Written by Shams Bhatti   Click here to listen to the literary opinion essay. Prologue: I have lived long enough in England to realise that grammar is rarely only grammar. It is posture, restraint, confidence, hesitation, politeness, humour and the quiet art of not saying everything at once. I write these pieces because I do not wish to judge, but to support; not to pass verdicts, but to look at the bigger picture. I have learnt not to believe in first impressions. We can all change, develop,...

Written by Shams Bhatti Click here to listen to the article   Author’s note When I came to the UK, my knowledge of Britain mostly came from English literature, films, the Queen, and Monopoly. I could quote a line of poetry more confidently than I could explain who the Prime Minister was, and the phrase “Chancellor of the Exchequer” sounded less like a job title and more like a spell from a fantasy novel. I knew Britain was the mother of modern democracy – or at least that is how we were...

The Curious Case of English Conditionals Click here to listen to the article Author’s Note I have always believed that language is not merely a system of rules, structures and vocabulary. It is a living entity. It has moods and tempers, habits and quirks, elegance and stubbornness, strengths and weaknesses, virtues and vices. It carries history in its bones and emotion in its breath. It evolves, rebels, adapts and occasionally refuses to behave. In short, language is profoundly human. To...