Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, November 28, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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perspicuous
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Passive Perfect Participle PhrasesIf we want to describe a noun that was passively acted upon in an event that happened before another one, we can use what is known as the "passive perfect participle" (sometimes called the "perfect passive participle"). How is this structured? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Conscription Crisis of 1917The Conscription Crisis of 1917 was a political and military crisis in Canada during WWI that was precipitated by the military's failure to create units for French-speaking forces. Instead the French-Canadian volunteers were assigned to various English-speaking units. Witnessing what they perceived as the mistreatment of the first contingent, many French-Canadians elected not to volunteer, leading legislators to pass a conscription act. What was the political aftermath of this crisis in Quebec? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Albania Declares Independence from the Ottoman Empire (1912)The Ottoman Turks conquered Albania around 1400 and ruled the country for more than 400 years. It was not until the end of the Balkan War that Turkish rule was abolished and a proclamation of independence was issued in 1912. Although Serbia showed intentions of annexing a large part of Albania in order to gain an outlet on the Adriatic, the move was opposed by Austria-Hungary, Italy, and the Albanians. Albanians celebrate their independence on November 28. What do they celebrate on November 29? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 William Blake (1757)Blake was an English poet and artist. Trained as an engraver, he opened a print shop in 1784 and developed an innovative technique for engraving illustrations and text on the same plate and for producing colored engravings. Blake's paintings, engravings, and illustrated books of poetry feature detailed images of realistic natural forms as well as fanciful creatures. He lived on the edge of poverty, was considered mad, and died in neglect. When did he finally gain recognition as a visionary? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Novels so often provide an anodyne and not an antidote, glide one into torpid slumbers instead of rousing one with a burning brand.Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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abstract idea— An idea or thought that is intangible or outside the constraints or possibilities of the real world. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Timor-Leste Proclamation of Independence Day (2016)After the East Timorese declared independence from Portugal on November 28, 1975, it took over two decades to fulfill the promise of freedom. Their plans were foiled by Indonesia, which carried out its own occupation of its neighbor between 1975 and 1999. Observances for the November 28 anniversary honor the veterans of the independence movement. State leaders and other dignitaries usually participate in a parade, and the president of the country often bestows medals of honor to distinguish individuals who fought for the country's freedom. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: tiedogfall - A draw or tie. More... dead heat - If two horses tied in a heat, the heat did not count and was called "dead"; now any tie can be called a dead heat. More... knit - Literally first meant "tie with or in a knot." More... moor - Meaning "tie up a boat," it was probably borrowed from German or Dutch. More... | |