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

Samuel Beckett: A Nobel Laureate with a Rebellious Spirit

Early Life and Education

Born into an Anglo-Irish upper-class family in Dublin, Samuel Beckett studied French at Trinity College. He also served as a teaching assistant in Paris, where he encountered literary giants like James Joyce.

Return to Dublin and Career Change

After returning to Dublin, Beckett became a professor. However, the discipline required for the job proved unsuited to his temperament, leading him to resign.

European Travels and Resistance

Beckett embarked on a journey across Europe, eventually settling in France. During World War II, he joined the French Resistance movement and later hid on a farm for safety.

Post-War Success and Nobel Prize

After the war, Beckett returned to... Continue reading "Samuel Beckett and Shelagh Delaney: Challenging Conventions" »

Vocabulary: Health and Feelings

Complete the exercise with one of the words given.

1. There are specific departments in hospitals to treat chronic illness.
2. My back pain is getting worse. I'll have to go to the doctor.
3. He hurt her feelings and she doesn't want to see him anymore.
4. She can hardly speak. She has a sore throat.
5. He loves eating hearty meals, but afterward, he often has stomach ache.
6. Mary is pregnant and she often feels sick in the mornings.
7. Mental disorders are quite dangerous for our health.

Grammar: Comparatives and Superlatives

Complete the following sentences using the comparative and superlative form of the adjectives in brackets.

1. This computer is newer than your computer.
2. Lucy is the youngest in the class.
3. This house is bigger than my house!

The Dawn of the Modern Age

The late Victorian era was marked by the decline of traditional Victorianism, characterized by agricultural and industrial depression and a profound crisis of faith triggered by Darwin's On the Origin of Species. This period saw a rebellion against Victorian morality, challenging hypocrisy and earnestness while embracing new perspectives on sexuality and the aesthetic movement of Art for Art's Sake.

Imperialism and Literary Voices

Joseph Conrad

Born in a Polish part of Ukraine to a nationalist family, Joseph Conrad faced early hardship, becoming an orphan at age 12. After moving to Marseilles and serving 16 years in the British Merchant Service, he settled in London as a British citizen. Though Polish was his mother tongue,... Continue reading "Modernism and Late Victorian Literature: Conrad, Kipling, and Hardy" »

Essential English Vocabulary

• Audience: (Público) Our audience are Internet users.
• Eye-opener: (Abrirte los ojos) This first week has been a real eye-opener.
• Performance: (Actuación) Her performance in the movie won her an Oscar.
• Rehearsal: (Ensayo) Great dress rehearsal everybody, thank you very much!
• Face: (Enfrentarse) We'll face a very difficult situation.
• Focus on: (Concentrarse) Education should focus on developing the whole person.
• Give up: (Rendirse) This is not the time to give up.
• Manage: (Arreglárselas) At her age, she can manage for herself.
• Point out: (Señalar) Let me point out something to you I think you're overlooking.
• Share: (Compartir) Small children must learn how to share.
• Struggle: (Luchar) Lose those who abandon their struggle.

1- The lottery is conducted on June 27th around ten o’clock. The titular lottery chooses one person from the town to be stoned to death every year for no other reason than tradition.

All the people of the town gather together and the heads of the extended families each draw one slip from the black box, but they do not unfold them until all the slips have been drawn. The one with the black dot on it goes to a second round of drawing to choose one household within the family. For the final drawing, one slip is placed in the box for each member of the household and the person with the black dot is stoned to death. In the story, this person is Tessie Hutchinson.

2- Old Man Warner responds to Mr. Adams who tells him that another village had given... Continue reading "Purpose and content of" »

Francois is awoken in the middle of the night by his sister, who calls him to the factory. There, he finds her husband dead, and she confesses to killing him. It is discovered that Helene had operated a machine that smashed down upon Andre's head and arm. Commissioner Charas, who is investigating the case, attempts to get an answer from her about what happened, but her only response to "why" is that she cannot say. Her actions land her in an insane asylum as the case is sorted out, where she spends her time catching flies and examining them closely. Regular visits from Francois and the Commissioner ensue, but to no progress. One day, Francois is talking to Helene's son, who explains about a fly Helene was obsessed with finding that had a white... Continue reading "The Fly: A Tale of Science, Obsession, and Tragedy" »

Life and Legacy of George Bernard Shaw

George Bernard Shaw was born in July 1856 in Dublin. As the youngest child of the family, he was first tutored by his uncle. Although his education was irregular and he was not a successful novelist, he became a highly successful playwright. Shaw was a dramatist, literary critic, and social propagandist. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925 and died in 1950.

Plot Summary: Mrs. Warren's Profession

Mrs. Warren's Profession consists of four acts, with just a single scene making up each act. Miss Vivie Warren, an intelligent, strong, and confident young woman of 22, has just finished college and comes home to get acquainted with her mother for the first time in her life.

Conflict and Relationships

Her... Continue reading "George Bernard Shaw: Mrs. Warren's Profession Analysis" »

Event Vocabulary and Campaign Terms

• Publicize — publicity / DIVULGAR / PUBLICITAT
• Meet — meeting / CONEIXER / TROBAR-SE
• Organize — organization / ORGANITZAR / ORGANITZACIÓ
• March — march
• Donate — donation / DONAR / DONACIÓ
• Collect — collection / RECOLLIR / COL·LECCIÓ
• Protest — protest / PROTESTAR
• Volunteer — volunteer / VOLUNTARIS
• Support — supporters / SUPORT
• Sponsor — sponsors / PATROCINADORS
• Petition — petition / PETICIONS
• Ban — ban / PROHIBIR
• Boycott — boycott / BOICOTEJAR
• Campaign — campaign / CAMPANYA

Grammar: Future Forms and Conditionals

Will

Form: Subject + will / won’t + infinitive

EXAMPLE: Arnau will be an astronaut.

EXAMPLE: I won’t get married.

Present Continuous

Form: I’m / He, She, It is / You, We, They are +... Continue reading "Event Vocabulary and Future Tenses in English" »

Verb Infinitive with 'to'

agree offer refuse advise ask forbid warn admit recommended

instruct invite remind suggest

Verb Object Infinitive with 'to'

boast of insist on congratulate sb on insist propose request

suggest recommend advise

Verb Preposition Gerund

boast of insist on congratulate sb on insist propose request

suggest recommend advise

Verb Object Preposition Gerund

boast of insist on congratulate sb on insist propose request

suggest recommend advise

Verb That Should

boast of insist on congratulate sb on insist propose request

suggest recommend advise

pres perf(have/has)/pas simpl = past perfe(had)

past perfe=past perfe

have to /has to=had to

would=would

should=should

will=would

GLORY BE

can=could

Glory be to the Father,

and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit,... Continue reading "Verb Infinitive with 'to' and Verb Object Infinitive with 'to'" »

Proposal Writing

Introduction

In response to your invitation, I am writing with regard to... The aim of this proposal is to... / This proposal is intended to highlight the current problems with... and give ideas for improving.

Conclusion

If these recommendations are implemented, the current (undesirable) situation with... will definitely improve. I trust you will give this proposal careful consideration.

Essay Writing

Many people feel that... It is widely believed that... It would be ideal if... Another argument in favour is...

Linking Words and Phrases

• Sequencing: First of all, ... Secondly, ... Finally, ...
• Addition: In addition, ... Moreover, ... Furthermore, ...
• Result: So... As a result, ... Therefore, ...
• Contrast: However, ... On the one hand..