“Alot” is Not a Word Posted by heather on Jan 4, 2012
I’ll never forget my first day of fourth* grade. We all entered the classroom complete with fresh supplies of notebooks, folders, pencils and glue. We sat at our desks full of optimism and anticipation and then the teacher, whose name I can’t remember, stood up and wrote something on the blackboard. “alot” No doubt we…
The Alphabet of Nations Posted by Gabriele on Jan 3, 2012
Here is a fun video that is a great reminder of the English alphabet and also a number of country names in the English language. This is a children’s song by the group They Might Be Giants (TMBG). TMBG is an American alternative rock band that formed in the 1980’s. They are known for their…
Happy New Year! Posted by Gabriele on Jan 1, 2012
How did you celebrate the coming of the new year last night? Another way I could ask that question is: “How did you ring in the new year?” The expression “to ring in” the new year is a modern expression with an old origin. This expression is connected to the aged custom to ring the…
Heather Tucker – A New English Blogger at Transparent Language Posted by heather on Dec 31, 2011
Hello! A very happy New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day (depending on where you are reading this from) to you! My name is Heather Tucker and I would like to introduce myself as a new blogger for the Transparent Language – English blog. As of today, I will be joining the team to bring you news…
The End of the Year and the Simple Past Tense Posted by Gabriele on Dec 29, 2011
As the year draws to a close you may find yourself talking about all of the amazing experiences you have had in 2011! For that you will need the past tense. The simple past tense (and past participle) for regular verbs in English is formed by adding -ed to the end of a base verb. …
A Visit to Portland, Maine Posted by Gabriele on Dec 27, 2011
I have spent the last two months living in Portland, Maine and before I move on I thought I would share with all of you some information about this great city. You can also find out more information about this city by visiting either of the two websites below, where you will see…
The Holiday of Kwanzaa Posted by Gabriele on Dec 26, 2011
Another holiday of the American “winter holiday season” begins today and that holiday is Kwanzaa. This is a uniquely America holiday that was created to celebrate and honor African-America heritage. Kwanzaa is a week long celebration from December 26 to January 1 each year. This is another holiday (just like Christmas and Hanukkah) that involves…