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

A 1. We saw a man whose dog bit the postman.

2. She lives in that part of Paris where Jean-Paul Sartre was born.

3. He suddenly started shouting, which shocked me.

4. Windsurfing is a popular sport that needs a good sense of balance.

5. She works in Mario's, which is an Italian restaurant.

B 6. As the boy ran out of the house, he was shouting fire.

7. What she really hated was the dessert.

8. It was his appearance that made everyone laugh.

9. Not wanting to dance, I didn't go to the party.

10. I shook hands with her, saying that she was very funny.

C Choose: 11. What I liked about the film was all the funny jokes.

12. Not understanding the joke ...

13. I sold that's the girl...

14. Who tell, she gets angry with ..

15. Made, what... us very sad.... Continue reading "Improve Your Grammar: Common Mistakes to Avoid" »

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)

Jonathan Swift was born in Dublin, Ireland, to an English family with important connections but little wealth. Through the generosity of an uncle, he was educated at Kilkenny Grammar School and then Trinity College in Dublin. Between 1689 and 1699, he worked as a private secretary to a distant kinsman, Sir William Temple, a retired diplomat. There, he received a first-rate education in politics through contact with Temple and many other well-known politicians, learning much about the vice, hypocrisy, intrigues, deception, and corruption in the political world.

Swift is one of the greatest masters of English prose; his sentences are logical, clear, and well-constructed. He is a master satirist who dared to criticize... Continue reading "Jonathan Swift: Master of Satire and Social Critic" »

Feminism

The origins of the second wave of Feminism can be traced back to the 1970s and the 1980s. A great number of women started writing and publishing books about the so-called notion of “Feminity”. Unlike the first wave of Feminism, which was a suffragist movement in which women were asking the right to vote, the second wave of Feminism goes beyond that. The feminist thinkers of the second wave based their theory on gender stereotyping. They claimed that equality between men and women had not been fully achieved because biological sex was the basis to determine the role a man or a woman must play in society.

Angela Carter's The Werewolf and Company of Wolves

The first reason why we can consider these texts as feminist is the issue of “authority

Common English Words and Their Definitions

A

Androgynous

- Partly male and partly female in appearance; of indeterminate sex.

B

Boost

- Help or encourage (something) to increase or improve.

C

Castaway

- A person who has been shipwrecked and stranded in an isolated place.

D

Drift

- (Especially of snow or leaves) be blown into heaps by the wind.

E

Elbow

- The joint between the forearm and the upper arm.

Encouragement

- The action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope.

Entourage

- A group of people attending or surrounding an important person.

Eyebrow

- The strip of hair growing on the ridge above a person's eye socket.

Eyelash

- Each of the short curved hairs growing on the edges of the eyelids, serving to protect the eyes from dust particles.

I

Interviewee

-... Continue reading "Concise Definitions of 30 Common English Words" »

Lost Luggage

A: Hello? Is anybody there?

B: Yes, hello. You are talking to Customer Service of the Washington Central Airport. How can we help you?

A: I wish you could. Last Saturday, I came back from Paris on the United Airlines flight at 11:00 PM. Upon arrival, I looked for my luggage, but I never saw it again. What did you do with my suitcase? Did you lose it or something else?

B: Sir, calm down. We didn't lose your luggage. The suitcase could be on the next flight. Wait until then, and if the suitcase doesn't appear, we will talk to the crew.

A: Okay, but I need that suitcase right now. I had the ticket for my next flight in there, and that flight is in 20 minutes.

B: We are so sorry. Okay, we will print the ticket again and we will refund the... Continue reading "Everyday Conversations in English" »

A Streetcar Named Desire: A Journey into Illusion and Despair

Blanche DuBois: A Faded Southern Belle

What we know about Blanche is that she was once a schoolteacher, but her past is shrouded in secrecy. She arrives at her sister Stella's doorstep in New Orleans, clinging to the remnants of her former gentility. Blanche lives in a world of illusion, constantly seeking refuge from the harsh realities of life. The mental asylum becomes the final destination of her journey, a symbolic representation of the death of her desires and the ultimate escape from a world she can no longer bear.

The Clash of Old and New America

Stella and Stanley represent the clash between the Old and New South. Stella, torn between her love for her husband and her loyalty... Continue reading "A Streetcar Named Desire: Delving into Death, Desire, and Illusion" »

ERRONEOUS

Incorrect; mistaken; wrong; filled with errors.

Ferdinand Magellan is credited with proving the earth is spherical in nature, thus dispelling the erroneous notion that the world is flat.

ADMONISH

To counsel against, to earnestly warn.

After reviewing a manuscript J.K. Rowling had submitted, one publisher admonished her by saying that children would not be able to identify with the characters. Needless to say, the publisher’s admonition proved to be erroneous.

DEMARCATE

To clearly set or mark the boundaries of a group or geographic area.

Even after schools were technically integrated, students would quickly demarcate their own boundary lines and sit at cafeteria tables that were either all black or all white.

FOSTER

To promote and encourage.

Timeliness

The speed at which an event is reported.

Currency

A story that is repeated by different types of media.

Proximity

Local news.

Prominence

Celebrity, famous people, places, or things.

Consequence

An event that has a significant impact, such as a hurricane.

Impact

The changes that occur as a result of a consequence.

Rarity/Novelty

Unusual stories.

Suspense

Mystery or suspense, where the outcome of the story is unknown.

Human Interest

Stories about human experiences, families, etc.

Progress

Exclusive stories with a connection to business, such as the discovery of a cure for cancer.

Conflict

People on opposite sides of an issue.

Controversy

When something unfair is happening.

Visual Potential

Stories generated by pictures.

Who, What, Why, When, Where, and How

The... Continue reading "News Values: Factors Influencing News Selection and Coverage" »

Characters

11 Hester was tall: C long bland hair

12 Hester had married: A a much older man

13 Hester has to wear: D the rest of her life

14 Mr Dimmesdale was a priest: A shy and sensitive

15 Hester’s daughter: C play with other children

16 Roger Chillingworth was well: D for his knowledge of medicines

17 Pearl was a child: A of many moods

18 Governor Bellingham wanted to: C pearl

19 Roger Chillingworth was the: B medical adviser

20 Mistress Hibbins was the. A sister

Vocabulary

31 a person who works as: B magistrate

32 a high platform where criminals: A scaffold

33 having done nothing: B innocent

34 a long, thin piece of cotton: A thread

35 having done something: C guilty

36 being kind and forgiving: D mercy

Plot

41 The women in the town: C ought to die

42 Hester... Continue reading "The Scarlet Letter: Characters, Vocabulary, and Plot Summary" »