LET'S ENGLISH!

FEBRUARY EXAM

2012-01-28T19:16:00.000+01:00

This is only a kind reminder: The exam will be in February, on February 2nd (reading, listening and writing) and on 3rd and 7th, February (speaking).

OH PRETTY WOMAN

2012-01-28T04:11:00.000+01:00

Oh Pretty Woman was originally a big hit for the Texan Roy Orbison in 1964 but was a hit again in 1990 when it provided the inspiration for the title of the film Pretty Woman, starring Julian Roberts and Richard Gere.

The lyrics tells the story of a man who sees a pretty woman walking by. He likes her very much and wonders if, as beautiful as she is, she is as lonely as he is. At the last minute, she turns back and joins him.

The title was inspired by Orbison's wife Claudette interrupting a conversation to announce she was going out; when Orbison asked if she was okay for cash, his co-writer Bill Dees said "A pretty woman never needs any money."

Click here to directly download the exercise

And here you can read the lyrics in English and in Spanish.

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CONNECTORS AND SEQUENCERS

2012-01-25T01:00:00.000+01:00

When we speak or write we have two options. We can use the formula sentence + sentence + sentence + sentence + ..... which doesn't sound too natural

          I like Sundays.
          I don't work on Sundays.
I wake up at 8.30.
          I get up at 10.00.
          I have a big breakfast.
          I sometimes read the newspaper.
          I sometimes work in the garden.
I go out for a walk.
I have lunch with my family.
          We watch TV.
We talk.
We don't work.
          We don't study.

Or we can link the sentences and the discourse using CONNECTORS (and, or, but, because) and SEQUENCERS (then, before/after breakfast, ...) which sounds a lot more natural, don't you think so?

I like Sundays because I don't work. I wake up at 8.30 but I get up at 10.00 and I have a big breakfast. Then I sometimes read the newspaper or work in the garden. Before lunch I go out for a walk. Then I have lunch with my family. After lunch we watch TV and talk. We don't work or study.

Now time for you to practise!!!!!
Exercise1
Exercise2

Write a composition about your favourite day and send it to your teacher!!

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THE CALENDAR SONG

2012-01-21T18:00:00.000+01:00

I am sure many of you know this song, but did you know it only says the months of the year? Enjoy The Calendar Song by Boney M

SAYING THE DATE

2012-01-21T16:30:00.000+01:00

Let's revise the dates with this video. There are two parts. During the first part of the video just listen to it and try to understand as much as you can. You can take pen and paper and write the dates they say. In the second part you can read the subtitles and check your answers.

THE SEASONS OF THE YEAR

2012-01-21T10:43:00.000+01:00

MONTHS OF THE YEAR

2012-01-21T10:36:00.000+01:00

Let's practise the months of the year with this video.

WHAT'S THE DATE TODAY?

2012-01-20T12:03:00.000+01:00

There are two ways to say the date:

- Today is Friday, 20th January, 2012
- Today is Friday, January 20th, 2012

To say the date you need, among other things, to know the days of the week, the months of the year, the year, and the ordinal numbers, of course. Now you can listen to them.

And now you can record yourself and compare with the original.

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AT, IN, ON (PREPOSITIONS OF TIME)

2012-01-20T10:57:00.000+01:00

When we say 'when' we not only say the watch time but also we refer to:

parts of the day (morning, afternoon, everning)
specific time in the day (lunch, dinner)
day of the week (Monday, Tuesday, ...)
month of the year (January, February, March...)
the year (2010, 1984, 1715...)
the season (spring, summer, autumn, winter)
specific periods of time (Christmas, Easter, weekend) ....

Three prepositions are used AT, IN and ON . Do you remember when to use them? If you don't then have a look at this powerpoint, it will help!!!

Exercise 1 (Choose the correct answer)
Exercise 2 (Write in, at, on, to complete the sentences)
Exercise 3 (Drag each word to the correct group)
Exercise 4 (Complete the sentences with the correct preposition)
Exercise 5 (Choose the right answer)
Exercise 6 (Which is the right preposition to complete the sentence?)

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FASCINATING FESTIVALS

2012-01-19T15:00:00.000+01:00

…but if you go, don’t wear new clothes!

Read the text while you listen to it. Then record yourself and compare your recording with the original. This will improve your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills!!

THE TOMATINA

The Tomatina festival takes place on the last Wednesday in August in Buñol, Spain. The ‘tomato battle’ starts at 11 o’clock in the morning, and continues for two hours. During the Tomatina 35,000 people throw 125,000 kilos of tomatoes!

THE CARNAVALE D'IVREA

In January (the exact date changes every year) you can go to Ivrea in Italy and take part in the Carnevale d’Ivrea, where people throw oranges at each other. If you don’t want people to throw an orange at you, you have to wear a red hat!

THE WATER FESTIVAL

Thailand has a Water Festival (Songkran) every April to celebrate the New Year. It starts on 13th April and lasts for two days. People throw water at each other all day and also at night.

......

CHORES AND ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY

2012-01-18T23:30:00.000+01:00

First click here to learn the vocabulary. Then practise chores and adverbs of frequency with this book. Click here to open the book in a new bigger window.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ... (Present tense)

2012-01-17T23:31:00.000+01:00

This is a video from MadridTeacher.com. Victoria Fontana tells us about a typical day in her life. There are two parts. During the first part of the video just listen to it and try to understand as much as you can, in the second part you can read the subtitles. Does she live in an Okinawa way? What do you think?

THE MYSTERY OF OKINAWA

2012-01-15T21:00:00.000+01:00

In Okinawa people live a very long time. They are hardly ever ill. Many people live to be 100 – more people than in other parts of the world. Why? What is their secret?

Read the text while you listen to it. Then record yourself and compare your recording with the original. This will improve your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills!!

A healthy diet

The Okinawans eat vegetables, fruit, fish, soya, and rice. They usually have seven portions of fruit and vegetables a day. People don’t usually drink much alcohol or smoke. They don’t eat much meat or fast food.

Exercise

Physical activity is very important for the people of Okinawa. Martial arts, walking, traditional dancing, and gardening are very popular with people of all ages.

Low stress

In many countries people have healthy diets and do exercise. But the unusual thing about the people in Okinawa is that they are not stressed. They are relaxed and take their time. Buses are hardly ever on time, and people often arrive an hour late for meetings. Every evening hundreds of people, young and old, go to the beach to watch the beautiful sunset. People often meditate to relax.

Always active

Another important thing is that people often work until they are 80 – sometimes until 90! In the Okinawan dialect there is no word for ‘retired’. They are busy and active all their lives. Old people don’t stay at home – they go out and meet friends.

When journalists asks people ‘What is the secret of your long life?’, they answer ‘We are happy, we are always positive, and we are never in a hurry.’

ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY

2012-01-15T19:31:00.000+01:00

We not always say just what we do but we also say how often we do things and that's when we use 'adverbs of frequency'. The most used frequency adverbs are always, usually, often, sometimes, hardly ever (or seldom) and never.

Example: I usually go to the cinema

Remember that they are placed immediately before the verb:

Example: She often plays tennis.

But they come after the verb to be:

Example: They are never happy with the results.

This graphic will help you learn their degree of frequency:

And now you can practise. Good luck!!!!

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Exercise 7

MY DAY

2012-01-14T12:31:00.000+01:00

Listen to Jaquie talking about her day.

Everyday I get up at seven o´clock. I have a shower and I get dressed. I have breakfast at quarter past seven. I usually have a big breakfast: cereal, toast, fruit and coffee. I get to work at quarter to nine. I work at a sports centre. I answer the phone at reception and give people the keys to the changing rooms. I start work at nine o'clock. At quarter past one I have lunch with my colleagues in the cafeteria. I usually finish work at six o'clock. Sometimes I stay late at the centre to do some exercise. I get home at quarter to eight. I have dinner at half past eight. Then I watch TV. I go to bed at half past eleven.

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And now, read the text and record yourself. Then listen to your recording, you can compare with the original and repeat it as many times as you want. Come on, don't be shy! This is good speaking practice.

TIME AND DAILY ROUTINES

2012-01-14T00:30:00.000+01:00

This book will help you practise the times and daily routines. With audio too!! If you want to open it in a new bigger window, click here
NOTE: Be careful when you write, watch your spelling and don't use contractions, if you use contractions or the spelling is wrong (for example, not using capital letters at the beginning of a sentence) you will get it wrong.

DAILY ROUTINES (Present Simple)

2012-01-14T00:00:00.000+01:00

This is a presentation for you to see how we can use the present simple for daily routines, what we usually do every day. More examples and exercises still to come!!!

LORRAINE'S DAY

2012-01-13T01:31:00.000+01:00

Professor Parker, a stress expert from the University of London, looks at Lorraine's typical day and tries to help…

Lorraine, a single mother, works as a guide at the National Gallery in London and she lives with her son George, aged 9.

6.30
I get up and I make George’s sandwiches. Then I do some housework. Then I wake up George and make his breakfast. I’m always in a hurry and I don’t have time for breakfast at home.

8.00
We cycle to school because the bus is expensive. Then I cycle six miles to work.

9.00
I have a sandwich for breakfast in the canteen, and then I start work. My first tour is usually at 9.30. I like my job but I don’t earn much money and I stand all day.

5.00
I finish work and I go to pick up George at 5.30. We go shopping.

6.30
I cook dinner and help George with his homework. After dinner I do more housework or answer e-mails. I don’t go out in the evening because a babysitter is very expensive.

9.00
George goes to bed and I read him a story. Then I go to bed – I’m really tired!

Professor Parker’s advice:
Have breakfast with your son. Do all the housework in the evening. Don’t cycle, get the bus. It’s important to see other people. Invite a friend for a drink once a week.
______________
*6 miles = 9.8 kilometres
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BANG ON TIME!

2012-01-12T22:50:00.000+01:00

This is a game, you have to read the time in words and then stop the clock when the hands are in the matching position. You have ten turns. Will you score high? Good luck!

TIME AND NUMBERS

2012-01-12T15:41:00.000+01:00

Let's practise the time and numbers with this book. Click here to open the book in a new bigger window.

TELLING THE TIME

2012-01-11T22:30:00.000+01:00

Knowing how to tell the time is very important. Sometimes we have a meeting, or an appointment, or we want to get on time for that film we want to see or just to get to work .... I hope this presentation helps you learn how to tell the time in English and, of course, the extra exercises will give you extra practice. Enjoy!!!

Exercise 1 (Match the times)
Exercise 2 (Match the clocks with the times)
Exercise 3 (Very interesting exercise to review not only the time but also the numbers!!!, with audio)
Exercise 4 (Choose the correct answer by listening to the sentences)
Exercise 5 (Write the time you hear)

2011-12-22T11:13:00.002+01:00

CHRISTMAS TIME

2011-12-21T10:53:00.000+01:00

Here you can learn vocabulary related to Christmas. Click here to go to the page.

And now let's sing!!!! This is the original Jingle Bells animation.

TEST UNIT 2

2011-12-20T23:00:00.000+01:00

We have already finished UNIT 2, now it's time to check how much you know and how much you remember. Click on the link below to take the test. Don't use your coursebook or notebook or dictionary, and don't forget you need a password. Ask your teacher for it. GOOD LUCK!!!!

Click here to go to the test

AN INFORMAL EMAIL

2011-12-20T16:16:00.000+01:00

Read and listen to this email.

FROM: Rosa Velazquez [rosavelazquez@hotmail.com]
TO: Stefan [stefan7541200@gmail.com]
SUBJECT: Hi from Mexico

Hi Stefan,
My name's Rosa. I'm from Mexico, and I live in Monterrey. I am a receptionist at a hotel. I study English in my free time.
I speak Spanish and a little English. I want to learn English for my job and to travel.
I have a big family. I have three brothers and a sister. My father is a builder and my mother doesn't work. My brothers and my sisters are at school. My brothers are 14, 13 and 10 and my sister is six. I'm 19.
I like music, cinema and sport. I watch football on TV with my family every Saturday.
Please, write soon.
Best wishes
Rosa

______________________________________

Now WRITE a smilar email to your teacher.

ADJECTIVES

2011-12-16T17:30:00.000+01:00

An adjective describes how something 'is'. For this reason, we usually use the verb 'to be' when using adjectives. Adjectives are used to describe nouns.
Examples:
- He is a good doctor.
- Beautiful trees.
- They are happy.

Be careful!

    * Adjectives don't have a singular and plural form OR a masculine, femine and neuter form.

    * Adjectives are always the same! Never add a final -s to an adjective.

Example: these are difficult books.

NOT!!: difficults books

Rule: Adjectives are placed before the noun.

Example:
- a wonderful book
- very interesting people

Be careful!

    * Don't place an adjective after the noun

NOT!!: an apple red

LET'S PUT THEM IN PRACTICE

Exercise 1 (Put the words in the correct order)
Exercise 2 (A crossword)
Exercise 3 (Choose the correct answer)
Exercise 4 (Put the words in the correct order)
Exercise 5 (Choose the correct answer)
Exercise 6 (Crossword, opposites)
Exercise 7 (Wordsearch, colours)
Exercise 8 (Which picture best describes the adjective given? two exercises)
Exercise 9 (Match the adjective and the correct picture)

COLOURS, OBJECTS AND VERB TO BE

2011-12-16T14:02:00.000+01:00

This is a video from MadridTeacher.com to learn not only daily objects and colours but also to review verb to be.

NOTE: colour is the British English spelling while color is the American English spelling.

COLOURS

2011-12-15T22:12:00.000+01:00

Do you know the colours? First watch this video.

And now do this listening activity, and go to the comments section to check your answers.

WHERE ARE ENGLISH WORDS FROM?

2011-12-08T00:30:00.000+01:00

Read the text while you listen to it.

Where are English words from?

From Old English
Many basic English words come from Old English, e.g. England, house, woman, man, child, bird, water. They sometimes have irregular pronunciation.

From Latin
Other English words come from Latin, e.g. family, wine, number, school, educate.

From French
Some English words come from French, e.g. royal, hotel, menu, beef.

From other languages
Today English is an international language. Thousands of English words come from other languages, e.g. siesta (Spanish), judo (Japanese).

New words
Every year hundreds of words come into English from new technology, e.g. Internet, text message, e-mail, modem.

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And now, why don't you read the text and record yourself? Then compare your recording with the original. Go ahead!!!!

THE BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY

2011-12-07T00:43:00.000+01:00

Prince William, Prince Charles and Pricess Diana's son and Queen Elizabeth's grandson, married Kate Middleton. But who are Prince William’s family? He belongs to the British Royal family, let’s meet them!

Prince William’s father is Prince Charles, the heir to the throne. His mother was Princess Diana. His father is now married to Camilla. Camilla is Prince William’s stepmother, Prince William is her stepson. Prince Harry is Prince William’s brother.

His father’s bothers are Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. They are Prince William’s uncles. Prince Andrew is divorced from Sarah, his daughters' mother. Sophie is Prince Edward’s wife. Queen Elizabeth is her mother-in-law and Prince Philip is her father-in-law. They are her parents-in-law.

His father’s sister is Princess Anna, she is Prince William’s aunt. Timothy Laurence is her husband. He is Prince Charles’s brother-in-law. He is Peter and Zara’s stepfather. They are his stepchildren. Peter and Zara's father is Mark Philips. Princess Anna and Mark Philips are divorced. Mark is Princess Anna's ex-husband, Princess Anna is Mark's ex-wife.

Queen Elizabeth is Prince William’s grandmother, Prince Philip is his grandfather. They are Prince William’s grandparents, he is their grandson.

Queen Elizabeth has more grandsons and granddaughters, they are her grandchildren and Prince William’s cousins. They are Peter and Zara Philips, who are Princess Anna’s children. Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who are Prince Andrew’s daughters, and Lady Louise and Viscount Severn, who are Prince Edward’s children. Zara, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice and Lady Louise are Prince William's father's nieces. Peter and Viscount Severn are Prince William's father's nephews. Peter is married to Autumn Kelly.

When Kate marries Prince William she will be Prince William's wife, Prince Harry's sister-in-law, and Prince Charles's daughter-in-law.

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Now you can listen to the whole text.

THIS IS MY FAMILY

2011-12-06T01:30:00.000+01:00

Let's practise the vocabulary you learned in class.

exercise 1 ( put the letters in the correct order)

exercise 2 ( reading comprehension)

exercise 3 ( complete the sentences)

exercise 4 ( male-female members of the family)

exercise 5 ( listen to Monojo and put the letters in the right order to form the word he says)

exercise 6 ( memory game, listen to the words to make pairs)

exercise 7 ( crossword)

exercise 8 ( wordsearch)

WE ARE FAMILY

2011-12-05T01:06:00.000+01:00

Learn more vocabulary related to the family with this video.

DOUBLE LIFE

2011-12-04T00:30:00.000+01:00

Listen to the interview. Read the text while you are listening. Then record yourself and compare your recording with the original. This will improve your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills!!

1 What do you do?
I’m an artist. I draw and paint pictures for magazines, books, CD covers – all kinds of things.

2 Where do you work?
I work at home. I have a room just for working in.

3 How many hours do you work?
I normally work about eight hours a day, from 9.30 to 5.30. Sometimes I work again in the evenings or at weekends, when I’m in a hurry to finish a picture.

4 Do you earn a lot of money?
It depends. I earn from about £250 to £3,000 for a picture. Sometimes I have a lot of work but sometimes I don’t. That’s a problem. And I don’t have paid holidays.

5 Do you like your job? Why?
Yes. I love it, because every day is different, and I like using my imagination.

6 What don’t you like about your job?
It’s stressful when I need to work fast and the ideas don’t come. And sometimes it’s lonely when you don’t work with other people.

7 How do you relax after work?
I play the bass in a band called International Airport. We play at weekends in pubs and clubs.

THE POSSESSIVE

2011-12-03T13:55:00.000+01:00

To form the possessive for a noun we must add to the noun an apostrophe (') and then the letter “s”.

the boy's ball

the policeman's wife

Mary's house

Peter's car

Let's practise the possessive.

exercise 1 (Choose the correct word)

exercise 2 (Put the words in the correct order)

exercise 3 (Make correct sentences)

exercise 4 (choose the correct word)

exercise 5 ( click on the words in the correct order)

WHAT'S YOUR JOB?

2011-12-02T11:21:00.000+01:00

Listen to these people.

Notice that what's your job? = What do you do?

WHAT DO YOU DO? JOBS

2011-12-01T11:29:00.000+01:00

With this video you can practise vocabulary related to jobs. How many of them do you already know?

And now, why don't you try these exercises to practise your vocabulary?

Exercise 1 (Crossword)
Exercise 2 (another crossword with definitions)
Exercise 3 (Crossword, complete the word)
Exercise 4 (Wordsearch)
Exercise 5 (What's the job?)
Exercise 6 (Hangman) (el juego del ahorcado)
Exercise 7 (match the pictures with the jobs)

USING A/AN, THE

2011-11-28T20:47:00.001+01:00

Would you like to practise a bit more the article in English? Why don't you try these exercises?

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3

THANKSGIVING DAY

2011-11-23T15:08:00.000+01:00

Thanksgiving is a harvest festival and family holiday.
People in the USA celebrate Thanksgiving every year.
Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the USA.
This year, Thanksgiving is on November 24th.

ABOUT THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving is a big family celebration.
People travel from all over the USA to be with their family for the holiday.
Roads and airports get very busy over Thanksgiving weekend.
Many big cities hold parades and other special events.

THE THANKSGIVING DINNER

Thanksgiving was originally a Christian religious festival.
Christian families often say a prayer (called grace) before eating their Thanksgiving dinner.
Many non-Christians also enjoy celebrating Thanksgiving.
Traditional Thanksgiving foods include turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce, sweetcorn and sweet potatoes.
A sweet dessert called pumpkin pie is also eaten.

You can try this wordsearch to learn vocabulary and for some fun too, click here

SOMETHING STUPID

2011-11-20T14:19:00.002+01:00

This is the song we listened to in class. Something Stupid was originally a hit for father and daughter duo Frank and Nancy Sinatra in 1967. Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman made a new recording of the song in 2001.

Click here to directly download the exercise

PRESENT SIMPLE (+) (-) (?)

2011-11-18T12:32:00.000+01:00

How do we form a sentence in the present simple? When do we use it? Watch the video and do the activities below.

exercise 1 Complete the sentence with one word.
exercise 2 Click on the words in the right order.
exercise 3
exercise 4
exercise 5 Is there a mistake in the sentence?
exercise 6 Choose the correct answer.
exercise 7 Word order in questions.
exercise 8 Put the words in the correct order.

TEST UNIT 1

2011-11-11T12:00:00.000+01:00

We have already finished UNIT 1, now it's time to check how much you know and how much you remember. Click on the link below to take the test. Don't use your coursebook or notebook or dictionary, and don't forget you need a password. Ask your teacher for it.

Click here to go to the test

TYPICALLY BRITISH?

2011-11-11T11:44:00.000+01:00

Four foreigners in Britain talk about the people and the country...

Listen to what they say. Read the text while you are listening. Then record yourself and compare your recording with the original. This will improve your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills!!

Nicolae from Romania works in a pub in Manchester

‘British people like children but not in restaurants or pubs. In my pub we have a rule: ‘No children under 12’. People in Britain drink a lot of coffee – cappuccino and espresso are really popular. They drink a lot of beer too – men and women.’

Alexandra from Russia is a student at Bristol university

‘This is not a good country for smokers! Many coffee bars and restaurants are ‘no smoking’. I live with three British students and they don’t smoke. When I want a cigarette I go into the garden.’

Carlos is a tourist from Spain

‘People read the newspaper everywhere – on the train, on the bus, at the bus stop. And the newspapers are really big! Cars stop in Britain when you stand on the zebra crossing – it’s incredible! Cars don’t stop for you in Madrid.’

Marília from Brazil works as an ‘au pair’ in Cambridge

‘I think my British family is typical. The woman doesn’t cook – she just puts a pizza in the microwave. But she watches cooking programmes on TV every day! The man cooks at the weekend – he makes fantastic Indian curries. Their child has a terrible diet. She eats ‘fish fingers’ and chips and she goes to Burger King every week.’

PRESENT SIMPLE (+) (-)

2011-11-10T14:43:00.000+01:00

Let's practise present simple affirmative and negative sentences. How good are you?

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Exercise 6

CLASS WORKSHEETS

2011-11-10T11:00:00.002+01:00

Now you can go to 'Documents' and do the exercises we did in class again, you can download or print them as many times as you want.

So far 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D are already available.

Remember that practice makes perfect!!!

ETERNAL FLAME

2011-11-07T01:36:00.000+01:00

Eternal Flame was a number 1 in the UK and the US in 1989 for the American all-girl group The Bangles. It was a number 1 hit again for the British girl group Atomic Kitten in 2001. Now you can listen to it as many times as you want and you can sing it as you have the lyrics too. Enjoy!

This is the exercise we did in class. Click here to download or print.

CLASSROOM LANGUAGE

2011-11-07T00:35:00.000+01:00

Here you have a list of classroom language that can be useful for you to use in class. You can just see it or if you want you can download and print. Remember we are going to use it in class!!!!!

Click here to get the document

CLASSROOM OBJECTS

2011-11-06T23:27:00.000+01:00

When you see the picture say what they are before the name is displayed. How many of them did you remember?

HOW TO FORM THE PLURAL

2011-11-04T00:30:00.000+01:00

Are you good at forming the plural of the nouns? In case you need some extra help this is a presentation for you to review how to make singular nouns plural. If you download it to your computer you will see it better.

And this is a video where the teacher shows some of the rules. Very instructive.

Now it's time to practise! Look up the words you don't understand in the dictionary and you will learn more vocabulary.

In these exercises each time you load them you will get new words, do them more than once. Remember, the more times you do the exercises the more words you will learn!
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3

Exercise 4 (Singular or plural?)

And this is a game to practise the plurals. Go fishing with the gnomes. Let's see how many fish you can get!
Game by the BBC
And with this game you have to help Fernando writing the plural of the nouns he shows you.
Game by OUP

THIS - THAT - THESE - THOSE

2011-11-03T23:00:00.000+01:00

There are 4 demonstratives that, this, these and those. They are used to state the distance from the speaker.

    * "This" is used for singular nouns that are close to the speaker.

    * "That" is used for singular nouns that are far from the speaker.

    * "These" is used for plural nouns that are close to the speaker.

    * "Those" is used for plural nouns that are far from the speaker.

How good are you at using them? You can test yourself now. Take your notebook and a pen or pencil and go ahead!

If you still need more practice, try these exercises:

POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES

2011-11-03T22:33:00.000+01:00

My, your, his, her, its, our and their are the possessive adjectives in English. They are used before a noun to show possession.

Examples:
This is my book
Her name is Jane
He is happy with his family
They like their house very much

This powerpoint will help you understand them.

And now, time to practise. Do the exercises below.
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3

IT'S HALLOWEEN TIME!

2011-10-30T12:34:00.000+01:00

Halloween is an ancient tradition celebrated on the night of october 31. The children dress in customes and go door-to-door collecting sweets, fruit, and other things. The cities, towns and villages are decorated and many houses too. But how much do you know about halloween?

PERSONAL INFORMATION

2011-10-24T09:58:00.000+02:00

Time for you to speak!!!! Listen to the audio and at the same time read the sentences. When you feel confident record yourself by pressing the red button. Use your own personal information and copy the entonation. When you have finished you can listen to yourself by clicking on the play button. If you are not satisfied with your recording you can record yourself again as many times as you want. When you finally get a good result press on the disk icon to save the recording to your computer and send it to your teacher. Good luck!!!!

1. What's your name ?
My name is Jenny.
2. Where do you come from?
I come from China.
3. Where do you live?
I live in Parramatta.
4. What's your address?
My address is 54 Pine Street, Annandale.
5. What's your telephone number?
My telephone number is 9723 4444.
6. How old are you?
I'm 28 years old.
7. What's your nationality?
I'm Indonesian.
8. Are you married?
No, I'm not. I'm single.
9. Have you got any children?
Yes, I have.
10. What's your occupation?
I'm a doctor.

HOW OLD ARE YOU?

2011-10-24T00:49:00.000+02:00

To say how old you are you have to use verb TO BE!
The question is How old are you?
Possible answers:

- I'm 24 years old

- I'm 24

- 24

Wrong answers:

- ~~I have 24~~

- ~~I have 24 years~~

- ~~I'm 24 years~~

Now watch the video and listen to the people. The second part of the video is the same but with subtitles.

NUMBERS

2011-10-23T01:33:00.000+02:00

Review the numbers with these videos.

Numbers 1-30

Numbers 1-100

In this exercise you can practise your listening.
Good luck!

DAYS OF THE WEEK

2011-10-22T01:05:00.000+02:00

Why don't you watch this video to review the days of the week?

And now, why don't you do these exercises? it's good practice!
exercise 1 (what's the correct spelling?)
exercise 2 (put the days in the correct order and give Tom one of his bed bits each time you are right, then another exercise will show).
exercise 3 (this time you have to put the letters in order to get the correct day of the week)
exercise 4 (here you can play hangman, it might not work with firefox, sorry)

THE ABC

2011-10-21T23:06:00.000+02:00

Do you still have problems with the ABCs? Not a problem, here you can sing the song with Sesame Street.

Why don't we put it into practice now? Watch the video and write down the names they say. In the second part of the video you can ckeck your answers. Good luck!!!

In case you still want one more exercise:
exercise 1

COUNTRIES AND NATIONALITIES

2011-10-20T18:18:00.000+02:00

This is the powerpoint we saw in class. How many of them do you remember?

And this is a video where you can listen and learn a lot more, though it's an old video and nowadays some of the countries have changed their names, but it's worth watching.

Here you can practise hangman!
And this is a crossword
Enjoy!

VERB TO BE (present)

2011-10-19T13:56:00.000+02:00

And now, would you like to practise verb to be in the present? If the answer is 'YES!' these are some pages where you can do it.
exercise 1 (only verb to be)
exercise 2 (the basics)
exercise 3 (introducing yourselves)
exercise 4 (make it negative)

GULLIVER'S TRAVELS

2011-05-15T11:11:00.000+02:00

I'm sure you have heard of Gulliver and his visit to Lilliput. Why don't you listen to the story? This is just for you to practise your listening.

.................

TEST UNIT 6

2011-05-14T23:40:00.000+02:00

We finished UNIT 6 so it's time to check how much you know and how much you remember. Click on the link below to take the test. Don't use your coursebook or notebook or dictionary, and don't forget you need a password. Ask your teacher for it. GOOD LUCK!!!!

Click here to go to the test

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SHERLOCK HOLMES

2011-05-14T23:08:00.000+02:00

What do you know about Sherlock Holmes? Have you ever read any of his stories? I'm sure you have, but how much do you know about him? Watch the video below to learn more about him and to practise the past simple of the verbs. Stop the video when you consider as on the left hand side grammar and vocabulary is explained.

TEST UNIT 5

2011-05-14T22:39:00.000+02:00

We finished UNIT 5 so it's time to check how much you know and how much you remember. Click on the link below to take the test. Don't use your coursebook or notebook or dictionary, and don't forget you need a password. Ask your teacher for it. GOOD LUCK!!!!

Click here to go to the test

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WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?

2011-05-11T10:31:00.000+02:00

Let's pratise clothes and accessories with this book. Also you can revise the present simple and continuous. Good practice!! Click here to open it in a bigger window.

CLOTHES, FOOTWEAR, ACCESORIES ...

2011-05-10T18:51:00.000+02:00

We saw some vocabulary about clothes in class. Click on the images below to go to the exercises. You can choose between clicking on the images one by one or going from an exercise to the other by clicking on the => arrow in each of the exercises.

CLOTHES 1

CLOTHES 2

UNDERWEAR

FOOTWEAR

ACCESORIES

WHAT DID YOU DO YESTERDAY?

2011-05-09T13:57:00.000+02:00

Watch the video below. What did they do yesterday? Don't worry if you don't understand everything they say, it's only listening practice for you!!!

What about you? What did you do yesterday?

TEST UNIT 4

2011-05-09T01:10:00.001+02:00

We finished UNIT 4 so it's time to check how much you know and how much you remember. Click on the link below to take the test. Don't use your coursebook or notebook or dictionary, and don't forget you need a password. Ask your teacher for it. GOOD LUCK!!!!

Click here to go to the test

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THE PAST - MORE PRACTICE

2011-05-08T00:05:00.000+02:00

More practice with the past. Click here to open it in a bigger window.

THE PAST SIMPLE

2011-05-07T03:43:00.001+02:00

Watch this video to learn more about the past. Good one!!!

PRONUNCIATION OF -ED, REGULAR VERBS

2011-05-05T20:42:00.000+02:00

To pronounce the past simple of the regular verbs we have to have in mind that is the sound which is important, not the letter or the spelling. So, how do we pronounce the past of the regular verbs? In three different ways.

- When the verb ends in sound /t/ or /d/ ------> /id/

- When the verb ends in an unvoiced sound (/p/,/f/,/s/,/sh/,/ch/,/k/ -----> the final sound is /t/

- When the verb ends in a voiced sound (the rest) ------> /d/

/d/	/t/	/id/
lived	worked	waited
arrived	stopped	hated
played	asked	ended

Now watch the video below to listen to the different sounds of the past of the regular verbs.

Time for you to practise. Why don't you record yourself?. Come on, don't be shy, you can do it!!!!! Remember that theory without practice is nothing.

IRREGULAR VERBS

2011-05-05T01:59:00.000+02:00

learn some irregular verbs with his video. Repeat after him. It's good practice to remember them!

WHAT'S THE PAST OF THESE VERBS?

2011-05-04T01:01:00.000+02:00

Let's practise the past of irregular verbs with these exercises. Remember, practice makes perfect!!!!!

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Exercise 7

Now let's make sentences
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Exercise 7
Exercise 8

PAST OF IRREGULAR VERBS

2011-05-03T10:19:00.001+02:00

There is no way to know when a verb is regular or irregular, so you have to learn them, and the best way to learn them is practice, practice, practice!!!
In this powerpoint you have some irregular verbs. First you are given the infinitive, before going to the next slide think of this:
- how this verb makes the third person singular in the present
- what the past form of this verb is
- its meaning
Now you can go to the next slide and check if you were right. Do this with all the verbs.

SHOPS AND PLACES IN TOWN

2011-04-16T09:51:00.001+02:00

What is there in a town? Let's pratise it with this book. Click here to open it in a bigger window.

PAST SIMPLE FORM

2011-04-15T01:20:00.001+02:00

In English there are regular and irregular verbs. We have to know if a verb is regular or irregular to know how to form the past.

To make the past simple of REGULAR verbs you only have to add -ed to the verb.

               live ----- lived
               walk ----- walked

To make the past simple of IRREGULAR verbs you have to know the form of that verb in the past. Remember it's the second column of the verb. Unfortunately there is no way to know if a verb is regular or irregular, so study them!!!!

               go ----- went
               speak ----- spoke

But we are lucky because in the past the verb has the same form for all the persons, there is no change in the third person singular.

I worked went
you worked went

he worked went

she worked went

it worked went

we worked went

you worked went

they worked went

POSITIVE

The structure of a sentence is the same as in the present, we only have to use the verb in the past.

               Present: I work as a musician
               Past: I worked as a musician

               Present: They go to the cinema every weekend
               Past: They went to the cinema every weekend

               Present: She lives in Galway
               Past: She lived in Galway

               Present: He speaks very fast
               Past: He spoke very fast

To form the -ed of the regular verbs in the past there are some rules:

1. If the verb ends in -e we only have to add -d
               live ----- lived
               hate ----- hated
               love ----- loved

2. If the final syllable of the verb is stressed and it is a consonant, then we have to double the consonant
               stop ----- stopped
               admit ----- admitted
               prefer ----- preferred

3. If the verb ends in -l then we also duouble the -l
               travel ----- travelled

4. If the verb ends in -y and the -y is preceded by a consonant, the -y turns into -i and we add -ed
               try ----- tried
               study ----- studied

    But if before the -y there is a vowel we just add -ed
               play ----- played
               enjoy ----- enjoyed

NEGATIVE AND INTERROGATIVE

The structure of the negative and interogative sentences is the same as in the present, we know it is past because instead of the auxiliaries do and does, we use auxiliary DID. And, again, it is the same which person it is, 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, singular or plural, the auxiliary is always did.
In positive sentences we have to know if the verb is regular or irregular to know its past form. In negative and interrogative sentences it is not necessary because we use the infinitive of the verb, in the same way we use it in the present simple.

Examples of negative sentences:

               Present: They don't like going to the cinema
               Past: They didn't like going to the cinema

               Present: She doesn't drink a lot of water
               Past: She didn't drink a lot of water yesterday.

Example of interrogative sentences

               Present: Do they like going to the cinema?
               Past: Did they like going to the cinema?

               Present: Does she drink a lot of water?
               Past: Did she drink a lot of water yesterday?

Watch this video to learn more about the past simple.

VERB TO BE (PAST)

2011-04-14T23:07:00.000+02:00

Remember that the structure of a sentence in the past is the same as in the present. The only difference is that the verb to be is in the past instead of in the present.

          Present: She is a very happy girl
          Past: She was a very happy girl

          Present: They aren't in Newcastle
          Past: They weren't in Newcastle

          Present: Are you interested in Maths?
          Past: Were you interested in Maths?

Revise the forms of verb to be in the past with the following video

And now time to practise:

exercise 1
exercise 2
exercise 3
exercise 4
exercise 5

IT'S OR ITS?

2011-04-14T11:10:00.000+02:00

Sometimes you confuse it's with its.

It's is a contraction for it is or it has.

Its is a possessive pronoun meaning, more or less, of it or belonging to it.

Watch this one minute video to learn their differences!!!

SUBJECT PRONOUNS, OBJECT PRONOUNS

2011-04-14T11:02:00.000+02:00

Practise subject pronuns and object pronouns with this book. To open it in a bigger window just click here.

UNCHAINED MELODY

2011-04-12T14:11:00.000+02:00

This is the song we listened to in class, now you can listen to it as many times as you want. Pay attention to the way subject pronouns, object pronouns, possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns are used.
By the way, the song dates back to 1965, lyrics by Hy Zaret and melody by Alex North. It has more than 500 different versions but the most famous version is by Righteous Brothers, 1965.

POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS

2011-04-12T13:13:00.000+02:00

Remember that pronouns always take the place of the noun and everything that goes with the noun. The possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs) are used instead of the possessive + noun to indicate possession. Let's see some examples:

That car is my car -----> that car is mine

This book is Mary's book -----> this book is hers

And, of course, some exercises for you to practise!!!

Exercise 1 Complete the sentences with a possessive pronoun
Exercise 2 Change the sentences so that they have a possessive pronoun. There is an example.
Exercise 3 Complete the sentences with a possessive pronoun
Exercise 4 Choose the correct answer
Exercise 5 Complete the sentences
Exercise 6 Complete the sentences according to the person in brackets.

PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE

2011-04-12T11:13:00.001+02:00

Let's revise the prepositions of place with these videos.

Now it is your turn!!!!

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5

IT'S IMPORTANT TO LEARN LANGUAGES

2011-04-11T15:07:00.001+02:00

Come on, don't despair, you can do it, it's very important to learn languages!!!!!

DESCRIBING A HOUSE

2011-04-09T10:14:00.001+02:00

Watch this video to help you remember vocabulary about furniture:

Now, look at this picture of a house. What can you see there? How many floors? Which rooms are there on each floor? What kind of furniture is there in each room? Is there a garden? What is missing?

You can write a composition and hand it to your teacher. Or maybe you prefer to record yourself so you practise speaking.

WHAT IS THERE IN A HOUSE?

2011-04-09T09:55:00.002+02:00

What is your house like? What is there in a house? Let's pratise it with this book. Click here to open it in a bigger window.

THE HOUSE

2011-04-08T14:14:00.000+02:00

Look at Fernanda's house and listen to her describing it.

Now you can do the same with your own house. Write a composition describing your house and hand it to your teacher.

And you can practise with these exercises
A Crossword
A Wordsearch

IMPORTANT NOTE: The picture and video above were taken from this page with the British Council permission.

THERE IS / ARE

2011-04-08T01:13:00.000+02:00

There is/There are is a common phrase in English, it is used to indicate that something "exists" or is in a certain location. The main subject follows the verb when there is/are is used.

There is an apple on the desk

There are two cats on the car.

There is is used for singular or non countable nouns.
There are is used for plural nouns.

Since the main verb is the verb to be when we have to use a negative sentence we just add NOT to the verb
There isn't a lamp behind the sofa.

There aren't any chairs in the room.

and when the sentence is a question we just swap places
Is there a restaurant near here?
Are there any parks?

Time to practise!!!

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Exercise 7

WATERLOO SUNSET

2011-04-07T02:02:00.000+02:00

This is the song we listened to in class. Waterloo Sunset is a song about the view of London over the River Thames in the evening, when millions of people are going home from work. It was a big hit for The Kinks in the mid 1960s.

Click here to directly download the exercises

And here you can read the lyrics in English and in Spanish.

.

MORE PRESENT SIMPLE vs PRESENT CONTINUOUS

2011-04-03T23:00:00.000+02:00

More practice with the present continuous. Click here to open it in a bigger window.

PRESENT SIMPLE vs PRESENT CONTINUOUS

2011-04-01T13:22:00.000+02:00

We have studied the present simple and the present continuous separatedly, but what about using them together? Do you really know when to use one and when to use the other? Let's have a look at them.

Present simple

It is used to speak about routines, hobbies, things that are always true.

Present continuous
It is used to speak about what is happening now or around now, temporal things or situations.
REMEMBER: there are some verbs which are not used in the continuous: believe, want, love, hate ...

Watch this video where both the present simple and continuous are explained

And now let's see if you understood. Do the following exercises and check your knowledge!!!

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Exercise 7
Exercise 8
Exercise 9
Exercise 10

WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

2011-03-31T02:01:00.000+02:00

These are the Green, it's a beautiful summer day and they are in the garden, but what are they doing? Write sentences and send them to your teacher.

Or if you prefer you can record yourself, remember that it is good practice!!!

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

2011-03-29T22:00:00.000+02:00

Use the Present Continuous with normal verbs to express the idea that something is happening now, at this very moment. It can also be used to show that something is not happening now.

Example: I am watching TV now.
                he is not reading a newspaper now.

To make a statement in the present continuous we need the present of verb to be (AM/IS/ARE) + the -ing form of the verb we want to use

          I AM READING a book
          She IS DRIVING a red car
          They ARE HAVING a shower

To make negative sentences we just add NOT after verb to be.

          I am not reading a book
          She is not driving a red car
          They are not having a shower

To make questions we just place the verb to be before the subject.

          Are you reading a book?
          Why is she driving a red car?
          Are they having a shower?

Have a look at this video, the road runner might help!!!

With this video you can practise negative and questions in the present continuous

Let's see if you have understood, let's practise with these exercises
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5 Watch the video and make full sentences, You can check the answers if you have a look at the comments to this post.

OBJECT PRONOUNS

2011-03-25T16:43:00.001+01:00

A pronoun is the word that takes the place of the noun. The subject pronouns are the pronouns that are the subject of a sentence (I, you, he, she, it, we, they)

          Mary has a car ------> She has a car
          Peter and I are happy -----> We are happy

The 'Object Pronouns' or complement pronouns are the pronouns used as a complement of the verb or after a preposition (me, you, him, her, it, us, them)

   Peter buys flowers for Lorraine -----> Peter buys flowers for her
           I like those shoes -----> I like them

Don't confuse them with the possessive adjectives. The possessive adjectives are adjectives, so they come before a noun. The pronoun substitutes the noun, so they come alone.

           Possessive adjective: Tom and Bob live with their parents
           Object pronoun: Tom and Bob live with them

.......................................................................................................................................

LET'S COMPARE THEM

Now it's time to practise!

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Exercise 6

TEST UNIT 3

2011-03-24T11:29:00.000+01:00

We have already finished UNIT 3, now it's time to check how much you know and how much you remember. Click on the link below to take the test. Don't use your coursebook or notebook or dictionary, and don't forget you need a password. Ask your teacher for it. GOOD LUCK!!!!

Click here to go to the test

LIKES AND DISLIKES

2011-03-23T13:54:00.002+01:00

To talk about what we like or we don't like we use the verbs love, enjoy, like and hate. After these verbs we can use a noun

She loves chocolate

They don't like football

Does he hate the beach?

But we can also use a verb. When we use a verb it usually takes the form of the gerund, that is, we add -ing to the verb.

He loves going to the cinema

She doesn't like dancing

Do they enjoy playing chess?

Remember that there are some rules to add -ing:

* most of the times we just add -ing directly to the verb

          go ---> going                 work ---> working
          study ---> studying        play--->playing

* but when the verb ends in a silent final e preceded by a consonant, we drop the -e and add -ing

         live ---> living        write ---> writing

* when the verb ends in a consonant and it is a strong one syllable verb then we double the final consonant. Also when the verb has two or more syllables but the stress is on the last syllable.

        stop ---> stopping         begin ---> beginning

This video might help you

And of course, nothing better than some practice!!!

exercise 1
exercise 2
exercise 3 A Game. Type the -ing form of the verbs Fernando shows you

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

2011-03-14T11:44:00.001+01:00

Let's pratise verb can with this book. Click here to open it on a bigger window.

CAN YOU (Pronunciation)

2011-03-11T10:46:00.001+01:00

This is a video to help you pronounce 'can you ...?'

And now, why don't you try to record yourself and compare with the original? Come on, don't be shy!!!!!

............

PRONUNCIATION OF CAN AND CAN'T

2011-03-10T18:20:00.000+01:00

Pay attention to the way she pronounces can and can't. Don't worry if you don't understand all what she says, just listen to her to get the pronunciation.

CAN / CAN'T

2011-03-10T12:01:00.000+01:00

The verb can is used to express ability to do something and to ask for permission.
             I can sing quite well
             Can we go out on Saturday?

The verb can is special. It doesn't add the '-s' in the third person singular
            She can dance very well
            *NOT She ~~cans~~ dance very well

It is always followed by another verb in the plain infinitive, that is, in the infinitive without 'to' .
            They can play tennis
            *NOT they can ~~to play~~ tennis

To make the negative we add not to the verb and to make questions we just swap places between subject and verb.

            We can't go out tonight
            Can you play the guitar?

Note that in the negative it is either can't or cannot but NOT ~~can not~~.

Watch the video and sing with the busy beavers. Remember that songs are good practice to learn. Pay attention to the pronunciation!!

And now time to practise!!!!

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Exercise 7
Exercise 8

HUMAN PLANET FROM THE BBC

2011-02-25T11:11:00.002+01:00

This is a video from the BBC. I think it is beautiful and lovely. I hope you like it!!!!

LET'S REVISE ADJECTIVES II

2011-01-20T23:46:00.004+01:00

Do this listening activity, and go to the comments section to check your answers.

LET'S REVISE ADJECTIVES I

2011-01-20T23:40:00.004+01:00

Do this listening activity, and go to the comments section to check your answers.