執筆者 Modern English | 2014年08月19日 | Words
“I visited the store where I used to work and went drinking with my former colleagues.” “Former” is used with things that someone or something used to be but no longer is. For example, if you give your cat to your friend, the cat is now your former pet. If you get...
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...
