lunes, 28 de noviembre de 2011

MODAL VERBS

Hi guys,

As you know, today we´ve been revising  modal verbs.Modals are special verbs which behave very irregularly in English.Here are some important differences:
1. Modal verbs do not take "-s" in the third person.

Examples:
•He can speak Chinese
•She should be here by 9:00.
2. You use "not" to make modal verbs negative, even in Simple Present and Simple Past.
Examples:
•He should not be late.
•They might not come to the party.
3. Many modal verbs cannot be used in the past tenses or the future tenses.
Examples:
•He will can go with us. Not Correct
•She musted study very hard. Not Correct
Common Modal Verbs
Can
Could
May
Might
Must
Ought to
Shall
Should
Will
Would Click here for more info: http://www.elearnenglishlanguage.com/ingles/gramatica/verbosmodales.html
http://www.first-certificate.com/Modals-fce
Exercises here: http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/330-modals-ability1.htm
More exercises: http://a4esl.org/q/h/0101/ig-modals.html

viernes, 25 de noviembre de 2011

Enjoy your weekend and Bruno Mars


Hi everyone!
Already Friday.Any plans for the weekend?I have to check your writings although I hope to have some time to bask in the sun, apparently it´s going to be sunny and warm so I´ll go for a walk to enjoy Cuenca´s landscape, it´s lovely in autumn.I´ll upload some pics for those who read me and haven´t been to Cuenca.
Now I post a song with subtitles, hope you like it!
See you on Monday!!


jueves, 24 de noviembre de 2011

THANKSGIVING

Hi dear readers,
As you many know,Thanksgiving is celebrated in the USA today.
What is Thanksgiving?Thanksgiving Day is the fourth Thursday in November. It is a federal holiday, so schools, banks, post offices, and government offices are closed. Thanksgiving was the first holiday celebrated in America. It was first celebrated in the autumn of 1621 when the Wampanoag Indians and the pilgrims got together for a three-day feast and festival of fun. Today, families celebrate Thanksgiving by eating turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, yams, corn, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and an NFL football game are special Thanksgiving Day events. In 2011, Thanksgiving will be on Thursday, November 24
You can send a Thanksgiving ecard here:
http://www.123greetings.com/events/thanksgiving/

For more info,see the video below:


lunes, 21 de noviembre de 2011

TRAVEL , TRIP, JOURNEY, TOUR AND VOYAGE

Hi guys,

Here I leave a post about the vocabulary we have seen in class today and some exercises for you to do.Hope you have  a good flight!
travel - trip - journey - tour - voyage


Travel The word 'travel' is used to talk about going from one place to another.

It can be a verb, a noun or an adjective.

♦ verb : Tom travels a lot in his job.

♦ noun : Travel nowadays is faster and less expensive than before.

♦ adjective : There is a travel agency beside the bank.

Trip The word 'trip' is used to talk about a short journey somewhere

for a purpose, business or pleasure.

♦ For our wedding anniversary, we went on a trip to Venice.

♦ My boss is often away on business trips.

♦ During our holiday, we took a boat trip to the islands.
Journey A journey is the distance covered in travelling from one place to another.

'Journey' can refer to a long distance or a short regular one.

♦ The journey was long and tiring; it took us 5 hours to get there.

♦ Did you have a good journey? Yes, it was quite pleasant.

♦ How long is your journey to work? Just about 20 minutes.

Tour A tour is a journey during which several places are visited,

especially on a holiday.

The word 'tour' can be a noun or a verb.

♦ noun : We went on a tour of Italy.

♦ verb: We toured the north of India.

Voyage A voyage is a long journey by sea or in space.

♦ Before the 20th century, long sea voyages were common.

♦ A spacecraft will take you on a voyage through space.


Exercises click here: http://www.autoenglish.org/trickywords/gr.trip.pdf

http://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-2/exercise-english-5967.php

domingo, 20 de noviembre de 2011

MAKE VS DO

MAKE VS DO

Hi dear readers,
When 'do' or 'make' are used as main verbs it can be confusing to ESL learners. The verb 'make' goes with some words and the verb 'do' with other words.
Do

We use the verb 'do' when someone performs an action, activity or task.
do a crossword
do the ironing
do the laundry
do the washing
do the washing up
'Do' is often used when referring to work of any kind.
do your work
do homework
do housework
do your job
!Note - these activities do not usually produce a physical object.
'Do' for General Ideas
Use the verb 'do' when speaking about things in general. In other words, to describe an action without saying exactly what the action is. This form is often used with the words 'something, nothing, anything, everything, etc.'
I'm not doing anything today.

He does everything for his mother.

She's doing nothing.

Important Expressions with 'Do'
There are a number of standard expressions that take the verb 'do'. The best solution is to try to learn them.
do badly
do business
do the dishe
do a favour
do good
do harm
do time - (to go to prison)
do well
do your best
do your hair
do your nails
do your worst

Make
We use the verb 'make' for constructing, building or creating
make a dress
make food
make a cup of tea / coffee
'Make' is often used when referring to preparing food of any kind.
make a meal - breakfast / lunch / dinner
Note - these activities usually create something that you can touch.
Important Expressions with 'Make'
There are a number of standard expressions that take the verb 'make'. The best solution is to try to learn them.
make amends
make arrangements
make believe - (to pretend)
make a choice
make a comment
make a decision
make a difference
make an effort
make an enquiry
make an excuse
make a fool of yourself
make a fortune
make friends
make a fuss
make a journey
make love
make a mess
make a mistake
make money
make a move
make a noise
make a phone call
make a plan
make a point
make a profit
make a promise
make a remark
make a sound
make a speech
make a suggestion
make time
make a visit
make your bed - (to prepare the bed for sleeping in)

If you feel like doing some exercises, click here: http://www.saberingles.com.ar/exercises/225.html

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/confusing_words/make_do.htm

http://www.iescampanillas.org/ingles/activities/make%20and%20do/make_do.htm
And finally,here you are a very good video about this grammar point!

jueves, 17 de noviembre de 2011

LEARN ENGLISH WITH SONGS!


Hi again!
As I said yesterday in class, listening to songs in English and reading the lyrics are good ways of improving your English skills.
I don´t think this song is the best example but I like it ´cause it cheers me up and puts me stay in a good mood!
Hope you like it!

HOMEWORK 1º DE INTERMEDIO



Hi guys!
For those who haven´t been able to attend lessons this week,here I post the homework you have to do by next week.
  1. Page 29,ex E(Writing task).Read the text and the task and write around 100-120 words, the deadline(last day to send your writing)is next Wednesday(23rd Nov).You know that you can hand it in class or send it by email.
  2. Page 30(all the "Round up" exercises),we´ll check them in class or I´ll give you the key,depending on the time.
  3. Page 32(Cross-curricular page),reading and ex.C
Hope you have a great weekend!!see you on Monday!

miércoles, 16 de noviembre de 2011

2º BÁSICO: SUBJECT QUESTIONS


Hi everybody,

This post is aimed for my 2º básico students but you can all review this grammar point.
It can be confusing when we learn that there are two ways to ask questions.  There is the common way (question + auxiliary + subject +  infinitive) and then there are questions about subjects which don’t need an auxiliary (subject + verb).  Here is some extra help for those who are confused.  First of all, here are two interactive exercises from the coursebook New English File Pre-intermediate here: http://elt.oup.com/student/englishfile/preint/a_grammar/file02/grammar02_c01?cc=cz&selLanguage=cs
and here: http://elt.oup.com/student/englishfile/preint/a_grammar/file02/grammar02_c02?cc=cz&selLanguage=cs
You can have more info here: http://englishinguiaintermedio.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/subject-questions/

EMBEDPLUS.COM:SEARCH, HEAR AND WATCH


Hi dear students,
Today, I want to write about a new tool to learn how to pronounce tricky words and use them in the correct context.The website is called empedplus.com and you only have to follow 3 easy steps:you search the word, hear it and select a video from
" youtube" where the word is used.You can click the link below and get started!
http://www.embedplus.com/dictionary/how-to-pronounce-words-and-use-them.aspx

lunes, 14 de noviembre de 2011

PRONUNCIATION: -ED ENDING



Dear students,

I´ve found a website where you can revise the pronunciation of regular verbs(ed ending).You can download the handout and the audio to listen to it at home, autonomous learning is very important when you are learning English!
Follow this link and.....enjoy!!http://englishwithjennifer.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/ed-ending-reviewed-and-practiced/
I´ve found this one in the bbc website and it´s brilliant because they explain it all!Hope you find it useful!On the left hand side you can do 2 quizzes, the second one is excellent.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1413_gramchallenge26/

domingo, 13 de noviembre de 2011

Common mistakes in English:REMEMBER VS REMIND


Hi dear readers,
Remember and remind are two verbs that you usually confuse.
 To remember: v. meaning to be able to bring back a piece of information into your mind, or to keep a piece of information in your memory.

For example:- I remember when every home had clotheslines in the back yard or garden.
To remind: v. meaning to make someone aware of something they have forgotten or might have forgotten.
For example:- Could you remind me to check the forum?
!Note - If you remind someone of something, then they'll remember it.

sábado, 12 de noviembre de 2011

This is your life: the holstee manifiesto

Dear readers,
I´ve just found this by chance and it has made me think about life, hope you find it inspirational!


See you on Monday!

viernes, 11 de noviembre de 2011

POPPY DAY IN BRITAIN


Hello dear students,
Poppy day or Remembrance day is celebrated today in Britain.
Poppy Day - Remembrance Day - is the day when the dead of two World Wars and other armed conflicts are remembered in the UK. The Armistice at the end of the First World War of 1914 - 1918 was signed on November 11th at precisely 11 am - the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For this reason, Remembrance Day is on the 11th of November each year although church services and many parades are held on the Sunday nearest that date - in 2010 this will be on 14th November.
A national ceremony takes place at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. The Queen lays the first wreath (corona de flores) at the Cenotaph.
Remembrance Day is also known as Poppy Day, because it is traditional to wear an artificial poppy. They are sold by the Royal British Legion, a charity dedicated to helping war veterans.

lunes, 7 de noviembre de 2011

MISTAKES


Hi everyone!
Already Monday!how was your weekend?I hope you had a good one,mine was relaxing and productive because I was checking your compositions.This post will be devoted to the most important mistakes you made in your compositions. Don´t worry about them or get too embarrassed as mistakes are the stepping stones to learning
TOP TEN MISTAKES
  1. I´m not agree This is a typical mistake, agree needs the auxiliary don´t/ doesn´t for negative sentences in the present. I agree / I don´t agree
  2. Frequency adverbs and their position in the clause: Most students made this mistake. The correct position is: I am always punctual: TO BE+frequency adverb/ He always has a coffee after lunch: frequency adverb+verb
  3. for/ since and ago. We use for and since with perfect tenses and ago with the past simple.Can you tell the difference between these sentences?He has lived in Cuenca for 5 years/ He lived in Cuenca 5 years ago. In the first one, he still lives in Cuenca while in the second one,the action is completely finished.
  4. Talk+ prep TO someone/ Tell someone to do sth/ speak with
  5. Arrive in a place.They arrived in London at midnight.
  6. Like/Love+ verb ing
  7. The last week we decided to travel to Miami on holidays.This is a very typical mistake, we don´t use "the" to tak about periods of time (week, year, month).Read more here: http://elblogdelingles.blogspot.com/2007/02/lesson-38-cundo-usamos.html
  8. A/an+job. He´s a pilot
  9. To assist vs To attend. These two verbs are false friends for Spanish speakers. To assist= to help, To attend: to be present at (asistir), e.g. to attend lessons
  10. Advice is an uncountable noun. A piece of advice (un consejo)
Well, I hope you have learned a lot from you mistakes, bear them in mind for your next composition and remember this:


See you later!

domingo, 6 de noviembre de 2011

AFRAID,SCARED, FRIGHTENED


Hi dear readers,
Sometimes,you get confused when you use these adjectives, you can read the whole explanation below:
afraid / scared / frightened

There are differences in use and I shall try to illustrate these. But all these adjectives express roughly the same degree of worry or fear and can therefore be used interchangeably to some extent. Frightened suggests more sudden fear:
  • All small children are afraid of / scared of / frightened of school bullies.
  • Don’t be scared / afraid / frightened. I’m not going to hurt you.
All three can be followed by of + -ing clause. Frightened cannot always be followed by of + pronoun or noun:

  • He’s afraid of / scared of / frightened of flying in small planes.
  • He’s a strict teacher. Everyone seems to be afraid of / scared of him.
All three can be followed by the to + infinitive pattern:

  • She seemed too scared to swim where there were such big waves.
  • After such an experience she’s afraid to go anywhere near the sea.
  • I was too frightened to jump in at the deep end of the pool.
  • We can be scared by or frightened by something. We cannot use afraid in this way:
  • She was scared by the hooting of the owl.
They were frightened / terrified by the gunfire and the breaking of glass.

Note that terrified expresses a stronger degree of fear.
She’s terrified of / by large dogs and won’t go near them.

afraid / scared / frightened - position in clause
Note that afraid is one of those adjectives that cannot normally be used before a noun, but instead is used after a verb. Scared and frightened can be used in both positions:
  • He seemed afraid. He appeared frightened.
  • He was, without doubt, a frightened man.
I’m afraid I / we / he / etc
I’m afraid… is also used in another way, meaning: I regret that I have to tell you that…. It is used to introduce bad news in a gentle or polite way:

I’m afraid there’s been an accident at the crossroads. Your son’s been knocked over on his bike.
I’m afraid we shan’t be able to come on the skiing trip with you. John’s got to work.

He’s done very little work, I’m afraid. He’ll have to repeat the course.

I’m afraid so. / I’m afraid not.

We can use these forms as short answers to confirm bad news:
  • Will I really have to repeat the course next year? ~ I’m afraid so.
  • Can’t you really come on the skiing trip with us? ~ I’m afraid not.
frightened / frightening
As a general rule, adjectives ending in -ed are used to describe how people feel. Adjectives ending in -ing describe the things or situations that give rise to these feelings. So, remember, frightened describes how you feel. Frightening describes the things that make you feel frightened:
  • She looked very frightened when I told her she would lose her job.
  • It was one of the most frightening films I had ever seen.
  • It’s frightening to think that they are capable of producing nuclear weapons.
terrified / terrifying
Similarly, terrified describes you feel. Terrifying describes the things that make you feel terrified. Terrified and terrifying express a higher degree of anxiety or worry than frightened and frightening:
  • I was so much in debt. I was terrified I would lose my job when the restructuring was announced.
  • It was a terrifying experience. I doubt he will ever recover from it.
scared / scary
Scary is the adjective relating to things or situations; scared the adjective relating to how people feel. Scary and frightening express similar levels of fear or worry:
  • Being alone in a cave with five thousand bats was scary.
  • I felt scared when night fell and I was nowhere near human habitation.

sábado, 5 de noviembre de 2011

Remember,remember,the fifth of November

Hi!
As I said on a previous post,Bonfire night is taking place in England tonight.On the night of November 5th, throughout Britain, they commemorate the capture of Guy Fawkes with bonfires and fireworks, and by burning an effigy of Guy.

Who was Guy Fawkes?Guy Fawkes was a man who tried to blow the Houses of Parliament in 1605.
To know more, click here: http://www.bonfirenight.net/gunpowder.php
And watch this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqjRjYPqY5s&feature=related

viernes, 4 de noviembre de 2011

HOMEWORK 1º DE INTERMEDIO

Hello dear students,
For those who could not attend lessons last week, here you are the homework you have to do by next Monday.Go to page 21,ex 5(Speaking) and prepare a speech about the following topic: An adventurous experience you once had. Make sure you compose a paragraph answering all the questions.I´ll ask for volunteers to deliver the speech by the 7th of November 2011, you will have to speak for 2 mins or so. Remember that I´ll mark this task.
Enjoy the rainy weekend that awaits us!

HOMEWORK 2º BÁSICO



Hello dear students,

For those who couldn´t attend lessons last week, I remind you the homework you have to do by Monday the 7th of November 2011.
You have to prepare the speaking part on page 17, ex 6  answering the questions but not separately but as a whole paragraph. The topic is your last holiday and you should do it because it´s good practice for the speaking exam.
(Ejercicio de speaking de la página 17,debéis preparar un párrafo respondiendo a las preguntas del ej 6, speaking.Pediré voluntarios para que expongan el tema el lunes, hacedlo porque es buena práctica para el examen oral).

jueves, 3 de noviembre de 2011

GUY FAWKES NIGHT

Hi again dear readers!

Have you ever heard about Guy Fawkes´ night? it takes place on the 5th of November and consists of fireworks, bonfires and people gathering to have a drink and something to eat in front of the bonfire.
What is it about?

1605 : The Gunpowder Plot
A secret plan to eliminate the king of England and the Lords, blowing up the Parliament with 36 barrels of gunpowder
In 1605, thirteen young Catholics planned a massive explosion under the Houses of Parliament.
Among them was Guy Fawkes. He is considered Britain's most notorious traitor.
Bonfire Night
On the night of November 5th, all over Britain, people celebrate the capture of Guy Fawkes with bonfires and fireworks, and they also burn effigies of Guy.
You can read and listen to the whole story clicking here: http://www.eoilangreo.net/herminio/culture/guyfawkes.htm

PUNCTUATION

Hello dear readers!

Today I am going to write about English punctuation, an aspect that we often take for granted when we write in English.
Punctuation is the system of symbols (. , ! - : etc) that we use to separate sentences and parts of sentences, and to make their meaning clear. Each symbol is called a "punctuation mark".You use punctuation marks to structure and organise your writing. The most common of these are the period (or full stop in British English), the comma, the exclamation mark, the question mark, the colon and semi-colon, the quote, the apostrophe, the hyphen and dash, and parentheses and brackets. Capital letters are also used to help us organise meaning and to structure the sense of our writing.

Click here to read more: http://www.ompersonal.com.ar/omgrammar/signosdepuntuacion.htm
http://www.englishclub.com/writing/punctuation.
http://elblogdelingles.blogspot.com/2011/10/cuando-usar-comas-en-ingles-reglas-de.html

Click here for more info and a video: http://www.cristinacabal.com/?p=832

miércoles, 2 de noviembre de 2011

PAST SIMPLE REGULAR AND IRREGULAR VERBS (2º BÁSICO)

Hi everyone!
How was your bank holiday weekend?did you go anywhere?did you celebrate Halloween´s night? hope you enjoyed it!
We´re back in business now and the next grammar point is  the past simple tense, regular and irregular verbs and pronunciation of regular verbs.
To check how many irregular verbs you remember, click here: http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/verbs1/index.php
To know more about past simple pronunciation rules, click here:


See you later!