The Star

You may recognise the opening verse of this poem. It is a nursery and school favourite – but do you know all of the verses? Now you do! (but we do not expect that many youngsters have learned more than the first 2 verses) This poem was written by Ann Taylor and her sister Jane,…

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The Old Astronomer to his pupil

The Old Astronomer to his pupil By Sarah Williams   Reach me down my Tycho Brahe, I would know him when we meet,When I share my later science, sitting humbly at his feet;He may know the law of all things, yet be ignorant of howWe are working to completion, working on from then to now.…

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Ozymandias

I met a traveller from an antique landWho said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stoneStand in the desert…Near them, on the sand,Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions readWhich yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,The hand that mocked…

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Dare you try this exercise?

After the verb ‘dare’ we use the infinitive with or without to:I wouldn’t dare to do that. I wouldn’t dare do that. But after daren’t or dare not we use the infinitive without to:I daren’t go there after dark.I didn’t dare go there after dark.   1. [Match] See if you dare complete these sentences…

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Carry on!

  1. [Match] Can you deduce the dictionary meaning of these uses of the verb ‘carry’? Answers for Quiz [1]. 1. continue, proceed (correct) 2. be / get overcome by an emotion, especially by enthusiasm (correct) 3. have an affair (with) (correct) 4. sustain / help through a difficult period (correct) 5. informal – take…

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‘in spite of’ or ‘because of’?

‘in spite of’ or ‘because of’? Notice the difference between these:1) He loved her despite her bad temper.2) He loved her in spite of her bad temper. 3) He loved her because of her bad temper. In 1 and 2 the man clearly adored the woman even though she has a rather unfortunate, perhaps difficult…

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