Thursday, 19 December 2013

At the restaurant

1. VOCABULARY. First of all let’s learn some vocabulary related to food (you can listen to the words)
Optionally you can also learn (in French too):
- COOK
2.GRAMMAR (with activities)
3. AT THE RESTAURANT.

4. Fast Food Conversation at a Restaurant:




5. At the restaurant


6. After the restaurant...




Thursday, 12 December 2013

Tuesday, 3 December 2013

At the airport: vocabulary



Vocabulary: descriptions

Physical description


Living room


Dining room

Bedroom
Bathroom
Garden



Wednesday, 13 November 2013

Past simple or past continuous

Worksheets



Answer key:




Key: entry checker for Pre-Intermediate (English File)

At the hotel

Some useful vocabulary


Speaking

Whenever you are talking to a friend, you show interest in what he/she tells you, or you can agree or disagree with him/her, or you can show surprise, or you might feel sorry or angry...

Here you have some useful phrases you can use in English:
 

Linking words (NB2)

In order to make your tests more cohesive, you should use linking words. Here you can download/see some useful linking words for NB2.


Describing pictures

First, try to describe the pictures on the first page. Once you have finished, check on the following two pages what I have written to describe them.


Monday, 11 November 2013

Remembrance Day / Poppy Day

Remembrance Day is also known as Poppy Day, and in America it is called Veteran's day.
What is Poppy Day?
It is the day when many countries commemorate all the members of the armed forces who have given their lives in the line of duty since the First World War. It was first observed in 1919, however until 1945 it was called Armistice Day. Traditionally there are two minutes of silence at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month because that was the time (in Britain) when the armistice became effective in 1918.
In the UK a ceremony is held on Remembrance Sunday in London at a war memorial called the Cenotaph. Many other ceremonies are held all over the UK to commemorate the sacrifice of civilians in times of war.
Why is it on 11th November?
The 11th November was chosen as Remembrance Day because the First World War officially came to an end on that day in 1918.

What is a poppy?
A poppy is a wild flower which is usually red. The poppies worn on Poppy Day in the UK are artificial and are usually made of two paper petals with a black plastic centre. The poppies do not cost anything though wearers are invited to give a donation.

Why were poppies chosen?
The poppy became recognised as the emblem of Remembrance Day as a result of a poem called "In Flanders' Fields" by John McCrae. Flanders is a region in northern Europe which saw some of the bloodiest fighting of the First World War. When the poppies started flowering across the battlefields their blood-red colour quickly became symbolic of the bloodshed that had occurred there.


  

Thursday, 7 November 2013

used to

FORM: [used to + VERB]
Example:
  • used to go to the beach every day.
  • Did you use to go to the beach every day? 
  • You didn’t use to go to the beach.

USE 1 Habit in the Past

Used to expresses the idea that something was an old habit that stopped in the past. It indicates that something was often repeated in the past, but it is not usually done now.
Examples:
  • Jerry used to study English.
  • Christine used to eat meat, but now she is a vegetarian.
  • I used to drink 15 to 20 cups of coffee every day.

USE 2 Past Facts and Generalizations

Used to can also be used to talk about past facts or generalizations which are no longer true.
Examples:
  • Anne used to be fat, but now she is thin.
  • George used to be the best student in class, but now Lena is the best.
  • I used to be a complete coffee addict, but I don't drink much now.
Now watch this video and complete the gaps below:

Elizabeth used to___________a lot.
Pamela’s dad used to___________ a commercial traveller
Andrew used to___________a nice chilly lasagne.
Billie used to___________, but not at the moment.
Courtney used to___________ quiet, but now she is talkative.
Ingrid used to___________the flute.
Karina used to___________the piano.
Richard used to___________the guitar.
Mike used to___________ a programmer.
Neil used to___________ a lot of baseball.
Sue used to___________short hair.
Robin used to___________.
Rebecca used to___________pad.
Mia used to___________a tomboy.
Patricia used to___________English as a foreign language.


Just My Imagination (The Cranberries) - Select Intermediate Level and practice filling in the lyrics.

Tuesday, 5 November 2013

PUC (pruebas unificadas de certificación)

You can download the exam of September 2012 from here.

5th November


What is celebrated today, 5th November, in the UK? 





Thursday, 31 October 2013

Halloween


Have a spooky Halloween!!!!


 

Wednesday, 30 October 2013

Monday, 28 October 2013

Describing events

Discussing what someone was doing at momentous historical times is a classic conversation topic.

These events have had great relevance:

- Franco's death on 20th November 1975.
- Tejero's coup on 23rd February 1981.
- The fall of the Berlin Wall on 3rd October 1990.
- The terrorist attack in New York on 11th September 2001.
- The terrorist attack in Madrid on 11th March 2004.
- FIFA World Cup final on 11th July 2010.

Activity:
Get together with an English speaking friend or relative and discuss what you were doing when you were told about any of the above-mentioned events or other events you can think of.

Examples

Sunday, 27 October 2013

Action Words

Family

Talking about your family:



Listening activities: Family roots and A hiking family

Wednesday, 23 October 2013

Past simple: regular and irregular verbs

Pronunciation of past simple (regular verbs): video

Pronunciation of past simple (regular verbs)
 

Play a game on pronunciation of past simple regular verbs - classtools

More about past simple (regular and irregular verbs) - click here.

Irregular verbs - click here.

List of irregular verbs.



Let's practise as it's the best way to learn:
Past simple 1
Answer questions (past simple)
Affirmative sentences --> negative sentences
Build questions (past simple)

Mr Bean (present simple and present continuous)

Watch this video about Mr Bean and his daily routine. Have fun!!!
 

 Here you can watch the whole video but without the vocabulary.

Tuesday, 22 October 2013

Picture description


Complaining in a hotel

These links are quite useful:

Complaining

A cockroach problem (1)

A cockroach problem (2)

Complaining in a shop and a hotel

Roleplay: more situations



Script:
D: This is the front desk. How can I help you?

Lisa: We're having some problems in room three-two-one. Can you send someone up, right away?

D: Certainly. What seems to be the problem?

Lisa: Well, my sister spilled some juice on the bed sheets ...

D: Oh, dear! We'll send a maid up with fresh linen as soon as possible.

Lisa: Well, my sister tried to clean the sheets, but the water wouldn't stop. Now there's water everywhere ...

D: Oh, no! We'll send the janitor and the plumber, too!

Lisa: And then my sister slipped on the wet tile and hurt her toe.

D: Oh, we'll also send a doctor. (Lisa screams.) What's the matter?

Lisa: And send an electrician, as well. The lights just went out!



Marking code

Tuesday, 15 October 2013

Monday, 7 October 2013

IKEA --> present simple / present continuous

I love IKEA stores!!!

- Describe the pictures using "there is/are", prepositions, colours...
- What do the people look like?
- What are the people wearing / doing?








Friday, 4 October 2013

Recording new vocabulary

Some tips to organize and learn new vocabulary:


Tuesday, 1 October 2013

Common mistakes

Watch these three videos to be aware of some mistakes Spanish students make in English:
 
Video 1 

Video 2

Video 3


Yes, we can avoid making these mistakes!!


Sunday, 29 September 2013

Sentences ending with a preposition

You might think this structure is really odd. Watch this video where you will find out what is really natural and unnatural to native speakers!!!

Friday, 20 September 2013

Saturday, 8 June 2013

English tests

Some advice:
- Go through your notes
- Listen to the news DAILY: you have some links on the blog / EnglishLab to practice listening activities
- Revise mistakes in compositions
- Practise exam-like speaking
- Review vocabulary
- Meet classmates for English Tea/Coffee conversation and have fun too ;)


Listening

Writing

Speaking


Some activities (different levels)

Thursday, 23 May 2013

Food

1. VIDEOS. Repeat the words
     


2. VOCABULARY. First of all let’s learn some vocabulary related to food (you can listen to the words)
Optionally you can also learn (in French too):
- COOK

3.GRAMMAR (with activities)
- COUNTABLE OR UNCOUNTABLE.
- Clic here to continue doing exercises.