執筆者 Modern English | 2014年08月05日 | Words
“He overcame his fear of heights to become a professional pilot.” “Overcome” means to get over a difficulty or problem, or defeat an enemy. It ends with “come” and is conjugated in the same way. The past is “overcame”, not “overcomed”. 「彼は高所恐怖症を乗り越えてプロのパイロットになりました」...
執筆者 Modern English | 2014年07月29日 | Words
“The first place winner will receive a shiny gold medal.” Something that is “shiny” reflects light. Something made of smooth, polished metal is usually shiny. It’s similar to the word “shine”, but something that shines often emits its own light instead of reflecting...
執筆者 Modern English | 2014年07月22日 | Words
“In this poem, the road is a metaphor for life.” A metaphor is something that isn’t literally true, but has a symbolic meaning. Many idioms are also metaphors, because they are verbal images that convey meaning instead of factual descriptions. For example, if someone...
執筆者 Modern English | 2014年07月15日 | Words
“Did Paul Bunyan really carve the Grand Canyon with an axe? He must have been huge!” “No, it’s only a myth.” A myth is a fantastical story that has been passed down through the generations. They often give explanations for the natural world (like the Grand Canyon, or...
執筆者 Modern English | 2014年07月08日 | Words
“I was so startled, I literally jumped a foot in the air!” The word “literally” means “without exaggeration”. If you literally jumped a foot in the air, that means that if someone were holding a ruler by your feet and measured the height of your jump, it would be at...
執筆者 Modern English | 2014年07月01日 | Words
“Rats! I forgot my keys!” “Rats!” is something to say when you’re frustrated or disappointed. It’s not considered dirty, so you can say it in front of anyone. Perhaps you have heard famous cartoon character Charlie Brown use this word. It might sound a little childish...
