certain rhymes just for fun. Some that won’t be too sad, sober, or glum. We just want to demonstrate wit, With meaning that isn’t worth spit. And so now that it’s writ, I’m done! That was a limerick. It is one of the most basic examples…
Why Would You Want to Break a Leg? Posted by Gary Locke on Aug 1, 2016
I am a thespian, which means that I am an actor. The word derives from the name of the ancient Greek, Thespis, who is said (by Aristotle) to have been the first actor to play a character on stage other than himself. I should add that I am also a stage director, and I have…
Do You Lie Down or Lay Down? Posted by Gary Locke on Jul 13, 2016
Prepare yourself, because we are going to tackle one of the most confusing issues in proper English. The difference between the usage of lay and lie has been a grammatical nightmare for native English speakers since before the days of Shakespeare. Even the most articulate and educated among us seem to have problems with the…
Remembering Shakespeare Posted by Gabriele on Jun 7, 2016
This year marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death and the English-speaking world is remembering this amazing author in many ways. Although there is some debate about who the man William Shakespeare actually was, most people know him as one of the greatest English poets, playwrights (a person who writes plays), and actors that ever…
Ape-related expressions in English Posted by Gabriele on May 10, 2016
Apes are our closest animal relatives, so it should come as no surprise to you that expressions with references to apes (i.e. monkeys, gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans) are frequent in English. These expressions are particularly common when talking about human behaviors. Below is a list of common ape-related English expressions, with examples of how they are…
The Most Annoying English Words Online Posted by Gabriele on Apr 26, 2016
The last thing you want to do is offend someone you haven’t even met by being annoying. Unfortunately, this can happen pretty easily in today’s electronic-based world. We often “meet” people online long before we meet them in person and sometimes we never meet them in person! I found this interesting list (by Grammar.net) of…
One-word sentences in English Posted by Gabriele on Apr 19, 2016
Here I’m going to highlight some of the simplest sentences in English. All of these sentences are only ONE word long! Sit back, relax, and enjoy; these are going to be some of the easiest English sentences you’ve ever learned. (It is about time something in English was easy, right?!) One-word sentences in English come…