Culture:
A few people I met with this week watched and discussed a scene from Parks and Recreation. In the clip, some of the show's characters are holding a meeting, and Ron, the grumpy boss, says he'll be listening to Willie Nelson on his headphones. A few lines from the song Hello Walls can then be heard.
Willie Nelson is a singer-songwriter who turned 90 a couple weeks ago but still plays about 100 concerts a year. He began his career writing songs, and although he'd already had a couple of hits back in the early 1960s, Hello Walls was a turning point for him. As Wide Open Country tells it in this article, Willie tried to sell the song to Faron Young for $500. Young refused but asked to record it. Months later, Willie received a $20,000 check for royalties on what had become a big hit. That was in 1961.
Fast forward to 2023, and Willie Nelson released his latest album, I Don't Know a Thing About Love, in March. Here's the title song from that.
Grammar:
We can use the verb form -ing, -ed, or being -ed to add information to nouns or noun phrases.
This is called a participle clause.
The man playing the guitar is Willie Nelson. (The man who is playing the guitar...)
The wood used to make this table was grown upstate. (The wood that was used...)
The woman being led out of the room is my former boss. (The woman who is being led out...)
We use the -ing form for active verbs and -ed or being -ed for passive verbs.
Complete these sentences with the -ing, -ed, or being -ed form of a verb you choose from the list below. Then restate the sentence using a relative clause instead of the participle clause. Answers are at the end of this post.
-- drive -- send -- say -- flow -- educated -- scold -- need --
1/ Anyone ____________________ additional information can ask at the front desk.
2/ Many of the students ____________________ at this school will return every year for the homecoming game.
3/ The woman ____________________ the truck is my cousin.
4/ Rivers ____________________ into the Mediterranean Sea carry plastic debris.
5/ The tone of voice she used to share her opinion made me feel like a small child ____________________ by a parent.
6/ There's a sign on the building ____________________ "Do Not Enter."
7/ The documents ____________________ to the embassy are on his desk.
Enrich Your Vocabulary | TOEFL Words: microcosm (noun)
This week's word from Britannica's 100 Essential Words for the TOEFL comes from Greek. It means little world, but it can also refer to a smaller version of something that epitomizes a greater whole.
Can you think of a microcosm of your native country? Or a microcosm of the country where you live now?
The whole experience feels like a microcosm of Montana itself—a beautiful, rugged gateway to the west that opens its arms wide to us wayfarers beneath an endless expanse of sky.—Maggie Hennessy, Bon Appétit, 24 Oct. 2022
Phrasal Verbs -- turn against
The entire staff turned against him and left the meeting.
Answers to participle clause sentences:
-- drive -- send -- say -- flow -- educated -- scold -- need --
1/ Anyone needing additional information can ask at the front desk. (Anyone who needs...)
2/ Many of the students educated at this school will return every year for the homecoming game. (Many of the students who are educated...)
3/ The woman driving the truck is my cousin. (The woman who is driving...)
4/ Rivers flowing into the Mediterranean Sea carry plastic debris. (Rivers that flow...)
5/ The tone of voice she used to share her opinion made me feel like a small child being scolded by a parent. (...a small child who is being scolded...)
6/ There's a sign on the building saying"Do Not Enter." (There's a sign that says...)
7/ The documents being sent to the embassy are on his desk. (The documents that are being sent...)