Thursday, 22 March 2018
Friday, 16 March 2018
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Origins of St. Patrick’s Day and today's celebrations
Fun facts about St. Patrick's Day
- Despite
being the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick is believed to have been
born in Great Britain.
- The colour green did not become associated
with St. Patrick’s Day until the 18th century.
- St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in
the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
- It is estimated that more than 30 million
Americans have Irish ancestry.
- Saint Patrick is said to have used a
shamrock as a metaphor for the Holy Trinity during his teachings.
- Foods associated with St. Patrick’s Day
include corned beef, cabbage and potatoes.
- Although the holiday is associated with
Ireland, the largest St. Patrick’s Day parade is held in New York.
- Pubs in Ireland were actually closed on St.
Patrick’s Day until the 1970s!
St. Patrick’s Day Vocabulary
Whether you are out and about on St.
Patrick’s Day, or simply learning about the holiday in preparation, you are
likely to encounter some unfamiliar words along the way. In order to help you
out, we have compiled a quick St. Patrick’s Day vocabulary guide, featuring
some of the most common words associated with the celebration.
Shamrock – three-leaf clover, which is
used as a symbol of Ireland.
Emerald Isle – nickname for Ireland, coined by
the poet William Drennan.
Leprechaun – small mythical creature with
magical powers, associated with Ireland.
Fiddle – another name for a violin,
featured heavily in traditional Irish music.
Four-leaf Clover – a four-leaf variant of the clover,
often viewed as a good luck charm.
St. Paddy’s Day – an informal name for St.
Patrick’s Day.
Irish Tricolour – name given to the national flag of
Ireland.
Pot of Gold – an imaginary reward, associated
with leprechauns and said to be found at the end of a rainbow.
Guinness – a brand of Irish dry stout, which
is the most popular alcoholic drink in Ireland.
Shillelagh – a weapon, similar to a club,
featured heavily in Irish folklore.
Thursday, 15 March 2018
Simple future: will and won't
Simple Future has two different forms in English:
"will" and "be
going to" Although these two forms refer to a specific time in the future, they often express two different meanings.
Will future expresses a spontaneous decision, an assumption with regard
to the future or an action in the future that cannot be influenced.
Form of will
positive
|
negative
|
question
|
|
No differences
|
I will speak.
|
I will not speak.
|
Will I speak?
|
Use of will
§
a spontaneous decision
Example: Wait, I will help you.
§
an opinion, hope,
uncertainty or assumption regarding the future
Example: He will probably come back tomorrow.
§
a promise
Example: I will not watch TV tonight.
§
an action in the
future that cannot be influenced
Example: It will rain tomorrow.
§
conditional clauses type I
Example: If I arrive late, I will call you.
Signal Words
§
in a year, next …, tomorrow
Exercises
Tests
Wednesday, 14 March 2018
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