Category Archives: GENERAL

IMPROVING YOUR READING SKILLS

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 If you want to improve your reading, why don’t you try reading a newspaper from time to time?

At the school’s hall you will find the newspaper “CATALONIA TODAY”, if that is too difficult for you you can read “THE KEY”, a newspaper published online that provides reading material for adults learning English. You can download the whole newspaper and activities to check your comprehension. Here you have their latest issue:

the-key-march-2008.pdf 

 the-key-comprehension-activities-and-answerkey-march-2008.doc

Click here   THE KEY WEBSITE

PAST SIMPLE AND PRESENT PERFECT

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We use the past simple to talk about actions in the past that have finished. We use the present perfect simple to look back on actions in the past from the present.

These sentences are in the past with no connection to the present.

  • I first met him 10 years ago.
  • I started work here in 1987.
  • I ate too much at lunchtime.

Now look at these same situations seen from the present.

  • I’ve known him for 10 years.
  • I’ve worked here since 1987.
  • My stomach hurts. I’ve eaten too much.

Typical time phrases that we use with the past simple are ‘yesterday’, ‘ago’, ‘last year’, ‘in 1999’.

  • I spoke to him yesterday.
  • She came in a few moments ago.
  • We made our last purchase over a year ago.
  • He joined the company in 1999.

Typical time phrases that we use with the present perfect are ‘ever’, ‘never’, ‘since’.

  • I’ve never seen so many people.
  • Have you ever been more shocked?
  • I’ve done a lot since we last spoke.

Time phrases always used with the present perfect  are ‘already’, ‘just’, ‘yet’.

  • I haven’t done it yet.
  • I’ve just done it.
  • I’ve already done it.

exercise 1         exercise 2      exercise 3         exercise 4       exercise 5

LETTERS OF COMPLAINT

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After correcting your letters of complaint, here you have some suggestions for similar future compositions:

  1.  Letters of complaint are FORMAL LETTERS so don’t use contractions or informal structures.
  2. You should be polite, don’t use imperatives or modal verbs like must or have to. Use should/shouldn’t or conditionals.
  3. Organise your writing in DIFFERENT PARAGRAPHS.
  4. Have a look at the following chart:

 

SALUTATION Dear Sir or Madam,

Dear Sirs,

 Dear Mr Robinson,

Dear Mrs Hills,
ENDING Yours faithfully, Yours sincerely,

TARANTINO’S BIOGRAPHY

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Have a look at this short biography of the famous film director Quentin Tarantino, the speaker is maybe a bit difficult to understand but it’s good practice to get used to American accent.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/C98NMTVWS1k" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

UNIT 7

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We are about to start unit 7 which is about the Past Simple and the Present Perfect. Watch the following videos:

PAST SIMPLE

 [kml_flashembed movie=" http://www.youtube.com/v/mW7Xd9xBWvY " width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

PRESENT PERFECT

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/OwEW0cTgMew" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

PAST SIMPLE AND PRESENT PERFECT 

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/-hK7nEZrA2k" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

LISTENING COMPREHENSION: SAVING THE SIGN

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Watch the video on the world-wide famous Hollywood sign and complete the sentences below.

Click here to watch the video.

1.       There is a fight over the famous Hollywood sign between __________________ and______________ against developers.

2.       The city and the business are based on ________________.

3.       The Hollywood sign represents ____________ , wealth and ________________ in one word.

4.       The Hollywood sign has survived ____________, ____________   and _________years up there.

5.       The property next to the sign, now on sale, was bought in 2002 for less than _______________ dollars.

6.       When was the sign built? 

Once you have finished click on the answer key below to check your comprehension.

saving-the-sign-answer-key.doc

FIRST CONDITIONAL

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Conditionals are formed by two different sentences. The first is the condition preceded by IF, the second is the result of that condition.Have a look at the different tenses used in the First Conditional:

IF + PRESENT TENSE , PRESENT TENSE/FUTURE SIMPLE

Now have a look at the videos:

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/ow8FIHbwekU" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/CdHbkjCviC0" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]