語学学習

What do we mean by ‘voice’? Voice is the form of the verb that shows whether the subject of a sentence does the action (=the active voice) or is affected by it (= the passive voice)   What does ”active” and ”passive” mean? In the active voice, the agent/actor (person or thing doing the action) is the subject of the sentence. For example: And now , in the passive voice, the agent is either unknown or less important, we focus on the action itself. For example: “The postman was bitten”. (The agent is not known or not specified) or “The postman was bitten by the dog”. (The agent “the dog” […]

Do you know any expressions associated with this new season? Learn these very popular autumnal idiomatic expressions and use them all year round, not only in autumn:) and some other nice expressions: SQUIRREL STH AWAY- to hide or store something like a squirrel “Lisa squirreled away a lot of money while she was working and now she can enjoy her retirement”. BE NUTS ABOUT STH OR SOMEONE- to be obsessed with someone or something “I am nuts about that girl. I’d do anything for her”. DRIVE SOMEONE NUTS- to make someone go crazy “That noise is driving me nuts. Please stop at once!”

In English, we have many phrases, sayings and idioms that use words also related to Halloween. Take a look at some of these below to see if you know what they mean. Don’t be scared! We’ve give you helpful explanations of what they mean and how to use them: SKELETON STAFF- the smallest number of people needed for a business or organization to operate: “The warehouse has a skeleton staff on Sundays”. TO HAVE A SKELETON IN THE CLOSET- To have some secrets or bad things in your past/history. “I think John has a few skeletons in his cupboard“. SCARE SOMEONE TO DEATH- to frighten somebody very much ” Thunderstorms […]

Yes, it is! Most residents in the USA, Europe, and several other countries across the world will turn their clocks back and get an extra hour of sleep on Sunday morning. That’s because at 2 am, clocks will move back one hour as daylight-saving time starts. The practice was first implemented during the World War I, when Americans began setting their clocks back as a way to save energy. After being repealed for a few years after the war, daylight saving was revived again in 1942 during World War II. Congress passed the Uniform Time Act in 1966, which formalized the start of daylight saving time on the last Sunday […]

Hallowen is coming! What do you know about Halloween? Halloween Facts, Halloween Traditions Straddling the line between fall and winter, plenty and paucity, life and death, Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. It is thought to have originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Lord Samhain ( the lord of Darkness) in Ireland, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints and martyrs; the holiday, All Saints’ Day, incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later […]

Yes! These unusal British place names intrigue or give a giggle to many passers-by, like this lovely name Little Snoring, given centuries ago to a Norfolk village. The origins of those names are deeply rooted in the fascinating history of Britain. A great amount of British history: from the Celts through the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Scandinavians, and Normans to modern times – is displayed in Britain’s place names. Some towns have received such bizarre names that no one can be sure what their origins are, for example the village of Pity Me outside Durham.   Water names – the Celtic influences Two-thirds of England’s rivers take their names from Celtic Even […]

Alphabet and spelling are skills each learner of English has to learn sooner or later! Do you know how to spell your last name or address? Sound spelling skill belongs to English survival skills – you will need it in many life situations, like filling in forms, spelling your name to someone on the phone, asking for the spelling of an unknown word, etc. I’m sure most of you can sing whole English alphabet song very well, but is that really helpful, when you suddenly forget how to say the last letter of the alphabet. You might not have enough time to sing the whole English alphabet song, so,,,, how […]

Do you know the meaning of this idiomatic expression? What is and what is not your cup of tea? New interesting ways to say that you like something or don’t! LIKES AND DISLIKES   Expressing likes: I love/I like/ I enjoy listening to music. I’m keen on skiing. I’m fond of cycling. I’m crazy about diving/ theatre. I’m really into skating. I find it relaxing./enjoyable. Travelling is my cup of tea. Expressing dislikes: I don’t like/enjoy Maths. I find it really boring. I can’t stand writing essays. I hate onions! I dislike going to the beach. Claire detests going to the dentist! Robert loathes garlic. Bunjee jumping is not my […]