MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Hope you enjoy this Christmas with your family and friends and...keep studying English!!

See you in January!!
Best wishes!

Happiness

Hi dear readers!
Today´s post is about happiness.What is happiness? what makes you happy?According to Thoreau "Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder…”–
Now you can click below and hear what people in London say about this topic.It would be nice if you could leave a comment answering that question.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/expressenglish/2011/12/111212_ee_44_happiness_page.shtml
Did you know that Bhutan is the happiest country on Earth? To find out why, follow this link and watch the video.http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_4810000/newsid_4813200/4813298.stm?bw=nb&mp=rm&asb=1&news=1&ms3=48&ms_javascript=true&bbcws=2

Have a nice evening and keep smiling!!

EDINBURGH

Hi everyone!
Today,I´m going to write about a wonderful city: Edinburgh!.So, the first thing you have to know is how to pronounce Edinburgh /ˈɛdɪnb(ʌ)ɹə/
You can listen the pronunciation here: http://inogolo.com/pronunciation/Edinburgh
 Secondly, you may know Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland,the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom.Located in the south-east of Scotland, Edinburgh lies on the east coast of the Central Belt, along the Firth of Forth, near the North Sea.

You can read more about its history, culture,festivals,climate,etc here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh

There are many things to do in Edinburgh.Must-see monuments include: The first and most obvious attraction is Edinburgh Castle - you could easily spend half a day here. As well as the castle itself there's the Scottish Crown Jewels (along with the Stone of Destiny), Mons Meg (a huge bombard cannon), the Prisons of War Exhibition, the Scottish National War Memorial, the National War Museum of Scotland, the Royal Scots Regimental Museum and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Regimental Museum.

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, founded in 1670, is the 2nd oldest botanic garden in the UK. It's both a scientific institution and a tourist attraction.
Though originally located within Edinburgh, the gardens were moved out of the city in Leith to be away from the pollution. The Temperate Palm House, built in 1858, found here is the tallest such building in the UK. Nearly 34,000 plants are grown at the Botanics in Edinburgh or its three smaller offshoots located in other parts of Scotland.
The Saint Giles' Cathedral, though technically it's not a cathedral as it doesn’t have a Bishop, is a major landmark in the city of Edinburgh. Easily found between Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace, this church is the largest Church of Presbyterianism and contains the Chapel of the Order of the Thistle. Its crown tower is quite distinctive and the cathedral is easily spotted from other vantage points in the city.
The Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre - remember Scotch Whisky is spelled without an ‘e’! This is an excellent place to visit for all fans of this distinctive whisky.
A trip to the centre can lead to a tour where you'll learn all about the making of whisky, the difference between the various types such as single malt, etc, the people who made whisky the worldwide success it is today. And there's also a free drink included in the entrance price.
Arthur's Seat is located just outside the city of Edinburgh. This is the tallest peak in a range of hills found within Holyrood Park. Due to its name there are many who believe the hill has some connection with King Arthur but there is no evidence of this.
The hill is an easy ramble so if you'd like a quick walk in the Scottish countryside you won’t get better than this. When you're visiting the hill be sure to check out the Salisbury Crags, these cliffs are 46 metres tall and are popular with Rock Climbers.

Apart from this, you can also visit nearby towns such as Stirling or go to Loch Ness.Have you ever heard about Loch Ness Monster?

There are many tours departing from Edinburgh daily.Find more info about Loch Ness here: http://www.visitlochness.com/useful-info/myths-legends.php
There are also many tours you can do, for example,walking tours around Edinburgh's Old Town featuring the most haunted locations, the scariest stories and most spectacular candlelit Underground Vaults.
Watch this video and find out why you have to visit Edinburgh!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNrntLRdhOE

The book or the film?

Hi guys,

What are you up to? I have been reading quite a lot this bank holiday weekend.I´ve just finished a book I totally recommend: One day by David Nicholls.I usually buy books in English through  http://www.amazon.com/. You can find a wide variaty of books in English and some of them are real bargains!The postage isn´t that expensive either.
If you are interested in reading this book (I´d say it´s for advanced learners), you can read the review here:http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jul/04/one-day-david-nicholls-review
You can also see the film, I´m not sure i´t has been released in the cinema yet, at least in Cuenca...
Anyway, you can have a look at the trailer below, you´ll love it!Besides, the action takes place in Edinburgh and London!

You can read more about One day (book and film) here: http://www.mouthlondon.com/arts/one-day-great-book-great-film-right/

What´s the worst holiday you have ever had?

Hi dear readers!
As you know, we have been dealing with this topic in unit 3 (1st intermediate).
What´s the worst holiday you have ever had?have you ever complained in a hotel?
Now, you are ging to see the video below, it´s about an employee who wants permission for his next holiday. They talk about the last holiday, which was not a success. This dialogue should give you some useful language for talking about holiday experiences, especially bad ones!

Some vocabulary you may not know:
scaffolding: andamios

good deal: buena oferta

hammering: martilleando

brochure: folleto

voucher: un vale

 

And you? have you ever had a bad holiday experience?leave a comment below,please!!

SAY OR TELL?

                                              Say or Tell?
Dear all,
I have realised that most of you have problems using say and tell.The most important mistake you make is that you forget that you need "to" after "say": I said TO Jane that....,instead, you do not need "to" in front of "tell": I told Jane....
You can read more about this topic below, I have also posted some interesting links so you can do exercises online.
Have a nice bank holiday weekend and see you next Wednesday!
Say and tell have similar meanings. They both mean to communicate verbally with someone. But we often use them differently.
The simple way to think of say and tell is:
• You say something
• You tell someone something
You say something You tell someone something
Ram said that he was tired. Ram told Jane that he was tired.
Anthony says you have a new job. Anthony tells me you have a new job.
Tara said: "I love you." Tara told John that she loved him.
But, of course, it is not always so easy. Here are a few rules to help you.
Personal object

We usually follow tell with a personal object (the person that we are speaking to). We usually use say without a personal object:
• She told me that she loved John.
• She said that she loved John.
• He told everybody that he had to leave.
• He said that he had to leave.

Say "to someone"
With say, we sometimes use "to someone":
• He said to me that he was tired.
• Tara said to Ram that he had done very well.
• Anthony said to her, "I hope you come soon."
• "I'd like to sleep," she said to him quietly.
Direct speech
We can use say with direct speech. We use tell only with direct speech that is an instruction or information:
• Amanda said, "Hello John. How are you?"
• "That's great'" she said.
• He told her: "Open the door quietly."
• She told me, "I have never been to England."
We can use say with direct questions, but we cannot use tell:
• She said: "Do you love me?"
• The policeman said to the prisoner, "Where were you at 8pm?"
Reported speech
We can use say and tell to talk about reported information:
• She said that it was raining.
• She told me that she would call at 2pm.
We cannot use say or tell to talk about reported questions. We must use ask (or a similar verb):
• She asked if I had ever been there.
• They asked what I wanted to eat.
• She asked where he lived.
• He asked if she wanted to go home.
Orders, advice
We use tell + object + infinitive for orders or advice:
• She told him to sit down.
• They told me not to wait.
• Tell Neil to have a holiday and forget her.
Phrases
Here are a few fixed phrases with tell. We cannot use say with these phrases:
• tell (someone) a story
• tell (someone) a lie
• tell (someone) the truth
• tell the future (= to know what the future will bring)
• tell the time (= know how to read a clock)
 Now watch this video:

ONLINE EXERCISES:

http://www.saberingles.com.ar/exercises/332.html

http://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-2/exercise-english-8195.php