In the United Kingdom, the vibrant red poppy flower holds a special significance in the commemoration of Remembrance Day. Observed annually on 11th November, this solemn day pays tribute to the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty during World War I as well as subsequent conflicts.

During World War 1, vast numbers of bombs fell on northern France and Flanders, leaving huge numbers of craters which devastated the countryside. But in the spring of 1915, poppies started to grow in the broken soil. A Canadian solider, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae was struck by the sight of these vividly red flowers blooming amidst the graves of soldiers, and he wrote a poem called In Flanders Fields.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row, …

The poem resonated with many and the red poppy became a powerful emblem representing the bloodshed and sacrifice of those who served in the military.

Two women in particular, were responsible for establishing the poppy as a means of raising much needed money to help war veterans of World War 1 and their families. The first was an American university professor called Moina Michael, who, in 1918, inspired by the poem, set out to sell silk poppy flowers to raise money on behalf of soldiers killed and injured in the war. In subsequent years, she got injured soldiers to make the poppies as a way to earn a living. She was affectionately called the “Poppy Lady”.

Simultaneously, a Frenchwoman named Anna Guérin was also inspired by McCrae’s poem. She promoted the sale of artificial poppies in France, to raise funds for French soldiers who were medically discharged without a pension and to aid in the recovery of France after the war. She then started to sell her flowers in the USA and in 1921, she went to London and the idea quickly became adopted by the Royal British Legion, an organisation which supports war veterans and their families in the UK.

Since 1921, the Poppy Appeal has become an integral part of Remembrance Day commemorations. Millions of artificial red paper poppies are sold across the UK in the streets and in shops, in the weeks leading up to November 11th. The money raised continues to contribute to the welfare and support of veterans and their families and people proudly wear the poppies as a visual pledge to honour those who have lost their lives in war.
​
On Remembrance Day itself, ceremonies are held at war memorials, and military cemeteries all around the UK and large artificial poppy wreaths are left at the memorials as a visible symbol of respect and gratitude. During the ceremonies, individuals observe a two-minute silence at exactly 11 a.m., marking the moment when the armistice was agreed in 1918, officially ending World War I.

If there’s one thing that people often know and joke about the British, is that we drive on “the wrong side of the road”! It’s often seen as an example of the British being different, a little quirky maybe or even downright contrary!  Typical maybe of our ‘island mentality’. And while we are not alone in the world to drive on the left, the other countries being India, Indonesia, Ireland, Malta, Cyprus, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and recently Samoa, it does often indeed seem to be more of an island thing!

But maybe the British are just sticklers for tradition as there is evidence that the ancient Romans marched on the left and even drove wagons on the left. This ‘rule of the road’ was officially sanctioned in 1300 AD when Pope Boniface VIII declared that all pilgrims travelling to Rome should keep to the left. Based on the assumption that most people are right-handed, the idea was that by keeping to the left, it left your right hand free to use your sword in the event of an attack. It’s why medieval castles have staircases spiralling to the right going up, to make it difficult for attacking soldiers to use their swords. A left-handed swordsman would have had the same advantage as a left-footed footballer today!  

It was during the French Revolution that a decree was passed, ordering traffic to keep to the “common” right. Previously, aristocrats had always driven on the left and the revolution wanted to overturn everything and break with all tradition. Napoleon later enforced the rule in all French territories and gradually the rest of Europe followed suit, to make travel between countries easier. Being an island, the UK never felt the need to do so.

But having lived many years in France, I’ve noticed it’s not only on the roads that the UK differs from France. Take bicycles for example. When I first rode a French bike and braked suddenly, I nearly flew over the handlebars. I didn’t know that on French bikes, the back brake is controlled by the right hand. In the UK, it’s the left hand that controls it! I never made that mistake again!

Another difference regards books. Look at the picture below of books on a bookshelf. What’s the difference? Answer: the titles on the spines of British books read from left to right starting at the top. French books read from left to right starting at the bottom! It makes it difficult to look for a book when your bookshelf has a mix of French and English books, as you keep having to change the position of your head!

​And take windows – yes windows! In France windows open inwards making them easy to clean and easy to have geraniums on the windowsills (if you don’t have shutters). In the UK, windows all open outwards, partly because the Brits love their curtains which would interfere with opening a window inwards. However, it does make cleaning upstairs windows a near impossibility. Hence the existence of thriving window-cleaning businesses in Britain!
​
Finally, another area where the French (and possibly other European countries) and British approach is the complete opposite is, would you believe, in long division. Take a look at the picture where the two methods are compared, the British method is on the left and the French on the right. No wonder I stopped helping my son with his maths homework pretty early on - I hadn’t a clue what he was doing! 

​So, it’s not just about driving on the left. It seems we Brits do a lot of things differently. But who is “right” and who is “wrong” has yet to be decided! 

Cliquer ici pour modifier.

Like any language, English if full of colourful expressions and idioms which pepper our conversations but can often cause comprehension problems for the non-native speaker. Here are 10 commonly used idioms which you might like to learn and use to pepper your next conversation in English. It often helps to learn where the expression originated from in order to remember it better.
 
1.   24/7 (pronounced “twenty-four seven”)

Meaning: twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

The production line never stops. We have three shifts during the week as well as a weekend shift, so we have to have someone on call 24/7 in case there’s a problem with one of the machines.
 
2.  Round the clock (literally referring to the hands moving around the face of a clock.)

Meaning: to work all day and all night.
 
The team has been working round the clock to get the project finished.
 
3.  At stake (a stake is the money that you bet (put down on the table) in a casino or at the horse races etc.)

Meaning: to be at risk.

There’s a lot at stake if we lose this contract. Some people might even have to lose their job.
 
4.  Back to square one (probably originating from board games, where players start in the first ‘square’ and continue round the board by throwing the dice.)

Meaning: to go back to the beginning because the first attempt failed completely.

The new device developed by our R&D department failed the first tests, so we had to go back to square one and change the raw material.
 
5.  A ballpark figure (originating from the estimate of spectators in the seats of the baseball park).

Meaning: a very rough estimate of a number.

I don’t know exactly how much the construction cost will be, but to give you a ball park figure, I would say around £150,000.
 
6.  Call it a day

Meaning : to stop what you are doing because nothing more can be done, or you have done enough for the moment.

We’ve made a lot of decisions during this meeting. I suggest we call it a day and plan a second meeting for next week to see how we are progressing.
 
7.  To get the ball rolling (a sporting idiom possibly from croquet, where the ball rolls along the ground.)     
 
Meaning: to start getting things moving.

I’d like to get the ball rolling by asking if any of you have done any kind of management training in the past. Who’d like to begin?

To keep the ball rolling

Meaning: to keep things moving – keep an activity in momentum.

If we want to keep the ball rolling, we are going to have to find alternative sources of funding.
 
8. To go the extra mile

Meaning: to do more than is required in order to achieve something.

If we want the President’s visit on Friday to be a success, we’re all going to have to go the extra mile this week so that we’re ready in time.
 
9.  To hit the nail of the head (literally, to hit a nail in the correct place)

Meaning: to say or do exactly the right thing – to get to the precise point.

You hit the nail on the head when you said that the problem was due to lack of staff. Recruitment must become our number one priority.
 
10. To learn the ropes (a nautical expression. New recruits had to learn how to tie knots and manipulate the ropes when sailing ships in the past.)
​
Meaning: to learn the basics of a new job and how to do it properly.

Peter joined us last month. He’s still learning the ropes but I reckon he’ll be able to work autonomously very soon.
 

Nothing happens in cricket, ever. Even the highlights resemble a freeze frame. (Charlie Brooker -  British TV presenter, author and satirist)
​
Cricket is basically baseball on valium. (Robin Williams - American actor)

I understand cricket - what's going on, the scoring - but I can't understand why. (Bill Bryson -  American-British author)
 
Cricket makes no sense to me. I find it beautiful to watch and I like that they break for tea. That is very cool, but I don't understand. My friends from The Clash tried to explain it years and years ago, but I didn't understand what they were talking about. (Jim Jarmusch - American film director)

I do love cricket - it's so very English. (Sarah Berhnardt - French actress)

With the summer season almost upon us, my thoughts are turning to cricket, that very English game, which is now played in many parts of the world due to Britain’s quest to build an empire in the 18th and 19th centuries!  For those who don’t play or follow the game, cricket remains a complete mystery and the rules impossible to understand. But for many, cricket is a passion.

Briefly, cricket is played by two teams of 11, with one side taking a turn to bat a ball and score runs (points), while the other team bowls and fields the ball to stop the opposition from scoring points. The main objective in cricket is to score as many runs as possible against the opponent. One major difference between cricket and its Amercian counterpart baseball, is that in cricket, there are always two batsmen at any one time.

So what are the origins of cricket? Well, cricket began as a children’s game in the south east of England, some time during the 16th century (although some would have it that it originated in France or Flanders). It was gradually taken up by adults during the early 17th century. There is a lovely first reference to cricket being played as an adult sport in 1611, when two men in Sussex were prosecuted for playing cricket on Sunday instead of going to church! Its popularity grew in the south of England until the English Civil War, won by the Puritans in 1649. For 10 years, the country was ruled by a Puritan government who looked down on and discouraged large gatherings and boisterous sports. Cricket’s popularity therefore declined except in fee paying schools where it flourished (maybe one of the reasons why cricket has so often been associated with the rich, upper classes). With the restoration of the King in 1660, people could start having fun again and cricket grew in popularity attracting a lot of gambling. Apparently large sums of money could be made from betting on the matches. As British ships set sail across the seas to conquer new lands and set up new colonies, they took cricket with them resulting in its populratiy in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India and Pakistan, Bangladesh and the West Indies today. Strangely, Canada never took to the sport always preferring the American equivalent baseball.

Today, as an expat living in France, cricket conjures up pictures of warm, lazy, summer afternoons in my childhood, watching hours of the game on TV or live on a village green where large quantities of tea and lemon drizzle cake would be consumed while watching two teams, all dressed in white (beautiful against the background of lush green grass), compete against each other for a full afternoon or more! Yes, cricket is a long, leisurely game and international Test matches can last up to 25 days! (5 matches, each one lasting 5 days!) and even then, the result might be a draw!

But this article isn’t just about the sport. From a linguistic point of view, cricket has also been responsible for a number of idioms which pepper the English language and here, below, are the famous ones for your delight.
​

• To have a good innings – to have enjoyed a positive period of time. It’s often used to describe someone who has lived a long life. (In cricket: an innings is a division of the game during which one side bats.)

 
My grandfather sadly died last week, but he had a good innings. He was 98 years old.
​

• To knock someone for six – to surprise or shock someone (In cricket: this refers to hitting the ball very far, over the boundary which automatically gives you 6 points.)  

​I was knocked for six when Peter said he was leaving his job. I thought he’d stay in that company for ever.

• To be bowled over – to be astonished by something, to be left speechless, to be moved emotionally (In cricket: to bowl is to throw the ball at the batter. To be bowled over means the bowler has hit the bails off the stumps - see the picture at the bottome of the page.)

I was bowled over by everyone’s kind words at my leaving party.

• To be on a sticky wicket (informal) – a difficult or awkward situation (In cricket: the wicket is the place in front of the stumps where the batter stands to receive the bouncing ball. The way the ball bounces depends on the condition of the wicket and therefore the weather.)

 
Sophie will be on a sticky wicket if she gets caught breaking quarantine.

The Managing Director was on a sticky wicket when she refused to explain why she’d fired her financial director.

• To be stumped – to have no idea, to not know what to say or do  (in cricket: the stumps are the three sticks just behind the batter. If the ball hits the stumps, the batter is out.)

I was stumped when Jamie asked me that question! Do you know the answer?

• Off one’s own bat – to do something because you decide to and not because someone tells you to. (In cricket: points are scored by hitting a ball with your bat.)

I gave up smoking off my own bat when I was 25. I didn’t need any persuading.

• To catch someone out – to expose someone who has said or done something wrong or incorrect. (In cricket: if a batter hits a ball high and the ball is caught before it hits the ground, the batter is out.)

 
Joe told everyone that he was off work because he was sick but he was caught out when his boss saw him on the 9am train to London!

• To be cricket – to play fair, to use gentlemanly conduct (usually used in the negative)

 
I don’t want to be the only one who has to cook while we’re on holiday! It’s not cricket!

 So next time you have a chance to speak English try and use one of these expressions off your own bat. You will impress the person you are speaking to – you may even bowl them over! 


Picture below: the wicket with the stumps (three posts) and the two bails which rest on top. One way for a batter to be eliminated is for the wicket or stumps to be hit by the ball.

Holiday Celebrate
Holiday Celebrate

If we took a holiday
Took some time to celebrate
Just one day out of life
It would be, it would be so nice.
 
"Holiday" by Madonna
 
Holidays have been associated with religious festivals since time immemorial. They were moments when workers could put down their tools for a day or two and come together for feasting and dancing. But the concept of a holiday paid for by an employer was unheard of. In the 18th and 19th centuries, holidays were taken by the privileged classes and with the development of the train network and steamer ships, foreign travel became fashionable amongst the elite. However, for the working class, a week’s holiday in foreign climes let alone at home, was still an unobtainable dream.

In 1871 the Bank Holiday Act in the UK gave workers a few days off each year, but this was still a far cry from the concept of giving workers an extended period of time to rest and unwind. In 1910, US President William Howard Taft proposed that every American worker needed two to three months of vacation a year “in order to continue his work next year with the energy and effectiveness that it ought to have.” Unfortunately, it came to nothing as the U.S. legislators didn't agree! Nevertheless, change was on its way.  In 1911, in the UK, the trade unions started to campaign for a paid holiday for workers. The campaign was long but government lobbying continued until finally, in 1938, the Holidays with Pay Act was passed giving working class employees the right to one week’s paid holiday each year.   

As statutory rights improved, so did the opportunities for making the most of this new time off. The famous UK Butlin’s holiday camps started at around this time. Billy Butlin apparently had a bad experience in his youth when he was not allowed to stay in his holiday accommodation during the day (a common practise at that time). He realised it was even worse for families forced to stay out even in bad weather until they were allowed to return to their bed and breakfast in the evening. It inspired him to create a holiday camp where people could have three meals and free entertainment every day. The concept was so popular that the first camp became fully booked for the season within hours of opening.  

​Nowadays, most countries around the world have a period of paid holiday. France, the UK, Iceland and Scandinavia appear to have the best deal whilst China and Mexico give their workers a minimum of just one week’s paid annual leave. But it’s better than nothing. So enjoy your summer holiday and give a little thought for those who campaigned all those years ago for our benefit now!

As the temperatures start to soar, it’s a good time to start learning some English expressions connected to the sun and heat!  Here are 9 expressions. Choose one you like and try and use it next time you converse in English. You’ll put the sunshine into someone’s day!
 
To put the sunshine into someone’s day.
Meaning: to make someone happy.
Maria really put the sunshine into our day when she announced that we were all going to get a bonus for our hard work.
 
To make hay while the sun shines.
Meaning:  to act on an opportunity when it arrives – don’t wait.
We’ve got some days off work so let’s make hay while the sun shines and repaint the kitchen.
 
To be full of hot air.
Meaning: to boast about things, to brag.
My new colleague is so full of hot air. He’s always telling us how great he is at his job.
 
An Indian summer
Meaning: a period of warm weather in the autumn.
With this Indian summer, we’ve been able to eat outside every lunch time.
 
Like a cat on a hot tin roof.
Meaning: to be nervous or worried.
Sophie was like a cat on a hot tin roof while she was waiting for her exam results.
 
If you can’t stand the heat, keep out of the kitchen!
Meaning: don’t persist with a task if the pressure is too much (used as a criticism).
I have no sympathy for the minister. If he can’t stand the heat, he should get out of the kitchen.
 
In the heat of the moment.
Meaning: To do or say something while temporarily excited or angry, without stopping to think.
Many people have regretted things that they have said in the heat of the moment.
 
To take the heat off.
Meaning: To remove the pressure.
The deputy’s resignation over the affair has taken the heat off her superior.
 
The heat is on.
Meaning: The pressure or a period of intense activity has started.
The heat is on to get all the contracts agreed and signed by the end of the month.
​

​
I’m sorry, I can’t follow what you are saying. Can you repeat that please? 
I can’t count the number of times I have to say that to my students. It is the number one consistent problem of comprehension for me during my training sessions with learners of English. Are they trying to say can or can’t? I always have to ask.  Maybe I need to get my ears checked but somehow I don’t think I’m the problem. So what is the problem?

Syllable Stress
One main reason is that French learners of English are not accustomed to using stress when speaking English. They tend to give equal weight to each syllable. Consider the word comfortable:

A French person might say: com/for/ta/bul (4 syllables and each one is stressed equally)
A native English speaker probably says: יcomf/ta/bul (the word is reduced to 3 syllables and the first syllable [comf] is stressed – hence the symbol י just in front. (In a dictionary, this י symbol is always placed just in front of the stressed syllable). A native English speaker skips over the second syllable [for] because of the stress on the first [comf] and reduces a 4 syllable word to a 3 syllable word [comf/ta/bul].

In the same way photographer becomes [יftog/ra/pher]. We stress the second syllable [tog] and almost totally omit the first syllable [pho]. But for the word photograph, we stress the last syllable [יgraph]. This difference in stress tells native speakers if we are talking about the person or the image.

Word stress
Stress doesn’t only occur in words. It also occurs in sentences. In general, the important words such as nouns, main verbs, adjectives and adverbs are stressed whereas the less important words such as pronouns, prepositions, auxiliaries and articles are rarely stressed and are often rolled together. Look at the following examples. The stressed words or syllables are in bold.

Where do you work?  Is actually spoken like this: Where djou work?  (where and work are stressed and the do and the you melt into one syllable).

I’d like to ask you a few questions.  I’d like twaska few questions. (we stress like, ask and the first syllable of questions).

Stressing a word or syllable doesn’t mean that we say it louder. Rather, we take more time to say it. It creates a natural rhythm or beat (dum da dum da dum). Maybe that’s why English is such a good language to sing in.

Omitting sounds
Another thing that happens when speaking at normal speed is that we omit sounds such as the d or t at the ends of words to make them easier to say. For example:

Next spring becomes nek spring.
Old people becomes ol people.
I can’t see you now becomes I can see you now. (Yes, it looks affirmative, but we take longer to say the can than we would do if it was really in the affirmative).

A student card becomes a studen card.
I haven’t got a pen becomes I haven gotta pen.
A can of lemonade becomes a cana lemonade.
I suppose you are right becomes I spoze your right.
 
The schwa
The third important point to know is the schwa [ǝ]. This is the most common vowel sound in the English language and most vowels can be reduced to the schwa.  It sounds like the indefinite article a in this sentence: I’d like a coffee please.  

So while we stress some syllables and words, we reduce other sounds to the schwa.

I asked a photographer to take some photographs. 
I asked a ph/י tog /rǝ/fǝ to take some יpho/tǝ/graphs.

In winter, the trains often arrive late when there’s snow.
In יwin/tǝ, thǝ trains oftǝn ǝ/יrive late when there’s snow.

This can cause problems in oral comprehension for some learners because they don’t hear the words pronounced as they are written. That’s why you understand much more when you read than when you simply listen.

Can or Can’t?
So let’s return to the problem of can and can’t.
Basically, we don’t stress can when it’s in the affirmative. We put the stress on the verb which follows and which is more important to the meaning of the sentence.

I can see you next week.  The verb see is the important word in this sentence. The vowel sound in can is therefore reduced to the schwa and sounds more like [kǝn].
 
However, when it’s negative, we stress both can’t and the verb. The vowel sound in can’t is longer but we often omit the t. So it’s the long vowel sound which actually tells us that it’s negative!

I can’t see you at 2pm but I can see you at 4.30pm.

Next time you are telling someone what you can or can’t do, take a moment to think about the stress. And as you progress in English, spend a little time thinking about the rhythm and stress of the language in general, not just the vocabulary and the grammar. Sometimes it can make all the difference to whether your interlocutor can or can’t understand you! 

How many times have I heard learners of English confuse time and times and new and news? Countless times! Too many times to mention! All the time!  (notice the difference?)  So let’s look at how and when we use these words.

Times or Time?

First look at these common expressions using time and think about their meaning. 

Time and tide wait for no one. (Chaucer 1395) 

Time is money!  (Benjamin Franklin)

Time is the wisest counselor of all. (Pericles)

There is no time like the present.

Time flies when you are having fun!

Time refers to the passing of seconds, minutes, hours and days months and years.  It is uncountable and has no plural form. All the above expressions use the word time in the uncountable form because they are talking about time in general. You all know the question what time is it? (It's 8 o'clock).  But if you want to ask a question about the quantity of time, we use how much. For example:

How much time did you spend on your homework?  Much (not many) is used for uncountable nouns.

                                                        ________________________________

Times, with an ‘s’ has a completely different meaning. It refers to the frequency that something is done. Look at the examples below:

A: How many times have you visited London?
B: Three times. In 1989, 1995 and last year and I’d love to return.
 
A: How many times have you spoken with friends this week?
B: Only once (one time) but I’ve spoken a lot with my family.
 
A: How many times have you clapped outside your house to support people in the healthcare system?
B: Every night!
 
I’ve heard people make a mistake with the word 'time' many times!
 
All the above questions and sentences ask about or refer to the frequency of events. Times is a countable noun with a singular form (time) and a plural form (times). This is how we use it:

1 x  = once (one time)                John has visited New York once (one time).
2 x = twice (two times)              My cat has caught a mouse twice this week (two times).
3 x = three times                        I must have seen this film at least three times.
4 x = four times                          I've asked you four times to tidy your room!

When we ask a question about the quantity or number of times, we say how many times...?
Many is used with countable plural nouns (not much). We can also use the question how often…?

 
New vs News 
  
New and news poses a similar problem but the reasons are different.

New is an adjective. The opposite of old. And as you all know, adjectives never have a plural form in English. Look at the examples: 

Peter has got a new job. He is starting in three weeks.
I had to buy two new pairs of glasses this year, because I lost my first pair.
 
News is a noun.  It refers to the facts about world events which are reported on the TV, on the radio or in a newspaper (a paper full of news). It is an uncountable noun but which ends in an ‘s’. The rules for uncountable nouns apply:

• the word has no plural form
• the verb is in the singular form
• the word is preceded by the or some/any  (not: a/an)
• If you want to make it singular, we add: a piece of ...

The news on the TV is often bad.
I’ve got some news to tell you – Martin and Rosie are getting married.
There was only one piece of news last night that made me laugh. The rest was awful.
 
So now you know the rules, try this exercise. Choose the correct word in brackets in each sentence. The answers are at the bottom.

1. The last time/times I saw Peter, he was working for an IT company.
2. How much time/times do you usually spend cooking dinner?
3. The number of time/times I’ve made the same mistake is incredible!
4. John announced the new/news last night that he had received a promotion at work.
5. What time/times did you say that they would arrive?
6. Hurry up! We don’t have a lot of time/times.
7. I’ve just bought two new/news books to take on holiday.
8. We’ve been to that restaurant several time/times. They do great food.
9. I have to speak in English all the time/times at work at the moment.
10. Shh. I want to hear the new/news. Can you turn the sound up please?
11. How many time/times have you used your car in the last month?
12. What’s your new/news?

 
There is no time like the present to get to grips with this lexical challenge! The next time that you listen to the news, make a new resolution to try and reduce the number of times that you make a mistake with these words!  Good luck!


Answers:     1. time   2. time   3. times   4. news   5. time   6. time   7. new   8. times   9. time   10. news   11. times   12. news

Introduction

So if you have read the previous article, you now know everything there is to know about the Present Perfect Simple, but what about the continuous form?
​
I have been reading about the present perfect simple and I think I understand it now.
We have been driving for 4 hours! When will we arrive?
Peter has been learning English since he joined the company.

As with all the continuous tenses, it is formed using the present perfect of the auxiliary be (have/has been) plus the verb in the -ing form (doing).​​ Look at the table below.

​The present perfect continuous is used when we are focusing on the action. The present perfect simple is more often used when we are talking about the result. But it’s not quite as easy as that, so let’s compare the two.

Present Perfect Simples vs Present Perfect Continuous

So that's a summary of the differences between the two present perfect tenses. It's not an easy concept for learners and it takes a long time to get the hang of it. But as always, practice makes perfect! So listen or look out for it next time you are watching a film, reading an article or listening to a radio programme.