執筆者 Modern English | 2012年12月11日 | Words
Bartender: What can I get for you, Bob? Bob: The usual. “Usual” is an adjective that means “ordinary” or “customary”. You can use it to arrange a meeting with a friend at “the usual spot” or order your usual drink at a bar or café where you are a regular customer....
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年12月04日 | Words
A leprechaun is a mythical creature from Ireland, but it is well-known in the English-speaking world. It looks like a little man dressed in green. If you catch a leprechaun, he has to give you his pot of gold. But leprechauns can use magic, so it is impossible to...
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年11月27日 | Words
“I had a headache, so I lay down on the couch.” “Every morning the chicken lays an egg.” It is very easy to confuse “lay” and “lie” in English. In the present tense, “lay” means to set something down (it takes an object). “Lie” means to rest on a surface (it doesn’t...
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年11月20日 | Words
“I need to draw a straight line. Can you lend me a ruler?” A ruler is a smooth, straight stick with lines that can be used to measure length. A longer ruler can also be called a measuring stick. In the U.S. most people use inches, but sometimes we also need to use...
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年11月13日 | Words
“What’s your costume supposed to be?” “I’m a hippie. Look, I have a tie-dye shirt and bellbottom pants.” Tie-dye is created by twisting up a shirt and tying strings tightly around it, then dipping the shirt in different colors of dye. The strings divide the sections...
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年11月06日 | Words
“The faucet is leaking. Call a plumber!” A faucet is a metal tube that water comes out of, often in a sink or bathtub. They can also be found in yards connected to garden hoses. Other names for a faucet are “spigot” or “tap”. In the U.S. a “spigot” is more likely to...
