Let's Speak English

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were paid to the Palestine Government, we could build a Palestinian navy almost as large as England's. So it's really rather a pity that I am clean-SHAVEN after all.

Another verb that's got two forms of past participle is TO HANG.

You can say that your coat was HUNG on a hook. But a man sentenced to death is not HUNG but HANGED - sometimes. Do you know the story (It's all right, it isn't gruesome) - do you know the story about the fellow who was a little bit insane and tried to commit suicide? They found him hangmg with a rope - not round his neck - but round his arm. When they asked him why, he said "You see, I tried it round my neck and found I couldn't breathe". So, if you want to commit suicide you must see that you are properly HANGED and not merely HUNG.

That's just one of the little tricks in English that I suppose you've realized have been introduced into the language in order to make it more difficult for students. In this way, the British Government has provided work for thousands of unemployed from Great Britain as teachers of English in foreign countries.

Why! if all English verbs were - regular and all English nouns were neuter, the Brighter English League wouldn't exist and I'd have to be president of something else instead - such as - well - Mexico or the Standard Oil Company.

But so far the Brighter English League is going strong. I'm happy to announce that over 200 members have enrolled even from as far as Baghdad and Aleppo.

In view of their eagerness, the Palestine Broadcasting Service propose to allow me to continue these talks all through the winter on Wednesday evenings at 9 p.m. The next talk will be largely devoted to English idiom. Any listener who wishes to receive the outline of this, and other, talks in advance shou!d send in his or her name and address to the President, the Brighter English League, care of The Palestine Broadcasting Service, Jerusalem. There's no age limit and no fee and you needn't enclose a stamp for my reply.

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