Entertainment

Sherlock Holmes Day

Reading 5 min Article Intermediate

Vocabulary - 12 contextual words

Grammar - A lot, A few

[speaker]

Who is the most famous fictional private detective in history? Sherlock Holmes, of course!

Whether you’ve read every story or have no idea who he is, it’s time to celebrate this famous literary character!

Exercise

Tap all the highlighted words in the story below to see their definition. ⇩

The Creation of Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is a talented private detective portrayed in several stories published in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The character was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He actually started his career as a doctor, not a writer.

Doyle had very few patients as an ophthalmologist, so he started writing to pass the time—and Sherlock Holmes was born! The first Holmes story was published in a magazine in 1887.

Why is Sherlock Holmes so popular?

With Doyle’s background in medicine, he was able to use his knowledge to write fascinating stories with detailed and realistic scenarios.

Many people believe that Sherlock Holmes influenced modern forensics. An example of this can be seen in the novel The Sign of Four, published in 1890. In that novel, fingerprints are mentioned for the first time. Scotland Yard (the police force in London) didn’t begin using fingerprints to solve crimes until 1901.

Fun Facts

Holmes was based on Joseph Bell, a surgeon Doyle had once worked with.
Sherlock Holmes’ name was originally Sherrinford.
In 1893, Doyle killed Sherlock Holmes’ character because he was bored of writing about him. The public was so angry that he brought the character back to life in 1903.
Sherlock Holmes’ assistant, Watson, was originally named Ormond Sacker.
A 2011 survey reported that 21% of Brits believed Holmes was a real person.

Sherlock Holmes Day

Sherlock Holmes Day takes place every year on May 22nd. The date was chosen because it’s Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s birthday.

So, how should this day be celebrated?

Read a book

Pick up a Sherlock Holmes story! You’ll have a lot of options: In addition to 4 novels, there are 56 short stories to enjoy.

Watch something

Check out a movie or TV show based on Sherlock Holmes. With more than 90 shows and movies to choose from, you could even have a movie marathon!

Celebrate knowledge

On May 22nd, honour the spirit of Sherlock Holmes and his brilliant creator by celebrating knowledge and curiosity!

Exercise

Now complete the comprehension quiz below.

Sherlock Holmes Day Comprehension

Grammar

A lot/a little/a few

We use quantifiers to talk about amount, degree, and quantity.

A lot of, lots of, a few, a little, many, and much are common quantifiers. We use quantifiers with a noun or pronoun:
Suzie has lots of pets.
A lot of tourists visit this city.
Michael has a few friends.
I am busy, but I have a little time to help you.
There are many rooms in that hotel.

We can use quantifiers in a negative way as well, with not/n’t.
Not/n’t goes with the verb/auxiliary verb in these sentences. It is not common to use not/n’t with little or few:
There isn’t a lot of space in the car.
I don’t have much money.
She doesn’t have lots of cousins.
Not a few of my friends play that game, also.

We can make questions and negative questions with quantifiers also.
Remember, we use negative questions to express doubt, ask for confirmation, and make polite offers:
Do you own a lot of books?
Are there lots of children in his family?
Haven’t you got a few minutes to talk?
Aren’t many of her cousins rich?
Do I need much time to finish this homework?