Welcome back! Remembrance Day and a few replies...
Now that’s not a very catchy title for a blog is it? Sometimes there’s just too much to say in one post and one title simply does not sum it up!
First thing’s first, well done Olfa for overcoming your fear of the blank page. Look at the response you’ve got - definitely worth it, don’t you think? :) Well, as you are still attempting to look at the work I gave you last time I will not over scrutinise your blog today but instead give you time to get into the flow of things and look at a grammar point which has come up with a few people and which I promised to discuss last time. I always believe a good grammar ‘gift’ should be contextualised so what better a context than Remembrance Day for my chosen structure – used to.
Used to misusing used to? Let’s get used to using it accurately. :)
November 11 is Remembrance Day - the day on which we pay our respects to the soldiers to have fought for us over the last 90 odd years. It started as a tribute to those who lost their lives in the First World War but now in the UK, and other countries too, we use this day to remember soldiers who have died in more recent wars or conflicts as well. This year is a special year as it is the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War. So, why November 11 and what do we do to remember the soldiers? Well, it is a very interesting story, the basic facts of which are these: On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 the First World War ended. Apparently, the Armistice was signed in a railway carriage in the Forest of Compiegne, France a few hours earlier. To find out more about this and other interesting tit-bits visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/remembrance/how/silence.shtml
November 11 is also known as Armistice Day or Poppy Day.
I remember as a kid everyone in school wore poppies and we used to observe a 2-minute silence at 11 am to reflect on those who gave their lives in the first (and second) world wars. Everything used to stop – apparently even public transport would grind to a halt in the olden days to ensure absolute silence was observed. I like the idea of using silence as a way to help us remember people and events which have shaped our history and I wish we were more used to practising it. We didn’t use to think twice about buying a red poppy to wear as a symbol of remembrance. Nowadays, some people are more used to wearing a white poppy as it is seen as more of a symbol of peace. The story of the red poppy is interesting though. At the end of the day, it is all about symbolism and whatever works for you as an individual. Red makes me think of the blood shed during battle and I am not used to associating white with remembrance so if I were in the UK I’d still be buying a red one. As it is, here in Colombo I didn’t take part in any service or silence today.
It is sad that the First World War was not the war to end all wars as it was hoped it would be but c’est la vie. I think we are all war-weary and too used to seeing horrific images of modern day warfare and as a result we have got used to its catastrophic effects and sometimes find it easier to forget.
Now, for a change of mood - a few replies to all you diligent bloggers:
Ernesto – yes, it is very common to be barefoot in the house in this part of the world, partly due to the climate and partly cultural. I personally love the cool feel of marble or stone on my feet.
Ana Paula – I’m still not sure about White Tiger. Will keep you posted on that one.
Cheikh Vall – and all others interested – sorry for being remiss about the use of ‘reunified’ in Olfa’s first blog. I would rephrase the sentence to something like this: Events conspired against me to make that day particularly sad and desperate.
Tiasha – It’s good to hear from a Sri Lankan. I know exactly what you mean about being able to talk to people in different parts of the house. It does create a feeling of togetherness. Do write more and join in the dialogue about your beautiful country.
Mukta – Keep trying to make up stories to contextualise the vocabulary you are trying to practise. It really helps and you did pretty well.
Wahib – The topic of multicultural marriage is a vast but interesting one. Let’s see if other people are interested in hearing my story and then I might venture into that territory. We also use the term ‘melting pot’ in the same way as you do.
Hyoshil – I used the present tense amongst other reasons because they (my in-laws) are still with us. Keep analysing language in this way though. It is a very useful skill to develop and will help increase the range and accuracy of your usage of English.
Answers to last post’s challenge
Well done for noticing most of the ‘home’ phrases. One phrase a few of you didn’t manage to use accurately was homesick. Remember to think about the part of speech when you learn a new word. Homesick is an adjective yet some of you tried to use it as a noun “I hope you get over your homesick”. Actually the noun is homesickness. The others were:
Home from home – a place other than your home where it is possible to make yourself at home.
Home sweet home – expresses the sentiment ‘there’s no place like home’. This phrase originated in an English song from the opera Mid of Milan in 1823.
Home is where the heart is – expresses the sentiment that you prefer home to all other places; home is where you are emotionally attached.
Homely – familiar, unpretentious
Home owners - people who own their own home (fairly self explanatory this one)
Home and dry – successfully having completed something
And today’s challenges are…
1. Notice the way ‘used to’ is used and its different forms. Which verbs can be used with ‘used to’? How do we make the negative and question forms? I will give you a breakdown of the grammar of this in the next post.
2. What do the words and phrases emboldened mean?
3. Tell me the kind of topics you would like me to discuss on this blog – Olfa gets first choice here folks. :)
Good night everyone and Olfa – keep on blogging now you’re on a roll. :)
H
Comments
Hi Helen! The Remembrance Day has a beautiful meaning. Here in Brazil we don´t have a kind of tribute in which everything grinds to a halt. Moreover, I believe that in some occasions silence has more meaning than words. Well, I´ll have a stab at the challenge: 1- be used to: ' some people are more used to wearing a white poppy as it is seen as more of a symbol of peace'. and get used to:
Dear Helen, It is great to hear,that the teacher blogger of this month teaches us from my country. It is an awesome feeling. I always take my hat off for soldiers who lost their life in any war. Let me do my home work.The phrase'Used to' refers past habits and states. Which can be used with infinitive or gerund. We used to observe(infinitive) two minutes silence on vetarans day. Or We used to observing(gerund) two minutes silence on Vetarans day. Did we use to observe two minutes silence on...? We were not used to observe two miutes.....( Is this negative form right?) The word emboldned means courageous or made bold. I'm almost home and dry my home work. I feel good about myself and give a pat on my shoulder. Helen, thank you for telling us the story about the vetarans day.It is very interesting,I learnt about that today. Kind regards.
Hello again Helen! Ooh... I´ve pressed the wrong button and I sent you my comment incomplete. I´m sorry. Ok. Let´s start again: 1- to be used to: 'some people are more used to wearing a white poppy...', 'I am not used to associating white with remembrance',; to get used to: we have got used to its catastrophic effects and sometimes find it easier to forget; negative forms: to be + not + used to; did not + use to; did + not + get used to; have + not + got used to; well about the question form I really have no idea Helen. However, I notice that you didn´t use an auxiliar verb in this question: 'Used to misusing used to?' Could you please tell why you didn´t use an auxilair verb? I thank you in advance; 2- get into the flow of things: to get familiar with the things that has already happened; tribute: a way to pay a respectful homage; grind to a halt: to stop; war-weary: to be tired of wars. 3- Helen, it´d be interesting to hear about Sri Lankan cuisine and maybe you could give us some help with phasal verbs too. By the way, thank you very much for your reply. I´ll wait for your final review about White Tiger :-). Right now I´m reading Atonement by Ian McEwan. The book is really good and it has new words and expressions in English that I´m trying to assimilate. Anyway, I bid farewell now Helen. Good night and have lovely dreams, Ana Paula.
Dear Helen ,I am writing to you to claim I am proud to say my grandfather was a soldier of the first world war,just like my husband's one.We are used to celebrating theirmemory on the 4th of November. About your task I believe that used to describes habits in the past"WE used to observe 2...." The negative is"didn't use" "To be used to + ing form means to be accostumed/familiar with something. About the vocabulary"To get into....is to understand how something works."Tribute"means honour."poppy day because of people's habit to buy a poppy on that day."would grind to a halt"it stopped.War weary means we are fed up with warfare. About the subject of your blog you can tell anything since your style and your use of vocabulary is excellent and we can learn.bye bye Marione
Hi! Helen It’s really good of you giving me encouragement and useful information. your kind supports makes my day. A lot of war documents have been seen on TV and I have a few chances to watch some of them. They are all interesting and constructive. The most intriguing one for me is ‘Not forgotten who would refuse to fight’. It tells about conscientious objectors and their family’s life after making the objections. The program forces me to reflect on people who sacrificed their lives with their own wills and refused to fight for their own belief from past to modern days wars. By the way, the weather has been sharp and nippy here. What’s it like where you are? Have a good day !xx
Hi Helan, Remembering soldiers on the occasion like this is a befitting tribute for them. In India we remember them on Flag Day. I do not know the exact date. Students in the educational institutions and staff in the government offices keep silence at 11a.m on that day. Not like in Britain, other places function as usual. So it won’t be a grind to a halt. I used to get a flag on this day from teachers when I was in school. We were told that the amount collected on that day will be spent for the families of the deceased soldiers who died on the war. You are in the country where the civil war is going on for many years. So many lives of civilians, soldiers and rebels lost in the battle. In your final paragraph of the previous blog reflects that we are all in war weary situations. People have become used to live in the war torn areas in every day life. Still peace becomes possible if we think of the value of life.
Hi Helen! Here are my answers: used to+ infinitive is always past. I am used to something = I am accustomed to do something that is not strange for me. The question form is Did+subject+use to+ verb. Negative form: I used not to...or I didn't use to... About the topics, let us know more about Sri Lanka. Bye for now!!
Hi Helen! These grammar explanations are always tricky for me. I went over the text once again, started, and, decided to wait for you. Recently, I´ve just read the ´All quiet on the Western front´ . To read a book give us more emotional understanding what a cruelness the war is. There, in a TV go away programmes but mostly we want only entertainmet watching telly. Oddly, my belowed long late grandfather who used to sitting on a yard warming his frost-bitten leg in the sun never spoke to his grandchildren about the first war. I used to listen that he came so from the russian front but I was a child and lived a happy life. He used to smoke a pipe and to read books, mostly our national fairy tales. He never spoke badly about russian people only that cruel cold which took his leg and a quality tobbaco. I only now can pin it down.
Hi Helen, when I was in school we used to observe 2 minute’s silence in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi on 30th of January (He was assassinated on this day). Homework- Different forms of used to– Subject + used to + Noun (we use this form to talk about the past habits) we used to observe a 2-minute silence.. Everything used to stop(past habit) We didn’t use to think twice about buying( negative form) -Subject + be + used to + Noun (We use this form when we become familiar with something and its no longer strange) Nowadays, some people are more used to wearing a white poppy, we have got used to its catastrophic effects and sometimes find it easier to forget. (We use this form when we are familiar with it I am not used to associating white with (Negative form) B-Negative Form- never used to, didn't use to, used not to -Question Form- 'Did + Subject + use to And I’m very interested in your love-story.
Hello! i used not to answer the challanges.But,i will get into the follow of thigs and try this one.At the end of Homework ,i hope i will deserve your tribute .Otherwise,i will just grind my writtig to halt .Poppy means red and armistice means truce. war-wear,i thik, means tired of.About the topic, i want to hear from you about the differences between European and Asian cultures.And what aspects in particular one,if any ,that we can call it better than the other and why?
Hi Helen, We used to observe a two minute silence. Everything used to stop. We didn’t use to think twice. All the actions (verb) in the past not now, so we used “used to “with infinitive. I wish we were more used to practicing it. Some people are more used to wearing a white poppy. We used to seeing horrific images of modern day warfare. Here used to with ing from in the present habit not in the past. We didn’t use to think twice. Negative form in the past actions. I am not used to associating white. Again negative form be verb and ing. The words and phrases emboldened means to encourage, give support. Sri Lanka is a place for famous on Tourism and Tea business. I hope I am right. You can share some of your thoughts on this. Why did you choose to live in Lanka. If you wish we can discuss civil war in the Island. But it is a very hard topic to discuss, because I am Tamilan.
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