Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for English

This collection features five captivating supernatural tales, each delving into themes of mystery, tragedy, and the unexplained.

1. The Faithful Ghost: A Tale of Unrequited Love

This story is about a child who lives in a house haunted by a ghost named Johnson. When Johnson was alive, he was deeply in love with Emily. However, he was poor and she was rich, so he decided to travel to Australia to earn his fortune. Upon his return to the house, Emily and her family were no longer there. He died in that very house, never having found her. Johnson was perpetually weeping, and the family living there decided to construct a fake grave to keep his mournful spirit from haunting the house.

2. Meeting Mrs. Dumoise: A Doctor's Tragic Journey

This story is... Continue reading "Eerie Narratives: A Collection of Supernatural Short Stories" »

Common English Phrasal Verbs

Get

• Get Up: Rise to your feet.
• Get Across: Make something understood.
• Get Along: Have a friendly relationship.
• Get Away: Go on vacation or escape.
• Get By: Manage to survive despite difficulties.
• Get Down: Become serious about something.
• Get In: Enter a place or arrive.
• Get Out: Become known or leave a place.
• Get On: Start or continue an activity.
• Get Off: Leave a vehicle or stop an activity.
• Get Over: Recover from or overcome something.
• Get Through: Finish something successfully.
• Get Rid Of: Throw something away.
• Get Around: Avoid a problem or difficulty.
• Get At: Criticize repeatedly.
• Get Wound Up: Become angry or agitated.
• Get Good At: Improve through practice.
• Get About: Move from place to place.
• Get After: Reprimand or pursue someone.

The Singular 'They': A Modern Grammar Debate

Is Using 'They' as a Singular Pronoun Grammatically Correct?

While riding the train recently, I overheard someone say, "Someone left their bag on the train." This seemingly simple sentence sparked a question: Is it grammatically correct?

Traditional Grammar Rules vs. Modern Usage

Traditional English grammar dictates using the singular pronoun "he" when the gender of a person is unknown. Therefore, the sentence should be, "Someone left his bag on the train."

However, many native English speakers would find nothing wrong with the original sentence. In spoken English, using "they" and "their" as singular pronouns when the gender is unknown or to avoid specifying gender is common.

Alternative Approaches

Cooking Verbs:

- Bake      - Grill            - Roast

- Chop     - Heat            - Season

- Fry        - Overcook     - Slice

- Grate    - Peel             - Spread

Quantities:

- A chunk of       - A piece of    - A spoonful of

- A cup of          - A pinch of    - A sprinkle

- A handful of    - A slice of    

- A packet of     - A splash of 

Grammar:

   Future Continuous

+ I’ll be making a pear smoothie (Will + be + -ing)

- We won’t be eating a lot of meat in the future (Won’t + be + -ing)

? What will you be making? (...Will…-ing)

Future Perfect

+ We’ll have seen and tasted some very unusual dishes. (Will have seen+ -ed).

- He won’t have finished by the end of the program. (Won’t have +... Continue reading "Cooking Verbs, Grammar, and Adjectives" »

If I have to tel you about the worst day in my life that would be my last birthday, the last 10th of january.

Mall of America Robbery: Two Injured, Suspect in Custody

George was tired because he had been working all day. So, he decided to spend his night watching television. He put on the news channel. Instantly, he was very surprised...

Two men were injured during a robbery at the Mall of America on Sunday night, and the suspect is in custody, the police said.

One of the victims confronted Abdi, the criminal, who then took out a knife and injured him, according to the investigators.

The police said the man began to scream, and his family rushed to his side. It is believed that the second victim was a family member or a close friend trying to help the first victim. It is expected that both men will survive.

The reporter added that the police told everyone... Continue reading "Mall of America Robbery: Two Injured, Suspect Arrested" »

Phonetics

is the systematic study of speech and the sounds of language.

Minimal pairs

A minimal pair is a pair of words that vary by only a single sound: Paul/call, pea/key, Peel/keel, Pick/kick, Poke/coke, Pool/cool, pea/key, bee/pea, bin/pin, beg/beg, beep/peep, bay/pay.

Place

In other words, these are the places where the constrictions and obstructions of air occur.

Bilabial

Articulated by the lower lip and upper lip /m/ /b/ /p/ /w/

Labio-dental

Articulated by the lip and teeth /f/ /v/

Dental

Articulated by the tongue and teeth /θ/v /ð/u

Alveolar

Articulated by the tongue and alveolar ridge t/ /d/ /s/ /z/ /ʧ/ /ʤ/ /n/ /l/ /t̬/

Palatal

Articulated by the tongue and hard palate /∫/ /ʒ/ /r/ /j/

Velar

Articulated by the tongue and velum /k/ /g/ /η/ (... Continue reading "Phonetics: The Study of Speech and Sounds of Language" »

Jacob Portman

This young boy is saddened by the strange death of his grandfather. With signs pointing to the supernatural, he travels to the children's home which housed his grandfather when he was young.

Grandpa Portman

Abe Portman is Jacob's grandfather, who grew up in the children's home on the island of Cairnholm under the supervision of Miss Peregrine. While in the home, he developed a relationship with Emma Bloom. Abe left the island and fought in the army, eventually moving to America and starting a new family. He dies at the very beginning of the novel, but leaves Jacob with the information he needs to find Miss Peregrine and her time loop on Cairnholm.

Mr./Mrs. Portman

Son of Abe and father of Jacob, he is an avid birdwatcher and aspiring... Continue reading "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: Characters and Plot Summary" »

A Teacher's Struggle

The film follows a teacher who is new to a racially divided and violent campus. She is dismayed by the students' lack of interest in learning and their propensity for violence. Seeking help from the school administration, she is met with apathy and subtle racism. Determined to make a difference, she takes matters into her own hands.

An Unconventional Approach

The teacher deviates from the planned curriculum, introducing classes on literature, art, and history. She uses engaging examples, such as comparing student gangs to the Nazis, to illustrate the dangers of hatred, violence, and prejudice. To encourage self-expression, she assigns a journaling project, initially met with resistance.

A Student's Dilemma

One student, a gang... Continue reading "Overcoming Prejudice and Violence: A Teacher's Impact" »