Tenses: a recap

Click on image to enlarge

In this lesson, all the tenses which were previously covered in this blog will be reviewed again. 

If you need a recap of all the tenses: click HERE

You can also watch this video lesson (All English Tenses) by Anglo-Link for a good review of all the tenses: click HERE 



For more details about the following tenses, click on them!  

The Simple Present

The Present Continuous


The Simple Past

The Simple Past versus the Present Perfect

The Present Perfect Simple versus the Present Perfect Continuous

Preserving the memories of World War One
(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B1 to B2 / ** to ***)

It is not possible to convey the stench of death, the blood, the horrors of the war in the trenches, ...during the Great War but the Imperial War Museum (IWM) (*) aims at trying to do so thanks to its new First World War galleries. 

You are going to watch a CNN news report devoted to the newest exhibitions at the IWM. 

The IWM
Photo credit: britannica.com

(*) The Imperial War Museum is in fact a British national museum organisation with branches across England, three of which are located in London. The museum was originally built in 1917 in order to record the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and its Empire during the Great War before it started to include later on all the conflicts which Britain and the Commonwealth countries have been involved in since the First World War.

For more information about the IWM, here is a link to its official website: click HERE



Before watching:


The following words and notes could be useful:
the stench: foul or offensive smell; stink          puanteur
the breadth: wide range or scope          éventail / étendue / ampleur   
the bereavement:  death and the grief due to it      deuil   
to be picked off: to be shot            être abattu / être pris pour cible 
a sniper: someone who shoots at others from a concealed place     tireur d'élite / tireur embusqué
overwhelming: overpowering in effect             écrasant / lourd   
righteous: morally upright; in accordance with morality         juste / droit / vertueux
the call to arms: an appeal to engage in combat         l'appel aux armes
trivia: unimportant objects             petits objets divers  
poignancy: designed to affect the feelings             caractère poignant, émouvant 
a private: someone who holds the lowest rank in the army      simple soldat 

the Boer War (or Second Boer War / 1899-1902) was fought by the UK against the Afrikaans-speaking settlers in South Africa. 

the white feather: a traditional symbol of cowardice within the British Army and in countries associated with the British Empire. 

Lord Kitchener's First World War recruitment poster;
a call to arms
Photo credit: thetimes.co.uk

The white feather
Photo credit: en.wikipedia

While watching:

Answer the following question in French:

How is the Imperial War Museum in London trying to recreate the suffering endured by those who fought in the Great War, according to CNN's reporter Nick Glass?

You can also watch the video on the CNN website by clicking HERE







When you are finished, you can check your answers:

Suggestions de réponses

Mettre en évidence les armes utilisées et l'apparition de nouvelles machines à tuer durant le conflit, comme les tanks...

Exposer des objets à première vue ordinaires ayant appartenu à des individus de sorte à mettre en lumière une partie de leur histoire brutalement interrompue, comme ce portefeuille contenant la photo de l'épouse et de trois enfants, percé par la même balle qui a tué son propriétaire. Ou cette photo de soldats fraternisant dans le no man's land durant la Trêve de Noël de décembre 1914 et celle du sergent Frank Collins, tué le jour de Noël par un tireur embusqué qui n'avait pas décidé de déposer les armes comme les autres. Ou encore des lettres émouvantes comme celle écrite du Front en France par le soldat William Martin en mars 1917 à sa fiancée Emily pour la rassurer car il était encore dans le monde des vivants avant d'être finalement abattu, trois jours plus tard, lui aussi par un tireur embusqué. La réponse qu'Emily lui a écrite ne lui est jamais parvenue. Quel choc épouvantable pour elle quand sa lettre lui a été restituée avec une inscription terrible s'étalant sur l'enveloppe...

...  

Remembrance Sunday
(Level: Intermediate / B1 / **)

Queen Elizabeth II laying a wreath of poppies (*)  at the Cenotaph on
Remembrance Sunday
Photo credit: onenewspage.com

Before watching:

In the UK, Remembrance Sunday is a homage day to commemorate the British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women who originally fell during the First World War but also those who died in later wars and conflicts.  The ceremony is held each year at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, in Westminster City, central London, on the second Sunday of November which is also the Sunday nearest to Arministice Day (or Remembrance Day).

You are going to watch a Sky News report focusing on the commemorations honouring the War Dead that took place on Remembrance Sunday (9th November 2014).

The Cenotaph on Whitehall, City of Westminster, London
where wreaths of poppies (*)  are laid
Photo credit: ww1.canada.com

(*) For more details about poppies or wreaths of poppies, you can click HERE

You can also consult the site of the Royal British Legion to get more details about the poppies, the poppy appeal and so much more information. Click HERE 



The following words and notes could be useful:
Whitehall: a main street in the City of Westminster in central London where government departments, ministries, monuments and memorials such as the Cenotaph are located.  

to heighten (security): to increase / to make more intense      renforcer 
a threat: menace; danger; risk           menace  

Whitehall
Picture credit: en.wikipedia.org

Whitehall, a sketch map
Credit: en.wikipedia.org

While watching:

What were the commemorations like this year? 

Answer in French: what do the following people, places, ideas, notions... refer to?

- La Reine Elizabeth II et d'autres membres de la famille royale (qui et quoi?)?

- David Cameron?

- Le Cénotaphe?

- Les cérémonies: différentes cette année; en quoi?

- Dispositif de sécurité renforcé: pourquoi?

- L'Ambassadeur d'Irlande?

You can also find the video on the Sky News site by clicking HERE

Here is a shorter film by Sky News showing Queen Elizabeth II laying a wreath and bowing in respect to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice since the Great War on behalf of the Nation. 

When you are finished, you can check your answers:

La Reine a rendu hommage aux soldats britanniques et du Commonwealth tombés au champ d'honneur depuis la Première Guerre mondiale. Elle était accompagnée de son mari, le Duc d'Edimbourg, de son fils Charles, Prince de Galles et de son petit-fils William, le Duc de Cambridge. 

C'était ensuite au tour des politiciens menés par le Premier Ministre David Cameron à déposer une gerbe de coquelicots au pied du Cénotaphe.

Le Cénotaphe: monument commémoratif et site spécifique dans Whitehall où se déroule la cérémonie annuelle du souvenir (le "Remembrance Sunday" ou Dimanche du Souvenir); ce mémorial conçu à l'origine pour honorer la mémoire des soldats britanniques et du Commonwealth tombés durant la Première Guerre est aussi dédié à présent aux victimes britanniques des conflits ultérieurs.

Les cérémonies sont différentes cette année car l'année 2014 marque...

-...le centenaire du début de la Première Guerre mondiale;

-...le 70e anniversaire du Débarquement en Normandie;

-...la fin des missions des troupes britanniques stationnées en Afghanistan.

Sécurité renforcée car les risques d'attentat dus à la participation britannique en Irak et en Syrie sont toujours d'actualité.

Participation de la République d'Irlande (représentée par son Ambassadeur) pour la première fois à la commémoration et dépôt d'une gerbe au pied du mémorial.

Ypres (3): Tyne Cot
(Level: Pre-Intermedite to Intermediate / A2 to B1 / **)

Tyne Cot
Photo credit: www.toerismewesthoek.be

Before watching:


You are going to watch a Sky News report focusing on Tyne Cot which is the largest and most visited Commonwealth war cemetery in the world.

The following words could be useful:
to be in awe: to be very impressed 
a headstone: memorial stone at the head of a grave 

Visitors at Tyne Cot Cemetery:
difficult for them to find words to convey the feelings
that visiting that place left them with.

While watching


What do the following figures stand for?

12,000
1922
34,000
8,000

You can also watch the video on the Sky News site by clicking HERE

When you are finished, you can check your answers

12.000: le nombre total de soldats britanniques et du Commonwealth qui reposent à Tyne Cot (donc le nombre total de stèles dans le cimetière) (1)
1922: construction du cimetière achevée et visite du roi George V.
34.000: le nombre de soldats disparus sans sépulture connue (dont les noms sont gravés sur le mémorial - mur situé au fond de la nécropole) (2)
8.000: le nombre de soldats enterrés à Tyne Cot mais jamais identifiés (3)


(1) 11.954  (chiffre officiel de la Commonwealth War Graves Commission) 
On y trouve aussi 4 stèles de soldats allemands, dont trois inconnus.
(2) 34.949  (chiffre officiel de la CWGC) = nombre de soldats disparus sur le champ de bataille (notamment à Passendale) depuis le 16 août 1917.  Ceux tombés avant cette date et sans sépulture connue (54.896) ont leur nom gravé sur les parois de la Porte de Menin à Ypres.
(3) 8.369 (chiffre officiel de la CWGC)


If you are interested, here are more details about Tyne Cot Cemetery:

http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/53300/TYNE%20COT%20CEMETERY


http://www.greatwar.co.uk/ypres-salient/cemetery-tyne-cot.htm

The Menin Gate Memorial
Photo credit: Commonwealth War Graves Commission

The Menin Gate
Photo credit: Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Tyne Cot Memorial
Photo credit: www.ww1westernfront.gov.au

Ypres (2) / British government-funded trips to teach UK pupils about the sacrifices of the fallen 

(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B1 to B2 / ** to ***)

UK teenagers visiting WW1 battlefields
as part of a government-funded scheme
Photo credit: independent.co.uk

To mark the centenary of the outbreak of WW1, the British government planned last year to give every comprehensive school the opportunity to send pupils to sites like Passchendaele near Ypres and the Somme in France from spring 2014 to 2018 so that "the bravery and suffering" of the fallen British and Commonwealth soldiers should not be forgotten.

You are going to watch a Sky News report focusing on the first government-funded school trip to World War One sites in Belgium and northern France. 

The Cloth Hall, Ypres, before WW1
Photo credit: www.ww1westernfront.gov.au

The Cloth Hall, Ypres, in ruins
Photo credit: www.visitflanders.co.uk

Passchendaele then...
Photo credits: commons.wikimedia.org  (top picture);
en.wikipedia.org (this one)

...and Passchendaele today (Tyne Cot Cemetery)
Photo credits: www.toerismewesthoek.be (top picure)
and www.commons.wikimedia.org (this one)

Before watching:

The following words could be useful:

a flagship project: a project regarded as (one of) the most important one(s)      projet phare

prohibitively expensive: too expensive / unaffordable      trop onéreux; inabordable

without fail: definitely          sans faute; impérativement

to lay a wreath: to place flowers (a band of flowers) on a grave e.g.     déposer une couronne de fleurs

Poppy wreaths laid at the Menin Gate, Ypres
Photo credit: www.riflemantours.co.uk

NOTES
If you want more details about the poppies, poppy wreaths etc, see The Tower of London's Poppy Field  posted on 29th October on this blog. 

A comprehensive school: a large state secondary school for boys and girls of all abilities aged 11 or over. (Oxford Guide to British and American Culture)

While watching:

Answer the following questions in French:

What does the project launched by the British government consist of and what does it aim at?

You can also watch the report on the Sky News site by clicking HERE

If you are interested, you can also find more details about the British Government's project by clicking HERE. (See the passage "Battlefield visits for schoolchildren".)

You can also read an article in The Independent focusing on the visit of thousands of teenagers to the battlefields of the First World War: click HERE

Ypres (1)
(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B1 to B2 / ** to ***)

Here is first a short film (partly in Dutch with English subtitles) (*) in three parts that is really worth watching before any visit to Ypres! 

In this programme you can get to know more about Ypres such as: 

• its strategic position on the Front Line (hence its complete destuction);
• the incredible number of unexploded bombs, mortars, grenades... which are still being collected today in the fields around by the Belgian explosives disposal service;
• the chemical weapons which were used there for the first time;
• the Menin Gate, the military cemeteries and the Last Post;
• ...

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

(*) It was originally a programme by VPRO Televisie which you can also watch by clicking HERE

Here is now an interesting short film comparing war-torn Ypres to a now fully reconstructed city (*) 

(*) Ypres: Now and Then (from the University of Oxford's First World War Poetry Digital Archive)

Would you eat seaweed?
(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B2 / ** to ***)

Seaweed is said to be back on the British plates as it is considered a widely available and tasty superfood. 

You are going to watch a Sky News report by East of England correspondent Emma Birchley visiting the Seaweed Company in Cornwall (*) and various places where seaweed has become a must-have ingredient.  

Seaweed on a beach...
Photo credit: goodnewsnetwork.org

...and seaweed on a plate!
Photo credit: vitalsustenance.com

(*) You can consult the Cornish Seaweed Company's official website for more details about their activities and seaweed as superfood: click HERE

Before watching:

The following words could be useful:

to harvest: to collect or gather (what has been grown e.g.)      récolter  

superfood: food that has health-promoting properties    super-aliment / aliment à haut potentiel pour la santé; offrant des qualités nutritives élevées

thoroughly:  carried out completely and carefully           à fond / de manière conséquente

Cornwall
Map credit: commons.wikimedia.org

West Cornwall
Photo credit: www.iknow-cornwall.co.uk

While watching:

Answer the following questions in French:

1. Could you just pick up some seaweed on the beach and make a side dish with it? 
2. What are the advantages of consuming seaweed?

You can also watch the video on the Sky News website by clicking HERE

When you are finished, you can check your answers.

1

Non

Les algues doivent subir pas mal de tests en laboratoire, en plus d'être soigneusement lavées avant de pouvoir aboutir dans l'assiette (certaines peuvent contenir de hautes concentrations en métaux lourds ou / et micro-organismes... 

2

• On n'en sera jamais à court!
• Nourriture riche en sels minéraux et en vitamines et capable de prévenir toutes sortes de maladies.
• Pour l'instant, un chiffre d'affaires de quelque 3 milliards de livres sterling à l'échelle mondiale. Or, quand on sait que les côtes britanniques sont très étendues et qu'une minuscule portion est exploitée...!
• Un must dans pas mal de restaurants, en guise d'accompagnement (ou en potage...)
• (Nourriture abondamment consommée dans la société asiatique en raison de ses vertus; alors pourquoi pas en Europe?)
• ...