English Without End

"Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May" - "Carpe Diem" - "Seize the Day!" Inspiring but unorthodox Welton Academy English teacher John Keating (Robin Williams) spoke to his male prep school students after taking them out of the classroom into the main entranceway or hallway. He had them first discuss the phrase "Carpe Diem" (or "Seize the Day") from a hymnal (page 542), then had them approach glass display cases filled with trophies, footballs, and team pictures. He emphasized that they should make the most of their short lives: 'O Captain, my Captain.' Who knows where that comes from? Anybody? Not a clue? It's from a poem by Walt Whitman about Mr. Abraham Lincoln. Now in this class, you can either call me Mr. Keating, or if you're slightly more daring, O Captain, my Captain. Now let me dispel a few rumors so they don't fester into facts. Yes, I too attended Hell-ton and survived. And no, at that time I was not th...

19 Ted Talks That Will Transform Your Language Learning and Life

 Put silk on a goat and it is still a goat and other Irish sayings . Saint Patrick's Day symbols . History channel video: Saint Patrick's Day traditions   St Patrick's Day: Ireland goes global as famous world landmarks get a 'greening'   Tell me ma song: http://www.rte.ie/  Ireland's National Television and Radio Broadcaster IRISH HUMOUR The Savage Eye series: How to become a Garda  (One Garda , two Gardai) Warning: Irish pronunciation. Don't panic!

UN-PC HUMOUR (politically correct) PARODY SATIRE Another example of satire is Irish writer Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal . It   begins by lamenting the sad fate of the poverty-stricken Irish who have to spend all their time looking for food to stuff in their kids' mouths. Luckily, the author has come up with an excellent way to put the brats to good use: raise them as food for wealthy citizens. Really, it all makes perfect sense. If you aren't entirely convinced right away, he proceeds to spell out the benefits.  By the way, do you know what day it is tomorrow, March 17th? Yessss! Saint Patrick's Day . SLAPTICK STAND-UP COMEDY BLACK HUMOUR the goodies and the baddies skull  / skʌl/ The difference between British and American humour Funny puns : Fantasy Both toad and towed are pronounced / təʊd/ Titanic  / taɪˈtæn.ɪk / Tack  

have in stitches NOT TO BE MISSED: Visual phrasal verbs: Gags for laughs 1 Visual phrasal verbs: Gags for laughs 2 Phrasal verbs with Sherlock 1 Phrasal verbs with Sherlock 2 Despite the continuing widespread popularity of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, Doyle did not originate the detective story. This credit must be given to another author of the 19 th  century, Edgar Allan Poe . In addition to being a major contributor to the literary traditions of Gothic horror and romanticism, Poe also originated the detective story with his character C. Auguste Dupin, which first appeared in “ The Murders in The Rue Morgue ” (1841),   introducing for the first time the analytical detective.  (from  http://www.librarypoint.org/detective_fiction_origins ).  More info:  http://www.worlds-best-detective-crime-and-murder-mystery-books.com/1841.html Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson Camping Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camp...

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Phrasal verbs quizzes ( Quiz 1 , Quiz 2 , Quiz 3 ) For older posts about phrasal verbs, click here .

How to... (by BBC Learning English).  These programmes have useful language for when you're chatting to someone. They include:  - extending a conversation  - closing topics  - talking about things you like  - talking about things you don't like  - expressing no strong feelings  - responding to compliments  - telling someone about a funny incident  - gossiping  - getting back on topic  - telling someone about a serious incident  - chatting someone up  - being sarcastic  - agreeing in informal situations  - showing interest  - telling a story  - being vague   Public speaking tips