Without further preamble, I was persuaded to go to a ball, on purpose to see Liddy dance a minuet with a young petulant jackanapes, the only son of a wealthy undertaker from London, whose mother lodges in our neighbourhood, and has contracted an acquaintance with Tabby. I sat a couple of long hours, half stifled, in the midst of a noisome crowd; and could not help wondering, that so many hundreds of those that rank as rational creatures, could find entertainment in seeing a succession of insipid animals, describing the same dull figure for a whole evening, on an area, not much bigger than a taylor’s shop-board. If there had been any beauty, grace, activity, magnificent dress, or variety of any kind, howsoever absurd, to engage the attention, and amuse the fancy, I should not have been surprised; but there was no such object: it was a tiresome repetition of the same languid, frivolous scene, performed by actors that seemed to sleep in all their motions—The continual swimming of these phantoms before my eyes, gave me a swimming of the head; which was also affected by the fouled air, circulating through such a number of human bellows—I therefore retreated towards the door, and stood in the passage to the next room, talking to my friend Quin; when an end being put to the minutes, the benches were removed to make way for the country-dances; and the multitude rising at once, the whole atmosphere was put in commotion. Then, all of a sudden, came rushing upon me an Egyptian gale, so impregnated with pestilential vapours, that my nerves were overpowered, and I dropt senseless upon the floor.

You may easily conceive what a clamour and confusion this accident must have produced in such an assembly—I soon recovered, however, and found myself in an easy chair, supported by my own people—Sister Tabby, in her great tenderness, had put me to the torture, squeezing my head under her arm, and stuffing my nose with spirits of hartshorn, till the whole inside was excoriated. I no sooner got home, than I sent for Doctor Ch—, who assured me, I needed not be alarmed, for my swooning was entirely occasioned by an accidental impression of fetid effluvia upon nerves of uncommon sensibility. I know not how other people’s nerves are constructed; but one would imagine they must be made of very coarse materials, to stand the shock of such a horrid assault. It was, indeed, a compound of villainous smells, in which the most violent stinks, and the most powerful perfumes, contended for the mastery. Imagine yourself a high exalted essence of mingled odours, arising from putrid gums, imposthumated lungs, sour flatulencies, rank arm-pits, sweating feet, running sores and issues, plasters, ointments, and embrocations, hungary-water, spirit of lavender, assafoetida drops, musk, hartshorn, and sal volatile; besides a thousand frowzy steams, which I could not analyse. Such, O Dick! Is the fragrant aether we breathe in the polite assemblies of Bath—Such is the atmosphere I have exchanged for the pure, elastic, animating air of the Welsh mountains—O Rus, quando te aspiciam!—I wonder what the devil possessed me—

Smollet, T. (1771). Humphry Clinker.

This is the kind of experience I suffer on a daily basis each time I take the Metro at rush hour. The stink, the vile, revolting stench of the masses, is enough to make my mood change from sweet to sour or worse.

]]> http://antoniopo.wordpress.com/2009/10/03/madrid-monday-xxi-ix-mmix/feed/ 0 Sukey madhouse http://antoniopo.wordpress.com/2009/09/21/contrasts-for-na1-and-na2-students/ http://antoniopo.wordpress.com/2009/09/21/contrasts-for-na1-and-na2-students/#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:17:33 +0000 Sukey http://antoniopo.wordpress.com/?p=708 ]]>

St. James the Greater was one of the disciples of Jesus Christ, the son of Zebedee, and the brother of John the Apostle. He is the patron saint of Spain, where his remains have been placed in the holy town of Santiago de Compostela. There is a pilgrimage to St. James the Great’s gravesite, known as the Way of Saint James. Although the pilgrimage is usually made on foot, some pilgrims follow the route on horseback, like in the Middle Ages. Along the Route can be found many riding clubs where pilgrims can rent horses to cover some stages of their way.

It is thought that St. James the Great appeared to fight with the Christians during the battle of Clavijo during the Reconquista. There is also a saying that St. James the Moorslayer has been given to Spain for its patron and protection.

(Adapted from www.stjames.webhero.com and www.caminosantiago.com)

We use although when the contrast between what’s going on in the main clause and what’s going on in the subordinate clause surprises us. We can use though instead of although, and that would be less formal. Observe Michael Morpurgo’s quotation from his short novel War Horse:

 Although/Though (I was) still weak from my illness, I was already being used for light work around the veterinary hospital.

 However, only though can be used at the end of a clause:

 I was already being used for light work around the veterinary hospital. I was still weak from my illness, though.

 An adjective and no verb may follow the conjunction and have the same meaning as a clause following the pattern conjunction + subject + be. Morpurgo’s original quotation is a fine example of this. The words in round brackets are an addition of mine.

 If we want to emphasize an adjective, we may put it before though or as in the pattern adjective + though + noun/pronoun + (usually linking) verb:

 Weak though/as I was from my illness, I was already being used for light work around the veterinary hospital.

 Despite the fact that and in spite of the fact that can be used to express the same meaning, always followed by a subject and the correct form of the verb:

 Despite the fact that/In spite of the fact that I was still weak from my illness, I was already being used for light work around the veterinary hospital.

 Despite and in spite of can be used similarly, but, remember, these prepositions require the –ing form of the verb:

 Despite/In spite of still being weak from my illness, I was already being used for light work around the veterinary hospital.

 If you’re wondering which one to use, in spite of is a bit more informal.

 We use even though the same way we use despite the fact that:

 Even though/despite the fact that I was still weak from my illness, I was already being used for light work around the veterinary hospital.

 We use even if when we mean whether or not:

 Even if I were still weak from my illness, I would be used to do light work around the veterinary hospital = Whether or not I was still weak from my illness, I would be used to do light work around the veterinary hospital.

 Therefore, we use even though when we know for sure that the speaker—in this case Joey, the narrator in War Horse—is still weak, and even if when there is a chance he may no longer be weak when he is required to do light work around the hospital.

 While and the more literary whilst are used like although in formal contexts to introduce a conflict between the main clause and the adverbial clause. The subordinate clause should always come before or within the main clause:

 While Captain Nicholls was a big man, he was always light on Joey.

Captain Nicholls, while a big man, was always light on Joey.

 Use while or whereas to express contrast between the main clause and the adverbial clause. The adverbial clause may come before or after the main clause:

 While/Whereas Joey might be faster, there’s no one to match my stallion for stamina.

Topthorn, the black stallion, had finer breeding, while/whereas Joey had more strength.

 Avoid using whereas when the subordinate clause makes what is said in the main clause unexpected:

 While/Although there was just one chance in half a million that it would happen, Joey walked into Major Martin’s veterinary hospital.

 Although, though, while, and whilst can be followed by –ing and –ed clauses, as well as by clauses where the subject and verb have been left out:

 Though being a British war horse, Joey served with the German army.

Although trapped in barbed wire, Joey managed to free himself.

While (he was) still on foreign soil, Joey found his first master.

 Now do the attached sentence completion exercise.

the_way_of_st_james

the_way_of_st_james_key

Done? Good. Here’s another exercise you might want to do. Bear in mind that when you rephrase an idea, several answers may be possible. Therefore, what you’ll find in the key are suggested answers, not an article of faith.

contrast_concession

contrast_concession_key

It’s been a while since I posted one of these.  Both NI1 and NI2 students can try their hands at these transformation and rewriting exercises.

transformation_at_the_age_of_sixteen_NI

transformation_at_the_age_of_sixteen_NI_answer_key

There is a character in Edward Albee´s The American Dream, a Mrs Barker, who answers the same thing over and over again to every polite offer she receives: “I don’t mind if I do”. I find that rather amusing. And I, for one, wouldn’t half mind being in this man’s trunks on these long, scorching hot summer days. Oh, for the sea, the sea!

I’m posting a word formation exercise this time, and it’s for Advanced students. Definitely for Advanced students. You know the ropes: I give you a word and you supply the correct one from the same family.

story_of_ralph_lauren

story_of_ralph_lauren_key

q2mpg7uhia

I know this is old news, but “old” is “new” and “out” is “in”, as Brett Easton Ellis would say. It is critical and crucial to remember this kind of thing, awful as it may be. No, exactly so. Precisely because it is so awful. 

Here go two composition topics for Advanced students. And, trust me, the other one in this two pack isn’t much more heartening. Well, what do you expect? There’s the turn of the century for you.

advanced_writing_2003

Here’s another oldie. This one’s from TIME magazine. And it’s for NA1 students. Not that there won’t be NI2 students who will be able to do it or NA2 students who won’t.

the_great_salmon_debate

the_great_salmon_debate_answer_key

Don’t ask me where I got the text from: it was such a long time ago! Concentrate on the exercise. You’ve got to find a word that fits in and is related to the given word. So, if the given word’s a noun, you may need an adjective, an adverb, or a verb. You decide. For Upper-Intermediate to Advanced students.

scuba_libre_word_formation

scuba_libre_word_formation_answer_key

A multiple choices reading comprehension test for Advanced students. And I hope you enjoy the song.

trouble_woman_multiple_choices

trouble_woman_multiple_choices_answer_key