Political business as usual

Hi Cheikh,

Another post, another fascinating insight into your world. Your last posting about corruption in politics, and civil servants who look after their own, was very interesting indeed.

But I have to say, when I look at the recent British political landscape, I don't see too many differences between our two countries.



I don't know if you've heard the story, but the most recent scandal here has been about the amount of money our elected politicians (MPs) have been claiming. If they've paid for a train ticket to go to a meeting on political business, it's perfectly reasonable that they should be able to get the money back. No problem there. But how about claiming money back for cleaning a bird house in your garden? I don't think so! Maybe it is true that 'politics is a dirty business' after all!

Now, to your post. Let's look at some vocabulary (including some more of those troublesome words that are written as one word, rather than two).

bile criticism

This should probably be vile criticism. Bile is the liquid you throw up, when you're being sick and finally have no more food to bring up.

…is down to two folds

You can either say:

is down to two things
or
is twofold

And notice as well that twofold is one word.

…handing out power to the civilians

Should be:

handing power to the civilians

If you hand something to someone, you give it to them. If you hand out something, you give something free to people who need it (for example, food or clothes)

There were a couple of words I wasn't sure about. When you were talking about bribes, you said:

staff of the circuit that the paper has to go through

I'm not sure what you meant by circuit. I thought maybe department or area but I'm not sure.

And footy confused me too in this sentence:

… many people live on a footy amount monthly

Did you mean tiny? Footy is informal for football.

Here are seven words from your posting that should be written as one word, rather than two:

some thing
an other
out side
arch- enemy
what ever
every day
home work

So my challenge to you Cheikh is to write your next posting while keeping a sharp eye on these tricky one word monsters!

All the best,

Nuala

PS Most of your last homework was fine but have a look at 4 and 5 again if you've got time. You need to put both in another position in sentence 4. And in the final sentence, the pattern is: We passed a law that + outlawed + verb+ing.

4. I read your blogs both entirely.

5. We passed a law that outlawed to call anyone a slave.

vocabulary
look after their own – care for their family and friends only
keeping a sharp eye on – looking carefully for
landscape - situation
don't see too many differences – both are very similar
scandal - event or behaviour which the public disapproves of or that that causes the public to feel shocked
claiming – asking for the money that you have already spent to be given back to you (for example, for staying in a hotel on a business trip)
a dirty business – a corrupt or dishonest situation
throw up – empty food from your stomach through your mouth
keeping a sharp eye on – looking carefully for

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