#learningenglish — Public Fediverse posts

It's the spring equinox and the time for another quarterly ebook. This time it's a short story by Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941).

"Departure" is about a young man leaving his small hometown to begin a new life in a big city. As he sets off, thoughts about the familiar people and places fill him with melancholy.

It’s a bittersweet story that I hope you will enjoy! As always, there are vocabulary explanations in the footnotes.

Visit the Grammaticus website today to get you free PDF: https://grammaticus.blog/2026/03/21/free-ebook-departure-by-sherwood-anderson

#literature #shortstory #reading #americanliterature #englishteacher #learningenglish #books #ebooks

It's the spring equinox and the time for another quarterly ebook. This time it's a short story by Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941).

"Departure" is about a young man leaving his small hometown to begin a new life in a big city. As he sets off, thoughts about the familiar people and places fill him with melancholy.

It’s a bittersweet story that I hope you will enjoy! As always, there are vocabulary explanations in the footnotes.

Visit the Grammaticus website today to get you free PDF: https://grammaticus.blog/2026/03/21/free-ebook-departure-by-sherwood-anderson

#literature #shortstory #reading #americanliterature #englishteacher #learningenglish #books #ebooks

It's the spring equinox and the time for another quarterly ebook. This time it's a short story by Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941).

"Departure" is about a young man leaving his small hometown to begin a new life in a big city. As he sets off, thoughts about the familiar people and places fill him with melancholy.

It’s a bittersweet story that I hope you will enjoy! As always, there are vocabulary explanations in the footnotes.

Visit the Grammaticus website today to get you free PDF: https://grammaticus.blog/2026/03/21/free-ebook-departure-by-sherwood-anderson

#literature #shortstory #reading #americanliterature #englishteacher #learningenglish #books #ebooks

It's the spring equinox and the time for another quarterly ebook. This time it's a short story by Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941).

"Departure" is about a young man leaving his small hometown to begin a new life in a big city. As he sets off, thoughts about the familiar people and places fill him with melancholy.

It’s a bittersweet story that I hope you will enjoy! As always, there are vocabulary explanations in the footnotes.

Visit the Grammaticus website today to get you free PDF: https://grammaticus.blog/2026/03/21/free-ebook-departure-by-sherwood-anderson

#literature #shortstory #reading #americanliterature #englishteacher #learningenglish #books #ebooks

It's the spring equinox and the time for another quarterly ebook. This time it's a short story by Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941).

"Departure" is about a young man leaving his small hometown to begin a new life in a big city. As he sets off, thoughts about the familiar people and places fill him with melancholy.

It’s a bittersweet story that I hope you will enjoy! As always, there are vocabulary explanations in the footnotes.

Visit the Grammaticus website today to get you free PDF: https://grammaticus.blog/2026/03/21/free-ebook-departure-by-sherwood-anderson

#literature #shortstory #reading #americanliterature #englishteacher #learningenglish #books #ebooks

Free ebook: “Departure” by Sherwood Anderson

Dear all,

It’s the spring equinox and the time for another quarterly ebook. This time it’s a short story by Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941), American novelist and short story writer best known for his book ” Winesburg, Ohio: A Group of Tales of Ohio Small Town Life.”

Departure comes from that same collection of stories. It’s about a young man leaving his small hometown to begin a new life in a big city. As he’s leaving, thoughts about the familiar people and places fill him with melancholy. It’s a bittersweet story that I hope you will enjoy!

To get your PDF copy with vocabulary notes, please click on the link below:

CLICK HERE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD

If you’d like to access more ebooks, visit the English Library section of this website.

NOTES

I’m a freelance language tutor (English, Latin, Classical Greek), researcher, and a literary scholar currently based in Belgrade, Serbia.  

If you wish to receive new content from my blog – as soon as it’s published – please enter your email address in the box below. You can also subscribe to my free monthly Newsletter and get a regular recap with additional content.

To support my work, you can send me a donation via PayPal. It would be greatly appreciated!

COVER PHOTO CREDIT

Jake Sheppard via Unsplash

William Carlos Williams, died #OTD in 1963.

Visit the Grammaticus blog today and enjoy his short poem "Winter Trees" - it may appear to be about trees in winter, but it’s just as much about us.

https://grammaticus.blog/2025/01/22/winter-trees-by-william-carlos-williams/

#poem #poetry #williamcarloswilliams #literature #americanliterature #learningenglish #englishteacher

William Carlos Williams, died #OTD in 1963.

Visit the Grammaticus blog today and enjoy his short poem "Winter Trees" - it may appear to be about trees in winter, but it’s just as much about us.

https://grammaticus.blog/2025/01/22/winter-trees-by-william-carlos-williams/

#poem #poetry #williamcarloswilliams #literature #americanliterature #learningenglish #englishteacher

William Carlos Williams, died #OTD in 1963.

Visit the Grammaticus blog today and enjoy his short poem "Winter Trees" - it may appear to be about trees in winter, but it’s just as much about us.

https://grammaticus.blog/2025/01/22/winter-trees-by-william-carlos-williams/

#poem #poetry #williamcarloswilliams #literature #americanliterature #learningenglish #englishteacher

William Carlos Williams, died #OTD in 1963.

Visit the Grammaticus blog today and enjoy his short poem "Winter Trees" - it may appear to be about trees in winter, but it’s just as much about us.

https://grammaticus.blog/2025/01/22/winter-trees-by-william-carlos-williams/

#poem #poetry #williamcarloswilliams #literature #americanliterature #learningenglish #englishteacher

William Carlos Williams, died #OTD in 1963.

Visit the Grammaticus blog today and enjoy his short poem "Winter Trees" - it may appear to be about trees in winter, but it’s just as much about us.

https://grammaticus.blog/2025/01/22/winter-trees-by-william-carlos-williams/

#poem #poetry #williamcarloswilliams #literature #americanliterature #learningenglish #englishteacher

Latest on the blog: a short poem by the father of Canadian poetry, Sir Charles George Douglas Roberts.

Set in the cold and silent month of February, "The Brook in February" captures the tension between winter’s stillness and the hidden vitality of the coming spring.

As always, vocabulary exercise included!

https://grammaticus.blog/2026/02/25/the-brook-in-february-roberts/

#poem #poetry #canada #canadianliterature #winter #february #englishteacher #learningenglish

Latest on the blog: a short poem by the father of Canadian poetry, Sir Charles George Douglas Roberts.

Set in the cold and silent month of February, "The Brook in February" captures the tension between winter’s stillness and the hidden vitality of the coming spring.

As always, vocabulary exercise included!

https://grammaticus.blog/2026/02/25/the-brook-in-february-roberts/

#poem #poetry #canada #canadianliterature #winter #february #englishteacher #learningenglish

Latest on the blog: a short poem by the father of Canadian poetry, Sir Charles George Douglas Roberts.

Set in the cold and silent month of February, "The Brook in February" captures the tension between winter’s stillness and the hidden vitality of the coming spring.

As always, vocabulary exercise included!

https://grammaticus.blog/2026/02/25/the-brook-in-february-roberts/

#poem #poetry #canada #canadianliterature #winter #february #englishteacher #learningenglish

Latest on the blog: a short poem by the father of Canadian poetry, Sir Charles George Douglas Roberts.

Set in the cold and silent month of February, "The Brook in February" captures the tension between winter’s stillness and the hidden vitality of the coming spring.

As always, vocabulary exercise included!

https://grammaticus.blog/2026/02/25/the-brook-in-february-roberts/

#poem #poetry #canada #canadianliterature #winter #february #englishteacher #learningenglish

Latest on the blog: a short poem by the father of Canadian poetry, Sir Charles George Douglas Roberts.

Set in the cold and silent month of February, "The Brook in February" captures the tension between winter’s stillness and the hidden vitality of the coming spring.

As always, vocabulary exercise included!

https://grammaticus.blog/2026/02/25/the-brook-in-february-roberts/

#poem #poetry #canada #canadianliterature #winter #february #englishteacher #learningenglish

“The Brook in February” by Sir Charles George Douglas Roberts

Charles G. D. Roberts (1860-1943) was a prominent Canadian author and public intellectual, often referred to as the father of Canadian poetry. He wrote numerous works of fiction, but he also did a lot of nature and travel writing, largely focused on Canadian themes.

The short poem presented here was first published in his collection “The Book of the Native” in 1896. Set in the cold and silent month of February, it captures the tension between winter’s stillness and the hidden vitality of the coming spring.

If you’re an English language learner, don’t miss the vocabulary exercise found below! (Answer key available.)

A snowy path for squirrel and fox,
It winds between the wintry firs.
Snow-muffled are its iron rocks,
And o'er its stillness nothing stirs.

But low, bend low a listening ear!
Beneath the mask of moveless white
A babbling whisper you shall hear—
Of birds and blossoms, leaves and light.

VOCABULARY EXERCISE

Match the following words from the poem with the definitions:

WIND  (v.)  |  FIR  (n.)  |  MUFFLED  (adj.)  |  BABBLE  (v.)  |  BLOSSOM  (n.) 

• wrapped up, enveloped
• to make the low, continuous noise of water flowing over stones
• a small flower on a tree or plant
• an evergreen tree with leaves like needles
• to have many twists and bends

To check your answers, please click here.

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Sir Charles George Douglas Roberts (The Canadian Encyclopedia)

E-book versions of C. G. D. Roberts’ works (Project Gutenberg)

NOTES

I’m a freelance language tutor (English, Latin, Classical Greek), researcher, and a literary scholar currently based in Belgrade, Serbia.  

If you wish to receive new content from my blog – as soon as it’s published – please enter your email address in the subscribe box below.

To support my work, you can send me a donation via PayPal. It would be greatly appreciated!

COVER IMAGE CREDIT

Photo by Richard Wang via Unsplash

In the latest blog post I'm doing a short explainer on these deceptively similar words:

* part
* a part
* apart

Not sure what the difference between them is? Visit https://grammaticus.blog/2026/02/05/part-a-part-apart/

#englishteacher #learningenglish #englishvocabulary

In the latest blog post I'm doing a short explainer on these deceptively similar words:

* part
* a part
* apart

Not sure what the difference between them is? Visit https://grammaticus.blog/2026/02/05/part-a-part-apart/

#englishteacher #learningenglish #englishvocabulary

In the latest blog post I'm doing a short explainer on these deceptively similar words:

* part
* a part
* apart

Not sure what the difference between them is? Visit https://grammaticus.blog/2026/02/05/part-a-part-apart/

#englishteacher #learningenglish #englishvocabulary

In the latest blog post I'm doing a short explainer on these deceptively similar words:

* part
* a part
* apart

Not sure what the difference between them is? Visit https://grammaticus.blog/2026/02/05/part-a-part-apart/

#englishteacher #learningenglish #englishvocabulary

In the latest blog post I'm doing a short explainer on these deceptively similar words:

* part
* a part
* apart

Not sure what the difference between them is? Visit https://grammaticus.blog/2026/02/05/part-a-part-apart/

#englishteacher #learningenglish #englishvocabulary

What is the Japanese cheesecake yoghurt trend?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zmxsmbk

#Japanese #English #英語 #LearningEnglish
#LearningJapanese #Japan #JapaneseCulture

Right from the beginning, the author creates a dark and gloomy atmosphere of a harsh winter’s night. The spell she is seemingly under is a “tyrant” that completely paralyzes her. Yet at the same time, there’s something resilient about the poet...

Visit the Grammaticus blog today and delve into Emily Brontë's poem "Spellbound:"

https://grammaticus.blog/2026/01/14/spellbound-by-emily-bronte/

#englishliterature #learningenglish #englishteacher #poem #poetry #emilybronte #winter

Right from the beginning, the author creates a dark and gloomy atmosphere of a harsh winter’s night. The spell she is seemingly under is a “tyrant” that completely paralyzes her. Yet at the same time, there’s something resilient about the poet...

Visit the Grammaticus blog today and delve into Emily Brontë's poem "Spellbound:"

https://grammaticus.blog/2026/01/14/spellbound-by-emily-bronte/

#englishliterature #learningenglish #englishteacher #poem #poetry #emilybronte #winter

15 English words that instantly change from nouns to verbs with a simple shift in our voice

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/15-english-words-that-instantly-change-from-nouns-to-verbs-with-a-simple-shift-in-our-voice

I’m very happy to share with you the 13th title in the Grammaticus Free Library series!

The latest release is a story by the American writer William Sydney Porter (1861-1910), better known as O. Henry. Like many of his other short stories, "The Gift of the Magi" has a delightfully surprising ending.

https://grammaticus.blog/2025/12/17/free-ebook-the-gift-of-the-magi-by-o-henry/

#literature #shortstory #americanliterature #ohenry #learningenglish #ebook

I’ll Fly Away

Some glad morning when this life is o'er
I'll fly away
To a home on God’s celestial shore
I'll fly away

You may have heard this song in the film O Brother, Where Art Thou, or in the popular late-1990s TV series 7th Heaven. Performed by numerous country, bluegrass, and pop music performers, I’ll Fly Away will soon mark its first centenary: originally written as a church hymn by Alfred E. Brumley in 1929, its folksy tune and the message of life eternal continues to inspire hope and faith. And it happens to be one of my all-time favourite songs!

In this post I’ll present an annotated version of the lyrics intended primarily for English language learners: below the lyrics you’ll find the vocabulary notes, along with the links to just a few of the renditions accessible on YouTube. Each one is different, so you can compare different styles.

Tell me how you like this song in the comments section at the bottom of the page!

Some glad morning when this life is o'er, 
I'll fly away; 
To a home on God's celestial shore, 
I'll fly away 

[Chorus] 
I'll fly away, Oh Glory 
I'll fly away; (in the morning) 
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by, 
I'll fly away. 

When the shadows of this life have gone, 
I'll fly away; 
Like a bird from prison bars has flown, 
I'll fly away (I'll fly away) 

[Chorus] 

Just a few more weary days and then, 
I'll fly away; 
To a land where joy shall never end, 
I'll fly away (I'll fly away)

[Chorus] 

VOCABULARY NOTES

GLAD (adj.) – causing happiness and satisfaction

CELESTIAL (adj.) – heavenly, in heaven

HALLELUJAH (n.) – expression of joy, happiness or thanks (the original meaning of this Hebrew expression is ‘praise the Lord’)

BY AND BY (adv.) – soon, after a short period of time, in a little while; eventually

BARS (n.) – long, thin pieces of wood or metal used to prevent someone from leaving a cage or a prison cell

WEARY (adj.) – very tired, with no energy or enthusiasm

RECOMMENDED VIDEOS

Joey+Rory (live version)

Cover by Megan Miller

Johnny Cash (from the My Mother’s Hymn Book album)

COVER IMAGE CREDIT

Photo by Pablo Heimplatz via Unsplash

William Carlos Williams, died #OTD in 1963.

Visit the Grammaticus website and search for resources dedicated to this amazing poet, such as the blog post "Spring Storm." It includes a brief introduction to his writings, as well as a simple vocabulary exercise for English language learners.

https://grammaticus.blog/2023/04/19/spring-storm-williams/

#poetry #literature #americanliterature #williamcarloswilliams #englishteacher #learningenglish

The poem presented in my latest blog post first appeared in William Carlos Williams’ book titled “Sour Grapes: A Book of Poems”, published in 1921. Like many other of his works, it’s wonderfully simple and minimalist: the poet uses an extremely common image only to transform it into something delightfully rich and filled with meaning.

https://grammaticus.blog/2025/01/22/winter-trees-by-william-carlos-williams/

#poem #poetry #williamcarloswilliams #literature #americanliterature #learningenglish #englishteacher #Winter

“Beautiful Snow” by John Whittaker Watson

John Whittaker Watson was a 19th century poet and journalist from New York. The author of many serials, poems and short stories published in various magazines, today he is probably best known for his poem “Beautiful Snow.” It is found in the collection of poems by the same title, published in Philadelphia in 1871.

I first heard of this poem in an episode of my all-time favourite TV shows from the 1990s, Northern Exposure. I’m sure fellow fans will immediately recognise it as the poem featured in the “First Snow” episode (season 5, episode 10), read out by Chris Stevens on his radio show. And if you have no idea what I’m talking about here, please check out the links below the poem. And go watch some Northern Exposure!

O THE SNOW, the beautiful snow,
Filling the sky and the earth below!
Over the house-tops, over the street,
Over the heads of the people you meet,
          Dancing,        
            Flirting,
              Skimming along.
Beautiful snow! it can do nothing wrong.
Flying to kiss a fair lady’s cheek;
Clinging to lips in a frolicsome freak;        
Beautiful snow, from the heavens above,
Pure as an angel and fickle as love!

O the snow, the beautiful snow!
How the flakes gather and laugh as they go!
Whirling about in its maddening fun,        
It plays in its glee with every one.
          Chasing,
            Laughing,
              Hurrying by,
It lights up the face and it sparkles the eye;        
And even the dogs, with a bark and a bound,
Snap at the crystals that eddy around.
The town is alive, and its heart in a glow,
To welcome the coming of beautiful snow.

How the wild crowd go swaying along,        
Hailing each other with humor and song!
How the gay sledges like meteors flash by,—
Bright for the moment, then lost to the eye!
          Ringing,
            Swinging,        
              Dashing they go
Over the crest of the beautiful snow:
Snow so pure when it falls from the sky,
To be trampled in mud by the crowd rushing by;
To be trampled and tracked by the thousands of feet        
Till it blends with the horrible filth in the street.

Once I was pure as the snows,—but I fell:
Fell, like the snow-flakes, from heaven—to hell:
Fell, to be tramped as the filth of the street:
Fell, to be scoffed, to be spit on, and beat.        
          Pleading,
            Cursing,
              Dreading to die,
Selling my soul to whoever would buy,
Dealing in shame for a morsel of bread,        
Hating the living and fearing the dead.
Merciful God! have I fallen so low?
And yet I was once like this beautiful snow!

Once I was fair as the beautiful snow,
With an eye like its crystals, a heart like its glow;        
Once I was loved for my innocent grace,—
Flattered and sought for the charm of my face.
          Father,
            Mother,
              Sisters all,        
God, and myself, I have lost by my fall.
The veriest wretch that goes shivering by
Will take a wide sweep, lest I wander too nigh;
For all that is on or about me, I know
There is nothing that ’s pure but the beautiful snow.        

How strange it should be that this beautiful snow
Should fall on a sinner with nowhere to go!
How strange it would be, when the night comes again,
If the snow and the ice struck my desperate brain!
          Fainting,        
            Freezing,
              Dying alone,
Too wicked for prayer, too weak for my moan
To be heard in the crash of the crazy town,
Gone mad in its joy at the snow’s coming down;        
To lie and to die in my terrible woe,
With a bed and a shroud of the beautiful snow!

LINKS

“Beautiful Snow, and Other Poems”: full e-version of the collection

Northern Exposure Wiki: the “First Snow” entry

Oh, the Snow – insert from the “First Snow” episode of Northern Exposure

COVER IMAGE CREDIT

Simon Berger via Unsplash

Gobble gobble 🦃

This Thanksgiving Day, I'm sharing with you two lovely holiday-related poems that you can use to revise your English:

👉 “A Thanksgiving Dinner” by Maude M. Grant (1876-1941) - a children's poem with useful food-related vocabulary.

https://grammaticus.blog/2022/11/23/thanksgiving-dinner/

👉 "Thanksgiving" by Ella Wheeler Wilcox - a longer poem about appreciating the simple joys of life.

https://grammaticus.blog/2023/11/22/thanksgiving-by-wilcox/

Visit the Grammaticus blog (https://grammaticus.blog) and search for more seasonal content!

#learningenglish #englishteacher #englishvocabulary #poetry #education #americanliterature #thanksgivingday

Japanese Anki practice toon of choice this time:

Daft Punk Tribute 2023 - YouTube

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B8X12Gn4dyE

#Japanese #English #日本語 #英語 #LearningEnglish
#LearningJapanese #日本語の勉強 #英語の勉強 #Japan #JapaneseCulture #Anki #StudyMusic #Music #DaftPunk

Educational and Fun Puzzles and Board Games for Toddlers and Kids in Japan | Tiny Tot In Tokyo

https://tinytotintokyo.com/educational-and-fun-puzzles-and-board-games-for-toddlers-and-kids-in-japan

> Puzzles and board games are an excellent way to not only connect with your child but also stimulate their mind by helping them learn and hone essential skills

#Japanese #English #日本語 #英語 #LearningEnglish  
#LearningJapanese #日本語の勉強 #英語の勉強 #Japan #JapaneseCulture #Akachan #Baby #Toddler #kodomo

An Introduction to Yakitori: Grilled Chicken Skewers - Savvy Tokyo
https://savvytokyo.com/an-introduction-to-yakitori-grilled-chicken-skewers/

>Everything you ever needed to know about yakitori.

#Japanese #English #日本語 #英語 #LearningEnglish
#LearningJapanese #日本語の勉強 #英語の勉強 #Japan #JapaneseCulture #JapaneseFood #Yakitori

Free ebook: “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry

Dear all, 

I’m very happy to share with you the 13th title in the Grammaticus Free Library series! If you are not familiar with it, each GFL ebook contains notes explaining more complex vocabulary (some of them also include additional exercises), and they are all available as free PDF downloads. 

The latest release is a story by the American writer William Sydney Porter (1861-1910), better known as O. Henry. Like many of his other short stories, The Gift of the Magi has a delightfully surprising ending. 

In a nutshell, this is a delightful Christmastime tale of a young couple, each sacrificing their most prized possession to buy a gift for the other. In the end, they discover that true wealth lies in their selfless love. 

To download your copy, please click on the link below.  

CLICK HERE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD

To browse all the previous titles in the Grammaticus Free Library series, visit the Library section of this website. Here I would just like to draw your attention to three other stories with a winter setting available there, perfect for the season: 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

“The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry – listen to and read a simplified version of the story, adapted for English language learners

Listen to “The Gift of the Magi” narrated by Julie Harris

Watch the 1980 short film “The Gift of the Magi“, produced by Encyclopaedia Britannica

NOTES

I’m a freelance language tutor (English, Latin, Classical Greek), researcher, and a literary scholar currently based in Belgrade, Serbia.  

If you wish to receive new content from my blog – as soon as it’s published – please enter your email address in the box below. You can also subscribe to my free monthly Newsletter and get a regular recap with additional content.

To support my work, you can send me a donation via PayPal. It would be greatly appreciated!

COVER IMAGE CREDIT

Clay LeConey via Unsplash

#AmericanLiterature #Christmas #ebook #EnglishLiterature #EnglishVocabulary #freeDownload #learningEnglish #literature #OHenry #shortStory #winter

One of the most frequent mistakes I hear from students has to do with the use of the words “work” and “job”. 😬

In my latest blog post, I explain their core meaning and try to make a clear distinction between them. If you never know which one to choose, this post is for you!

Link in bio or visit
https://grammaticus.blog/2025/12/03/work-vs-job/

#learningenglish #englishteacher #englishvocabulary #englishlesson #education

The Advent season hasn't started just yet, but I couldn't wait 😊 In the latest blog post I'm presenting one of my favourite Advent hymns, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel."

The post includes:

* a brief explanation of the biblical references,
* vocabulary exercises for ESL/EFL students,
* a separate set of vocabulary worksheets designed for Latin language learners, based on "Veni, veni, Emmanuel" - the original Latin text of the hymn,
* and more!

https://grammaticus.blog/2025/11/25/veni-emmanuel/

#learningenglish #englishteacher #latin #learninglatin #advent #jesus #churchhymns #adventhymns #christianity #education

Did you wake up to a thick blanket of snow this morning? ❄️ Then it's the perfect time to revise some English #vocabulary and learn a few new words related to #snow! ✍️

https://grammaticus.blog/2021/12/07/snow/

#learningenglish #englishteacher #englishvocabulary #englishlesson

Image credit: Pei Yu via Unsplash

Florida State University: Florida Center for Reading Research at FSU launches database to advance children’s literacy research. “FCRR, based at Florida State University, has launched an open-access database called the developmental English Lexicon Project (d-ELP) that features word reading data on 9,961 of the most frequently printed English words for children in grades 1 through 5.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/11/22/florida-state-university-florida-center-for-reading-research-at-fsu-launches-database-to-advance-childrens-literacy-research/

Some use it all the time, others consider it unnecessary. Let’s discuss the (in)famous Oxford comma!

https://grammaticus.blog/2025/11/18/the-oxford-comma/

#learningenglish #punctuation #englishteacher #writingtips #blog

Ok... Here we go.
My English is bad (as you can see now...). Suprisingly bad although I'm academically educated. As I said yesterday, my English is from fantasy videogames without grammary 😅

That's why I and @Turre had started to speak and write in our IRC channel English during workday. I have to practise my English because maybe I'll have a chance to be in panel conversations at different conferences (practically at Eurocons 😅 ). And maybe my books and novelettes translate to other languages.

So that I could get more practise I start light threads here. Maybe somebody else want to practise too? This is a right place! Of course everyone can join, need practise or not 😊

Welcome aboard 🫡

#learningEnglish

In my latest blog post you can read Carl Sandburg’s Halloween-themed poem “Theme in Yellow,” and do a simple vocabulary exercise.

It's a playful, festive, and wonderfully evocative poem - unusually written from the perspective of a pumpkin! If you love this time of year as much as I do, I’m sure you’ll enjoy “Theme in Yellow!”

https://grammaticus.blog/2025/10/29/theme-in-yellow/

#poem #poetry #learningenglish #englishvocabulary #englishteacher #americanliterature #Halloween #carlsandburg

In my latest blog post, "Let's talk about mushrooms," I'm presenting some basic English vocabulary that may come in handy. :)

* parts of a mushroom
* a few common words and phrases
* adjectives to describe their flavour, aroma, and texture

Suitable for learners at the B1 level (and above).

Link in bio or visit https://grammaticus.blog/2025/10/23/lets-talk-about-mushrooms/

Happy mushrooming! 🍄

#englishteacher #englishvocabulary #learningenglish #fungi #mushrooms

Issue 9 / 2025 of the Grammaticus Newsletter is now available! Access it online by following the link below, or subscribe and receive it in your inbox.

https://grammaticus.curated.co/issues/9?#start

#LanguageLearning #education #culture #reviews #listeningtips #learningenglish #englishteacher

Celebrate the arrival of #autumn with this great #poem by John Keats! 🍂🍁

The post includes a vocabulary exercise for English language learners.

https://grammaticus.blog/2022/10/26/keats-to-autumn/

#learningenglish #englishteacher #englishvocabulary #literature #englishliterature #autumn #fall #poetry

I’m happy to present the twelfth title in my series of e-books designed for English language learners (and everyone who enjoys a good short story).

This one contains a non-fiction story “My Herbarium” by Anne Wales Abbot (1808-1908), originally published in her collection of prose and poetry works entitled "Autumn Leaves."

The e-book contains two pages of vocabulary exercises, as well as notes throughout the text, to help you with the more complex C1/C2 vocabulary.

https://grammaticus.blog/2025/09/17/free-e-book-my-herbarium/

#learningenglish #englishteacher #americanliterature #naturewriting #englishvocabulary #shortstory #herbarium

"The golden-rod is yellow;
The corn is turning brown;
The trees in apple orchards
With fruit are bending down."

In my latest blog post you can read "September", a lovely nature poem written by Helen Hunt Jackson, Emily Dickinson's old pal from Amherst.

The post includes three exercises for further vocabulary study (answer key available).

https://grammaticus.blog/2025/09/03/september-by-h-h-jackson/

#literature #americanliterature #autumn🍁 #fall #learningenglish #englishteacher #englishvocabulary #poem #poetry #nature

The famous horror writer H. P. #Lovecraft was born on 20 August, 1890. In this post you can read his #poem "The House" and do a simple #vocabulary exercise:

https://grammaticus.blog/2023/08/18/the-house-by-lovecraft/

To learn more about Lovecraft and his life, visit "H. P. Lovecraft: a brief introduction"

https://grammaticus.blog/2023/08/18/the-house-by-lovecraft/

#literature #poetry #americanliterature #learningenglish #englishteacher

In this week's post on the Grammaticus website you can read "In Summer" by Lord Alfred Douglas - Oscar Wilde's (in)famous lover.

This sensual poem celebrates the joy and excitement of a summer romance - a perfect read for a hot summer's day like today!

https://grammaticus.blog/2025/07/24/in-summer-by-lord-alfred-douglas/

#lovepoems #poetry #englishliterature #summer #romance #learningenglish #englishvocabulary