Everyday Grammar - VOA Learning English Memorial Day and Grammar - May 20, 2024
May 20, 2024
A look at Memorial Day speeches and the specific words leaders choose to honor service. Discussion of why the simple present often appears in ceremonial statements. Examples of presidential word choices, like the use of noble, and advice on comparing language in your own country. Tips on choosing accurate adjectives and verb forms for traditions.
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Simple Present Communicates Ongoing Truths
- Memorial Day speeches often use the simple present to state general truths rather than actions happening now.
- John Russell highlights Reagan's lines we honor, we recall, and we remember as examples of simple present used beyond the immediate moment.
Reagan's 1984 Speech Shows Ceremony Language
- John Russell quotes Ronald Reagan's 1984 Memorial Day lines to illustrate language choices in ceremonies.
- Reagan's phrases include recall their valor and we remember they gave their lives, showing solemn, simple wording.
Tenses Don't Always Match Exact Time
- English verb forms (called tenses) do not always map exactly to moments in time.
- Russell notes the simple present can describe general truths about Memorial Day rather than only the present moment, creating a broader meaning.