執筆者 Modern English | 2015年03月17日 | Words
Spring is coming and flowers are starting to bloom. When a bud opens and becomes a flower, it “blooms”. Most often “bloom” is a verb, but occasionally it is a noun, meaning the same as “flower” or “blossom”. What flowers...
執筆者 Modern English | 2015年03月10日 | Words
“These mushrooms look very similar, but this one is poisonous and this one is okay to eat.” Something that contains poison is “poisonous”. For example, some mushrooms are poisonous, so it’s dangerous to eat mushrooms you found growing...
執筆者 Modern English | 2015年03月03日 | Words
“We can get this done quickly if we all cooperate!” “This assignment teaches the students the value of cooperation.” “Cooperate” means “work together”. Look at the parts of the word. “Co-” means...
執筆者 Modern English | 2015年02月24日 | Words
“I fought a bear during summer break.” “No, you didn’t. You’re fibbing.” A fib is a lie. To fib is to tell a lie. A fib is usually a childish or unimportant kind of lie, rather than a serious lie with grave consequences. 「夏休みに熊と戦ったんだ。」 「やってないよ、うそだろ。」 Fib...
執筆者 Modern English | 2015年02月17日 | Words
“I coaxed the kittens out of the hole using some tuna and took them home.” To coax someone is to try to get them to do something in a gentle manner. Perhaps they are scared or suspicious, so if you try to force them, they will run away or freeze up, so it’s better to...
