English language Category
It’s its
With the advent of social media it has become all too apparent that many people are unaware…
T.S. Eliot
T.S. (Thomas Stearns) Eliot (1888-1965) is hailed as the 20th century’s most influential poet, recognised in the…
Whatsits and thingies
With an estimated million or more words in the English language now, you would think that no-one…
Before Old English
There were probably two related Indo-European tongues with Semitic layers in Britain before Old English. One was…
“Sorry!”
Elton John sang ‘Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word’ (1976), but this is simply not applicable…
“To be, or not to be”
Shakespeare‘s play, ‘The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark’ (c.1602) is one in which almost everyone…
Doris Lessing
Doris Lessing (1919-2013) had an eventful life and drew on her multi-faceted experiences to write about women…
Language of the court
The language of the court is that which is spoken by the aristocracy. It is deemed to…
J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien, CBE (1892-1973), was the author of the epic fantasy trilogy ‘The Lord of the Rings’…
Robert Browning
Robert Browning (1812-89) spent much of his life financially supported by family while he pursued his desire…
The Great Vowel Shift
The Great Vowel Shift (GVS) is the reason we may find Old and Middle English difficult to…
Enid Blyton
Enid Mary Blyton (1897-1968), born in London, was our most-loved and prolific author of children’s literature. Emerging…