Category: english

Tutoring English, you deal with theme and mood. The tutor reflects on The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Back on October 27 I attended the Rocky Horror Picture Show, presented at the Tidemark Theatre by Isolde and Peach. Of course it was fantastic, with so much energy and pageantry.

During my third viewing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, I realized how sad the story is: once the protagonist kills Eddie, the movie turns dark and sorrowful as he struggles to find refuge from what he’s done. In the end, even his servants turn on him.

The spectacular beauty showcased in the first part of Rocky Horror Picture Show is what we all love to contemplate. However, its theme seems to be that beauty, out of context, is doomed.

Nevertheless, drawn by the costumes and the crowd’s fantastic energy, I plan to continue attending The Rocky Horror Picture Show:)

Tutoring English, vocabulary is always interesting. The tutor mentions rankle.

Source:

Mish, Frederick C. (editor). The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Springfield: Merriam-Webster, 2004.

Barber, Katherine et al. (editors). The Oxford Canadian Dictionary of Current English. Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Gilmour, Lorna (editor). Collins Essential Canadian English Dictionary and Thesaurus. Glasgow: HarperCollins, 2006.

Tutoring English, the way words sound is important. The tutor mentions a pattern he’s noticed.

Lately repeating sounds, but with different meanings, have caught my attention, such as the following:

She walked along a long building.

Here’s another example:

The knights sat around a round table.

In each pattern, the first time the sounds mean a preposition; the second, an article and adjective. One could stretch for another example:

He saw past the door, which was ajar, a jar.

Neat, eh?

Tutoring English, uncommon words – especially short ones – are of particular interest. The tutor mentions vaunt.

Source:

Mish, Frederick C. (editor). The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Springfield: Merriam-Webster, 2004.

Barber, Katherine et al (editors). Oxford Canadian Dictionary of Current English. Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Tutoring English, sources are varied. The tutor mentions a great one for the word moot.

In his song “Jessie’s Girl,” Rick Springfield says

I want to tell her that I love her
But the point is probably moot.

I was asked, “What does moot mean?”

Not knowing how to explain it that moment, I looked it up to show the student, then got a surprise: the first dictionary definition of moot isn’t how I use it.

I believe moot is sometimes meant as follows:

moot: obvious, so not needing mention.

From my point of view, in Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl,” the point is probably moot means that people already know he loves Jessie’s girl because she’s so attractive.

“Jessie’s Girl” came out in my early teens. I thought is was okay then, but it’s grown on me:)

Source:

Rick Springfield (“Jessie’s Girl” video)

Mish, Frederick C (editor). The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Springfield: Merriam-Webster, 2004.

Barber, Katherine et al (editors). Oxford Canadian Dictionary of Current English. Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Tutoring English, homonyms are always interesting. The tutor mentions the pair cue and queue.

Source:

Barber, Katherine et al. Oxford Canadian Dictionary of Current English. Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Tutoring English, homonyms are always interesting. The tutor mentions the pair high and hie.

I imagine everyone knows what high means.

Source:

Gilmour, Lorna (editor). Collins Essential Canadian English Dictionary and Thesaurus. Glasgow: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006.

Mish, Frederick C. (editor). The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Springfield: Merriam-Webster, 2004.