Tag Archives: English
Shakespeare’s Cursed Play Posted by Gary Locke on Jan 25, 2018
Imagine actors and stagehands working on a play with such a history of misfortune that they won’t even speak the play’s name. In fact, it is such a source of superstitious dread, that to even utter the play’s name in many theaters can get you banished from the building. Perhaps this would not matter so…
What If…? The If Clauses in English Posted by Gary Locke on Jan 18, 2018
From early childhood we dream of possibilities. We ask ourselves, and others, questions which begin with words like, “If only…” or “What if…”, each time considering a future with uncertainty, curiosity, and wonder. Every time we do this, we are employing what’s known in English as a conditional clause. A conditional clause is a type…
The Hobbit as English Literature Posted by Gary Locke on Sep 21, 2017
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. The Hobbit On September 21, 1937, a book was published which would have a profound and lasting effect on popular culture. It spawned other books by the same author, books about those books by scholars and fans, and an astonishing series of films. More importantly…
Writing About Time in English Posted by Gary Locke on Sep 7, 2017
I’m sure that you know how to tell time, but do you know all the ways that time can be written out on a page? What’s the preferred method? And what does GMT, and a.m. and p.m. mean, anyway? Many years ago, I was a radio announcer. At least twice every hour that I was…
What is Syntax? Posted by Gary Locke on Aug 31, 2017
“When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not.” The way you order your words when you speak or write is important. You want everyone to understand you. When Yoda, of Star Wars fame, speaks it isn’t always easy to instantly comprehend his meaning because his syntax is a bit odd…
English Ologies, Ographies, and Onomies Posted by Gary Locke on Jul 20, 2017
In English, you will find many words with the same suffix, or word ending. Three of the most common suffixes sound somewhat alike, and are often confused with each other. Here’s how to tell them apart, and some of the most common examples of each. Ology Ology is a real word, a noun taken from…
The Incomplete (English) Sentence Posted by Gary Locke on Jul 6, 2017
How can it be wrong, if it sounds so right? One of the first things you learn about constructing sentences in English is the very narrow definition of a complete sentence. A sentence must consist of A capital letter at the beginning A punctuation mark as a stopping point The main clause, consisting of an…