I'm that Grammar guy! Hunt Lyman

There is an interesting answer to the question: "Why is English such a hard language?"
https://ororo.tv/en/channels/tedx-talks#dc8Kxtp1m1c

Reading: A Birthday at the Light House

Good day my dear English learners! Happy holidays! Hope everyone is doing great. )))
I have a book to share with you today:
http://www.childrenslibrary.org/icdl/BookPage?bookid=robbirt_00200017&pnum1=1&twoPage=false&route=simple_0_0_0_English_11&size=0&fullscreen=false&lang=English&ilang=English
Enjoy during your holidays!!!!

Check your vocabulary

• dusk
• exacerbate
• flippantly
• immutable
• ominously

1. Brainard threw in _____.
2. This may even be an underestimate as many heat- related deaths are recorded by cause of death such as heart failure, stroke, or respiratory failure, all of which are ______ by excessive heat.
3. The sun set; the ______ fell on the stream and lights began to appear along the shore.
4. Farther west on the upper reaches the place of the monstrous town upper reaches the place of the monstrous town was still marked ______ on the sky, a brooding gloom in sunshine, a lurid glare under stars.
5. In the ______ of their surroundings the foreign shores, the foreign faces, the changing immensity of life, glide past veiled not by a sense of mystery but a slightly disdainful ignorance; for there is nothing mysterious to a seaman unless it be the sea itself.

Check your vocabulary

• aggravate
• flippant
• folly
• mogul
• reticent
• sullen
• vulnerable

1. The water-plug being left in solitude, its overflowing ______congealed, and turned to misanthropic ice.
2. Brainard thought he was for a night in the open and cursed his _____ in jumping off into the desert.
3. Brainard liked the girl, felt a strange sort of pity for her, an unreasoned pity for a forlorn and lonely child, who he instinctively divined was sensitive and perhaps unhappy in spite of her _____ speech.
4. _____ people die of the cold because of poor housing and not being able to afford to heat their homes.
5. The virtue of _____, Brainard found, was admirably cultivated in these sparsely habited parts of the earth.
6. Your nasty comments _____ a bad situation.
7. The fossil fuel industry, political lobbyists, media _____ and individuals have spent the past 30 years sowing doubt about the reality of climate change - where none exists.

Check your vocabulary

• brazier
• facetious
• legible
• proffer
• secession
• tartar

1. _____ control toothpastes,in some cases, may cause sensitivity to hot and cold in some teeth or irritation to the soft tissues of the mouth.
2. I'm hoping the PDF below is _____.
3. Plainly, the central idea of _____ is the essence of anarchy.
4. Scrooge resumed his labours with an improved opinion of himself, and in a more _____ temper than was usual with him.
5. Meanwhile the fog and darkness thickened so that people ran about with flaring links, ______ their services to go before horses in carriages, and conduct them on their way.
6. In the main street, at the corner of the court, some labourers were repairing the gas-pipes, and had lighted a great fire in a ______, round which a party of ragged men and boys were gathered: warming, their hands and winking their eyes before the blaze in rapture.

New Vocabulary

• ardour
• inclemency
• legible
• tartar

1. While _____ control toothpastes can significantly reduce ______ buildup on teeth above the gum line, they show only minimal results on the preventing dental calculus formation below the gum line.
2. You can have rapport, or you can have fast, _____ notes, but you cannot have both.
3. When I was thirteen years of age we all went on a party of pleasure to the baths near Thonon; the ______ of the weather obliged us to remain a day confined to the inn.
4. If my father had taken the pains to explain to me that the principles of Agrippa had been entirely exploded and that a modern system of science had been introduced which possessed  much greater powers than the ancient, because the powers of the latter were chimerical, while those of the former were real and practical, under such circumstances I should certainly have thrown Agrippa aside and have contented my imagination warmed as it was, by returning with greater ______ to my former studies.

Do you know these words?

• exquisite
• legible
• murky
• tartar
• vehement

1. Most of the ______ control tooth pastes also contain fluoride and antibacterial agents to fight the root cause of the problem, the bacteria of dental plaque.
2. It needs scarcely to be told, with what feelings, on the eve of a voyage, I regarded those marble tablets, and by the _____ light of that darkened, doleful day read the fate of the whale men who had gone before me.
3. Is the signature ______?
4. My temper was sometimes violent, and my passions ______; but by some law in my temperature they were turned not towards childish pursuits but to an eager desire to learn and not to learn all things indiscriminately.
5. I feel _____ pleasure in dwelling on the recollections of childhood, before misfortune had tainted my mind and changed its bright visions of extensive usefulness into gloomy and narrow reflections upon self.

New Vocabulary

• doleful
• inducement
• nerve-racking
• seclusion
• tartar
• venerable

1. By this way calcium phosphate is removed from the saliva and it can't create calcium deposits on teeth forming new _____.
2. We resided principally in the latter, and the lives of my parents were passed in considerable _____.
3. A job interview is a ______ experience at the best of times, so it's important to prepare for it well.
4. It needs scarcely to be told, with what feelings, on the eve of a voyage, I regarded those marble tablets, and by the murky light of that darkened, ______ day read the fate of the whale men who had gone before me.
5. Delightful ______ to embark, fine chance for promotion, it seems - aye, a stove boat will make me an immortal by brevet.
6. I had not been seated very long before a man of a certain ______ robustness entered; immediately as the storm pelked door flew back upon admitting him, a quick regarding eyeing of him by all congregation, suffiently attested that this fine old man was the chaplain.

Vocabulary revision for the weekend

• ardent
• contemplate
• divulge
• rapture
• requisite
• tartar

1. _____ control tooth pastes can help in reducing new _____ build-up but they can't remove the already formed _____.
2. I should have feared to injure both Edmond and yourself, had I _____ my own apprehension to a soul.
3. You know that I am as capable of managing a ship as the most experienced captain in the service; and it will be so far advantageous to you to accept my services, that upon Edmond's release from prison no further change will be _____ on board the "Pharaon" than for Dantes and myself each to resume our respective posts.
4. During the Civil War, she was also an ______ abolitionist.
5. While my companion ______ with a serious and satisfied spirit the magnificent appearances of things, I delighted in investing their causes.
6. Curiosity, earnest research to learn the hidden laws of nature, gladness akin to rapture, as they were unfolded to me, are among the earliest sensations I can remember.

New Words

• abdication
• fluster
• formidable
• ligament
• supplant
• tartar

1. Preventive tooth scaling once a year is recommended if your teeth tend to accumulate _____.
2. Periodontal diseases are infections of the periodontal tissues, which include the gums, periodontal _____ and alveolar bone.
3. That kind of interviewing is used by us to give someone an opportunity to show they are smart and not easily _____.
4. Many of our readers may be able to recollect how _____ such an accusation became in the period at which our story is dated.
5. With the rapid instinct of selfishness, Caderousse readily perceived the solidity of this mode of reasoning; he gazed, doubtfully, wistfully, on Danglars, and then caution ______ generosity.
6. You understand that, on account of your uncle, M. Policar Morrel, who served under the "other" government, and who does not altogether conceal what he thinks on the subject, you are strongly suspected of regretting the _____ of Napoleon.

Improve your vocabulary )))

• tartar
• acquiesce
• mug

1. Proper brushing and flossing are necessary to reduce plaque and ______ build up.
2. I'm not thrilled about answering questions like "If you were being _____, and you had a light sabre in one pocket and a whip in the other, which would you use?"
3. If a minority in such case will secede rather than _____, they make a precedent which in turn will divide and ruin them; for a minority of their own will secede from them whenever a majority refuses to be controlled by such minority.

Do you know these words? Check yourself!

• crank
• pendant
• saber
• secede
• spanner
• tartar

1. The _____ was in your car because you murdered Mary Jones with it.
2. This form of  _____ is less harmful as it is visible and can be identified easily allowing us to visit our dentist early.
3. There were _____ and an expensive watch.
4. This is not the usual _____ call.
5. If a minority in such case will _____ rather than acquiesce, they make a precedent which in turn will divide and ruin them; for a minority of their own will _____ from them whenever a majority refuses to be controlled by such minority.
6. I'm not thrilled about answering questions like "If you were being mugged, and you had a light ______ in one pocket and a whip in the other, which would you use?

Preposition practice

Good evening,my dear English learners! Here is the collection of preposition links. Enjoy!!!)))
http://www.better-english.com/grammar/prepositions.htm
http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/quizzes/0101/es-prepositions.html
http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/prepositions.ht
http://www.eslpdf.com/esl_prepositions.html 
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises_list/alle_grammar.htm 
http://www.quia.com/tq/126698.html
http://www.quia.com/jg/73573.html
 http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/594/01/
http://www.better-english.com/grammar/timepreps.htm
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/200/grammar/prepo.htm http://esl.about.com/library/grammar/blgr_prep1.htm
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/CiLL/eap/
http://moodle.citylit.ac.uk/moodle/file.php/1/Study%20skills%20work%20sheets/gramm ar/intermediate/Microsoft%20Word%20%204.17%20Prepositions%20with%20nouns,%20adjectives%20and%20verbs.pdf
http://www.evt.edunet.tn/depinteg/projetstic/secondaire/projets/anglais/intasks/prep9.htm
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/CILL/eap/2004/u2/pg34preps.htm
http://www.learn4good.com/languages/evrd_grammar/adjectives_prepos.htm
http://esl.about.com/library/grammar/blgr_prep5.htm
http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/blgrquiz_prep7.htm
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/CiLL/eap/2004/u2/pg34ex3prepositional%20phrases.htm
http://collegewriting.org/index.php/revision/editing/editstrings-of-prepositional-phrases
http://www.uefap.com/writing/feature/complex.htm
http://www.bestessaytips.com/improve_writing_style.php
http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/style/wordiness.html

Check your vocabulary

Good evening,my dear English learners! Let's check if you know the words below.

• adamant
• bask
• blithely
• codicil
• crest
• furrow of anxiety
• imminent
• penal servitude
• pendant
• precarious
• regurgitate
• vim

1. Not all of them eke out a ______ livelihood by murdering one another, but there is a definite section of the population which murders - not casually, on the spur of the moment, but on definitely commercial lines of so many dollars per murder.
2. The man in the street not have known it, but a great crisis was _____ in New York journalism.
3. The cars ran ______ on Broadway.
4. Newsboys shouted "Wux-try!" into the ears of nervous pedestrians with their usual Caruso- like _____.
5. Society passed up and down Fifth Avenue in its automobiles, and was there a ______ upon society's brow?
6. He was _____.
7. To Mr. Wilberfloss the sentence was almost equivalent to _____.
8. You can buy Miss Lotta Lauriece a diamond _____ with the thousand dollars.
9. There is a _____ to your uncle's will.
10. The cassowary has a large bony _____ on its head that uses to dig in the dirt for food.
11. The frilled lizard goes back to ______ in the sun.
12. Firstly, even the best school can take a fascinating subject, such as electricity or classical civilization, and make it boring, by turning it into facts which have to be learnt by heart and then _____ for exams.

SAT words

Good morning,my dear English learners!
Check your vocabulary for SAT.))) Give definitions for the following words.

• mendacious
• protean
• flout
• clemency
• paucity

Check your vocabulary

Good morning, my dear English learners!
Here is your new vocabulary task.))) It's a very simple task. Just fill the gaps with the correct word. You may need to change the form.

• succumb
• sloth
• red-lipped batfish
• contentment
• treacherous
• potent
• ante
• prudence
• beckon to
• gout
• morbid
• indentured
• eke out

1. Every my old man ____ and did not contradict her, but gave me double share instead.
2. A ____ has four legs, long claws and brown fur.
3. A ____ lives in the sea.
4. Policy Lider Electrik is focused on more complete clients _____ with reliable and qualitative electrical equipment.
5. The landscape for jobseekers today is more _____ than at my time in recent memory.
6. The power of religion remains _____ here at the dawn of the 21st century.
7. In their struggle, to survive, increasingly lean organizations are making decisions that also raise the  _____ for jobseekers.
8. _____ counseled Brainard to assume that the voice was that of the stenographer, and to hang up the receiver.
9. The reporter _____ him.
10. I think I've got _____!
11. No artist is ever _____.
12. Indians were brought to South Africa by British to work on farms as "_____ workers" for five years and others - "free Indians" - came to buy and sell things there.
13. Not all of them ______ a precarious livelihood by murdering one another, but there is a definite section of the population which murders - not casually, on the spur of the moment, but on definitely commercial lines at so many dollars per murder. 

One Thousand Dollars - O. Henry

Find definitions for the following words BEFORE reading:
codicil, foolishly, pendant, housekeeper, cheerfully, saloon, careless, germ, wisely, necklace, clause, formally, polite, taxi, ward, awkward, severely, privately, deposit, disturb, ambitious, cab, calm, diamond, generous, envelope, elevator, happiness, sum, sidewalk.
Read the story and answer the questions below it.

One Thousand Dollars
"One thousand dollars," repeated Lawyer Tolman. "And here is the money." His voice was formal and distant. 
Young Gillian laughed as he touched the small package of money. "It's such an awkward amount," he said to the lawyer. "With ten thousand dollars you can really have fun. Even fifty dollars are less of a problem." 
"You heard your uncle's will," continued Lawyer Tolman. "Did you listen carefully? Remember that you must tell us exactly HOW you spend the $1,000, as soon as you spend it. It is best that you write a list for us. These were Mr Gillian's last wishes." 
"Of course I will," said the young man politely. "Perhaps I'll need a secretary to help me write the list." 
Gillian put the small package of money into his coat pocket and went to his club. At his club he looked for Old Bryson, who was forty years old and calm. He was reading a book and took off his glasses when he saw Gillian. 
"Wake up, Old Bryson," said Gillian. "I have a funny story to tell you." 
"Why don't you tell it to someone else," said Old Bryson. "You know I hate your stories." 
"This one is better than usual," said Gillian. "It's sad and funny. My uncle left me one thousand dollars in his will. Now what can a man do with a thousand dollars?" 
"I thought your uncle was a very rich man with about half a million dollars," said Old Bryson, showing very little interest. 
"He was," said Gilllian happily. "That's why it's so funny. He left one part of his money to the scientist who will discover a new germ. And the other part to build a hospital that will destroy the germ! Then the butler and the housekeeper got a special ring and $10 each. And I got $1,000." 
"You have plenty of money to spend," said Old Bryson. 
"Oh yes, plenty," said Gilllian. "My uncle was very generous with me." 
"Are there any other heirs?" asked Old Bryson. 
"None, except for Miss Hayden, a ward of my uncle who lived in his house. She's a quiet girl, the daughter of one of his friends. Now tell me, Old Bryson, what can a man do with a thousand dollars." 
Old Bryson cleaned his glasses and smiled. Gillian knew that when Old Bryson smiled he was going to be very offensive. 
"A thousand dollars can be a lot of money or very little money," he said. "A man can buy a home with it and be very happy. You can buy milk for one hundred babies for three months and save their lives. It can give an ambitious boy an education. A man can buy a real Corot painting, You can also live well in a New Hampshire town for two years. But you, Bobby Gillian, can do only one thing. You can buy Miss Lotta Lauriere a diamond pendant with the thousand dollars." 
"Thanks," said Gillian. "I knew you could solve the problem." 
Gillian phoned for a taxi. He said to the driver, "Please take me to the Columbine Theater." 
Miss Lotta Lauriere was getting ready for her performance. When she saw Gillian she said, "What is it, Bobby? I have a performance in two minutes." 
"This won't take two minutes. Would you like a little pendant? I can spend a thousand dollars on it." 
"Oh, all right," said Miss Lauriere. "Where is my hat? Bobby, did you see the necklace Della Stacey was wearing the other night? It cost two thousand two hundred dollars at Tiffany's but, all right..." 
"Miss Lauriere, you're on stage in a minute!" cried the manager of the theater. 
Gillian returned to his taxi. "What can a man do with one thousand dollars?" he asked the driver. 
"Open a saloon," said the driver immediately. "I know a perfect place for a saloon, where I could make lots of money and..." 
"Please drive until I tell you to stop," said Gillian. 
They drove down Broadway and Gillian saw a blind man on the sidewalk. He was sitting on a chair and selling pencils, Gillian got out of the taxi and stood in front of him. 
"Excuse me," he said. "But what can you do with a thousand dollars?" 
"You just got out of the taxi, didn't you?" asked the blind man. 
"Yes, I did," said Gillian. 
"I think you're a gentleman, if you ride a taxi during the day. Take a look at this, please." 
He took a small book from his coat pocket and gave it to Gillian. Gillian opened it and saw that it was a bank deposit book. It showed a sum of $1,785. Gillian returned the bank deposit book and got into the cab. 
"I forgot something," he said. "Drive to the law offices of Tolman and Sharp." 
Lawyer Tolman looked at him severely through his glasses. 
"Excuse me," said Gillian cheerfully. "May I ask you a question? Did my uncle leave Miss Hayden anything besides the ring and the ten dollars?" 
"Nothing," said Mr Tolman. 
"Thank you very much, sir," said Gillian and he returned to his taxi. He gave the driver the address of his late uncle's home. 
Miss Hayden was writing letters in the library. She was small and thin, and she wore black clothes. But she had lovely eyes. Gillian entered and said, "I was at the lawyer's office and he found an additional clause to my uncle's will. It seems that he left you one thousand dollars. Mr Tolman asked me to bring you this money. Here it is. Please count it to see if it's right. Gillian put the money near her hand on the desk. 
Miss Hayden's face turned white, "Oh!" she said and again, "Oh!" 
Gillian turned and looked out of the window. 
"I think you know that I love you," Gillian said. 
"I am sorry," said Miss Hayden, taking her money. 
"Then, there is no hope?" asked Gillian. 
"I am sorry," she said again. 
"May I write a note?" asked Gillian with a smile. He sat down at the big library table. She gave him some paper and a pen. 
Gillian wrote: 
Paid by Robert Gillian, $1,000 to the best and dearest woman in the world, for all the happiness she brings to people. 
Gillian put his note into an envelope and went away. His taxi stopped again at the law offices of Tolman and Sharp. 
"I spent the thousand dollars," he said happily, "and I am here to tell you exactly how I spent them." He threw the white envelope on the lawyer's table. 
Mr Tolman did not touch the envelope and went to a door and called his partner, Mr Sharp. Together they opened the big safe. They took out a large envelope and slowly opened it. 
"Mr Gillian," Mr Tolman said formally, "there is a codicil to your uncle's will. He gave it to us privately. It can be opened only after you spend the thousand dollars. This is what it says: 
Dear Robert, 
Spend the thousand dollars wisely and carefully and you will receive $50,000 in bonds. Spend the money carelessly and foolishly, as you did in the past, and the $50,000 in bonds will go to Miriam Hayden, my ward. 
Your uncle, Septimas Gillian 

"Now, Mr Sharp and I will examine your note and then decide." 
Mr Tolman put out his hand to take the note, but Gillian was quicker. He took it and tore it into little pieces and put them in his pocket. 
"Oh, it's all right," he said smiling. "I don't want to disturb you with this. I lost the thousand dollars at the horse races. Good day to you, gentlemen." 
Tolman and Sharp looked at each other and shook their heads. Gillian left and whistled happily as he waited for the elevator.
Questions:
1. What do you think about Miss Lauriere?
2. What do you think about taxi driver's idea of spending $1,000?
3. What do you think about blind man's way of saving money?
4. What do you think about Gillian's idea of spending money?
5. What have you done for those who you love? Have you ever expected anything back?

Dentistry Lesson

Good evening,my dear English learners! Today there is a dentistry lesson.))) Hope you are not afraid of dentists.)))
Here is the link to read:
https://theconversation.com/holistic-dentistry-more-poppycock-than-panacea-41177
Enjoy!!

Questions:
1. What does "holistic" mean?
2.Should dentists rely on alternative medicine?
3. What did Campbell do?
Vocabulary
alleviate
decongestant

Just feel like sharing...Chernobyl

Good evening,my dear English learners! Just feel like sharing this text... no comment...I created a word list for this text if you wish to work on new words:
https://www.vocabulary.com/lists/6106893/practice

Here is the text link:
http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2019/07/22/chernobyl-and-i/

Word families

1.abort
Abortionist
Abortive
Abortively
2. abrasive
Abrasively
Abrasiveness
Nonabrasive
3.abridge
Abridgement
4.abrogate
Abrogation
5. abrupt
Abrupter
Abruptly
Abruptness
6.abscond
Absconder
7.abseil
Abseiler
8.absent
Ansentee
Ansenteeism
Absently
9. absentminded
Absentmindedly
Absentmindedness
10.absolute
Absolutely
Absolutism
Absolutism
Absolutist

Academic Word List (AWL) Practice Exercises

Good morning,my dear English learners! It's time to practice your vocabulary for IELTS/TOEFL/TOEIC.)))
Here is the link:

  https://www.examenglish.com/vocabulary/academic_wordlist.html

Reading strategies

1.PREVIEW
Research shows that it is easier to understand what you are reading if you begin with a general idea of what the passage is about. Previewing helps you form a general idea of the topic. To preview, first read the title, the headings and subheadings, and any words in bold print or italics. Next, read the first sentence of each paragraph and the last sentence of the passage. This time you are looking for the main idea.
2.READ FASTER
To read faster, read for meaning. Try to understand sentences or even paragraphs, not individual words. To do this, you should read phrases instead of reading word by word, read for ideas. If you don't know the meaning of a word but you understand the sentence, move on.

Reading together ANZAC Day

Good afternoon,my dear English learners! Today we start to read one book together.)))
Here is the link:
http://www.childrenslibrary.org/icdl/BookPage?bookid=booanza_00200033&pnum1=4&twoPage=false&route=simple_0_0_0_English_11&size=13&fullscreen=false&lang=English&ilang=English

Vocabulary:
casualities
suit of armo(u)r
Comprehension check:
1. What does ANZAC stand for?
2.When and where is ANZAC Day celebrated?
3. Why was ANZAC sent to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula?

Pronoun Reference practice FREE

Good morning,my dear English learners! I'm obsessed with this site for grammar:
http://chompchomp.com/hotpotatoes/proref01.htm
Enjoy it and work on your grammar!

Free library

Good morning,my dear English learners!
Today I found an open library where you can read books for free.
Here is the link:
https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL30514A/Henry_Miller
Enjoy!!!
P.S. Here is my favorite write link but you can choose your own.)))

FREE English Test

Good morning, my dear English learners!
If you have some free time, test your English! I took a short version, which takes 15 minutes, and shared on FB. Plan to take a 50 minute test a bit later and print the certificate for my CV))).Please share your experience below in comments. Here is the link:
 https://www.efset.org/free-english-test/

DON'T MISS! Tonight in Uzbekistan!!!

Good evening,my dear English learners! Today I'd like to share a very exciting event : ECLIPSE. Here is the link to read and also you can watch it live!!! AMAZING!!!
https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/uzbekistan/tashkent

Word families: examples

ablution - ablutions
abnormal - abnormality- abnormalities- abnormally
aboard 

abode - abodes
abolish - abolished - abolishes - abolishing - abolition - abolitionism -  abolitionist - abolitionists - abolitions
abomasum
abominable - abominably - abominate - abominated - abominating - abomination - abominations
aborigine - aboriginal - aboriginals - aborigines

Why beginning but not listenning?

Good afternoon,my dear English learners!
There was a question about double consonants at the end of English verbs.

Begin has its stress on the final syllable (beGIN) but listen (LIS-en) has its stress on the first syllable. If the verb ends in the pattern consonant-vowel-consonant, the final consonant is doubled in the case of verbs like refer and occur and begin where the stress is on the final syllable (referrer, referring, referred, occurrence, occurred, beginning), or one syllable words (big -> bigger, sin -> sinner) but not in the case of verbs like listen or broker (listened, listener, brokered, etc.), where the stress is non-final.

Interesting pronunciation: hour

Good afternoon,my dear English learners!
There is a song for you today. Listen and pay attention to the pronunciation of the word "hour". Interesting,right?
Here is the link:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oINGHbRxOPw&list=RDoINGHbRxOPw&index=1