Queen of Spain butterfly invades Britain – but will it become native?
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EN: We use 'are arriving' (Present Continuous: be + verb-ing) to describe an action happening around now or a trend taking place during the current period.
Many tourists are visiting the museum this week.
EN: The 'Queen of Spain fritillary' (Issoria lathonia) is a migratory butterfly well known across mainland Europe, but sightings in Britain are usually rare and treasured by local butterfly enthusiasts.
EN: Use 'but' to connect two contrasting ideas. Notice that adverbs of frequency like 'rarely' usually go right before the main verb.
He likes tea, but he rarely drinks coffee.
EN: In British English, people often distinguish between 'Europe' (meaning continental Europe) and 'Britain', reflecting the geographical and psychological separation of the British Isles from the mainland.
EN: We use 'a few' with plural countable nouns to mean 'a small number of' (some, but not many). Adding 'only' highlights that the quantity is surprisingly small.
There are only a few cookies left in the box.
EN: Use 'flew from' to describe the past movement of flying starting from a specific place. 'Flew' is the past tense of the irregular verb 'fly'.
The birds flew from Canada to Mexico for the winter.
EN: Notice that 'the Netherlands' is one of the few country names in English that traditionally takes the definite article 'the', because the word itself is plural in form (meaning 'the low lands'). In contrast, countries like 'France' and 'Spain' do not take 'the'.
EN: Use the Past Simple tense (e.g., 'laid', 'came') to talk about completed actions that happened at a specific time in the past. Two past actions can be connected using 'and'.
Birds built nests here, and baby birds flew away in summer.
EN: In British English, 'autumn' is the standard word for the season between summer and winter, whereas American English commonly uses 'fall'.
EN: Use 'hundreds of' followed by a plural noun or pronoun to express a large, approximate number of people or things.
Hundreds of visitors came to the park yesterday.
EN: The River Thames flows through southern England, including London and out towards the North Sea through counties like Essex. In English, rivers usually take the definite article 'the' (e.g., 'the Thames', 'the Amazon'). Note that 'Thames' is pronounced /tɛmz/, with a silent 'h'.
EN: The pattern 'call + someone/something + a name/description' means to name or describe someone or something as that thing.
Many people call this city their home.
EN: To ask a question using the modal verb 'can', place 'can' before the subject, followed by the base form of the verb: 'Can + Subject + Verb...?'. Here, 'and' connects two base verbs: 'become' and 'stay'.
Can they survive the cold winter and return next year?
EN: In ecology and conservation discussions in Britain, a 'native species' refers to wildlife that has established itself naturally without human intervention, often carrying legal protection and conservation priority.
EN: We use the Present Simple tense ('live') to talk about general truths, scientific facts, or habits that happen regularly.
Birds build nests in trees every spring.
EN: In ecology and conservation, a 'native species' is defined not just by being present, but by maintaining a self-sustaining population over generations without human intervention. The phrase 'year after year' emphasizes this crucial ecological requirement.
EN: We use 'In the last + [time period]' to talk about a period of time leading up to now. Because the actions happened at specific finished times in that period, we often use the Past Simple tense (e.g., 'survived').
In the last five years, he visited Japan only twice.
EN: In Britain, winters are often damp and cold, making it hard for southern European insects like the Queen of Spain butterfly to overwinter and establish permanent native populations.
EN: Use 'think + (that) + sentence' to express what someone believes or predicts will happen in the future.
I think it will rain tomorrow.
EN: Use 'by + verb-ing' to explain how something is done or what method is used.
You can improve your English by reading every day.
EN: Notice the British English spelling 'favourite' (with a 'u'), as this story takes place in Britain. In American English, it is spelled 'favorite'.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
An animal or plant that lives or grows naturally in an area and was not brought there by humans.
To emerge from inside something (such as an egg, cocoon, or hiding place).
Continuously or repeatedly each year for a long period of time.
To produce eggs from the body (done by female birds, insects, fish, reptiles).