Lest We Forget
“In Flanders Fields” is one of the most famous poems written during the First World War. Canadian physician and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote it on May 3, 1915, after he witnessed the death of his friend, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, the day before. The poppies referred to in the poem grew in profusion in Flanders where war casualties hade been buried and thus became a symbol of Remembrance Day.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Making uncountable words countable
Countable nouns are individual objects, people, places, etc. which can be counted. (books, Italians, pictures, stations, men, etc.) A countable noun can be both singular or plural. Uncountable nouns are materials, concepts, information, etc. which are not individual objects and can not be counted (information, water, understanding, wood, cheese, etc.) Uncountable nouns are always singular. Some uncountable nouns in English are countable in other languages. For example toast, furniture, advice or news are countable in Spanish. Obviously, uncountable nouns (especially different types of food) have forms that express plural concepts. These include measurements, containers and quantity expressions. Here you have some examples:
accommodation – a place to stay
advice – a piece of advice
baggage – a piece of baggage
bread – a slice of bread, a loaf of bread
equipment – a piece of equipment
furniture – a piece of furniture
garbage – a piece of garbage
information – a piece of information
knowledge – a fact
luggage – a piece of luggage, a bag, a suitcase
money – a note, a coin
news – a piece of news
pasta – a plate of pasta, a serving of pasta
research – a piece of research, a research project
travel – a journey, a trip
work – a job, a position
liquids (water, beer, wine, etc.) – a glass, a bottle, a jug of water, etc.
cheese – a slice, a chunk, a piece of cheese
meat – a piece, a slice, a pound of meat
butter – a bar of butter
ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard – a bottle of, a tube of ketchup, etc.
You can get an explanation in Spanish here.
HW: Reading and Use of English handouts for Monday
Snap-Apple Night, painted by Irish artist Daniel Maclise in 1833. It was inspired by a Halloween party he attended in Blarney, Ireland, in 1832.
