tell me a story...

On our first day we have revised how to tell an anecdote or a story.
And now you must prepare a story for next day to tell your partners in a group.

BUT the story must include FOUR LIES.

After you have finished telling your story,
your partners will have to guess which the lies were...

Here is the ppt shown in class:

Telling a story speak from dursitarosales

THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENTS!

Nice weekened!

Dulce

 :-)

Clothes related idioms and other expressions

 At the end of unit 2A we looked at some idioms related to items of clothing.

Here you have two texts you can read and listen to, where most of those idioms are mentioned (and a few more).

What idiom would you relate this picture to? 

When in context, everything is much easier to be learnt!

Notice the American accent of the reader, and thus, some changes in the vocabulary, for example PANTS instead of TROUSERS...

CLICK!

• Clothes idioms 1

• Clothes idioms 2

Please, leave a comment, trying to use one of the idioms seen so far and aswering the question below the photo ;-)
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Enjoy your weekend!

D.

You do, don't you?... I don't... (Unit 1B)

 LET'S REVISE A BIT MORE on the different uses of AUXILIARY VERBS!

For echo questions, remember:

 Just 'echo' the statement with the appropriate auxiliary verb + a personal pronoun.

A: I've been to Seville.
B: Have you?
A: I can't drive.
B:Can't you?
A: I know him well.
B: Do you?
A: My sister is an architect...
B:Is she?
A:  My dog is so funny!
B: Is it?
A: David  loves birds.
B: Does he?
A: I should go now
B: Should you? Why?

How would you DISAGREE to these statements?

Example> 0. A: I don' like Chinese food. B: I do!
1.  My sister is quite tall .  B:_____
2. I would like to live somewhere else.  B:_____
3. I think he is not a good president .  B:_____
4. I have never seen that film before.  B:_____
5.  I have two cars.  B:_____
6. Rose passed her exam.  B:_____
7. Mark and I are going on holiday soon.  B:_____
8. I can't speak French at all.  B:_____

  (Check answers in comment 1)

 

NOW...
 Click here , here and here  for further practice on agreeing/ disagreeing .
  Also WATCH this funny video.

Questions tags: >  HERE and HERE!

PLEASE, LEAVE A COMMENT...Will you?

Informal e-mails/letters

At the end of unit 1 we'll be looking at how to write

 an informal e-mail.
And on Wednesday and Thursday we'll write one in class ;-)

Click HERE for some further details.

Ppt an informal letter from Elvira del Valle Suárez

West End girls

Sometimes you're better off dead
There's a gun in your hand and it's pointing at your head
You think you're mad, too unstable
kicking in chairs and knocking down tables
in a restaurant in a West End town
Call the police! There's a madman around
Running down underground
to a dive bar in a West End town

In a West End town, a dead end world
the East End boys and West End girls
In a West End town, a dead end world
the East End boys and West End girls
West End girls

Too many shadows, whispering voices
faces on posters, too many choices
If? When? Why? What?
How much have you got?
Have you got it? Do you get it?
If so, how often?
Which do you choose
a hard or soft option?
(How much do you need?)

You got a heart of glass or a heart of stone?
Just you wait 'til I get you home
We've got no future, we've got no past
Here today, built to last
In every city, in every nation
from Lake Geneva to the Finland station
(How far have you been?)


PET SHOP Boys


The Pet Shop Boys are Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, who met in an electronics shop on Kings Road in Chelsea, London in August 1981. Recognising a mutual interest in dance music, they began to work on material together, first in Tennant's flat in Chelsea and from 1982, in a small studio in Camden Town. It was during those early years that several future hit songs were created, including "It's a Sin", "West End Girls", "Rent" and "Jealousy". Starting out, the two called themselves West End because of their love of London's West End, but later they came up with the name Pet Shop Boys, derived from friends of theirs who worked in a pet shop in Ealing. Their big break came in August 1983, when Tennant was assigned by Smash Hits to interview The Police in New York. The duo were obsessed with a stream of Hi-NRG records made by New York producer Bobby Orlando, simply known as Bobby 'O'. According to Tennant: "I thought: well, if I've got to go and see The Police play, then I'm also going to have lunch with Bobby 'O'." They shared a cheeseburger and carrot cake, at a restaurant called the Apple Jack, on 19 August (two years to the day since Tennant and Lowe had met) and, after hearing a demo tape that Tennant had brought along with him, Orlando suggested making a record with the Pet Shop Boys. In April 1984, the Orlando-produced "West End Girls" was released, becoming a club hit in Los Angeles and San Francisco. On 2 November, it was voted "Screamer of the Week" by listeners of Long Island, New York radio station WLIR. It was a minor dance hit in Belgium, and France, but was only available in the United Kingdom as a 12" import.

"West End Girls" is influenced by hip hop music with lyrics focusing on class, and inner-city pressure, and were inspired by T.S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land. It was generally well received by contemporary music critics and has been frequently cited as a highlight in the duo's career.
The first version of the song was produced by Bobby Orlando and was released on Columbia Records' Bobcat Records imprint in April 1984, becoming a club hit in the United States and some European countries. After the duo signed with EMI, the song was re-recorded with producer Stephen Hague for their first studio album, Please. In October 1985, the song was re-released, reaching number one in the United Kingdom and the United States in 1986.
In 1987, the song won Best Single at the Brit Awards, and Best International Hit at the Ivor Novello Awards. In 2005, 20 years after its release, the song was awarded Song of The Decade between the years 1985 and 1994 by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.
The song was performed by Pet Shop Boys at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony.

 ( © Wikipedia)

Keep Talking

Found this link in Diane's blog, so good to keep your talking alive :-)

Enjoy your summer!
Cheers

D.

Final Tips on Oral Test

 Oral Tests are about to come...

Please keep your practice alive and,  whenever possible, take advantage of any opportunity you might have  to speak outside the classroom.

Here you have a reminder to help you do better when sitting your exam next week.

Last but not least is my advice to try and relax. 

 

Interaction

View more OpenOffice presentations from Dulce Rosales.















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All, no, none, each, every, either, neither

She works all day everyday.

Notice the difference. Can you?

All  can be followed by of to show the amount of something
  Rob used all (of) the paper.

All can be used for emphasis. Note the position.
    They all wore blue shorts and shirts.
    Those stamps you gave me have all disappeared.

All means the only thing when it is used in the construction all + subject + verb.
    All I want is some peace and quiet.
It is unusual to use all as a single-word subject or object. Instead we use everything to mean 'all the things'.
    Everything has gone wrong! (NOT All has gone wrong!)

    Thanks for everything  (NOT Thanks for all)

We tend to use everybody and not all the people

No           When no is used to show the quantity of something, it can mean not any.
    There are no plates left. No new students have joined the class.

• No is not normally used alone before an adjective. Compare:
      This book doesn’t have any interesting parts. (usual)
      There are no interesting parts in this book. (unusual – very emphatic)
   

None       We do not use no of. Instead, we use none of or none on its own.
    None of the films that are showing in town look very interesting.
    I’ve checked all the films that are showing in town. None look very interesting.
-In everyday speech none is often followed by a plural verb form.

-In formal speech or writing it can be followed by a singular verb form.
    None of these telephones work.
    None of the members of the committee has arrived yet.

• To emphasize the idea of none we can use none at all or not one.
      A: How many people came to the party?
      B: None! / None at all! / Not one!

Each, every       The meaning of each and every is very similar and often either word is possible.
    Each / Every time I come here I walk round the park.
But sometimes there is a small difference. 

-We use each when we think of the single items in a group, one by one. 

-We use every when we think of the items in a group all together. Compare:
    They gave a medal to each member of the team. // I believed every word he said.

• Each can refer to only two items, while every cannot.
      She kissed him on each cheek.
      She kissed every member of the winning team.
• We can use each of, but we cannot use every of.
      When the team won the cup, each of them was given a medal.
• Each can be used after the subject, or at the end of a sentence.
      The team members each received a medal.
      The team members received a medal each.
• Repeated actions are generally described with every.
      I practise the violin every day.

Both, Either, neither

1) Both means two of two things.  >  I have two cats. I like both of them.

2) Neither means not one or the other of two things.  > Neither of my cats is grey.
* Remember to use a singular verb after neither.
Neither of the dogs are dangerous. => Neither of the dogs is dangerous.

3) Either means one or the other. There are two cakes. Please have one. You can have either one.

1) You can use both, neither and either directly before a noun.
Both supermarkets are good.
Neither supermarket sells electrical goods.
We can go to either supermarket, I don’t mind.

2) Both, neither and either are often used with ‘of’. But you must always use a determiner (the, my, these, those, his etc) before the noun.

Both of children like chocolate cake. => Both of the children like chocolate cake.

However, you don’t have to use of with both.
Both of the children like chocolate cake.
Both children like chocolate cake.

3) You can use both, neither and either+ of + object pronoun (you, them, us).

Both of them wore white dresses. 
Neither of us was late. 
Have either of you got a pen?

4) You can use both ... and ...; neither ... nor ..., and either ... or ....

Both James and Diana work here.
Neither James nor Diana works here.

Rules  SOURCE

PRACTICE: Fill in with:

Activity SOURCE

All / all of most / most of no / none of etc.

• All cars have wheels.

• Some cars can go faster than others.

• No cars. (= no cars allowed)

• I don't go out very often. I'm at home most days.

You cannot say 'all of cars', 'most of people' etc.

• Some people are very unfriendly, (not 'some of people')

 Note that we say most (not 'the most'):

• Most tourists don't visit this part of the town, (not 'the most tourists')

Some of... / most of... / none of... etc.

You can use the words in the box (also none and half) with of. You can say some of (the people),

most of (my friends), none of (this money) etc.

We use some of, most of (etc.) + the / this / that / these / those / my / his / Ann's... etc.

So we say:  Some of the people, some of those people (but not 'some of people')

Most of my friends, most of Ann's friends (but not 'most of friends')

None of this money, none of their money (but not 'none of money')

For example:

• Some of the people I work with are very friendly.

• None of this money is mine.

• Have you read any of these books?

• I wasn't well yesterday. I spent most of the day in bed.

You don't need of after all or half. So you can say:

• All my friends live in London, or All of my friends...

• Half this money is mine or  Half of this money....

Compare all... and all (of) the...:

• All flowers are beautiful. (= all flowers in general)

• All (of) the flowers in this garden are beautiful. (= a particular group of flowers)

You can use all of / some of / none of etc. + it/us/you/them:

 'How many of these people do you know? 'None of them.' / 'A few of them.'

• Do any of you want to come to a party tonight?

• 'Do you like this music? 'Some of it.  Not all of it.'

Before it/us/you/them you need of after all and half (all of, half of):
all of us (not 'all us')            half of them (not 'half them')

You can use the words in the box (and also none) alone, without a noun:

• Some cars have four doors and some have two.

• A few of the shops were open but most (of them) were closed.

• Half (of) this money is mine, and half (of it) is yours, (not 'the half)

Source Learn English

Writing: A Report

A report is a formal document prepared by one person or a group of people who have been studying a particular subject. There are two basic kinds of reports:

·                     The first simply provides information on a topic and gives a brief conclusion or summary at the end. Example: a report on the educational system in a particular country, written to help someone research the subject.

·                     The second sets out to identify strengths and weaknesses in a particular situation and make recommendations for improvement. Example: a report on the library facilities in a college written at the request of the principal.

Language and register

Reports are the most impersonal kind of writing and it is usually best to avoid expressing personal opinions or feelings, except, perhaps, in the conclusion. Instead of I think that … or I found that… for example, you can use the impersonal “It” construction and a passive, eg It seems that… It was found that …

It is also advisable to avoid making very definite statements unless you’re absolutely sure they’re true. Instead of saying It is for example, you can use a modal verb eg It could/may/might be or a more tentative expression such as It seems to be or It tends to be.

Useful language

You have to make sure that your language is formal.

 

Introduction

- The aim of this report is to…

- This report is intended to…

Reporting results

- Most people seem to feel that...

- Several people said/told me/suggested/thought that…

Presenting a list

- They gave/suggested the following reasons:

- They made the following points: 1… 2 …

Making recommendations

- I would therefore recommend (that we expand the library/installing a new coffee machine)

- It would seem that (banning mobile phones) is the best idea.

Here is a typical task:

Write a report suggesting improvements to classes at Today School.

Look at a student’s answer to the question.

Introduction The aim of this report is to compare different ideas to make classes in Today School more enjoyable for students while learning at the same time. A large number of students were interviewed to find out differing opinions.  Classroom Activities Some of the students suggested using more videos and songs during the classes and some even mentioned that parties with alcohol would be a good idea. A few of them gave reasons why they preferred these activities: §  Pop music and films are  interesting and topical §  Alcohol makes people relax and talk more. Outside  Class The majority of students mentioned that homework should be reduced drasticallywhereas others expressed a preference for doing excursions in English, giving the following reasons: §  Too much homework makes students stressed. §  Excursions are a fun way of putting into practice what is learnt. Recommendations Some of the ideas have benefits, however, suggestions to allow alcohol and reduce homework should beimmediately discarded. On the other hand, it is felt the majority of students would take advantage of more pop videos and excursions andso these suggestions are recommendable.

Other useful language for a report:

§  This report is intended to… §  Many of those interviewed stated that…. §  Others pointed out that…. §  Several people thought that.. §  Whilst, …

§  Another option that was mentioned was… §  Both/All the ideas seemed interesting but…. §  Taking all the points into consideration…. §  On balance then, I feel that…. §  Without a doubt the first option was…