The upcoming elections.
Advanced.
With the upcoming elections just around the corner, the United States is abuzz with discussions, arguments, accusations, and predictions. I think that it is actually a good thing. Whenever people get together and air their opinions in a civilized manner, a lot can be accomplished. Many people, I have found, particularly in rural areas, do not talk regularly about politics, or critique political agendas. Perhaps they are too caught-up in personal affairs to give the news and the issues the time. Following national, political events takes time, and so, it seems to follow that if people are too busy, they will generally be uninformed. That is precisely why I say that the political 'buzz' is a good thing.Unfortunately the candidates, John McCain and Barak Obama, have not exactly been the examples of civility and good manners towards eachother. One would hope that they could demonstrate to the country how to politely disagree, and perhaps even find common ground. Is that idealism, pie in the sky? I hope not. I would have thought, that with the whole world watching, the candidates would show the greatest dignity, and spend more time talking about issues rather than pointing a negative finger at eachother. What do you think?
Grammar notes.
Verbs: to vote, to elect, to point the finger, to critique.
Useful expressions: just around the corner, actually, particularly, precisely, common ground, pie in the sky.
Subjunctive: Ex. If I were the President, I would + infinitive.
If she was the Queen, she would + infinitive.
Beginners.
It is election time again. It happens every four years. Two or three people decide that they would like to be President. Then the 'race' starts. How is it in your country? Do you have regular elections? Which political party do you support? There are always lots of decisions to be made. I am excited that I can vote. I am glad that what I think can add to the country's destiny. In England, where I come from, we have a similar election process, but we do not have a Presidential race. We simply vote for the political party that we prefer. Then, the winning party decides who is the best person to be Prime Minister. I wonder if a perfect system will be made one day.
Grammar notes.
Verbs: to happen = to take place/ to occur. To support (a political party). To make a decision. To vote (for).
Thematic vocabulary: political, vote, party, Prime Minister, President, country, system, elections, candidates.
One of the ways in which my family and I relax during the evening is watching movies. It is more an occasional treat than a daily activity. Life in a big family is very busy, and often there is very little time to sit down, let alone to watch a film. But when we do, we love to snuggle up together after a good meal and watch something exciting or inspiring. Spiderman is one of our favorites. Of course it's fantasy, but why not? My second oldest boy used to be a fanatic. He had the costumes, the legos, and, of course, the comics. For Halloween he was Spiderman; for one of his birthdays the theme was, well, you guessed it, that same hero. He even practiced the Spiderman 'moves'. It is incredibly cute to see a little boy of six or seven years try to whip around the house like the man in red. We recently watched the latest addition to the Spiderman saga; the mind boggles at the new 'bad guys' with all their different physical characteristics, powers, and reasons for being evil. At the conclusion of the movie, the children will jump around, happy and relieved that the 'baddies' got what they deserved, and that justice triumphs. Even for adults, it's an easy way to feel empowered to improve the state of the world.
Grammar notes.
Useful expressions: let alone, you guessed it, cute, recently, the latest addition/ the latest edition, to whip around, the mind boggles, 'bad guys'.
Verbs: used to + infinitive = had a habit of/ did something for a while. To get what you deserve.
Favorite (american spelling) = favourite.
Beginners.
Do you enjoy watching movies? We do in our family. My children like adventure movies, while my husband and I prefer drama or historical movies. As Winter gets nearer and the days get shorter, we enjoy watching films together. There is a growing collection of DVDs in a cupboard in the lounge. Some of our favorite ones are Star Wars, Ace Ventura, and Spiderman. "Spiderman is sooo cool, mom," says one of my boys. And, yes, I agree. He really is cool. He is very powerful, and can do many things that we can't. It is not surprizing that lots of children want to be him. Now that we are preparing for Halloween, you can see in the shops many, many costumes for being Spiderman on that special night.
Grammar notes.
Do and does for questions and answers.
I agree/ I disagree.
It is not surprizing *(American spelling) - surprising (English spelling).
Don't step on my shadow.
Advanced.
Have you ever noticed just how bright the sun can be in Autumn. The angle of the sun, or perhaps its proximity to the earth, seems to make the sunlight intense, in a way that is different from Summer. As we were walking home today from the mailbox, my son, Robert, said, "Don't step on my shadow, mum!" I looked at the shadow that he and his bicycle cast on the ground, and I realised that, at least for a few weeks, I had been missing the clearly defined, dark shadows all around. Children pick up on these things, of course. They are more likely, than us adults, to notice anything that is close to the ground. At school they play games with shadows during recess. One in particular is 'Shadow tag'. The person who is 'it' has to chase the rest of the group and 'tag' someone's shadow; that person then becomes the tagger. Then, as the day draws to a close, the shadows lengthen and take on a slightly sinister look, which, again, gives children an opportunity to play and imagine.
Grammar notes.
Mailbox (americanism) = post box; to realize (americanism) = to realise; recess = playtime; tag = catch.
To cast used in 'to cast a shadow', and also in 'to cast doubt on something.'
To pick up on something = to realise or notice something.
To take on a look = to become in appearance.
Beginners.
Shadows are interesting things. They can be fun to play with, especially for children. In Autumn, the bright sun helps to create strong looking shadows everywhere. Children often play games with shadows. In films and books we find shadows mentioned; they stir up our imaginations. As the sun goes down, and it starts to get darker, the shadows stretch and stretch, and become very long. It looks a little scary and odd. To see a long shadow of a person move can be quite spooky. Children are very creative and playful, and shadows are things that they can use to have fun.
Grammar notes.
Scary, frightening, spooky.
Useful expressions: especially, often, quite.
To stir up imagination = to excite imagination.
What a scruffy puppy!
Advanced.
Rosie is the name of a member of our family. She is a female who does not quite reflect the beauty of her name. She is scruffy, hyper-active, and demanding. Yes, you've guessed; she is our dog. A boarder terrier is the name of her breed. They are highly intelligent dogs used for 'ratting', which means seeking out and destroying rats. As such, their coats are wiry, their teeth are big, they are small enough to fit down vermin holes, and they have a passion for digging. The first time I gave her a bone, she immediately headed for the privacy of a spot in the garden, knawed her prize for almost an hour, and then proceeded to bury it. I observed her for a while, fascinated at her powerful instincts that were triggered by the bone. Rosie is so much a part of our family, yet she is so different from us. Her greatest delights are to simply be with us, and to have an occasional bone. If only humans were so easy to please!
Grammar notes.
Vermin = rats and other rodents.
Gave = past of 'give' for all persons.
Useful expressions: you've guessed / you guessed right. Immediately, simply.
Beginners.
Do you have a dog? We do. Ours is still a puppy, a female. Her name is Rosie, like the flower. She doesn't look like a rose, though. She is black and brown, she has black eyes, and is a very curious pup. My children love to run and play with her. She is learning to pick up a ball or a stick when we throw them. She doesn't always bring them back, however. She is a part of our family now. She makes us laugh, and we love to hug and pet her. We also have two lizards, a bearded dragon, and a frog. Our house is full of life. Actually, my children and my husband make more noise than the animals, - and more mess! It is fun to have pets. Even us adults can learn a lot about animals, their needs, and how fascinating and different they all are.
Grammar.
Do (I, you, we, they) have..? Does (he, she, it) have...?
I love to run and play = I love running and playing.
Useful expressions: also, however, actually, even.
Advanced.
One of my favorite hobbies is gardening. I suppose I must have inherited the gardening gene, because, apparently, on my father's side, my grandmother had tremendously green fingers. That is what we say in England for someone who is adept and experienced at growing flowers and vegetables. In the United States, the expression is to have 'green thumbs'. Now that the seasons have changed and Winter is approaching, gardening mainly entails tidying up around the still-blooming Autumn flowers, raking leaves, digging up the last of the vegetables, and collecting seeds. The latter is my favorite. Seeds are everywhere, and what an incredible, potent piece of nature they are! If you are patient and selective, you can gather enough for next year to propagate a field full of color. You can actually become a designer of next year's garden. What a thrill!
Grammar notes.
Useful expressions: I suppose, apparently, mainly, actually, the former, the latter.
What a thrill = it's a thrill.
Gerund used as a noun, ie the gardening. Ex. I must get the gardening done. Other exs: the painting, the raking, the reading, the sewing etc.
Beginners.
I love to work in the garden. Being outside is both healthy and fun. The colors of the flowers and vegetables can be very beautiful. Now is Autumn, so many plants are producing seeds. They are small but very powerful things. I collect them. Why do I do this? Well, next year I will use them in my garden. I don't need to buy seeds if I have so many already in my back yard. My children will help me plant them. We will talk about the plants that will grow, and also how to look after them. This is a fun activity for the whole family.
Grammar notes.
Garden = yard (americanism)
Color (americanism) = colour.
Present continuous tense = verb to be + gerund. Exs: we are going,
the tree is growing, I am leaving now, she is cooking.
Questions. Use either do or does for general present tense non-continuous tense. Ex: Does he read magazines? Why do you shout? Do we need more milk? What do they do on Saturdays? etc.
Advanced.
As the seasons change from Summer to Autumn, a certain recipe that I use starts to appear more often. Chicken soup. Ah, what a concept! It has been used for centuries by people who are ill; runny noses, coughs, and aches and pains disappear as this special liquid is digested. It's simple, hot deliciousness warms up our bones and makes us feel comforted, like babies being wrapped in warm blankets. In fact, comfort is exactly what it is, a comfort food, like macaroni and cheese, or meat and potato pie. But there is something extra special about this soup. Grandmothers swear by it; some even say that it has magical powers. All I know is that the combination of chicken stock and thin pasta noodles is an endearing childhood memory.
Grammar notes.
Autumn is replaceable with Fall(americanism).
Useful expressions: aches and pains, exactly, extra special.
Verbs with prepositions: to swear by, to warm up.
All I know is that (colloquial) = in conclusion, as a summary, to sum up.
Beginners.
When it is cold outside, I feel like having something warm to eat. Many people get coughs and colds when the weather changes from warm to cold. Sometimes, children have to miss school for a day or two because they are sick. There are medicines that you can buy to help you feel better. One thing that always makes me feel better is a bowl of chicken noodle soup. It is magic! I feel warm and happier when I eat it. You can buy it in cans, or packets, or you can make it yourself. Either way, it is delicious, natural medicine that chases away our colds and flus.
Grammar notes.
Opposites: cold/ hot, warm/ cool.
To feel ill = to feel sick(americanism)
Common illnesses: cough, cold, runny nose, sneezes, fever, aches.
Useful expressions for writing: sometimes, either way.
Beginners.
Pumpkins, pumpkins, big, fat, and round. Children love them, and adults too. They grow all Summer; turn color from green to orange. Some stay small, but others get bigger and bigger. I have some in my garden. One, two, three, four. One for each of my children. They will be Jack-o-lanterns with eyes, noses, and mouths. Do you like our Mr. Pumpkin in the photo? What do you think? Is he friendly or scary?
Grammar notes.
Verbs which are regular in the present: to love, to grow, to get, to like, to think.
I love, you love, he loves, we love, you(pl.) love, they love.
Verbs which are irregular in the present: to have, to be.
I have, you have, he has, we have, you(pl.) have, they have.
I am, you are, he is, we are, you(pl.) are, they are.
Advanced.
Oh, it's pumpkin time in the North West. October gives a touch of magic to our little town of Wenatchee. The colors of Autumn begin to appear here and there, and, though the days are getting shorter, they are sunny and still. It is the perfect time for contemplating nature. Perhaps there is enough sun this month to ripen up my tomatoes that are bulging and heavy, but, unfortunately, still green. The vegetable gardens in this area are quickly coming to an end, as Mr. Frost makes his quiet visit each morning. "Keep growing Mr. and Mrs. Pumpkin!" say my children as they visit our pumpkin patch. These huge, orange beauties, lying around in fading leaves, are almost human. But, why do children love them so much? Jack-o-lanterns, of course! And my favorite, pumpkin pie, yum!
Grammar notes.
Verbs that are irregular in the present: to be.
I am, you are, he is, we are, you(pl.) are, they are.
Color is americanism of colour.
Adverbs and conjunctions for writing: though, perhaps, unfortunately, of course.