The English Blog

Cartoon: Apple Avoids Corporate Taxes

© Chappatte in "International Herald Tribune"

BACKGROUND
This cartoon by Chappatte from the International Herald Tribune relates to Apple CEO Tim Cook's  appearance before the U.S.Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (which is presently looking into the tax code). Chairman Carl Levin (D-Michigan) accused Apple of "exploiting an absurdity [in US tax laws] that we have not seen other corporations use," referring to a loophole he believes should be closed. Read more >>

THE CARTOON
A committee member asks Tim Cook, "Why would the world's most profitable company avoid paying taxes?!" To which Cook replies, "To remain the world's most profitable company."

COMMENT
In fact, Cook maintained that Apple pays US taxes on its US profits as it should, and vigorously denied charges that Apple had set up "ghost" corporations for the sole purpose of hiding profits. The Apple CEO specifically pointed out to the senators that Apple did not send any US profits overseas, paid all taxes on sales throughout the Americas at the US tax rate, and repeatedly reminded them that Apple set up the Irish corporation that handles its European sales in 1980 -- long before bad economies or the current corporate tax situation -- and that it operates essentially unchanged from then. So that's OK then ...

VOCABULARY
A profitable organization or practice makes a profit, i.e., it earns more money than it loses. • Drug manufacturing is the most profitable business in America.

GRAMMAR
Note that you avoid doing something not "avoid to do" it. 

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Reuters Video: Solar-powered plane completes first leg of trip

A solar-powered plane completed an 18-hour journey from California to Arizona on the first leg of an attempt to fly across the United States with no fuel but the sun's energy. Deborah Gembara reports.

TRANSCRIPT
REPORTER: A plane powered only by solar energy landed in Arizona after an 18-hour journey from southern California. It's the first leg of the Solar Impulse's attempt to fly across the U.S. without any fuel. The brainchild of Swiss pilots Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, the Solar Impulse has a battery that's charged by energy collected from 12,000 solar cells built into its wings. Piccard was the pilot for the first of a five-stop trip across the U.S.
BERTRAND PICCARD, PILOT AND CO-FOUNDER, SOLAR IMPULSE: "I tell you, it was a lot of preparation and we have done the first leg. I just can't believe we have been working on that since [sic] so long and the first leg is done."  
REPORTER: Both pilots hope the trip will generate interest in clean energy air travel.

GRAMMAR
French speakers often make the mistake of saying "since a long time/two weeks, etc." instead of "for a long time/two weeks, etc.", because French uses "depuis" with both a period of time and a point in time. At least, Piccard gets the tense right! See here for more on this point.

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Cartoon: 50 Things Children Should Do

BACKGROUND
The latest study by Play England showed a third of parents will not let children do ‘risky activities’ like climbing trees. As a consequence children are growing up with little experience of the outdoors and are afraid to go for a walk in the woods or search for bugs. In an effort to give both parents and children more confidence the National Trust have created a list of '50 things to do before you are 11 ¾'. The checklist for under-12s includes setting up a snail race, damming a stream and making a mud pie. Full story >>

THE CARTOON
In the cartoon by Mac from The Daily Mail, the father has got his children doing jobs around the house while he relaxes in the sun with a book and a glass of wine. The boy is mowing the grass, and the girl is cleaning the windows. His wife, who is reading an article about the list, tells him, "These are NOT on the list of 50 adventures children should have before they reach eleven."

FOR TEACHERS
1. This is a great cartoon for practising the present continuous tense. What is the boy doing? etc. 
2. You could also use the list to practise the present perfect tense. Students work in pairs. One has the list and asks his/her partner questions with 'Have you ever ...? After 5 minutes, swap roles and repeat.
3. Have a contest to see who has done the most activities on the list. 

FOR LEARNERS
How many of the following items can you spot in the cartoon?
ladder, lawn, patio, sun lounger, wheelbarrow, garden fork, lawnmower, bucket, French windows, parasol, trowel, handle, rungs, aerial, bushes, fence, puddle, sunglasses, wineglass, belt, roof, flower pot, newspaper

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
• How many of the things on the list have you done? 
• What things did you do as a child which are not on the list?
• Are children over-protected these days?
• Why are some parents reluctant to let children do risky activities?
• Are there any things on the list you would not let your child do? 

ALSO SEE
• The 50 adventures every child should have by the age of 11¾ (Mail Online)

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So the National Trust offers 50 things to do before you're 11¾ - too right | Ally Fogg

Cartoon: You Don't Have To Be Mad ...

In this cartoon from the Daily Express, Paul Thomas adapts the joke workplace sign "You don't have to be mad to work here ... but it helps" to refer to North Korea, which has threatened to unleash a nuclear attack on the United States. 

North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong-un is shown sitting at a desk with a red button in front of him. He is surrounded by North Korean flags and two soldiers.

EXPLANATION
During the 20th-century's Cold War, the "Big Red Button" (sometimes just "The Button") referred to a device used to launch nuclear weapons. A person in charge may be referred to as "having his/her finger on The Button". The disastrous consequences of a full-out nuclear war made the Big Red Button a symbol of the annihilation of humanity. [Source: Wikipedia]

VOCABULARY
1. Someone who is mad has a mind that does not work in a normal way, with the result that their behaviour is very strange. • Kim Jong-un has more or less gone mad today, with the North Korean military warning that war could break out "today or tomorrow". 
2. The person or group that rules a country controls its affairs. • For four centuries foreigners have ruled Angola.

GRAMMAR
We use 'don't have to' to state that there is NO obligation or necessity.
• We don't have to get there on time. The boss is away today.
• You don't have to come if you don't want to.

NOTE
By coincidence, MAD is also an abbreviation for Mutually Assured Destruction, which is quite ironic given the context.

MORE CARTOONS
• Adams (The Telegraph) 
• Ben Jennings (The Guardian) 
• Crazy Kim (The Cagle Post) 
• Chappatte (Globe Cartoon) 

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Video: How to Make English Grammar Lessons Interesting

Is English grammar boring for you? Alfredo used to think so, but he has grown to love learning about grammar. In this video, Alfredo gives you three tips to succeed with grammar and to increase your motivation to learn grammar.

COMMENT
Good advice! There's nothing more demotivating for students than having to plough through traditional grammar exercises. By the way, you can find more videos with Alfredo on the OnTargetEnglish YouTube channel.

ALSO SEE
• How To Teach Boring Grammar Points: 7 Quick Proven Tips (Busy Teacher)
• Grammar Games (British Council) 
• Grammar Apps for English Learners (The English Blog) 
• Grammar Girl: Cartoons 

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Ad of the Day: Somersby Cider Apple Store Spoof

This ad for Somersby cider is creating creating quite a buzz on the internet with over 650K YouTube views in just 4 days. I've no idea what the cider tastes like (it's made by Danish brewer Carlsberg), but the ad does a great job of parodying a typical product launch at an Apple store (remember that cider is made from apples). Let's just hope Apple doesn't sue them.

TRANSCRIPT
MAN: It's got the latest operating sytem: Pump.
WOMAN: I'm gonna run straight in there and grab one.
CUSTOMER: So this is Somersby.
SALESPERSON: This is it. This is what all the excitement is about.
SALESPERSON: 16-pip, 32-pip.
MAN: This is the 32-pip?
MAN: Is it wireless.
SALESPERSON: Oh, yeah, yeah, completely wireless.
SALESPERSON: Single core, dual core.
SALESPERSON: Full of great content. Easy to use. 
SALESPERSON: Move towards the mouth, and interface (into face).
SALESPERSON: It works in your normal docking system.
MAN: That's docked?
SALESPERSON: That's, that's docked, yeah.
SALESPERSON: And you've downloaded.
WOMAN: I've downloaded?
SALESPERSON: One click - boom - you're connected.
MAN: ???
WOMAN: It's amazing
MAN: Really good.
SALESPERSON: And it works perfectly in direct sunlight.
VOICEOVER: Somersby cider - less apps, more apples. 

COMMENT
The ad features a whole bunch of clever tech puns—how many can you spot? I particularly like the comment about the product working perfectly in direct sunlight (a sly dig at the iPad, which is totally useless in any sort of sunlight!)

GRAMMAR NOTE
Of course, grammar purists would insist on "fewer apps, more apples"! 

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Video: François Hollande Speaking English in India

TRANSCRIPT
I'm sure that the vi.. this visit will bear (?) our relationship at the best level we can hope (sic). We come from a great partnership, India and France, and we must always improve the relationship between our two countries. India is a great democracy, the big (sic) democracy in the world, a country which is (in ?) development, and France must be with you in the challenge. Thank you, thank you.

ANALYSIS
Besides having an accent which borders on caricature, Hollande makes a number of mistakes. He says "bear our relationship" (probably translating the French "porter"), when he should have said "take", and omits the "for" after "hope". He should have used the superlative "biggest" when describing India as "the big democracy in the world" (though to be fair he gets the preposition "in" right). Finally, he talks about India being a country "in development" ("en dévelopement") rather than a "developing country". In any case, I'm not sure his Indian hosts would appreciate being referred to as a developing country, which sounds rather patronizing now that India is one of the so-called BRICS.

COMMENT
French President François Hollande doesn't seem to have made much, if any, progress since he was last caught speaking English on camera. It's strange that an elite politician would speak English so poorly. Mind you, Nicolas Sarkozy was no better. Not a great advertisement for language education in French schools ...

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Cartoon: I Wish We Were Gay

This cartoon by Christopher Weyant from The Hill relates to the current debate in the USA over same-sex marriage. 

BACKGROUND
Thousands of demonstrators descended Tuesday on the U.S. Supreme Court as the justices heard arguments on the first of two cases addressing the constitutionality of same-sex marriage. 

The court on Tuesday heard arguments on California's law banning gay marriage, known as Proposition 8. On Wednesday, the court will hear arguments on the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act, which limits the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples.

The cases come before the high court months after three more states — Maryland, Maine and Washington — legalized gay marriage. Altogether, nines states and the District of Columbia have laws allowing gay marriage. [Source: USA Today]

THE CARTOON
The cartoon shows a donkey (representing the Democratic party), and an elephant (representing the Republican party) reading the newspaper. The headlines tell us that while support for same-sex marriage is at an all-time high, Congress' approval rating is at an all-time low. The elephant sighs, "I wish we were gay".

EXPLANATION
The suggestion is that if the elephant and donkey were gay, they would be more popular.

VOCABULARY
Gay is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term was originally used to refer to feelings of being "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy". The term's use as a reference to homosexuality may date as early as the late 19th century, but its use gradually increased in the 20th century. In modern English, "gay" has come to be used as an adjective, and as a noun, referring to the people, especially to males, and the practices and cultures associated with homosexuality. [Source: Wikipedia]

GRAMMAR 
Note that we use past tense forms in English to talk about wishes for the present:

• I wish I lived in somewhere more interesting. 
• I wish we were travelling first class. 
• Everyone wishes they had more free time. 
• John wishes he wasn’t so busy. 
• I wish it wasn’t so cold.

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Cartoon: We Blew It

This cartoon by Nick Anderson from the Houston Chronicle relates to the tenth anniversary of the start of the Iraq war in 2003.

BACKGROUND
The war lasted almost nine years, with 1,111,610 Americans serving in Iraq. According to the Department of Defense, 4,488 of them died, while 115,376 Iraqi civilians were killed between 2003 and 2011. Now, a majority of Americans — 53 percent — view invading Iraq as a mistake, according to a recent Gallup poll. Members of the media have also admitted that they failed the public on Iraq. [Source: Huffington Post]

THE CARTOON
The cartoon shows a TV newsreader with a map of Iraq behind him. He tells the viewers, "... and this week marks the ten-year anniversary of when we completely, and utterly blew it." 

COMMENTARY
According to Wikipedia:

"The 2003 invasion of Iraq involved unprecedented U.S. media coverage, particularly by FOX News. The coverage itself became a source of controversy, as media outlets were accused of bias, reporters were casualties of both Iraqi and American gunfire, and claims of censorship and propaganda became widespread."

The cartoonist is highlighting the fact that the US media got it wrong on Iraq.

VOCABULARY
1. Blew is the past tense of blow. If you blow a chance or attempt to do something, you make a mistake which wastes the chance or causes the attempt to fail. • He has almost certainly blown his chance of touring India this winter. • Oh you fool! You've blown it! 
2.  You use utterly to emphasize that something is very great in extent, degree, or amount. • Everything about the country seemed utterly different from what I'd experienced before.

GRAMMAR
If you are wondering why we say "ten-year anniversary" and not "ten-years anniversary", check out this earlier post. 

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Cartoon: It's Even Worse in Cyprus

Today, George Osborne, the UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer, will deliver his annual budget speech to parliament. The Daily Telegraph explains what is at stake:

With gloomy economic forecasts, a resurgent Labour party, and increasingly rebellious Tory backbenchers, the Chancellor needs to convince voters that his plan for the UK's finances is the right one.

Amid signs that the Office for Budget Responsibility will again downgrade growth forecasts, Mr Osborne will again attempt to explain to the country why the course he has chosen is better that the one favoured by Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor.

The cartoon by Paul Thomas from the Daily Express shows Osborne in his office in 11 Downing Street studying the second draft of his budget speech. Prime Minister David Cameron tells him, "Keep reminding the public that it's even worse in Cyprus ...", a reference to the banking crisis in that small island country. Small consolation ...

VOCABULARY
1. In Britain, the Budget is the financial plan in which the government states how much money it intends to raise through taxes and how it intends to spend it. The Budget is also the speech in which this plan is announced.
2. A draft is an early version of a letter, book, or speech. • I faxed a first draft of this article to him.

GRAMMAR
Worse is the comparative form of the adjective bad, not to be confused with worst, which is the superlative form. • This is the worst economic crisis in living memory. It's even worse than the Great Depression.

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Cartoon: I Could Be Pope

This cartoon by Matt from The Daily Telegraph is inspired by the revelation by the childhood sweetheart of Pope Francis that she had been forced to reject his boyhood offer of marriage, a move which eventually led him to devote his life to God. The woman, Amalia Damonte, 76, said that the young Jorge Mario Bergoglio, when they were both just 12 years old in the Buenos Aires suburb of Flores, declared: "If I can't marry you, I'll become a priest."  Full story and video >>

Matt's cartoon shows a man pointing an accusatory finger at his wife, and telling her, "If you hadn't agreed to marry me, I could be Pope by now." The man's comment is totally ridiculous, of course, but it's really just an exaggerated version of the sort of stupid thing people say when they want to blame their partner for their own failings in life.

GRAMMAR
The cartoon provides a good example of a mixed conditional. The if-clause ("If you hadn't agreed to marry me") is a Type 3 conditional using if + Past Perfect to refer to a hypothetical situation in the past. The main clause ("I could be Pope") uses a Type 2 conditional (could + infinitive) to describe a present result. See here and here for more on mixed conditionals. And while we're on the subject of conditionals, Bergoglio's declaration "If I can't marry you, I'll become a priest", is an example of a Type 1 conditional. In a Type 1 conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the simple present, and the tense in the main clause is the simple future with "will". In these sentences, the time is the present or future and the situation is real. See here for more examples of Type 1 conditionals. 

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Reuters Video: Argentina's Bergoglio elected as new pope

Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina becomes pope, surprising many who expected the conclave to select a younger cardinal to be pontiff. Deborah Gembara reports.

TRANSCRIPT
They jammed St. Peter's Square, enduring rain, and an hours-long wait until finally from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel — unmistakable puffs of white smoke, the age-old sign that a new pope had been chosen, caused the crowd to erupt in cheers . And then, the moment Vatican watchers worldwide had been waiting for. Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio — a 76-year-old cardinal — would be the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church. His selection was a surprise to many who assumed the next pope would be younger. He's the first non-European pope since the 8th century to lead the church's 1.2 billion faithful. The South American cardinal is also the first Jesuit to assume the role, and has decided to go by the name of Francis. He is the 266th pontiff in the Church's 2,000-year history.

COMMENT
There are a lot of interesting language points in this short video including compound adjectives ('age-old', 'hours-long', 'non-European'), compound adjectives with numbers ('2,000-year-old', '76-year-old'), numbers ('1.2 billion', '266th', '8th'), passive ('had been chosen'), and vocabulary (two meanings for 'assume'). Not to mention the possibilities for class discussion about the election of the new pope. Great teaching material!

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Cartoon: The Queen's Hospital Stay

This cartoon by Mac from the Daily Mail relates to Queen's Elizabeth's 24-hour hospital stay because of an apparent stomach infection.

The Queen is about to emerge from her private ward at King Edward VII’s Hospital, preceded by her favourite corgis and accompanied by a fanfare of royal trumpters. The stern-looking sister, who is hoisting one of the patients on a pulley, tells the patients, 'Listen ... the national anthem ... she must be leaving! EVERYBODY UP!'

EXPLANATION
It's traditional for people to stand when the national anthem is played. The joke is that, for a variety of medical reasons, the patients are in no fit condition to stand.

VOCABULARY
1. A ward is a large room in a hospital, typically one allocated to a particular type of patient: "a children's ward". A private ward is one which is reserved for people, like the Queen, who have private health insurance.
2. A sister is a nurse who is in charge of a hospital ward. (Officially, the title has been changed to "ward manager" to reflect the fact that the role is carried out by men as well as women.)
3. See if you can spot the following items in the cartoon: IV drip, bandages, plaster, medical chart, crutch, stethoscope, sling, neck brace, sheet, pillow, blanket.

GRAMMAR
'Must' is used here to convey supposition as opposed to obligation. The sister can't see the Queen, but she supposes that she is leaving because the national anthem is being played. • I must be imagining things. See here for a more detailed explanation of this grammar point.

COMMENT
When I was young (a long time ago), they used to play the national anthem at the end of films in the cinema. And yes, people did stand!

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Espresso English

I've been meaning to do a post about Espresso English for a while now, and have now finally got round to it as my students are on holiday this week.

Aimed at self-studying English learners, the Espresso English offers regularly updated short lessons on topics including Vocabulary, Business, and Pronunciation. Many of the lessons come with video or streaming audio. 

The website was created by Shayna McHugh, a 28-year-old English teacher from the United States who now lives in Brazil. Here are just a few of the free resources available from Espresso English:

• Free 10-minute English lessons sent to you by e-mail (the latest one is 'Conversations in the Airport')
• Two free English Grammar e-books – beginner and intermediate levels – with easy-to-understand grammar lessons and practice exercises
• Espresso English YouTube channel with over 80 video lessons 
• A blog with 300+ online English tips

If you like the free resources, you may be interested in signing up for one of the paid courses (Phrasal Verbs, Business English, English Idioms, and English for Travel), which cost $30 each.

VERDICT
Espresso English is an impressive achievement for a single teacher, and deserves to be more widely known. The videos, in particular, are very well done, although I wish the speed of delivery wasn't quite so slow on some of them. I'm adding Espresso English to my list of Top English Learning Sites (see left-hand sidebar).

Cartoon: Benefits Mum Of Eleven Has A Horse!

This cartoon by Paul Thomas from the Daily Express relates to the story about a jobless mother of eleven who is having a new six-bedroom house built for her by the local council. It has now emerged that she also owns a horse, a fact which has further enraged the Express and the Daily Mail.

In the cartoon, one builder tells another, "As soon as we've finished her house, we'll build the stables ..."

VOCABULARY
1. A stable or stables is a building in which horses are kept.
2. Benefit or benefits is money given by the government to people who are poor, ill, or unemployed.
3. See if you can spot the following items in the cartoon: planks of wood, a skip, a wheelbarrow, a cement-mixer, hard hats, sand, scaffolding, ladder, lorry, bricks, spade.

GRAMMAR
'As soon as' means 'when something happens - immediately afterwards'. 'As soon as' is very similar to 'when' it emphasizes that the event will occur immediately after the other. We usually use the simple present for future events, although present perfect can also be used. Both of the following are correct:
• As soon as he arrives, we'll start the meeting.
• As soon as he's arrived, we'll start the meeting.
See About.com for more on using adverb clauses with time expressions. 

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