Container Terminal - photo courtesy Wikipedia

I just came across the problem of whether to use ‘tonne’ or ‘ton’ in a text, so I did a little research and came to the following conclusion. This conclusion, however, is not so simple – so, first of all, let’s look at the technical definition – read more:

In the UK, sending cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts to prospective or current romantic partners is traditional. However, in Wales, many people celebrate Dydd Santes Dwynwen (St Dwynwen’s Day) on January 25 instead of (or as well as) Valentine’s Day. The day commemorates St Dwynwen, the patron saint of Welsh lovers … read more:

News stand in Paddington, London - courtesy Wikipedia

Newspaper headlines make use of a great variety of less usual words, which can also make them harder to read by non-native speakers. Headlines also try to be ‘punny’ (making use of close synonyms or related words as a joke) and alliterative (using a string of words with the same initial letter or sound). They tend to use shorter words than normal, and often leave out unnecessary grammatical ‘extras’. All this makes headlines short and eye-catching (and less than easy to read) … read more:

Now here is something that perhaps you haven’t thought about, and indeed neither had I until I started teaching English. We could use many adjectives to describe the scene above, but what order should they be in? To a native speaker it is learned as a child and just feels like the ‘natural order of things’, but different types of adjectives are set in a certain order when used together … read more: 

The Top 7 World Military Budgets by Country - the figures in the bottom axis show proportion of GDP.

 At just over $687 billion dollars a year the USA tops the charts for Military Big Spender of the World by such a big margin that we can only compare other countries with each other. However, the combined defence budgets of the 27 EU member states in 2010 amounted to $299.7 billion (1.63% of European Union GDP ). This makes the EU a significant 2nd (not represented on the chart as it is not (yet) a country) … read more:

Winter beauty from Vaasa in Finland – photo by Malcolm Pemberton

Winter in the Far North can sometimes be something of a challenge, even for those who were born here. When I say ‘Far North’ I am referring to Vaasa in Finland, where I live, which lies at 63 degrees north. This is, in fact, two degrees further north than Anchorage in Alaska, but still three and a half degrees short of the Arctic Circle, or some 210 nautical miles … read more: 

Basic Verb Tenses (for Levels A1 and A2)

The Apostrophe (a reference for all levels)

All feedback welcome

Well, here we are in a fine financial mess again, and one is inclined to say, “Well, I didn’t cause it, why should I have to pay?” This is, of course, a very good question, and one that is on the lips of millions of people. I have debt, but I am responsible, and servicing that debt rather boringly comes before buying something nice or going on holiday. But, I say that the fault doesn’t really lie with the borrowers, because, for the most part, they feel that if the banks will lend, then it’s OK. They feel that they can handle the situation because they have jobs and prospects. But then the bubble bursts and the lay-offs come and the debt-load becomes something that cannot be handled.  Read more …