Household issues in English Posted by carol on May 30, 2019
Hello to all readers! How has the month of May been treating you? Moving or spending some time in a new country can be a great source of joy and excitement as a new world opens up and you become part of another culture that is often not similar to yours. However, it is common…
Native American Flowers Posted by Gary Locke on May 23, 2019
Honestly, late May into June is my favorite time of the year here in New England. The birds are back, I get to pull out my lighter weight clothing, and everywhere I look it’s green spattered with the colors of plants and flowers which have been dormant for months. It’s a time of renewal and…
The Many Possibilities of English Vocabulary Posted by Gary Locke on May 16, 2019
Many of us understand that homonyms are words with the same spelling or pronunciation but have different meanings and origins. We encounter homonyms every day. We also deal with polysemous words, or polysemes, which are words which can be used to express different meanings but have similar origins. The difference between homonymy and polysemy is…
Stage and Theater Vocab Posted by Gary Locke on May 9, 2019
As I have mentioned in this space before, I work in theater. The world of theater has its own very unique vocabulary, some of which may sound very familiar to you, while some will probably sound quite odd. This seems like a good time to share and explain some of the most important vocabulary terms…
The Vaccination Vexation Posted by Gary Locke on May 2, 2019
The US Center for Disease Control has announced that measles, one of the most contagious diseases in the world, is at a twenty-five-year high. It is this nation’s highest total since 1994, with eight full months to go in the year. Today, as I write this, a cruise ship has been quarantined because of an…
Words to use instead of ‘very’ – Part II Posted by carol on Apr 30, 2019
Good afternoon to all readers! How have you been? In the previous post we went over some words in English that can be used instead of ‘very’ to avoid its excessive use, in addition to diversifying and boosting your vocabulary. So here are a couple of more suggestions for you. Enjoy: eager or thrilled instead…
Begging for a Question Posted by Gary Locke on Apr 25, 2019
We hear it, or read it, all the time in English. A statement is made, followed by “…Which begs the question…” Does it? Does it really? I am about to get up on my grammatical soapbox, which is to say that I am about to rant. Forgive me, but it’s time to stop the annoying…