About ad449

It must have been in longships like this that the Germanic Jutes
landed in southeast England in A.D.449.

The local king had some problem with neighbors so he called in his allies, the Jutes, to help.

Well, the Jutes came, bringing not only fighting men but also their language which eventually became the English that we know.

The Norman conquest and other events in English history spiced the original language with French and Latin influences making it the rich and vibrant language that it is now.

Today, English-- next only to Chinese and Hindi-- is the most widely-spoken language in the world, thanks to the post-WWII American hegemony which brought the language to all corners of the world.

Note: Picture is owned by CoolPrint.

Charles the Hammer

1
Both their house and pickup truck (was were)
washed away by Hurricane Katrina.
2
His generosity and compassion (was were)
well known.
3
The logic and practicability of his proposal
(is are) clear.
4
Neither of the twins (was were) allowed to go.
5
Either the parents or I (are am) to blame.
6
Neither the skipper nor his crew (know knows).
7
Each of those who (is are) there should
register.
8
She is one of the most able officials
who (has have) ever held a government
position.
9
He is the only one among the faculty who
(speak speaks) Latin fluently
10
The best part of the meal (is are) coffee and
the small talk after the meal.
11
Coffee and the small talk after the meal
(is are) the best part of a meal.
12
It (is are) the wives who will decide.
13
In the center of the whole complex
(stand stands) the monument to the founder.
14
There (was were) cocktails, peanuts, and
canapes.
15
Happily, there (exist exists) supporters who
have sworn to help us.
16
The gang (has have) a request.
17
The gang (is are) checking in anytime now.
18
The family (is are) surnamed Co.
19
The family (is are) seated on the lawn.
20
This is one of the most popular concoctions
that (has have) ever come out of the
laboratory in years.

Bene Crucero's one for the road

1
The reason for all the disturbance and unrest
(is are) bad governance.
2
I, the party spokesman, (is am) the sole
interpreter of official party stand.
3
I, together with the whole team, (is am) going.
4
The youngest son, as well as all the members
of his family, (is are) determined to stay.
5
No one (bake bakes) cakes better than Mom.
6
One of you (has have) made the withdrawal.
7
None (is are) prettier than my little girl Teresa.
8
The agenda for today's meeting (is are)
posted on the board.
9
The media (was were) treated to a sumptuous
dinner by the President.
10
His mumps (is are) giving him discomfort.
11
Virgilio Garcillano's whereabouts (was, were) a
closely guarded secret.
12
Politics in this country (is are) often dirty.
13
For some newspaper publishers, the news
(is are) a source of great profit.
14
The mechanics of the contest (has have)
certain provisions that are not acceptable
to some parties.
15
In the debate on the population issue,
economics (is are) sometimes used to push
claims that have been soundly debunked.
16
Mathematics (is are) child's play to some
people.
17
Ten less five (is are) five.
18
Sixty minutes of brisk walking (is are) too much
for him.
19
Behind his success (stand stands) a loving
wife and wonderful kids.

Peanuts for Joel

1
In his last fight, Mike Tyson punched so
hard his blows would have (knock out,
knocked out) a horse.
2
The connoisseur (began, begun) to taste
the wine, the Cabernet Sauvignon first,
then the Chardonnay.
3
She could have (swam, swum) all the way to
Marseilles had not leg cramps stopped her.
4
Without considering his own safety, he
(dived, dove) into the cold Thames.
5
Please get from the maitre d'hotel the
(sitting, seating) arrangement.
6
Please tell our Iroquois guests to be
(sitted, seated).
7
In the Hotel Oberoi in Bali, even picture
frames have to be (hung, hanged) a certain way.
8
The posse caught up with bank robbers
and brought them back to town to be
(hung, hanged).
9
Please check if the boatswain had (drew,
drawn) the specs for the gunwale repair.
10
The gypsy mountebank (sprang, sprung) a
surprise on the carabinieri last night by
picking the lock of his pillory.
11
(Set, sit) the priceless Ming jar very gently on
the pedestal and set sit down
12
Even before the loquacious hostess had
(spoke, spoken) a word, the obsequious
party coordinator was already telling the
guests how nice the hostess is.
13
Please ask the concierge how many (sits,
seats) the party from Massachusetts will need.
14
The queue of people lining up for the U2
concert (snake, snaked) all the way to the quay.
15
Please take your (sit ,seat).
16
The protesters (hear, heard) their demands
broadcast over the radio.
17
And Jesus (weeped, wept).
18
Seeing the extent of his wounds, the gladiator
(lied down, lay down) on the blood-stained
pavement of the Collosseum to die.

Alex's special

Use the correct tense of the verb.
1
The shaman had his arm (bite) by a snake
believing this will transfer to him some of
the snake's power.
2
The farmer would have (harvest) the crop
yesterday had not the combine (break) down.
3
He is so parsimonious he cannot remember
the last time he has (give) money to the
people who have come knocking at his door.
4
He has become everyone's bete noire
that nobody wants to be (see) in his company.
5
White water river rafting has (become)
a de rigueur among Cagayan de Oro
visitors that one has not really been to CDO
if he has not (do) the river.
6
Even if Lazarus had (want) to, he could not
have (aid) the rich man because of a wide
chasm that separated them.
7
Modesty is all but (forget) in the orgy of eating
and drinking that accompanies each
bacchanalian feast.
8
Middle East moolah has (raise) the standard
living in this community of ramshackle huts.
9
The rampaging Huns (leave) in their wake
a swath of destruction.
10
The twins Romulus and Remus were (bear)
of woman but suckled by a she-wolf.
11
With daggers (draw), the two fighters lunged
at each other's throat.
12
The G.I.'s erected a cairn on Mt. Suribachi as
a memorial to all who have (fall) in Iwo Jima.
13
(Tear) away from his Auschwitz-bound
parents, the Jewish boy was taken in by a
kindly German couple.
14
Bucephalus had never been (ride), until the
strapping youth Alexander (broke) it.
15
While his brothers and sisters lead normal
lives, the poor gamete-- product of in vitro
fertilization-- has (know) only life in a
Petri dish.

Benjie's favorite

1
The supervisor conferred (with, to) the committee about the proposal.
2
She was oblivious (to, of) everything around her.
3
Let it be clear that I'm doing this (in, on) my own initiative.
4
The entire nation thanked the foundation for taking the initiative (in, on) bringing
literacy to the barrios.
5
All babies have a need (of, for) constant attention.
6
His abhorrence (of, for) traditional politics is well known.
7
I promise to abide (with, by) your decision.
8
The island the Spaniards discovered abound (in, with) turtles and reptiles.
9
Abounding (in, with) rich natural resources, the little country was fair game for invaders.
10
Confession absolves (from, of) eternal punishment but not from temporal punishment.
11
If you do not know anything about the candidates, abstain (in, from) voting.
12
They found the stream abundant (of, with) fish.
13
The staterment is in accord (to, with) Church teachings.
14
According (with, to) my grammar teacher, whom is never a subject.
15
Tim has been accused (of, with) stealing watermelons.
16
I am not accustomed (to, with) this kind of weather.
17
I did not acquiesce(with, in) the unjustified suppression of evidence
18
The accused man was finally acquitted (of, from) the crime.
19
Adapted (for, to) Valencia climate, soil, and water, Valencia oranges do not
thrive anywhere else but in Valencia, Spain.
20
This program is especially adapted (to, for) television. (prepare for television)
21
Some types of squirrels adapted (with, to) the need for quick transfer from branch
to branch by growinig "wings," actually flpas between their bodies and limbs.
22
I have not adapted (with, to) this climate. (become accustomed to)
23
You must adhere (with, to) the contract you signed.
23
The commission, while finding no clear indication of fraud, declared that the
action admits (of, with) the possiblity of culpable negligence.
25
This document admits (of, with) conflicting interpretations. (to give
the possibility of something)
26
He admitted (of, to) his part in the robbery. (to confess or tell the truth about)
27
The decision of the court is adverse (with, to) our interests.
28
The affinity (of, between) humans and dolphins is remarkable.
29
The sailors were afflicted (with, of ) some sickness the ship's doctor couldn't
as yet ascertain.
30
The ozone layer is deteriorating fast, aggravated (with, by) widespread burning of
the forest cover, unchecked deforetation, and the release of flurocarbons into the air.
31
At least the parties agreed (with, on) the shape of the table.
32
The council could not agree (with, on) the number that constitutes a majority.
(to decide on; to have the same opinion about)
33
The place's indigenous people agreed (with, to) a disarming of both lumad and loggers.
34
We will agree (with, to) your proposal if you will postpone action.
(to promise to follow something)
35
Generally, everybody agrees (with, to) the experts' opinion that the disease is
not air-borne.
36
In all matters of importance, I promise to agree (with, to) you.
(to have the same opinion about)
37
I aim to prove that your accusation is unjust.
38
Beach residents are alarmed (at, of) the news of the hurricane’s approach.
39
I am amazed (at, with) your audacity.
40
Finally, the lumad group looks amenable (to, with) a negotiated settlement.
41
The first amendment (to, of) the Constitution abolished the death penalty.
42
I was angry (about, at) the missing jewels.
43
He was angry (of,with) himself for not seeing through the ruse.
44
I get the impression that you are angry (to, with) me.
45
The clerk was very annoyed ( at, with) the customer’s condescending tone.
46
You are answerable (for, to) your supervisor
47
You should apologize (from, for) starting the baseless rumor.
48
He apologized (for, to) me for that rude remark.
49
As far (as, in) he is concerned, you don't exist.
50
(As regards, As regard) whether or not the president lied, it is up to the people to see.

Dressed to the nines

a change of heart - a change of resolve or opinion
> The assassin had a change of heart when he saw the target nursing a baby.

a chip off the old block - somebody who looks and behaves very much like one of his parents
> Everyone agrees he is a a chip off the old block; he looks every inch like his father.

a chip on one's shoulder - ill will towards another
> From what was merely a chip on his shoulder was spawned an enmity so consuming it resulted in violence.

a closed book- a person or thing of which little is known or understood.
> Many consider the fertilizer scam a closed book, I do not.

a dog in the manger- a scoundrel who, unable to get what he wants, prevents others from getting it
>Beware of him, he can be a dog in the manger.

a dog’s breakfast or dinner - something that is messy, disorganized, or badly done
> No dog's dinner for this fastidious client; why, even the plates have to be bone china.

a dog’s life - a less-than-human existence
> He led a dog's life for so long he was profoundly touched by the kindness of his new-found friends.

a drop in the bucket - a very small and inconsequential part
> A hundred grand is a drop in the bucket for the high rollers in Las Vegas.

a far cry from -- so much different
> The rock star is a far cry from the street urchin that he used to be.

a feather in one’s cap - an achievement
> The rapprochement with China was a feather in Nixon's cap.

a frog in one's throat - to speak in a hoarse, unclear way
> Gloria speaks like there's a frog in her throat.

a hair's breadth - almost didn't make it
> The race driver came to a hair's breadth from sure death when he hit the restraining wall at 220 kph.

a kick in the teeth- a setback
> The loss of its profitable North American division dealt the company a kick in the teeth it never recovered from.

a losing battle - a struggle that's increasingly becoming hopeless
> The opposition is waging a losing battle against corruption.

a monkey on one's back- a drug habit
> Try as he may, he was never able to kick off the money on his back.

a nail in somebody’s coffin- an action that further weakens somebody who's already weak
> The events of July 2005 happened fast: Gloria's "confession," the widespread calls for her
resignation, the resignation of ten of her cabinet members-- each one a nail in her coffin.

a raw deal - a deal where one is shortchanged
> They are looking for the murder suspect who's said to be the victim in a raw deal.

a safe bet - something that's probably true or will likely happen
> It's a safe bet that Britain will go the way of Holland, Belgium, and Spain in approving
same-sex marriages.

a shot in the arm - something that has a sudden good effect on somebody or something
>The US government bailout was a shot in the arm for Chrysler

a shot in the dark - an attempt at something with little chance of success
> In what was basically a shot in the dark, Abscam operatives laid out a sting for congressmen and senators. Quite a few took the bait.

a storm in a teacup- putting too much concern over something unimportant
> The dean dismissed as just a storm in a teacup the brewing unrest in the campus.

a walk in the park - something that's easy to do
> Turning losing companies around is a walk in the park for him.

Achilles' heel - someone's weakness
> Some say his attachment to the bottle is his Achilles' heel.

actions speak louder than words- the real motivation for something can be known more through the things that one does rather than on the words he says
> For some, Garci's actions speak louder than words; indeed why run if you have nothing to hide?

afraid of one's own shadow - to imagine that everyone is plotting all sorts of bad things against one's self
> It came to the point that Howard Hughes became afraid of his own shadow.

after a fashion - somewhat or somehow but not completely
> The prince imagined himself king after a fashion.

all along the line - throughout the whole process
> When the leader is corrupt, you can bet that all along the line everyone is corrupt as well.

all ears- to listen attentively
> The Senate was all ears as the official began weaving his lies.

all in good time- something will definitely happen, but no sooner than it should
> The liars will be exposed and punished, and decency will return to the nation all in good time.

all the time-without ceasing; also used to indicate one is always welcome
> The official was lying through his teeth all the time that he was professing his love for the truth.

all thumbs - clumsy
> He is not only empty between the ears, he is also all thumbs.

an open book - a person or thing of which much is known or understood
> Ideally, the life of a leader must be an open book.

armed to the teeth- fully armed
> At least eight bank robbers -- all armed to the teeth-- staged the daring robbery in broad daylight.

as old as Methuselah - someone very old
> There is this small mountain village in Japan where people normally live to be as old as
Methusela.

as the crow flies- in a straight line
> The next town is ten miles from here as the crow flies.

at any hour - at any time, nobody knows when
> The end will come at any hour.

at bottom (or at heart) - basically; essentially
>Despite having converted to Catholicism to marry his beloved, he remained at bottom a Protestant.

at heart - in essence or reality, and despite contrary appearances
> Despite having converted to Catholicism to marry my mother, my father remained at Protestant at heart.