Great American Cities – Philadelphia Posted by sasha on Jan 19, 2015
After visiting the Big Apple, it’s time to head to one of America’s most historic cities. This is the place where the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 – Philadelphia. Name: Way back in 1681, William Penn was given a large amount of land from King Charles II for what would become…
English Modal Verbs: How and why to use them. Posted by Gabriele on Jan 13, 2015
Modal verbs are a unique category of verbs in English, they have their own rules, which are not the same as other verbs. This post offers an overview (or review) of how modal verbs are different from other verbs, and how/why we use them in English. To start off, here is a list of common…
Emily Dickinson: A famous American writer Posted by Gabriele on Jan 6, 2015
Today, I would like to introduce you to a famous American writer and one of her poems. Emily Dickinson was poet who lived a solitary and introverted life (introverted = inward focused), but who wrote innovated and distinctive poems. Here is her story. Emily Dickinson was born in 1830 in the town of Amherst, Massachusetts…
A trip to Seattle, Washington, USA. Posted by Gabriele on Jan 1, 2015
To start out the new year, let me take you on a virtual trip to Seattle the fastest growing (i.e. increasing in population) city in America. Maybe after reading this post you will want to be one of the next people to move to this city and help keep it growing! Seattle is a city…
New York City Video Tour Posted by sasha on Dec 31, 2014
Check out the “Streets, Beats & Eats” of America’s most famous city – New York – in this short travel video. See famous landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty and Central Park, check out some cool artwork on the High Line, munch on New York classics like bagels and pastrami sandwiches, and catch plenty…
Using the diminutive in English Posted by Gabriele on Dec 30, 2014
Many languages have a special way to talk about things (usually people) with tenderness, love, endearment, or familiarity – this is usually referred to linguistically as the “diminutive.” A diminutive form of a word implies that something is small, cute, loved, or special. It is often used when referring to children, but as I already…
Recipe for Eggnog in English: A Christmas time tradition. Posted by Gabriele on Dec 25, 2014
It is Christmas today – Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates! If you are in the United States around Christmas you are very likely to drink the traditional drink of eggnog this time of year. So today, let’s raise our glasses and enjoy this holiday with a toast to eggnog! Eggnog is a traditional drink…