Tag: language

May and Might

Finding the right words to express the possibility of something can be quite difficult, especially if you are not sure if it will happen or not.

We can use may and might to talk about things that is possible, but not certain.

Let’s check out some examples!

  • They may come by car (maybe they will come by car, it is likely they will come by car)
  • They might be at home (maybe they are at home, no one is very sure).

 

OTHER USES:

May is used for politeness and to make a request.

Example:

  • May I come with you?
  • May I go to the bathroom?
  • You may leave now.

 

You might want to try this quiz and see how much you know:

May or Might?

Read the sentences and choose the right answer.

 

 

After doing this exercise, you might feel more confident using these words, you should be proud of yourself! If you keep up the great work, you may see excellent improvements. Let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.

 

Top 5 Ingredients of a British Christmas Dinner

Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat… please put a penny in the old man’s hat! Read the article below to discover the most essential items needed for a British Christmas dinner and then try our quizzes to test your knowledge!

1) Turkey

 

You probably already knew this, but yes, turkey is the most essential ingredient to a good British Christmas dinner. This festive bird is rarely eaten throughout the year, but when Christmas arrives, everyone in the UK rushes to the supermarket shelves to grab one for Christmas day. The turkey is usually stuffed (more on that later) and then roasted in the oven for at least a few hours. At the dinner table the roasted turkey is then carved and shared amongst family and friends, forming the most important element to the Christmas dinner. It can be a bit dry if not done well, but a good slice of juicy turkey (for meat-eaters) is a wonderful thing.

2) Gravy

In my opinion, the gravy is the second most important element to a good British Christmas dinner. Even if your turkey is juicy, it would still be a bit dry without a splash of delicious meaty gravy. Gravy is a sauce usually made out of the fat from the roasted meat, but it can also be made using vegetables, like onions. For me, it really brings the Christmas dinner together.

3) Roast potatoes

The common theme of the British Christmas dinner is that everything is roasted. The second most important roasted element of the dinner is definitely the roast potatoes. When done well, good roast potatoes are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Good advice would be to pour your gravy over the potatoes!

4) Stuffing

A British Christmas dinner would not be a British Christmas dinner without the stuffing. I mentioned before that when we roast the turkey, we stuff it. What I didn’t mention is what we stuff it with. Well, we stuff it with stuffing of course! Stuffing is made out of breadcrumbs, pork meat, herbs and spices. Sage and onion is the most popular flavour. After several hours roasting inside the turkey, the flavours from the stuffing are magnificent!

5) Brussel Sprouts

Now, this is controversial, because I could have said cranberry sauce, pigs in blankets, bread sauce, or even Yorkshire pudding! However, everyone knows that brussel sprouts are essential to a proper British Christmas dinner. Even if you don’t like them, you need a few on your plate, otherwise it wouldn’t be Christmas! These tiny cabbages are quite bitter, so many people aren’t fond of them, but it is undeniable that they are an essential.

Now you’ve read the article, try the quizzes below!

Top 5 Ingredients for a British Christmas Dinner- Definitions Quiz

Match the words to the correct definition

Top 5 Ingredients for a British Christmas Dinner- True or False

Decide if the statement is true or false.

The Comedians of Tiktok – English reading exercise

Now if we want to see some comedy, all we need to do is go on Instagram, Snapchat or Tikok to see it. Read the short article below and then try our quizzes to test your vocabulary knowledge!

Before, if we wanted to see some comedy, we needed to buy a DVD, go to an event, or even go on Youtube. Now if we want to see some comedy, all we need to do is go on Instagram, Snapchat or Tikok to see it. The videos are short and they can often be viewed in under 30 seconds. Welcome to the future of comedy. Because we all lead such busy lives, everything nowadays is condensed. We want everything instantly, including our comedy. This has led to a new trend across social media, or rather, bitesize comedy.

One of the most famous Tiktok comedians of the modern era is Khabane Lame. He is now famous across Italy and then rest of the world, for his bitesize video reactions to different life-hacks. Many video makers produce clips of different life-hacks, such as a man you uses an aerosol can to clean his greasy skin. Khabane shows the video and then it cuts to a video of himself, simply pointing towards a bath. The point is there is no need for this hack, just use a normal bath! The simplicity of the comedy is it’s beauty.

There are many rags-to-riches stories within the Tiktok comedy world. For example, 23 year old Kieron Hamilton from Southampton in the UK has amassed millions of views for his impressions of different characters in a school. He built his social media following while his family was homeless, living in temporary accommodation. Now he makes plenty of money as a Tiktok comedian. He does impressions of characters such as ‘the teacher that thinks they’re funny’ or ‘the teacher when Ofsted are in’. Ofsted is the regulator of schools in England, so when their inspectors come to the school to check the standards, the teachers are always on edge!

With the modern world moving fast, so is comedy online. Some of the most famous clips feature almost no dialogue and simply a written message on the screen to direct the joke. The great thing about it is, if you’re funny, all you need is a smartphone to become a world famous comedian!

Now you’ve finished the article. Try our quizzes below to test your understanding and vocabulary!

Tiktok Comedians | Definitions Quiz

Choose the correct definition for the word from the article

Tiktok Comedians | True or False

Decide if the statement is true or false

Adapted from Homeless stars, endless spaghetti and amplified farts: the comedians of TikTok | Comedy | The Guardian