My holidays are about to finish 😥. To give closure to both my vacation and the anniversary of my blog, I have decided to update my blog catalogue and write the next year's manifesto of future entries. This is a great opportunity to spot all my blog entries divided into section so that you can catch up with the blog.
So far I have written no less than 119 entries including this one I am so proud of it. Here you have the most successful entries and the least successful ones. The aim of the blog was to identify and signal the most beautiful and interesting quirks of English, so I divided it into 12 sections. Let's explain all of them and I will mention all the entries within each section and some future ideas for each section :
1. English quirks : This is probably the key section in my blog, the one that explain the blog's title and the one I particularly love the most. Curiosities and oddities about English that have so far fascinated me and that I'm sure will mesmerise you. What quirks of English have I explored so far ?
- When verbs collocate with their nouns : Verbs that can be found with their own nouns (live my life). Find many more examples in this entry.
- Itanglish : English has flooded Italian : How a great deal of English loanwords have flooded the Italian language and are far more common than Italian words.
- Italian has also influenced English : The traces of the Italian into the English language (zucchini, spaghetti, piano...)
- The suffix -ing can create new words : New tendencies and activities created by adding the suffix -ing (like manspreading)
- Middle verbs : Verbs that have both active and passive meaning ! Get to know them !
- Eponyms : Words are sometimes created to render honour to a specific person. February renders homage to the God Febo. Get to know some other examples in this entry !
- False friends can be real friends : Sometimes false friends have a closely related meaning to their own appearance. Have a look at some examples in this entry.
- My favourite list of false friends : False friends are words that resemble similarly to other words in a language but they have different meanings from the ones you can expect. Get to know some of them in this entry.
- Clippings : Words that have been reduced due to linguistic economy, among other reasons. 'Bro' is a clipping for brother, for instance. Click on the link to get to know more clipped words in English.
- When verbs collocate with their nouns : Verbs that can be found with their own nouns (live my life). Find many more examples in this entry.
- Itanglish : English has flooded Italian : How a great deal of English loanwords have flooded the Italian language and are far more common than Italian words.
- Italian has also influenced English : The traces of the Italian into the English language (zucchini, spaghetti, piano...)
- The suffix -ing can create new words : New tendencies and activities created by adding the suffix -ing (like manspreading)
- Middle verbs : Verbs that have both active and passive meaning ! Get to know them !
- Eponyms : Words are sometimes created to render honour to a specific person. February renders homage to the God Febo. Get to know some other examples in this entry !
- False friends can be real friends : Sometimes false friends have a closely related meaning to their own appearance. Have a look at some examples in this entry.
- My favourite list of false friends : False friends are words that resemble similarly to other words in a language but they have different meanings from the ones you can expect. Get to know some of them in this entry.
- Clippings : Words that have been reduced due to linguistic economy, among other reasons. 'Bro' is a clipping for brother, for instance. Click on the link to get to know more clipped words in English.
- Lexical creativity, or the English capacity and facility for the creation of new words.
- The Spanish expressions in the English language including words such as 'fiesta', 'siesta', 'vigilante' or 'persona'.
- Abbreviations and initials : Common abbreviations used in everyday language, such as 'aka' (also known as) or 'MIA' (missing in action).
- Homophones, that is, words written differently and yet pronounced in the same way, for example, words such as 'right' and 'write' or 'sun' and 'son'. Amazing, eh ?
- French influence on English : 'Vis-a-vis', 'fiancé', 'cliché' and many more other French words are commonplace in the English language.
- Interjections : Short phrases thanks to which we can express a wide range of feelings. Examples of these are Homer Simpson's catchy phrase 'd'oh', or more familiar ones such as 'hurrah' or 'cool'.
- Paronyms I and paronyms II : Very similar words, words that look like the same but have different meanings: economic (related to economy) and economical (cheap) are two examples or paronyms. To know more, click on the links provided.
- Animal sounds in English and Spanish : Would it be surprising for you to know that animal sounds are perceived differently according to the culture ? That's right, indeed. In English birds say 'tweet' while in Spanish they say 'pio, pio'. Can you believe it ?
- Languages which have deeply influenced English : Although English has a remarkable identity by itself, it is, on the other hand, a compound of a great deal of languages including Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish... Click on the link to know more examples.
- Homographs : Words written in the same way but pronounced differently. 'Read' in the infinitive is pronounced differently from 'read' in the past and participle forms, but there are way more examples !
- 10 quirks about irregular verbs : Irregular verbs accompany us during our English learning process. If you want to know some curiosities about them, click on the link !
- Blends : The English ability to combine two words together to create a new one. A two-word hybrid, indeed. 'Brunch' (breakfast + lunch) and 'smog' (smoke + fog) are very good examples.
- Some quirks about the English language : Get to know some important curiosities of English.
- Onomatopoeias or words which represent a sound : bang, bang !
- Auto-antonyms and brand-new autoantonyms: Contradictory words with contradictory meanings. 'Then' refers to a time in the past and a time in the future. Get to know more fun auto-antonyms.
Future entries :These are all the entries that I have written about the English quirks, but I intend to write many more about antonyms, the influence of Greek upon English, proper names in English, compounds, the English accents and varieties, polysemy, prefixes and suffixes,...So, stay tuned !
2. Vocabulary : If you want to know some words, expressions and idioms, this is your section ! :
- St. Valentine's Day. Different ways to address your partner in English : Different words and expressions to fondly address your special one.
- Colour idioms I and colour idioms II : Expressions and idioms related to colours.
- Body idioms I and body idioms II : Expressions and idioms related to parts of the body.
- English lexis can be really specific : I'm sure you know the word 'bag'. In English, however, there are different types of bags : handbags, schoolbags... The same happens with the word 'room' and many more different words.
- If you want revenge, you can borrow my vocabulary : Vocabulary and expressions related to revenge and hatred.
- Are you tired of 'yes' and 'no'? Let's use some other expressions : Expressions to enrich your vocabulary and avoid the archetypal 'yes' and 'no'
- Let's go shopping : Vocabulary related to shopping.
- Expressions with number 2 : Idioms and other expressions involving the number 2.
- St. Valentine's Day. Different ways to address your partner in English : Different words and expressions to fondly address your special one.
- Colour idioms I and colour idioms II : Expressions and idioms related to colours.
- Body idioms I and body idioms II : Expressions and idioms related to parts of the body.
- English lexis can be really specific : I'm sure you know the word 'bag'. In English, however, there are different types of bags : handbags, schoolbags... The same happens with the word 'room' and many more different words.
- If you want revenge, you can borrow my vocabulary : Vocabulary and expressions related to revenge and hatred.
- Are you tired of 'yes' and 'no'? Let's use some other expressions : Expressions to enrich your vocabulary and avoid the archetypal 'yes' and 'no'
- Let's go shopping : Vocabulary related to shopping.
- Expressions with number 2 : Idioms and other expressions involving the number 2.
- Dog days : Vocabulary and expressions related to heat and hot weather.
- Freezing cold : Terms and expressions related to cold weather.
- It's Raining Cats and Dogs : Vocabulary and expressions related to rainy weather.
- Many happy returns : Vocabulary related to birthday celebrations.
- Let's ditch exams : Vocabulary and expressions related to exams and schooling.
- It smells of holidays and summer holidays: Vocabulary related to holidays and holiday destinations and activities.
- Joy all over my body : Idioms and expressions related to happiness.
- The Crazy Story : Lexis about fairy tale characters.
- Friday, 13th : Lexis and expressions related to good and bad luck.
- World Peace Day : Vocabulary and symbols related to peace.
- Christmas vocabulary : Vocabulary related to Christmas.
- Animal idioms I and animal idioms II : Expressions involving animals.
- My niece is born. Welcome onboard : Expressions and vocabulary related to babies !
- Ouch ! These idioms really hurt : Idioms and expressions related to violence.
- Yummy yummy ! These idioms are really tasty : Idioms related to food ! Delicious !
Future entries : Given that I will be getting married by October, 7th, I will write a blog entry on vocabulary related to wedding celebrations. In addition I'm planning to write another one about different ways of saying hello and goodbye; another one about vocabulary related to airports and another one contrasting idioms in English and in Spanish. I will devote another entry to verbs related to vision.
3. Culture : A language cannot be separated from its culture. That is why I have included some entries about cultural elements in the English language :
- Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night : Discover the Gunpowder plot of November, 5th.
- Remembrance Day and Veterans Day : Discover why, November 11th is so important for the US and the UK.
- Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night : Discover the Gunpowder plot of November, 5th.
- Remembrance Day and Veterans Day : Discover why, November 11th is so important for the US and the UK.
- Emblems and symbols of the United States : the flag, the Statue of Liberty,...
- Independence Day : Important trivia facts about July, 4th.
- All about the US : places to visit : An entry on the most emblematic places in the US
- All about the US : places to visit : An entry on the most emblematic places in the US
- Friday, 13th : some good luck charms, bad luck bearers and much more...
- April Fools' Day : Learn about the best day to pull some pranks...
- April Fools' Day : The most amusing hoaxes of the day : Some examples of real hoaxes in April Fools' Day...
- The history of St. Valentine's Day : A video explaining the origins of the most romantic day of the whole year.
- April Fools' Day : The most amusing hoaxes of the day : Some examples of real hoaxes in April Fools' Day...
- The history of St. Valentine's Day : A video explaining the origins of the most romantic day of the whole year.
- Easter is not only a Spanish tradition : Learn some funny facts about Easter.
- Maundy Thursday : An entry on this special day of Easter and its most typical traditions.
- Maundy Thursday : An entry on this special day of Easter and its most typical traditions.
- Saint Patrick's : Learn about this important day for Ireland !
- Thanksgiving
- Thanksgiving material for you to learn English : Some Thanksgiving glossary and videos for you to enlarge your knowledge on this important day for the US.
- Thanksgiving material for you to learn English : Some Thanksgiving glossary and videos for you to enlarge your knowledge on this important day for the US.
- Top 10 Halloween symbols : Discover something about Halloween !
- Halloween traditions : Learn about typical traditions of Halloween, such as trick-or-treating.
- Halloween traditions : Learn about typical traditions of Halloween, such as trick-or-treating.
- Back 2 school : The school system in England ! Don't miss it !
Future entries : In the future I will continue to write about the most important cultural elements of the United Kingdom, influential people in the US, Hamburger Day (celebrated in the US) , Pancake Day. Moreover, I will be writing about World Book Day, St. George and other important Saints in the UK and other places...
4. Exercises and songs: Exercises to practise some of the points I write about.
- St. Patrick's Day and The Simpsons listening exercise : Practise your listening skill while you enjoy The Simpsons and learn some culture about St. Patrick's Day.
- Exercises on colour idioms : Identify the idiom related to colour by having a look at some images.
- St. Patrick's Day and The Simpsons listening exercise : Practise your listening skill while you enjoy The Simpsons and learn some culture about St. Patrick's Day.
- Exercises on colour idioms : Identify the idiom related to colour by having a look at some images.
- Text messages : Try to decipher some text messages including abbreviations and symbols.
- Homophones : Some exercises to test if you know some homophones.
- Easter videos : Practise your listening comprehension with some videos related to Easter.
- Same or different ? : Decide if certain pairs of words are homophones or homographs.
- Christmas carols and videos : Practise your listening while learning about Christmas.
- Test your knowledge about irregular verbs : Do you know the past and participle of all the irregular verbs ? Let's see !
- Exercises about blends : Discover the two words that originated the hybrid word. Fun !
- Exercises about -ed endings
- Exercises on clippings : Practise your knowledge on clippings by identifying these reduced words...
- Exercises on clippings : Practise your knowledge on clippings by identifying these reduced words...
- Let's sing : I'm a believer : Fill in the gaps missing in this famous song.
- It's a Beautiful Day : Complete this song by Michel Bublé with modals and do other varied exercises.
- World Peace Day : Four songs about peace including Green Day's 21 Guns with exercises.
- Cold Play's Paradise : Enjoy this song while you practise your English
- Fast Car : Enjoy this song by Tracy Chapman and improve your English !
- Somebody I Used to Know : This song by Gotye is not only rhythmic but very interesting to learn English.
- Happy Birthday songs : Tired of the traditional happy birthday songs ? Here you have some other options...
- Let's sing : Every Breath You Take : Learn some English collocations with this song by The Police.
- Songs in the classroom : Just the Way You Are : Fill in the gaps of this song by Bruno Mars.
- Songs in the classroom : I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For : Fill in the gaps with the simple past and present perfect of the verbs in the box and...enjoy this catchy song !
- Let's sing an optimistic song : Don't Give Up : Practise the simple present thanks to this Bruno Mars's song.
Let' sing : Friday I'm in Love : Practise your listening with this song by the group The Cure.
- Happy Birthday songs : Tired of the traditional happy birthday songs ? Here you have some other options...
- Let's sing : Every Breath You Take : Learn some English collocations with this song by The Police.
- Songs in the classroom : Just the Way You Are : Fill in the gaps of this song by Bruno Mars.
- Songs in the classroom : I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For : Fill in the gaps with the simple past and present perfect of the verbs in the box and...enjoy this catchy song !
- Let's sing an optimistic song : Don't Give Up : Practise the simple present thanks to this Bruno Mars's song.
Let' sing : Friday I'm in Love : Practise your listening with this song by the group The Cure.
Future entries : I will continue uploading more and more exercises including new songs for you to keep practising your English ! I am open to suggestions !
5. English vs. Spanish : I like comparing my mother tongue with my favourite tongue. So far I've only written these four entries :
- Films in the English language : Contrast between the titles of some famous films in English and Spanish ! Must-see entry.
- Interjections : Different interjections in English and Spanish.
- Lost in Translation : Speaking English by mechanically translating from Spanish does not always work. Here you have some examples.
Animal sounds in English and Spanish : Apparently, an English dog sounds differently from a Spanish one !
Future entries : I will keep on writing about this. In fact, I am preparing a contrast of idioms from Spanish and English and also examples of funny translation made by my students !
6. Grammar : English grammar is sometimes difficult but we all have grown accustomed to it. Here are the entries I wrote :
- Irregular verbs : Learn some quirks about irregular verbs.
- Frolicking in the water : A surprising grammar rule that I discovered myself !
- The verb 'have' in seven stages : Learn everything about the verb 'have' which happens to be in the simplest and most complex structures.
- Let's discover the verb 'go' : Some quirks about one of the most famous English verbs.
- The verb 'get' and its multiple uses : The so-called joker verb ! Learn all the quirks about this verb which is in a great deal of English expressions.
- Let's discover the verb 'go' : Some quirks about one of the most famous English verbs.
- The verb 'get' and its multiple uses : The so-called joker verb ! Learn all the quirks about this verb which is in a great deal of English expressions.
Future entries : In the future I am planning to write about the most complicated grammar items in English. Besides, I will write about the gender in the English language and also about irregular plurals. In addition, I intend to write an entry about the verbs 'do' and 'pay' and another one about some quirks of modal verbs.
7. Literature : Reading is and has always been my pending subject. In spite of that I have managed to read four books during this year :
- The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
- Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Dafoe
- Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
- The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway
- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumàs.
Future entries : I am currently reading Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, so I will write a book review about this classic.
- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumàs.
Future entries : I am currently reading Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, so I will write a book review about this classic.
8. English pronunciation : Tricky, chaotic, difficult... We think of these adjectives regarding English pronunciation. Here are my entries :
- Same or different ? : Decide if these tricky words are pronounced in the same way or differently.
- The pronunciation of -ed forms : Learn to pronounce the regular past and participle forms.
- The toughest English words to pronounce : Some of the most troublesome words for Spanish speakers of English.
- The toughest English words to pronounce : geography edition : Some places in the UK and the US are really difficult to pronounce. Discover them !
- The toughest English words to pronounce : Some of the most troublesome words for Spanish speakers of English.
- The toughest English words to pronounce : geography edition : Some places in the UK and the US are really difficult to pronounce. Discover them !
Future entries : Well, I am planning an entry about minimal pairs, another one about the flexibility in English pronunciation and a final one about the pronunciation of English in different parts of the globe.
9. Christmas : Probably the best time of the year. These are my entries so far.
- Christmas in the UK, the US and Spain : similarities and differences.
- Top 10 Christmas carols : a ranking with a selection of carols.
- The best and fun videos about Christmas
- New Year resolutions : An entry about the tradition of fulfilling one's New Year's resolutions and different grammatical ways to express them.
- New Year's Eve : Compilation of Christmasy videos.
- Boxing Day : Learn about some typical tradition of December, 26th in the UK...
- New Year resolutions : An entry about the tradition of fulfilling one's New Year's resolutions and different grammatical ways to express them.
- New Year's Eve : Compilation of Christmasy videos.
- Boxing Day : Learn about some typical tradition of December, 26th in the UK...
Future entries : Well, for next Christmas I am envisaging some entries about the origin of Christmas, and Christmas celebrations around the globe
10. General stuff : Interesting information that do not belong to the previous aforementioned categories :
- My first article : engaging activities in the language school classroom : (in Spanish): Different ways to engage our students of languages.
- The aims of the blog : the first entry of the blog containing my intentions when I started writing the blog.
- The Crazy Story : A theatre play performed by my students of 1º ESO.
- Fun resources to learn English : Some very interesting webpages to keep learning English.
- The European Day of Languages : the importance of learning foreign languages : What are the benefits of learning languages ? You can learn them in this entry.
- The European Day of Languages : the importance of learning foreign languages : What are the benefits of learning languages ? You can learn them in this entry.
Future entries : Very soon I will write two entries : one about the importance of the English language and another one on more fun resources to keep learning English.
11. Blog anniversary : How did I commemorate the anniversaries of my blog ? :
- Blog's catalogue with all the entries and future entries
- Second blog anniversary : expressions with number 2
- Second blog anniversary : happy birthday songs.
- Updated blog's catalogue with all the entries and ideas for future entries.
- Second blog anniversary : expressions with number 2
- Second blog anniversary : happy birthday songs.
- Updated blog's catalogue with all the entries and ideas for future entries.
Well, with this catalogue will allow you to easily connect with all my blog's entries. I can't believe I still keep up with my blog after two years and 118 entries. I will continue writing about the endless English quirks that make my jog as a teacher of English rewarding and - why not say this ?- awesome ! Thank you for standing by my blog after two years.
