Para REIR..... o llorar
Si acoges a un perro hambriento y le alimentas, él no te morderá.
Ésa es la principal diferencia entre un perro y un hombre.
quinta-feira, 29 de novembro de 2007
MASCOTAS
Una mascota - mascote
Un perro - cachorro
Un gato(a) - gato
Un canario - canário
Una tortuga - tartaruga
Un conejo - coelho
Un loro - papagaio
Un pez - peixe
Un hámster - hámster
Collocations - words have friends too!
These materials are suitable for upper intermediate to advanced language learners, and deal with common learner problems as well as some of the great new features of the second edition of the Macmillan English Dictionary. When learning words it is helpful to notice and to learn some of the words that they often occur with (their collocations). This helps learners to manipulate 'chunks' of language, and to work with greater fluency. The new edition of the Macmillan English Dictionary contains over 500 special collocation boxes in addition to the essential collocates that are shown in the dictionary entry. The activities in the worksheet focus on this great feature of the dictionary, and aim to help students to make use of the ways in which the Macmillan English Dictionary gives information on collocations.
Worksheet
Teacher's Notes
Worksheet
Teacher's Notes
Pink dolphins
Advanced by Nicholas Sheard
Type of activity: Reading. Pair and group.
Aims: To practise taking part in a meeting.
Tasks: To play a role in a discussion about ethical tourism and development.
Extreme sports
The subject of this week’s lesson is extreme sports. One of the greatest ever feats in surfing was achieved by the American ‘big wave’ pioneer Greg Noll, who rode what is considered to be the largest wave ever paddled into, in Hawaii on 4th December 1969.
Level
Pre-intermediate and above (equivalent to CEF level A2-B1 and above)
Related Websites
Send your students to these websites, or just take a look yourself.
A short text from BBC Newsround in which a British thirteen-year-old explains why she enjoys surfing. Accessible to pre-intermediate level.
A short text on snowboarding, again from BBC Newsround, with links to two other texts. Accessible to pre-intermediate level.
A commercial site offering brief descriptions of various extreme sports. Challenging for pre-intermediate level.
Héroe
La veneración y el respeto a los héroes se cuentan entre las tradiciones más antiguas de la Humanidad. Los primeros ejemplares del homo sapiens temían y respetaban a los más fuertes y a los más ancianos, que en aquella época podían llegar a los treinta años. Los pueblos prehistóricos indoeuropeos llamaban seros a aquellos que les daban protección.
Mil años después, surgió entre los aedos griegos –los cantores de hazañas épicas como tal vez fuera Homero– la figura mítica del héroe, un personaje generalmente emparentado con los dioses, como Aquiles o Eneas, que llamaron heros. La palabra fue adoptada en latín por Virgilio como hçrôs, con la denotación de un semidiós, hijo de un mortal con una diosa, pero Cicerón aplicó el vocablo a los hombres célebres de su tiempo.
El español heredó la palabra latina, que aparece por primera vez en nuestra lengua en el Vocabulario de Alonso de Palencia (1490) como heroes, definidos como "fuertes varones" o heroas ("medio dios segund que tenian opinión de los heroas"). La palabra se tildó durante mucho tiempo como heróe, incluso en la primera edición del Diccionario de la Academia, pero la acentuación actual fue seguida por Góngora y Lope de Vega. Este último fue el primero que habló en castellano de heroína, una palabra que ya había sido empleada en latín por Ovidio, aunque referida apenas a la mujer o la hija de un héroe. La primera heroína por sus propios méritos de la historia tal vez haya sido Juana de Arco, aunque los ingleses no lo crean así (Ver también heroína).
Hoy en día las cosas han cambiado. Los héroes del siglo XXI son más bien los jugadores de fútbol, –seguidos por miles de personas en las canchas de fútbol y por millones en la televisión–, los actores y actrices de cine y algunos líderes políticos. O los ‘superhéroes’ personajes de ficción de poderes sobrenaturales divulgados en las tiras cómicas y en la televisión.
Mil años después, surgió entre los aedos griegos –los cantores de hazañas épicas como tal vez fuera Homero– la figura mítica del héroe, un personaje generalmente emparentado con los dioses, como Aquiles o Eneas, que llamaron heros. La palabra fue adoptada en latín por Virgilio como hçrôs, con la denotación de un semidiós, hijo de un mortal con una diosa, pero Cicerón aplicó el vocablo a los hombres célebres de su tiempo.
El español heredó la palabra latina, que aparece por primera vez en nuestra lengua en el Vocabulario de Alonso de Palencia (1490) como heroes, definidos como "fuertes varones" o heroas ("medio dios segund que tenian opinión de los heroas"). La palabra se tildó durante mucho tiempo como heróe, incluso en la primera edición del Diccionario de la Academia, pero la acentuación actual fue seguida por Góngora y Lope de Vega. Este último fue el primero que habló en castellano de heroína, una palabra que ya había sido empleada en latín por Ovidio, aunque referida apenas a la mujer o la hija de un héroe. La primera heroína por sus propios méritos de la historia tal vez haya sido Juana de Arco, aunque los ingleses no lo crean así (Ver también heroína).
Hoy en día las cosas han cambiado. Los héroes del siglo XXI son más bien los jugadores de fútbol, –seguidos por miles de personas en las canchas de fútbol y por millones en la televisión–, los actores y actrices de cine y algunos líderes políticos. O los ‘superhéroes’ personajes de ficción de poderes sobrenaturales divulgados en las tiras cómicas y en la televisión.
terça-feira, 27 de novembro de 2007
The Flatmates
This week: Tim wants some financial help to get his business enterprise off the ground and pays a visit to the bank.
quinta-feira, 22 de novembro de 2007
Grammar lessons
Basic
Help your students really get to know how to use the imperative. Try this unit from Oxford Practice Grammar Basic, with Lesson Links teacher's notes and worksheets for your students.
Download the unit in colour or black & white
Lesson Links teacher's notes & worksheets
Intermediate
Help your students gain confidence in choosing between who, what, and which in questions. Try this unit from Oxford Practice Grammar Intermediate, with Lesson Links teacher's notes and worksheets for your students.
Download the unit in colour or black & white
Lesson Links notes & worksheets
Grammar Tips
It's not always easy to explain when you use a particular grammar structure instead of another – but collect these handy tips and you'll soon have a useful bank of ready-made explanations! You can also print them out and give them to your students.
If your elementary to intermediate students need some help with understanding how to form contractions, particularly how not to confuse it's/its and who's/whose, then they need these handy tips!
Download
If your intermediate to advanced students need some help with understanding how to form polite imperatives and requests, as well as when to use must and have to, try out these handy tips!
Download
Help your students really get to know how to use the imperative. Try this unit from Oxford Practice Grammar Basic, with Lesson Links teacher's notes and worksheets for your students.
Download the unit in colour or black & white
Lesson Links teacher's notes & worksheets
Intermediate
Help your students gain confidence in choosing between who, what, and which in questions. Try this unit from Oxford Practice Grammar Intermediate, with Lesson Links teacher's notes and worksheets for your students.
Download the unit in colour or black & white
Lesson Links notes & worksheets
Grammar Tips
It's not always easy to explain when you use a particular grammar structure instead of another – but collect these handy tips and you'll soon have a useful bank of ready-made explanations! You can also print them out and give them to your students.
If your elementary to intermediate students need some help with understanding how to form contractions, particularly how not to confuse it's/its and who's/whose, then they need these handy tips!
Download
If your intermediate to advanced students need some help with understanding how to form polite imperatives and requests, as well as when to use must and have to, try out these handy tips!
Download
John F. Kennedy assassinated
November 22: General Interest 1963 : John F. Kennedy assassinated
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, is assassinated while traveling through Dallas, Texas, in an open-top convertible.First lady Jacqueline Kennedy rarely accompanied her husband on political outings, but she was beside him, along with Texas Governor John Connally and his wife, for a 10-mile motorcade through thestreets of downtown Dallas on November 22. Sitting in a Lincoln convertible, the Kennedys and Connallys waved at the large andenthusiastic crowds gathered along the parade route. As their vehicle passed the Texas School Book Depository Building at 12:30 p.m., Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly fired three shots from the sixth floor,fatally wounding President Kennedy and seriously injuring Governor Connally. Kennedy was pronounced dead 30 minutes later at Dallas' Parkland Hospital. He was 46.Vice President Lyndon Johnson, who was three cars behind President Kennedy in the motorcade, was sworn in as the 36th president of theUnited States at 2:39 p.m. He took the presidential oath of office aboard Air Force One as it sat on the runway at Dallas Love Fieldairport. The swearing in was witnessed by some 30 people, including Jacqueline Kennedy, who was still wearing clothes stained with herhusband's blood. Seven minutes later, the presidential jet took off for Washington.The next day, November 23, President Johnson issued his first proclamation, declaring November 25 to be a day of national mourningfor the slain president. On that Monday, hundreds of thousands ofpeople lined the streets of Washington to watch a horse-drawn caissonbear Kennedy's body from the Capitol Rotunda to St. Matthew's Catholic Cathedral for a requiem Mass. The solemn procession then continued onto Arlington National Cemetery, where leaders of 99 nations gatheredfor the state funeral. Kennedy was buried with full military honors ona slope below Arlington House, where an eternal flame was lit by his widow to forever mark the grave.Lee Harvey Oswald, born in New Orleans in 1939, joined the U.S.Marines in 1956. He was discharged in 1959 and nine days later left for the Soviet Union, where he tried unsuccessfully to become acitizen. He worked in Minsk and married a Soviet woman and in 1962 was allowed to return to the United States with his wife and infant daughter. In early 1963, he bought a .38 revolver and rifle with atelescopic sight by mail order, and on April 10 in Dallas he allegedly shot at and missed former U.S. Army general Edwin Walker, a figure known for his extreme right-wing views. Later that month, Oswald went to New Orleans and founded a branch of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, a pro-Castro organization. In September 1963, he went to Mexico City, where investigators allege that he attempted to secure avisa to travel to Cuba or return to the USSR. In October, he returned to Dallas and took a job at the Texas School Book Depository Building.Less than an hour after Kennedy was shot, Oswald killed a policeman who questioned him on the street near his rooming house in Dallas.Thirty minutes later, Oswald was arrested in a movie theater by police responding to reports of a suspect. He was formally arraigned on November 23 for the murders of President Kennedy and Officer J.D.Tippit.On November 24, Oswald was brought to the basement of the Dallas police headquarters on his way to a more secure county jail. A crowd of police and press with live television cameras rolling gathered towitness his departure. As Oswald came into the room, Jack Ruby emerged from the crowd and fatally wounded him with a single shot from aconcealed .38 revolver. Ruby, who was immediately detained, claimed that rage at Kennedy's murder was the motive for his action. Some called him a hero, but he was nonetheless charged with first-degreemurder.Jack Ruby, originally known as Jacob Rubenstein, operated strip jointsand dance halls in Dallas and had minor connections to organizedcrime. He features prominently in Kennedy-assassination theories, andmany believe he killed Oswald to keep him from revealing a larger conspiracy. In his trial, Ruby denied the allegation and pleadedinnocent on the grounds that his great grief over Kennedy's murder had caused him to suffer "psychomotor epilepsy" and shoot Oswald unconsciously. The jury found Ruby guilty of "murder with malice" andsentenced him to die.In October 1966, the Texas Court of Appeals reversed the decision onthe grounds of improper admission of testimony and the fact that Rubycould not have received a fair trial in Dallas at the time. In January1967, while awaiting a new trial, to be held in Wichita Falls, Rubydied of lung cancer in a Dallas hospital.The official Warren Commission report of 1964 concluded that neither Oswald nor Ruby were part of a larger conspiracy, either domestic orinternational, to assassinate President Kennedy. Despite its seeminglyfirm conclusions, the report failed to silence conspiracy theoriessurrounding the event, and in 1978 the House Select Committee onAssassinations concluded in a preliminary report that Kennedy was"probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy" that may haveinvolved multiple shooters and organized crime. The committee's findings, as with those of the Warren Commission, continue to bewidely disputed.
Defensa
Antiguamente —y aun hoy en muchos países— los organismos oficiales encargados de asuntos militares eran llamados Ministerio de Guerra, un nombre que aludía exactamente a la función que cumplían: hacer la guerra o prepararse para ella. Sin embargo, con el paso del tiempo, los gobernantes fueron comprendiendo que la guerra suele ser una empresa que da poco prestigio y que quienes se defienden de ella se granjean más simpatía por parte del público y de la prensa. Así, los ministerios pasaron a llamarse, simpáticamente, ‘de Defensa’, así como las asignaciones presupuestarias se llamaron ‘gastos de Defensa’, aunque estuvieran destinadas a atacar a otros países. En efecto, mientras hoy se entiende que hacer la guerra es una tarea menos noble que lo que se creía algunos siglos atrás, las invocaciones a la ‘defensa nacional’ todavía despiertan sentimientos patrióticos. Algún ingenuo podría pensar que si todos se defienden, nadie hará la guerra, pero los hechos no confirman esa suposición.
Defensa se formó en latín a partir del verbo latino defendo, -ere, que se derivaba, a su vez, del verbo arcaico fendo, -ere (incitar, estimular, golpear), que ya no era usado en la época clásica. A este verbo se antepuso el prefijo de-, que en este caso significa ‘rechazar’, ‘repeler’, para formar defendere (rechazar a un enemigo, proteger o protegerse). Si a fendere se antepone el prefijo ob- (hacia delante, con el sentido de oposición), éste se convierte en of- (por estar antes de f), y se forma offendere (chocar con algo, golpear algo, disgustar a alguien), de donde se derivó nuestro verbo ofender.
Defensa se formó en latín a partir del verbo latino defendo, -ere, que se derivaba, a su vez, del verbo arcaico fendo, -ere (incitar, estimular, golpear), que ya no era usado en la época clásica. A este verbo se antepuso el prefijo de-, que en este caso significa ‘rechazar’, ‘repeler’, para formar defendere (rechazar a un enemigo, proteger o protegerse). Si a fendere se antepone el prefijo ob- (hacia delante, con el sentido de oposición), éste se convierte en of- (por estar antes de f), y se forma offendere (chocar con algo, golpear algo, disgustar a alguien), de donde se derivó nuestro verbo ofender.
El humor en el español de la ciencia y la tecnología
Autoras:
Ismael Arinas Pellón, M.ª Trinidad González González, M.ª Jesús Gozalo Sáinz
Fuente:
Frecuencia L, nº 27, noviembre 2004
Sección:
Didáctica Acción
Se presentan ejemplos de como explotar las anécdotas y chistes que se reciben habitualmente a través del correo electrónico. Son materiales de fácil acceso que se pueden adaptar a las necesidades de los principiantes e introducir, con materiales reales, información cultural, vocabulario coloquial, variantes dialectales del español, y gramática. Estos ejercicios se han puesto en práctica...
http://www.edinumen.es/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=228&Itemid=66
Ismael Arinas Pellón, M.ª Trinidad González González, M.ª Jesús Gozalo Sáinz
Fuente:
Frecuencia L, nº 27, noviembre 2004
Sección:
Didáctica Acción
Se presentan ejemplos de como explotar las anécdotas y chistes que se reciben habitualmente a través del correo electrónico. Son materiales de fácil acceso que se pueden adaptar a las necesidades de los principiantes e introducir, con materiales reales, información cultural, vocabulario coloquial, variantes dialectales del español, y gramática. Estos ejercicios se han puesto en práctica...
http://www.edinumen.es/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=228&Itemid=66
Día Mundial de la Televisión
Nombre de la actividad:21/11, Día Mundial de la Televisión
Autoras:
Teresa González Sáinz, Chris Evenden
Autoras:
Teresa González Sáinz, Chris Evenden
Fuente:
“El libro de los días. Actividades para clase de español a partir de fechas señaladas", Editorial Edinumen, 2006
Nivel:
A partir de A1
Destreza:
Expresión escrita, expresión/interacción oral
Contenido:
Gramatical, léxico, cultural
Con esta actividad los estudiantes van a ampliar su léxico relacionado con tipos de programas televisivos, así como a expresar su opinión sobre los tipos de programas que prefieren y cuáles creen que son más adecuados para diiferentes tipos de público. También tendrán que escribir definiciones y, con ellas, completar un crucigrama junto con un compañero.
Sharing cultural differences
Go to lesson
Daren and Jun are talking about cultural differences. Do you like learning about new cultures?
Choose the correct answer. "Prepare" means
1. come up with something new
2. improvise
3 no planning needed
4. get ready
Daren and Jun are talking about cultural differences. Do you like learning about new cultures?
Choose the correct answer. "Prepare" means
1. come up with something new
2. improvise
3 no planning needed
4. get ready
quarta-feira, 21 de novembro de 2007
Eñe que eñe
Os mandamos el boletín mensual eñe que eñe (http://www.edelsa.es/editor/docu/eñequeeñenoviembre07.zip) de noviembre de 2007, en el que incluimos:
- La agenda completa de congresos y jornadas en los que podréis encontrarnos.
- Las novedades editoriales de este mes: Competencia Gramatical en USO A2, Pruebas de nivel y ejercicios complementarios de Nuevo Ven 3 y Preparación para DELE B2 (Intermedio): Nueva edición con acentos hispanos.
- Actividades: Los viernes trabajo...¿por o para la mañana?. Ejercicios extraídos de Competencia Gramatical en USO A1.
- Calendario intercultural.
- La agenda completa de congresos y jornadas en los que podréis encontrarnos.
- Las novedades editoriales de este mes: Competencia Gramatical en USO A2, Pruebas de nivel y ejercicios complementarios de Nuevo Ven 3 y Preparación para DELE B2 (Intermedio): Nueva edición con acentos hispanos.
- Actividades: Los viernes trabajo...¿por o para la mañana?. Ejercicios extraídos de Competencia Gramatical en USO A1.
- Calendario intercultural.
Intercultural Resources Pack for Latin America
This Resource Pack provides practical activities for teachers to be used in the classroom primarily in Latin America, although these can be adapted to suit otherinternational contexts, as a tool for understanding othercultures and promoting reflection in order to avoid culturalbias and challenge stereotypes. This pack represents the outcome of a project proposal started at the Hornby Summer School Brazil 2006 where we had the opportunity to explore the concept of Intercultural Competence in depth, as well as its implications for the current ELT scenario.
A Handful of Poems
Poems by Tony Mitton
The four poems in this collection are all by Tony Mitton, and the materials are the first to be designed by BritLit for the age range 9 – 11 year olds. Each collection includes text and audio of the poem as well as learning activities, teachers' notes and visual support.
Robin Hood Rap
Rap poem - The text of the poem
Rap poem - Audio file mp3 (right button - Save target as)
Flash cards
Robin Hood Story - Power Point (7.1Mb)
Worksheet 1 - A quiz
Worksheet 2 - Map of Sherwood Forest
Worksheet 3 - Rhythm and Rhyme
Worksheet 4 - Scroll book
Worksheet 5 - Wordsearch
Teachers’ notes and key
I Wanna Be A Star
Star poem - The text of the poem
Star poem - Audio file mp3 (right button - Save target as)
Poem flashcards
Worksheet 1 - Jobs and Bingo
Worksheet 2 - Text messaging
Teachers’ notes and key
Key
Key poem - The text of the poem
Key poem - Audio file mp3 (right button - Save target as)
Worksheet 1 - Magic Box
Worksheet 2 - Word Maze
Worksheet 3 - Formatted poem
Teachers’ notes and key
Arabian Nights
Arabian Nights poem - The text of the poem
Arabian Nights poem - Audio file mp3 (right button - Save target as)
Flashcards - Power Point
Worksheet 1 - Matching pictures to blanks
Worksheet 2 - Gapped poem
Teachers’ notes and key
The future of advertising
By Pete Sharma
Level: Upper-intermediate and above
Worksheet
Teacher's Notes
This week's activities:
Matching expressions from the world of marketing to their definitions
Finding key words and expressions in an article
Reading an article about the future of advertising
Identifying the 'odd word out'
Discussing points arising from the article
Related Websites
Send your students to these websites, or just take a look yourself. http://www.gmarketing.com/tactics/weekly.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertising
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_placement
http://www.itworld.com/Tech/2427/071017nttsniff/
This month's In Company worksheets are available by clicking here
Level: Upper-intermediate and above
Worksheet
Teacher's Notes
This week's activities:
Matching expressions from the world of marketing to their definitions
Finding key words and expressions in an article
Reading an article about the future of advertising
Identifying the 'odd word out'
Discussing points arising from the article
Related Websites
Send your students to these websites, or just take a look yourself. http://www.gmarketing.com/tactics/weekly.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertising
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_placement
http://www.itworld.com/Tech/2427/071017nttsniff/
This month's In Company worksheets are available by clicking here
Massive numbers
Student's Worksheet
Teacher's Notes
Type of activity: Reading and speaking. Mill drill.
Aims: To practise large numbers.
Tasks: To exchange information. To match numbers to facts
Teacher's Notes
Type of activity: Reading and speaking. Mill drill.
Aims: To practise large numbers.
Tasks: To exchange information. To match numbers to facts
Newspapers
The subject of this week’s lesson is newspapers. One of the first mass-produced newspapers was The Times in Britain, which dramatically increased its circulation after starting to use a steam-powered press on 29th November 1814.
Level
Intermediate and above (equivalent to CEF level B1 and above)
Student's WorksheetPDF (76K)DOC (135K)
Teacher's NotesPDF (76K)DOC (18K)
Related Websites
Send your students to these websites, or just take a look yourself.
Quick access to the online content of hundreds of newspapers around the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journalism
The Wikipedia entry for ‘journalism’. Intermediate level and above.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/6220424.stm
A BBC article (2006) on the competition newspapers are facing from online news sources.
terça-feira, 20 de novembro de 2007
Quizzes and Exams
Six interactive questions
In the classroom
Try our fun interactive crossword
Education
Advice, information and quizzes to help you succeed in exams
Taking an exam?
Try this...Introduction
Guess the word from the clues to score points
Can you beat your high score?Try here
Travel round the British Isles in this audio quiz
Introduction
Test your listening skills through football commentary
Start here
In the classroom
Try our fun interactive crossword
Education
Advice, information and quizzes to help you succeed in exams
Taking an exam?
Try this...Introduction
Guess the word from the clues to score points
Can you beat your high score?Try here
Travel round the British Isles in this audio quiz
Introduction
Test your listening skills through football commentary
Start here
Future plans
Using 'going to' and the present continuous are two ways we can talk about our future plans and arrangements in English. In this programme we learn more about them and the differences between them. Our challenger Sung Hyeon from South Korea has to describe her future plans when trying to find a space in her busy diary for a meeting with Callum.
Download Sung Hyeon's diary from the challenge (pdf - 17 K)
Download Nuala's grammar explanation and table (pdf - 28 K)
Download this programme (mp3 - 1.8 MB)
Now it's your turn to practise future plans. Go to our quiz page on this subject here.
The emphatic do
Hossein asks:
Hello, your site is really helpful and I have used it since 2003. I have a question about using do with believe. Even I surprised when I saw do with read in the comments of ‘Contact Us’. Why do we use this auxiliary with those verbs? Is it mandatory?
Regards, Hossein
Listen and download
Real
mp3 (785 K)
Transcript (45 K)
Samantha Hague answers:
Hi Hossein and thank you for your question. I can understand why this usage of do is surprising for you! Students have asked me in the past about the use of do before verbs, as it seems to be an extra mystery verb! But rather than thinking about grammatical structure and word order, it may help if you think about the positive meaning of do instead. Listen to these examples and see if you can work out why we use do in them:
I do try to make my son do his homework, but he refuses to cooperate.
I did think you were going to speak to him about it.
I do hope he’ll try harder this year.
In each example, do is used to add emphasis to the main verb, that is, to make the expression or feeling stronger. In these examples, do functions as an emphatic auxiliary. And I just want to mention here that the auxiliary do cannot be combined with any other auxiliary – that is, we can’t say
I must do try to make my son do his homework.
although we could say
I must try to make my son do his homework.
You mention do used with believe, Hossein; can you see how it adds emphasis in the following examples?
I do believe we’ve met somewhere before.
I do think Chinese is a difficult language to learn.
I do feel that Jordan’s is the best restaurant in town.
I do hope she’ll be happier in the new house.
In all of these examples, do is used to reinforce the strength of claim and show certainty. But there’s another usage of do as an emphatic auxiliary. Sometimes we can use do to contradict or show contrast and here are some more examples:
I did call on him yesterday morning, although he said he didn’t hear the doorbell.
The office staff said my fax was late, but I did send it on time.
My daughter is so naughty at home, but her teacher says she does study hard at school.
In each of these examples, do shows the contrast between the expected and real outcome in each situation, and in speech, an emphatic do would usually be stressed. Well, Hossein, I do hope that this explanation has been useful to you!
Hello, your site is really helpful and I have used it since 2003. I have a question about using do with believe. Even I surprised when I saw do with read in the comments of ‘Contact Us’. Why do we use this auxiliary with those verbs? Is it mandatory?
Regards, Hossein
Listen and download
Real
mp3 (785 K)
Transcript (45 K)
Samantha Hague answers:
Hi Hossein and thank you for your question. I can understand why this usage of do is surprising for you! Students have asked me in the past about the use of do before verbs, as it seems to be an extra mystery verb! But rather than thinking about grammatical structure and word order, it may help if you think about the positive meaning of do instead. Listen to these examples and see if you can work out why we use do in them:
I do try to make my son do his homework, but he refuses to cooperate.
I did think you were going to speak to him about it.
I do hope he’ll try harder this year.
In each example, do is used to add emphasis to the main verb, that is, to make the expression or feeling stronger. In these examples, do functions as an emphatic auxiliary. And I just want to mention here that the auxiliary do cannot be combined with any other auxiliary – that is, we can’t say
I must do try to make my son do his homework.
although we could say
I must try to make my son do his homework.
You mention do used with believe, Hossein; can you see how it adds emphasis in the following examples?
I do believe we’ve met somewhere before.
I do think Chinese is a difficult language to learn.
I do feel that Jordan’s is the best restaurant in town.
I do hope she’ll be happier in the new house.
In all of these examples, do is used to reinforce the strength of claim and show certainty. But there’s another usage of do as an emphatic auxiliary. Sometimes we can use do to contradict or show contrast and here are some more examples:
I did call on him yesterday morning, although he said he didn’t hear the doorbell.
The office staff said my fax was late, but I did send it on time.
My daughter is so naughty at home, but her teacher says she does study hard at school.
In each of these examples, do shows the contrast between the expected and real outcome in each situation, and in speech, an emphatic do would usually be stressed. Well, Hossein, I do hope that this explanation has been useful to you!
quarta-feira, 14 de novembro de 2007
Roald Dahl
This week’s lesson is about the writer Roald Dahl (1916-90), and focuses particularly on his classic children’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. 23rd November will be the 17th anniversary of Dahl’s death.
Level
Pre-intermediate and above (equivalent to CEF level A2-B1 and above)
Student's WorksheetPDF (76K)DOC (135K)
Teacher's NotesPDF (76K)DOC (18K)
Student's WorksheetPDF (76K)DOC (135K)
Teacher's NotesPDF (76K)DOC (18K)
Glossary based on the Macmillan English Dictionary and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary PDF (77K)DOC (28K)
Related Websites
Send your students to these websites, or just take a look yourself.
The official Roald Dahl website. Lots of material, but challenging for pre-intermediate level. http://www.roalddahlfans.com/
A site for Dahl enthusiasts. Very comprehensive, including synopses of many of Dahl’s works. Intermediate level and above.
A BBC article on the preparations made in September 2006 for celebrations marking what would have been Dahl’s 90th birthday. Intermediate level and above.
International trade
Download the latest PowerPoint Presentation for November :
The Business Unit 8 PowerPoint Presentation (2MB)
Teacher's Notes PDF (58KB)
Teacher's Notes DOC (126KB)
The Business Unit 8 PowerPoint Presentation (2MB)
Teacher's Notes PDF (58KB)
Teacher's Notes DOC (126KB)
segunda-feira, 12 de novembro de 2007
David Coulthard
We meet one of the world's top Formula One drivers, David Coulthard. He tells us what it's like to speed round a track at 280km/h and about how many men in sports, himself included, struggle with eating disorders.
Vocabulary from the programme
precision
the quality of being accurate and careful
to concentrate
to focus on a task without thinking about anything else
to be 'in the zone' (informal)
to be so focused on what you are doing that nothing else matters and your performance is better
it's cramped
it has very little space and it's hard to move around
the cockpit
the part of the car where the driver sits
bulimia
an eating disorder where people make themselves vomit to get rid of food they have eaten and lose weight
to be macho
to hide emotions and to want to appear tough in a way traditionally associated with men
Extras
*English & Español is not responsible for the content of external websites
Beans
In this episode, The Teacher introduces you to three idiomatic phrases connected with beans.
1. To be full of beans
2. I haven't got a bean
3. Spill the beans
Video
After you've watched the video, why not download the script?
domingo, 11 de novembro de 2007
Emoticons, emails and letter writing
Do you prefer to write letters or send emails? Do you use emoticons when you write emails? What do you think when you receive an email containing emoticons?
Level: intermediate
Level: elementary
Level: advanced
Type: news lesson
sábado, 10 de novembro de 2007
The Road Less Travelled
A new soap opera from onestopenglish
Author: Lindsay Clandfield and Jo Budden
The onestopenglish team is very excited to announce the launch of the onestopenglish soap opera, The Road Less Travelled!
This is a new series of podcasts for Staff Room members but the trailer and introductory lesson are available free to all onestopenglish users. We will be publishing a new episode every two weeks so keep your eyes peeled!
Meet Katie – a girl who is so bored with her life in Britain that she decides to go to California to make a fresh start. What happens to the boyfriend she leaves behind? And who is the tall, handsome stranger she meets on the plane?
Author: Lindsay Clandfield and Jo Budden
The onestopenglish team is very excited to announce the launch of the onestopenglish soap opera, The Road Less Travelled!
This is a new series of podcasts for Staff Room members but the trailer and introductory lesson are available free to all onestopenglish users. We will be publishing a new episode every two weeks so keep your eyes peeled!
Meet Katie – a girl who is so bored with her life in Britain that she decides to go to California to make a fresh start. What happens to the boyfriend she leaves behind? And who is the tall, handsome stranger she meets on the plane?
Each episode will include:
An audio file of around two minutes in length.
A copy of the tapescript
A worksheet with: listening exercises language exercises a speaking activity
Related Pages
The Road Less Travelled: Introductory lesson: Speaking and reading activities (420k)
Author: Lindsay Clandfield
Level: intermediate
Type: general lesson plan
Episode 1: The phone call: Audio and activities
Katie gets a call from her cousin Sal in California, inviting her to move out there. Their conversation is interrupted when Katie’s boyfriend, Mark, arrives home.
Related Pages
The Road Less Travelled: Episode 1: Listening activities and transcript (361k)
Author: Lindsay Clandfield
Space Invaders
By Geoffrey Matthews
In this story, set sometime in the future, Varon, an intergalactic pirate, manages to steal one of the most valuable items in the universe. When he becomes trapped, Omega offers his help but he has his own reasons for doing so.
In this story, set sometime in the future, Varon, an intergalactic pirate, manages to steal one of the most valuable items in the universe. When he becomes trapped, Omega offers his help but he has his own reasons for doing so.
Chapter One: 'I am Omega'
SpaceInvaders011.MP3
(3Mb)
Related Pages
The Space Invaders: Chapter 1: Listening activities and transcript (578k)
SpaceInvaders011.MP3
(3Mb)
Related Pages
The Space Invaders: Chapter 1: Listening activities and transcript (578k)
Author: Adrian Tennant
Level: intermediate Type: general lesson plan
quinta-feira, 8 de novembro de 2007
Fallecer
Frecuentemente se usa como equivalente a morir, tal vez como eufemismo, pero la sinonimia no es muy exacta. Fallecer es morir en el sentido de ‘llegar al fin de la vida’, como ocurre en la vejez o al cabo de una larga enfermedad, tiene un matiz de desfallecimiento, de proceso gradual. El buen uso del lenguaje exige que no se utilice fallecer para referirse a una muerte súbita o en un accidente: suena muy mal ‘fallecieron ochenta personas en la caída de un avión’.
La palabra proviene del verbo latino fallere (engañar, no cumplir, ser infiel, fingir), a partir del cual se formó también fallar. De este verbo se derivó el adjetivo latino falax, fallacis (impostor, pérfido, mentiroso) y también el vocablo del latín vulgar falla, que dio lugar a fallecer y a desfallecer. El supino de fallere era falsus, de donde provienen falso y falta.
Cabe precisar que el fallo de un juez es palabra de origen diferente: el castellano antiguo fallar (hallar, encontrar, darse con).
La palabra proviene del verbo latino fallere (engañar, no cumplir, ser infiel, fingir), a partir del cual se formó también fallar. De este verbo se derivó el adjetivo latino falax, fallacis (impostor, pérfido, mentiroso) y también el vocablo del latín vulgar falla, que dio lugar a fallecer y a desfallecer. El supino de fallere era falsus, de donde provienen falso y falta.
Cabe precisar que el fallo de un juez es palabra de origen diferente: el castellano antiguo fallar (hallar, encontrar, darse con).
Business wikis
By Pete Sharma
Level: Intermediate and above
This week's activities:
Comparing and discussing job tasks
Matching six short wiki postings with their headings
Reading the postings and summarising the key points
Identifying words in the postings from their definitions
Discussing points arising from the wiki postings
Related Websites
Send your students to these websites, or just take a look yourself. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikis
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=167600331
Interview with a centenarian
Pre-intermediate by Simone Foster
Student's Worksheet
Teacher's Notes
Type of activity: Speaking. Pair work.
Aims: To practise used to + infinitive in question and answer forms.
Tasks: To carry out a role-play in the form of an interview with a centenarian.
Student's Worksheet
Teacher's Notes
Type of activity: Speaking. Pair work.
Aims: To practise used to + infinitive in question and answer forms.
Tasks: To carry out a role-play in the form of an interview with a centenarian.
Condoleezza Rice
The subject of this lesson is the Secretary of State in the United States government, Condoleezza Rice. She was born in the southern state of Alabama on 14th November 1954.
Level
Upper Intermediate and above (equivalent to CEF level B2 and above)
Student's Worksheet
Teacher's Notes
Glossary based on the Macmillan English Dictionary and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary
Related http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100/article/0,28804,1595326_1615513_1614667,00.html
A short text on Condoleezza Rice from Time magazine’s list of the ‘100 Most Influential People’ (2007). Appropriate for upper intermediate level.
A profile of Rice from the BBC website (2006). Quite a long text. Appropriate for upper intermediate level.
A long and challenging text from the Guardian (2005), entitled ‘How Condoleezza Rice became the most powerful woman in the world’.
Assinar:
Postagens (Atom)