from the article "Liberals. Language, and Racism" by Tom Glennon
1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was
time to present the present.
A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was ruled invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the two doors to close them.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
9 comments
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May 29, 2006 at 11:08 am
Shirley
Good morning, Helen. Enjoyed this post. I have heard that English ranks near the top as the hardest language to learn. Glad I was a baby when my brain and ears first picked up those sounds. Did you know a baby can learn 5 or 6 languages simultaneously, with no difficulty.
Wave a flag and have a wonderful day.
May 29, 2006 at 11:54 am
Helen Losse
Our next door neighbors have a three-year-old daughter, who is learning both English and Spanish simultaneously. However, her mother says she already prefers English. She says, “no, no,” when her mother, who is fluent in both languages, speaks to her in Spanish.
May 30, 2006 at 7:54 am
Ellen
Helen,
I love this post! My sd is 13 and she is beginning to dissect and question various things in our language. My husband’s basic answer to her is “that’s because it’s English!”
Have a wonderful day!
Peace
May 30, 2006 at 8:27 am
Helen Losse
Hi Ellen,
I remember asking seventh graders for antonyms. For “up-to-date” they were supposed to say “old fashioned” or “antiquated.” You’d be surprised how many said “down-to-date.” Yet we wonder why Hispanic adults aren’t dashing out for English lessons after a day of hard labor!
May 30, 2006 at 8:27 am
bereans
Good morning, Helen!
Hope you had a good Memorial Day weekend.
I substitute taught English for a short time (you wouldn’t know it from my usage!:) and agree with Shirley.
Take care,
-j
May 30, 2006 at 8:30 am
Helen Losse
Hi Jack,
We did have a good weekend, got quite a bit done toward removal of the wallpaper. Watched races. Have to wait until later today to see of Tony’s okay for next week. My feeling is they better have a relief driver standing by.
May 30, 2006 at 11:59 am
Carol
Hi Helen,
I enjoyed this post. I can see how English is a difficult language, but I sure am glad that I can read it and write it. When I came back from our Costa Rica trip in March, I almost cried as we were driving down the highway, because I could read all the billboards. There was so much in Costa Rica I could not understand, because I just started learning Spanish in January.
May 30, 2006 at 1:41 pm
Helen Losse
Hi Carol,
Actually, I love English. Did you have to diagram sentences in school? I loved it! but then, I’m kinda weird.
May 30, 2006 at 2:21 pm
Carol
I love English too, and actually wanted to be an English teacher for many years. I remember learning how to diagram sentences in 7th grade, and I loved it too. Perhaps that means we’re both weird.