My English blog

The Cookie Thief

a lick and a promise

کاری را سرهم بندی کردن - گربه شور کردن

A "lick" means a slight and hasty wash, and "a lick and a promise" means a superficial effort made without care or enthusiasm with a promise to do a more thorough job later. This expression is believed to allude to the quick lick a cat or any other animal might give itself and a promise to do more or better at some future time.i

The meticulous housewife was in so much of a hurry that she could only give the apartment a lick and a promise.i

The fat is in the fire

کار از کار گذشتن

When cooking took place over open fires, the fat from spit-roasted meat was collected for basting or subsequent use. The loss of the fat into the fire was wasteful and too much fat could cause a conflagration, as could an overheated pan containing fat. For whichever reason, too much fat in the fire was a bad thing. In its earliest use in the 14th century, the expression had to do with failure; only later did it come to imply , as it now does, a crisis or " Something has been done with damaging consequences"i

We implored him to desist, but he said that the fat was already in the fire.i

WHY ENGLISH IS SO HARD TO LEARN

We must polish the polish furniture

He could lead if he would get the lead out.i

The farm was used to produce the produce.i

The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.i

The soldier decided to desert in the desert.i

This was a good time to present the present.i

A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.i

When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.i

I did not object to the object

The insurance was invalid for the invalid.i

The bandage was wound around the wound.i

There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.i

They were too close to the door to close it.i

The buck does funny things when the does are present.i

They sent a sewer down to stitch the tear in the sewer line.i

To help with playing, the farmer taught his sow to sow.i

The wind was too strong to wind the sail.i

After a number of injections my jaw got number.i

Upon seeing the tear in my clothes, I shed a tear.i

I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.i

How can I intimate this to my most intimate friends?i

I read it once and will read it again.i

I learned much from this learned treatise.i

I was content to note the content of the message.i

The blessed Virgin blessed her. Blessed her richly.i

It's a bit wicked to over-trim a short wicked candle.i

If he will absent himself, we mark him absent.i

I incline toward by passing the incline.i

A Geround is always a noun but Participle can be all parts of speech except noun. The Participle has a linking function and is mainly a written form.i    

Studying hard results in success.i            Gerund

Studying hard for the finals, he fell ill.i      Participle

Functions of present participle

a) to help form continuous tenses

He is working.i

b) participle adjective

Participle                                                          Geround

walking man                                                       walking stick

crying baby                                                        chewing gum

diving man                                                          diving board

What is important in participle adjectives is the pronounciation. In participle adjectives, the stress is on the second word (man, baby, man) but in gerunds, the stress is on the first word( (walking, chewing, diving).i

c) after specific verbs

c-1. perceptive verbs:    see, hear, notice, watch, ....i

I felt my heart beating hard.i

c-2. causative have

I had them laughing all night.i

c-3. after a group of verbs like :    find, leave, catch

I caught him backbiting me.i

I felt him waiting at the door.i

I found him waiting at the door.i

d) as a reduced adjective clause

The students talking to doctor Ray are my classmates.i

e) as a reduced adverb clause

e-1 .  time:    while , when , after , before , since

While I was crossing the road, I saw Tom

While crossing the road, I saw Tom.i

When I saw him I greeted him. (when is omited for single action, but we keep it for repeated action)i

Seeing him I greated him.i

When you use this car, you should check it.i   SSingle action

Using this car, you should check it.   Repeated action (it means WHENEVER using...)i

After I had talked to him, I said goodbye.i        After talking to him, I said goodbye.i

Before I went home, I had bought a newspaper.i      

Before going home, I had bought a newspaper.i

Since I came here, I have had a busy life.i       Since coming here, I have had a busy life.i

f) reason  :    because / as / since

Because/ As/ Since he was on leave, he didn't finish the report.i

 Because/ As/ Since being on leave, he didn't finish the report.i

g)  contrast

Although:  Although he was tired, he wanted to continue.  

AAlthough being tired, he wanted to continueAlthough being tired, he wanted to continue.i

In spite of / Despite: In spite of/ Despite the fact that he was tired, he wanted to continue.i

     .....In spite of / Despite being tired, he wanted to continue.i

h)  to join two main clauses

h-1.  to join two simultaneous actions

He ate lunch.  He read the paper.i

Eating lunch, he read the paper.i        Reading the paper, he ate lunch.i

h-2.  to join two actions which happen immediately after one another.i

He opened the drawer. He  took out the money.i

Opening the drawer, he took out the money.i

h-3.  action 2 is a part of or a result of action 1.i

He opened the door, taking out the money.i

She went out slamming the door behind.i

Participles will be continued in the next post 

on tenterhooks

معلق بین زمین و آسمان- در حال بلا تکلیفی

It comes from one of the processes of making woolen cloth. After it had been woven, the cloth still contained oil from the fleece, mixed with dirt. Then it had to be dried carefully or it would shrink or crease. So the lengths of wet cloth were stretched on wooden frames, and left out in the open for some time. This allowed them to dry  and straightened their weave. These frames were the tenters and the tenterhooks were the metal hooks used to fix the cloth to the frame. And as the story reveals, the phrase shows an extreme state of anxiety about sth.i

I left him upon the tenterhooks of impatient uncertainty.i

Two strings to one's bow

دو تیر در ترکش داشتن- دو یا چند هنره بودن

If you have " more than one string to your bow", you have more than one skill or qualification so that if your first one fails, you can make use of the other one. The bow is sth that you shoot arrows from; the metaphore simply means that you have a spare bowstring, so even if the first one breaks, you have one in reserve and can still shoot your bow.i

The salesman had two strings to his bow- if a phone call didn't get results, he would appear in person.i

Comma Rules

1. Use a comma before the conjunction (and, for, but, or, nor, so) that joins the two independent clauses in a compound sentence.

Examples:

(1) I like working outside, and I also enjoy reading.

(2) He got out of school early, so he took a nap.

2. Use a comma after relatively lengthy introductory phrases or dependent (subordinate) clauses.

It is important to note that a comma should not be used when the clause or phrase comes at the end of the sentence as illustrated by the third example.

Examples:

(1) In order to be successful, one must learn to write well.

(2) After she learned the rules for using commas, her grades improved.

(3) Her grades improved after she learned to use commas correctly.

3. Use commas to separate items in a series.

Be sure to insert a comma before the conjunction that precedes the last item unless your teacher or style manual specifically tells you to exclude them.

For example:

Amy ordered two hamburgers, a Coke, and a large order of fries.

4. Use commas before and after non-essential elements (parts of the sentence providing information that is not essential in order to understand its meaning).

Example:

Horace Mann Elementary, which is the smallest school in the district, enrolls only 160 students.

5. Use commas between coordinate adjectives (of equal importance) that modify the same noun.

Do not separate adjectives of unequal importance. A good way to determine if the adjectives are of equal importance is to reverse them in the sentence. If the sentence does not read well after the reversal, do not use a comma between them. The second example below clearly illustrates this point. Reversing the adjectives (blue big eyes or red bright hair) simply doesn't work!

Examples:

(1) By the end of the game, the field was a slippery, wet mess.

(2) Her big blue eyes and bright red hair made her strikingly beautiful.

6. Use commas to separate the elements of dates and places.

Examples:

The date was June 12, 1999.

He was born in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

7. Use a comma before a direct quotation.

Also, as shown in the example, commas (and periods as well) go inside the quotation marks.

Example: When asked if he had studied for the test, Paul replied, "Only a little," and his grade showed it!

8. Use commas before and after words and phrases like “however” and “nevertheless” that serve as interrupters.

Example: Adam did not like math. He was, however, very successful in his math classes.

Semi-Colon Rules 

1. Use a semi-colon in place of the comma and conjunction to separate the two independent clauses in a compound sentence.

Example: I like working outside; I also enjoy reading.

2. Use a semi-colon before the conjunctive adverb (such as however and therefore) that joins two independent clauses.

Be sure to put a comma after the conjunctive adverb.

Example: I like working outside; however, I also enjoy reading.

3. Use semi-colons to separate elements in a series if they contain internal punctuation.

Example: On his fishing trip, Jeff caught rainbow, brook, and lake trout; large-mouth, small mouth, and white bass; and a few northern pike.

There's also a test on the taught materials, you can test yourselves if you just simply press continue

گفتگوی میان مردگان و زندگان ( in three lgs)                          

Live: Thou, who have gone so fast      ایللردی کی توپراقداکی آرام یاتانا چوخلی سوزوم وار

در شگفتم از شما که به چه شتاب رفتید

Why on earth thou didn't last       حیرتده یم آخر نه قدر اوندا دوزوم وار

از چه رو با مرگ هم آغوش شدید

What did thou get from the earth            نئجه وارلیخدان ال اوزماخ نئجه گتماخ

باز گویید از ره توشه تان

What did thou do since the birth        نگران گوزلری آخر نئجه توپراقینان اوتماخ

از گذر عمرتان

Dead: We were just like a river             بیر عومور تکجه بیرآرام سو کیمی داغلار آشیردیخ

جویباری بودیم

Not still, but travel                    اما دوزماخ نان یورولماخ تانیمیردیخ

بیگانه با خاموش و سکون

Like a watchful primrose                 نگران نرگسه تک  تکجه افقنان تانیشیردیخ

و به سان نرگس همیشه نگران

Beholding of life shadows                 بئله اولدی کی سحرلر گونشیله دانیشیردیخ

تنها نظاره گر سایه ای از زندگی بودیم

We were just a little dust                 بیر سیخیم توپراقیدیخ نفسه حق دن اویاندیخ

ذره ای ناچیز از خاک بودیم

Not problem if it bust                         بیر عومور ذللتیله یئرده دایاندیخ

که بودو نبود آن توفیری نداشت

The path was a long way                             یول اوزون گتماغا جان یوخ

رهگذر جاده ای بی انتها بودیم

But the time was just a day                               عومور آز صبره امان یوخ

ولی فرصت تنها از طلوعی بود تا غروبی

Now the night is on the way                         عاقبت حسرتیله توپراقا باتدیخ

حالا که شب در راه است

And I envy the whole day                      دنیانین آرزولارین داشینی آتدیخ

من هنوز در حسرت لحظه لحظه روز می سوزم

Though I have got the rest                    گئجه ظلمت لئچکین باشینا آتدی

گرچه آرام یافته و با خاک هم آغوشیم

The tomb is my dream's nest                      آرزولار توپراقینان قول قولا چاتدی

گور من نه مدفن تن من که مدفن آرزوهای من است

 published by permission