ELL Blog

          In the United States, the day after Thanksgiving is known as "Black Friday." It is known to be the day many people start or do all of their Christmas shopping.  On Black Friday the malls and major retailers get flooded with crowds of consumers hoping to find special offers and huge discounts that are not normally seen through majority of retailers.  Lately, in the past few years, many retailers have extended their normal business hours to keep up with the craze.  There are some stores that open up as early as 7 pm on Thanksgiving day and remain open overnight up until Friday night.  Even though retailers have incredible deals, I think this frenzy is crazy! I think it is insane for employees to work on Thanksgiving Day because it takes away quality time that is known to be shared on Thanksgiving with friends and family. Aside from that it can also be dangerous.  In previous years, there have bee...

A young puppy is just like a baby. This does not mean they should be able to get away with things. Dogs should learn good manners and some obedience while they are puppies. Teaching them will always be easier while they're still young. Puppies like to chew on everything! But this does not mean it is okay for them to chew or bite on you! He will be chewing because he is getting new teeth, just like a human baby. When he tries to chew on you, give him toys and very large bones to chew on instead. When he 'bites' you, don't get mad, just have a bone or toy ready for him. Put it in his mouth and say, "Good boy!". As your puppy grows up, he will need to know who is in charge. Who is making the rules? A pup will make up his own rules if no one is telling him what the rules are. By 3-4 months old, you should plan on teaching him some fun commands and tricks. Be sure to make it fun! Don't be negative and discipline him too much. If you get frustrated, stop...

My parent's native country is El Salvador. El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America.  El Salvador sits on the Pacific Ocean and borders Honduras and Guatemala. This tiny country is dominated by several volcanoes. The volcanoes spew lava, which over many years, created fertile farmland. Coffee beans are the major crop grown in the country.  El Salvador has a tropical climate with two seasons: Rainy and dry Fr om 1980 to 1992, the country was engaged in a civil war because people were tired of being treated unfairly. This is when my parents fled the country. During the civil war The  United States  supported the El Salvadoran government. Guerilla troops fought against the government. Finally, in January of 1992, a peace treaty was signed with the El Salvadoran government. Since then, conditions for the country and people have slowly improved.  The most common traditional food in El Salvador is pupusas.   A pup...

Thanksgiving, as the name implies, is a time to give thanks for the things and people in our lives we appreciate. It is one the biggest Holidays celebrated in the United States.Traditionally most people include turkey at the table as well as other traditionally Thanksgiving favorites like mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and cornbread. In my family we all gather together at my house. My cousins and aunts and uncles all come to visit us. I usually bake some desserts and my mother cooks the turkey along with other traditional foods. Before we start eating dinner we go around the table and we all say what we are thankful for. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because I get to spend time with my family and eat lots of delicious foods!  Grammar Point: Nouns, Pronouns and Verbs. Nouns are words that mean a person, place, or thing such as girl, United States,  or car.  Pronouns are words that stand in for nouns like she or his. Verbs are words that describe acti...