CLASS 31st MARCH - START UNIT 7

Hi everybody! Our challenge begins here! We're going to start unit 7 online. We'll try to do everyting as if we were in our classroom. Remember you can write comments on each post to ask doubts and other classmates can also answer doubts. We need to use all the help we can right now. So, I encourage you to become more active. 

First of all, go to page 58 and do exercises 1, 2 and 3 about the text.  (Check your answers here). Remember to do the vocabulary activities on page 146 (check answers here).

Then, have a look at exercises 4, 5 and 7 on the grammar of the passive voice. (Check your answers here). At this point you can go to the grammar page 124, read the grammar explanation and do the activities. (Check your answers here).

After the grammar practice, go back to page 59 and you'll see that we only have exercise 8 left, which can be done as a monologue. I encourage you to practise this exercise as a 'certificación' monologue, so think and prepare some ideas and then talk about this topic for 3 minutes.

And if you want more online activities on the passive voice, try these links:

• Link 1 Perfect English grammar 
• Link 2 English grammar online
• Link 3 English grammar

I hope you'll enjoy the first part of the lesson. 

CLASS 26TH MARCH - REPORTED SPEECH

We use reported speech to say what other people said. We usually change all the verbs one tense into the past, since 'what other people said' they usually said it in the past. Besides, we also change time expressions and pronouns. 

Example 1:
Adriana: 'I'm at home right now.'

 St 1 to st 2: 'Adriana said she was in her house at that moment.' 

Modal verbs also change to make them more past:

• can -> could
• must -> had to
• may -> might
• will -> would

Also, remember we use the verbs say or tell to report the words, but if we use tell we need to include someone, for instance 'Adriana told me she was in her house at that moment.'

To report questions there are 2 ways: for yes/no questions we include the word 'if'; and for wh-questions we use that wh-word instead of if. 

Example 2:
Adriana: 'Do you like online classes?'
Student 1 to student 2: 'Adriana asked us if we liked online classes.'

Example 3:
Adriana: 'What sport do you do at home?'
Student 1 to student 2: 'Adriana asked us what sport we did at home.'

If you've already done the homework on the reported speech (section 10A page 130), you can check your answers here (click). And if you have doubts, write a comment on this post and I'll try to explain it further.

Moreover, here I include some links where you can do more online activities on reported speech. Don't forget to check your answers once you've done each exercise.

• Link 1 Perfect English website
• Link 2 English grammar online
• Link 3 Test English 
• Link 4 Learn English online 

As some of you told me yesterday, here you are activities for three pandemics. 

Entry Checker Upper-Intermediate

Hey students! Welcome to our course!

As you know when you buy your upper-intermediate books, inside the workbook you can find a bunch of activities to revise the grammar contents of the previous year, called the Grammar Checker. However, the key for these exercises is not included. Well, here you are.

Answer Key

You need to know the contents of this booklet well in order to be ready for the grammar contents of the upper-intermediate book. 

So, enjoy revising them!

Extra Grammar Activities! 1B2

Hey Students!
You asked me the other day for more grammar activities to practise at home, and here you are! They're related to all the grammar contents of our upper-intermediate book. 

You just need to click on the link and print the specific section (e.g. 1A) and do it. Of course I've included the Answer Key so you can check your answers once you've done the activities.  

Intro   1A    1B    2A    2B    3A    3B    4A    4B    5A    5B    6A    6B    7A   7B    8A    8B   

 9A    9B    10A    10B          Answer Key 1        Anwer Key 2       Answer Key 3

Mini Grammar 1B      Mini Grammar 3A       Mini Grammar 7A

Mini Grammar 7B      Mini Grammar 8A     Mini Grammar 9A     Mini Grammar Key

If you have questions, ask in class or in a comment on this post and other students or the teacher will answer your doubts. 

Enjoy the practice!

Discourse Markers List

If you need a complete list of discourse markers to use when writing and speaking, check out this one. Look at the examples since each marker is usually used in a particular position in the sentence and you need to bear that in mind. 

Discourse Markers List

Practise Discourse Markers

Hey students, we've seen in class how important discourse markers are. Now here you are some more activities to practise them. 

Linkers 1
Linkers 2
Linkers 3
Linkers 4

Remember you have the grammar explanation in your book in unit 1 and also in unit 4. Besides, there's also a very complete list of discourse markers which you should print and study.

Enjoy the practice!

Extra Grammar Activities 2B2

Hi English Students!

I've included in this post the links to all the extra grammar activities which you can use to reinforce the contents seen in class (in the 2nd advanced course 2B2). You need to print the documents in order to do them. Remember to use these documents after seeing the corresponding section in class.

1A     1B     1C     2A     2B     2C     3A     3B     3C     

4A     4B     4C     5A     5B     5C     6A     6B     6C     

7A     7B     7C     Answers 1    Answers 2 

The correct answers are also included, so you can check your answers once you've done them, of course.

If you have questions, ask in class or in a comment and other students or the teacher will answer your doubts.

Enjoy the practice!

Grammar Checker for Advanced

Hey students! How are you doing?

As you know when you buy your advanced books, inside the workbook you can find a bunch of activities to revise the grammar contents of the previous year, called the Grammar Checker for Advanced. However, the key for these exercises is not included. Well, here you are.

Answer Key

You need to know the contents of this booklet well in order to be ready for the grammar contents of the advanced book. 

So, enjoy the weekend revising them!

Future in the Past

Future in the Past is used to express the idea that in the past you thought something would happen in the future. This can be expressed in different ways: 

- By using "was / were going to", you describe a future plan, intention or prediction at a certain point in the past that may or may not have taken place. Examples:

·       I told you he was going to come to the party. (plan)

·       I had a feeling that the vacation was going to be a disaster. (prediction)

·       I knew you were not going to go to the party.

- By using "past continuous". Just as we use the present continuous for arrangements, the past continuous can be use to express what was a future arrangement in the past.  Example:

·       I was travelling to London that night but my flight was cancelled. 

- By using "would" to imply a possibility or expectation. Examples:

·       I knew Julie would make dinner.

·       I knew you would not help him.

Remember No Future in Time Clauses 

Like all future forms, Future in the Past cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of using Future in the Past, you must use Simple Past. Examples:

·  I already told Mark that when he would arrive, we would go out for dinner. Not Correct

·  I already told Mark that when he arrived, we would go out for dinner. Correct

And now some exercises for you to practise: 

Choose the correct answer       

Rewriting     

Rewriting 2        

Match the setence halves

Prefixes

We played a prefixes domino in class the other day and I promised to give you a list of all the possible words you could create with the prefixes given in that game. So, here you are (click). 

Now it's time to revise the grammar related to this matter. Have a look at the following documents: 

• Using Negative Prefixes
• Meaning of Prefixes

You should also pay attention to the pronunciation of prefixes since many of them vary from the Spanish pronunciation. You can watch the following video where you have some of the most common prefixes pronounced. 

And if you want practice, here you are some very good links with exercises:

Adjective Prefixes Quiz

Prefixes & Suffixes Quiz

Negative Prefixes

Adjective Building Quiz

Verb Pattern Quizzes

Last week I gave you a complete list of verb patterns and now it's time to practise those verbs with some interactive activities in order to learn the patterns and use them in the future.  

Multiple Choice Exercise 1
Multiple Choice Exercise 2
Multiple Choice Exercise 3
Multiple Choice Exercise 4
Multiple Choice Exercise 5
Multiple Choice Exercise 6
Matching Exercise
Fill in Gaps Exercise

I know I've included too many activities. However, the best way to remember this type of patterns is by practising them.

Enjoy the practice!

Verb Patterns

The other day in class you asked me for a list of all these types of verbs which are followed by an -ing form or a "to" + infinitive, etc. And there you are, a very comprehensive list. Very useful, indeed!

Verb Patterns

Now it's your turn to learn it. I recommend you to learn the verbs within a sentence since it's easy to remember words in context.

Phrasal Verbs Practice

I know, I know, phrasal verbs are difficult, so that's why you need to use them a lot in order to remember their meanings. However, don't go crazy trying to memorize them, it won't work that way. You need to find them several times in texts, exercises, listening and finally you will learn these verbs and start using them in your own productions. 

Here you can find several websites with activities to practise them:

Mixed exercises

English Exercises

and even another of me posts on phrasal verbs here.

Enjoy your practice!

Reported Speech

One of the last grammar points we have seen this year is reported speech. We didn't dedicate it much time since the academic year is almost over. Nevertheless, I'll post here some more exercises for you to practice this point.

Reporting Activities

Reporting Exercises

If you have questions, just ask in a comment!

Infinitive of Purpose

As I pointed out in class, a common mistake you often make when speaking and writing in English is using the infinitive of purpose in a wrong way, that is to say, trying to use 'for' instead of a 'to-infinitive' when you want to express purpose.

    

Examples: 

       -  He's looking for a part time job to save some money.

       -  She wakes up early to be on time for work.

       - They exercise regularly not to get fat.

So, here you have some exercises to practise the use of purpose in English.
Joke, Explanation and Exercises
Multiple Choice
Paraphrasing Activity

Make or Do

"Make or do" is a bit like "to be, or not to be, that is the question". You need to learn when to use one or the other. 

We've already seen some examples but there are many more. On the following site you have a list of expressions with make or do.

Then, you can do some tests:
Quiz 1
Quiz 2
Quiz 3

Now you know a little bit more about make or do!

Verb Patterns

Verb patterns in English can be difficult to remember! In order to do so, you have to use them many times! Here you have some activities to practise all these verbs which are followed by another verb ending in -ing, or by an infinitive with or without to, etc.

Multiple Choice Exercise
Multiple Choice 2
Fill in gaps
Fill in gaps 2

Conjunctions: Wheel of Fortune Game

When communicating in a language we need to use conjunctions in order to link your ideas.

You already know words such as 'although', 'when', 'so', 'but', etc.

However, you need to practise linking phrases

in order to use them naturally.

On the following link you have a fun game you can use!

ESL Conjunctions Wheel of Fortune Game

Enjoy and learn English!

Prepositions

As you know English prepositions are difficult

since sometimes they are different from Spanish.

Do you remember we saw in class that
some adjectives are followed
by a particular preposition?

Here you have some quizzes to practise this content:

English Grammar Quiz, Prepositions Exercise

Adjectives Followed by Prepositions, ESL Grammar Quiz

Common Irregular Verbs

Irregular Verbs are difficult in English.

You need to revise them quite often in order to

learn them forever!

Have a look at this webpage for a whole list

and do the test you'll find at the end.

Common Irregular Verbs – Grouped · engVid