As you have already noticed, English is ripe with words that have come from Latin and/or Greek. Most of these words are not random, but form something that we like to call root families, that is to say that they were derived from Latin or Greek roots. Once we know the meaning of the root, it can guide us to the right track in terms of meaning. Some

In the 1980s, Andrea Jaeger was a tennis phenomenon. She turned pro at an age when most kids don’t have their drivers permit and celebrated her sixteenth birthday with a win at the French Open. Yet despite her success on the court, she knew that tennis was merely a platform to something greater. What proved to be a career-ending shoulder injury a

In 1994 Will Self wrote a long essay about English culture: how has the nation changed since then? And do the old cherished ideas of Englishness bear any resemblance to reality? http://gu.com/p/3yq6n/fo

A CENTURY ago, when Harrods decided to set up its first SEA emporium, it chose Buenos Aires. In 1914 Argentina stood out as the country of the future. Its economy had grown faster than America’s over the previous four decades. Its GDP per head was higher than Germany’s, France’s or Italy’s. It boasted WONDERFUL fertile agricultural land, a

The Wolf of Wall Street Martin Scorsese’s three-hour burlesque of LOATHE, crooked f inancial activity and extravagant personal DEBAUCHEE is meant to epitomize everything that has gone wrong with the money culture. Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort (a realworld scoundrel and SWINDLE) comes right at us, narrating directly to the camera, like a l

A lot of students ask about verbs that are followed by verb-ing forms or to + infinitive. Some, like want, decide, agree, are always followed by to + infinitive. Some, like look forward to, enjoy, finish, are always followed by verb-ing forms. I decided to turn off the computer and go home. I would finish writing the report tomorrow. Some verbs can

My favourite song about London is Waterloo Sunset from The Kinks. The Kinks were an English band formed in North London in the suburb of Muswell Hill. They were formed by two brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Ray was the leading vocal of the group, whereas Dave was the leading guitar player. This band was very popular not only in the UK but als

It's Jeremy Paxman's last time in the Newsnight chair tonight and the BBC have put out his most famous interviews. Paxman's most infamous political interview was with Michael Howard, then the home secretary, in May 1997. The presenter asks Howard the same question – "Did you threaten to overrule him?" – twelve times.

What does the idiom to change one’s tune mean? Provide an example of its usage. What does the word to administer mean? Provide three words that collocate with it. What does the word brash mean? Provide three synonyms for it and an example of its usage. Paraphrase the following sentences. a) If it hadn’t been for his altruism, I wouldn’t have

How can inequality in education be addressed? A state-backed scheme opening up private school places to more pupils? http://www. theguardian.com/teacher-networ k/teacher-blog/2014/jul/03/government-sponsor-private-day-schools-education-equality …