Tag Archives: English
It’s British, but is it English? Posted by Gary Locke on Feb 5, 2021
I admit to being an Anglophile, someone who is very fond of England, its culture, history, and people. Unfortunately, I also love the English language. Sometimes the two conflict with each other. I’m not just talking about words and phrases that the British use that are strange to those of us who are Americans. I’m…
You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 17, 2020
Sometimes a song comes along that everyone learns the words to just because the song is so much fun to sing. Even when the song is about the meanest, worst being on the planet. One of the most enduring tales of Christmas is the book and cartoon film, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas…
Test Your English Grammar Knowledge Posted by Gary Locke on Jul 9, 2020
Let’s see how well you know English grammar terms. I’m going to give you some grammatical terms with the letters of each term scrambled. You will then have to unscramble the term and match it to its definition. Answers will be found at the bottom of the page. No cheating! Grammar Terms reimedetrn rednug jerttencinio…
Let’s Test Your English Skills! Posted by Gary Locke on Apr 22, 2020
Image by Mary Pahlke from Pixabay, CCO Do you have a child taking classes from home? Or maybe you’re a teacher meandering your way around a virtual classroom. Aren’t you a little bit curious about what that learning experience is like? Perhaps you like games and would like to try your hand at a new…
Top English Blog Posts of 2018 Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 27, 2018
We have arrived at the end of another year. It is traditional to look back and reflect on what was on our minds over the preceding 12 months and to see which blogs got your attention. After all, we write these pieces for you, to help you understand our language and the culture in which…
The New Suffix Posted by Gary Locke on Jun 7, 2018
A suffix is a letter, or several letters, added to a word which then forms a new word. It is a tail at the end, wagging at us and saying, “Look at me! I’m something new!” A suffix can change a verb to a noun or an adjective. Add -ly to an adjective and you…
Before Wikipedia: The Encyclopaedia Britannica Posted by Gary Locke on Apr 26, 2018
Before there was Google and Wikipedia, the source of all knowledge for English speakers was the vast, multi-volume Encyclopaedia Britannica. Many homes had shelves devoted to it, teachers and scholars depended on it, and its prestigious reputation among such publications has remained unsurpassed for over three centuries, though much of that reputation may have depended…