Why do people decorate trees to celebrate Christmas?

 

Key word transformations C1 advanced

Word families are the game here.

Read the text and then find the correct form of the word in CAPITALS to complete the gaps.

There is an example at the beginning. Find the solutions following the execise(try not to look!)

Advertising

Many people find their work rather (0) boring                  BORE

I get a lot of (1)……….from my job. Advertising             SATISFY

can be very (2)……….because you have to think of         CREATE

new ways to attract people’s (3)………. The best             ATTEND

way to do this is by surprising them. (4)………. is            FAMILIAR

boring and people soon get fed up with an (5)……….      ADVERTISE

they have seen many times before. (6) ……….they          CONSCIOUS

want to be shocked. Apart from (7)………., the other      ORIGINAL

really important (8)……….of a good campaign is            CHARACTER

(9)………. After all if people don’t remember what        MEMORABLE

was being advertised, they won’t buy the (10)……….       PRODUCE

KEY:

1 satisfaction

2 creative

3 attention

4 familiarity

5 advertisement

6 subconsciously

7 originality

8 characteristic

9 memorisation 

10 product

 

Saint Nicholas Day in another country

 

Try something new for 30 days? A multimedia thought process

 

Are you wondering if ...

...you are studying English at the correct level?

We have an idea!  Take an online test (have the results sent to you if you like). 

Begin HERE

Pre intermediate?

As you continue to learn, it is nice to have a place to find practice without thinking too much!  

We search for and find good practice for you so you don't have to.

 This week it is adjectives ending in '-ed' and '-ing'

begin HERE

 

Beginner?

We have just what you need! 

We understand:  you need loads of practice. We search and find exercises for you.

This time is it the article a, an, or the. 

Begin HERE 

Halloween is a festival, but why?

         

 Quick Quiz. Choose the best word to complete the sentences. Begin HERE

Grammar alert: verb patterns - to +infinitive or -ing

 

 In order to remember verb patterns in English we have to memorise the usage,  which means to say: 

...see it 

...say it 

...use it

...write it

.......and put it into our brain forever.

Why?

Look at these examples to see how these verb patterns work.

The bus stopped picking up the children.
The bus stopped to pick up the children. 

I want to try studying with a friend to see if it helps us stay more motivated.
I'm trying to study but it's impossible with all this noise.

Let's give it a go.  At the bottom of the explanations there is an exercise

Thank you British Council

Linking words from yesterday

 And here are the solutions.

I hope you noted the commas and the formal vs informal tones. No?  Look again.  Is the sentence proper? What connector did it use?

Is the information a contrast or extra information?

LINKING WORDS

solutions

 

Their team has got the best players. Besides, their coach is fantastic.

Anna is talented at music as well as art.

In London we saw the Queen’s palace. In addition we visited the British Museum.

When I was young, I wanted to become a doctor. I also wanted to be famous.

The service at this restaurant is excellent. Moreover, the food is delicious.

Roger works very hard to help his parents. Furthermore, he’s also a good student.

I’m keen on Ice cream as well as chocolate.

 

 

Their team has got the best players. Nevertheless, they lost the last game.

Lorena seems to be quite clever. However, she often gets low marks.

Jordi is a careful driver. Nevertheless, he has had several accidents.

Although Jordi is a careful driver, he has had several accidents.

I’d love to come. However, I really haven’t got time.

Although they get on very well, they are not best friends.

Tina gets good grades because she works hard whereas Kate is simply lazy.

Tina gets good grades because she works hard. Kate, in contrast, is very lazy.

Tina is very hard-working. Kate, on the other hand, is lazy.

 

 

Chris did not revise before the test. Consequently, he got a poor grade.

Lena works very hard at school. As a result, she is one of the best students.

I forgot to bring my homework again. Therefore, I had to stay behind after school.

Linking word practice

..are an absolute must in essay writing.  Let's take a look at some of the most common ones and place them in their appropriate place. 

Not sure? Come back tomorrow for the solutions.

LINKING WORDS

 1. Use one of the words to complete the sentences. 

besides        furthermore        also        moreover        in addition        as well as

 

Their team has got the best players. _____________, their coach is fantastic.

Anna is talented at music ____________ art.

In London we saw the Queen’s palace. ______________, we visited the British Museum.

When I was young, I wanted to become a doctor. I ________ wanted to be famous.

The service at this restaurant is excellent. ______________, the food is delicious.

Roger works very hard to help his parents. _________________, he’s also a good student.

    I’m keen on Ice cream _______________ chocolate.

 

2. Use one of the words in the box to complete the sentences.

however       nevertheless        on the other hand        although        whereas    in contrast

 

Their team has got the best players. ______________, they lost the last game.

Lorena seems to be quite clever. ________________, she often gets low marks.

Jordi is a careful driver. _________________, he has had several accidents.

________________ Jordi is a careful driver, he has had several accidents.

I’d love to come. __________________, I really haven’t got time.

________________ they get on very well, they are not best friends.

Tina gets good grades because she works hard ______________ Kate is simply lazy.

Tina gets good grades because she works hard. Kate, ________________, is very lazy.

Tina is very hard-working. Kate, ____________________, is lazy.

 

3. Use one of the words in the box to complete the sentences. 

therefore        consequently        as a result

 

Chris did not revise before the test. __________________, he got a poor grade.

Lena works very hard at school. __________________, she is one of the best students.

I forgot to bring my homework again. ________________, I had to stay behind after school.

 

A short story

Every Saturday Daniel and his family go to the beach. They live far from the beach, but once a week the family gets into the car and Daniel's father drives for hours until they arrive.

Daniel's parents love the beach. Daniel and his sister and brother love the beach. The family's dog loves the beach very much.

But it is a problem to go to the beach every week. Daniel's father gets tired from driving so many hours. The rest of the family gets tired from sitting in the car for so many hours. Daniel's mother says: "It's fun in the beach, but it takes too much time to get there and back!"

Daniel and his sister and brother are very sad. They want to go to the beach, but it is a problem. They try to go the swimming pool, but it is not the same thing.

One day Daniel's parents come to talk with the kids. They say: "We have a problem to go to the beach every week, but we love the beach, and you love the beach, and the dog loves the beach. So we have a solution. We need to live near the beach!"

Daniel and his sister and brother are very happy! Now they live near the beach. They go to the beach every day!

THE END

Time for some fun vocabulary learning!

Opposites are a fun way of learning new words.

Give it a go HERE

Is the 'TH' sound tricky? Let's practice with Tom.

Do you have 5 minutes? Then we have the person to help with the TH sound  👅

thank you Rachel's English

Reading: famous English fables

 Reading can be entertaining. 

In the post I shall attempt to show you this.

Follow this link. Choose from the menu: 

Cat, Fish, Fox, Hare, Lark, Miser, Lion, Wolf, Mouse, Jack 

Click on the gap and add the correct article (a, an, the, -)

Begin here

Brain teaser! definite or indefinite article?

Think: 

a, an, the , -

She loves dessert.
She loves the flavour of chocolate.
Why don't we use 'the' in the first example?

Why not brush up on the reason? 

                                                     

Restroom or bathroom?

A true story

Laura is at the airport. She waits for her flight. 

Her flight is to Berlin, and it is 4 hours away. 

Laura walks around the airport and looks at the shops. She has a nice time.

After an hour she wants to visit the bathroom. She searches for it, but she doesn't find it.

"Where is the bathroom?" she asks herself.

She looks and looks but she can't find it. She starts asking people where it is.

Laura: "Excuse me sir, could you please tell me where is the bathroom?"

Man: "You mean the restroom, right?"

Laura: "No, I mean the bathroom."

Man: "Well, the restroom is over there." He says and walks away.

Laura doesn't understand. She asks a lady: "Excuse me madam, could you please tell me where is the bathroom?"

"The restroom is over there," the lady answers and walks away.

Laura is confused. "What's their problem? I need to use the bathroom and they send me to rest?! I don't need a restroom, I need the bathroom!"

After a while Laura gives up. She feels tired of all this walking and asking. She decides that maybe they are all right and she does need to rest.

She walks to the restroom. Now she is surprised. She realizes the restroom is actually the name for a public bathroom!

THE END

News news news....

News is not always good. 

But it is important to keep up-to-date with the world around us.  

The New York Times is a neutral international agency. 

 Newest video shows largest hydrogen bomb ever exploded. Wow!

The English alphabet

Is it important? Yes! Why? When you go to an international airport, you show your identity card / passport. Often the airport personnel (Mitarbeiter) ask you to 'spell' you name. 

 Let's give it a go shall we?

CAE writing linking words - time

Over the last weeks we have looked at ways to chese your writing.  Here is yet one more reminder: linking words are a must!

CAE Writing: Linking Words

Time

Click on the answer A or B that completes each sentence. Find the solutions under the exercise.

1) ........ I didn't really enjoy the course, but after a while I really started to enjoy it.

  A    In the beginning

  B   At the beginning

2) ........ of the film the main character arrives in town looking for somewhere to stay.

  A    In the beginning

  B   At the beginning

3) We waited ages for a bus. ........ we decided to walk home.

  A    Eventually

  B   At last

4) The audience waited patiently for the delayed performance to start. ........ the curtain rose.

  A    Lastly

  B   At last

5) I waited for you ........ 10.00. I finally decided you weren't coming.

  A    before

  B   until

6) I managed to get the house tidy ........ my parents got home.

  A    before

  B   until

7) ........ had I gone to bed than I heard the phone ring.

  A    Hardly

  B   As soon as

8) I played a lot of tennis ........ I was on holiday.

  A    during

  B   while

Solutions: 1A              2 B            3A              4B              5B              6A              7A             8B

CAE writing linking words - reason

When we write about a topic we often need to give reasons to support our thoughts.  Here is a way to practice that:

CAE Writing: Linking Words

Reason

Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first using the word given. Use no more than SIX words and do not change the form of the word in capitals. Find the solutions under the exercise.

1) The accident happened because of terrible weather.

RESULT

The accident.............................................. bad weather.

2) The train was cancelled so I missed my appointment.

CONSEQUENCE

....................................... the train cancellation I missed my appointment.

3) They decided to buy a new car because of the problems they were having with their old one.

SINCE

They decided to buy a new car ................................... problems with their old one.

4) We were unable to contact you as communications were so poor.

OWING

We couldn't contact you ...................................... communications were so poor.

5) You have been late every morning this week so we have deducted the lost time from your wages.

DUE

We have deducted money from your wages ................... you have been late every morning this week.

6) I was sent home from school because I was feeling sick.

ACCOUNT

The student was sent home ................................................................. the fact that he was feeling sick.

7) It was too far to walk so we caught the bus.

ENOUGH

We got the bus as ........................................................... to walk.

8) The film was so boring that we decided to leave early.

SUCH

........................................................ we decided to leave early.

Solutions:

1) was a result of       

2) As a consequence of               

3) since having                            

4)owing to the fact that              

5)due to the fact (that)      

6)on account of                   

7) it wasn’t near enough             

8) It was such a boring film

Current topics

 

Help with the 'comma'

Comma after ‘so’

When so is used to mean therefore, it is a transitional adverb. So, it should be followed by a comma.

I was not feeling well. So, I decided to consult a doctor.

Semicolon before ‘and’

A coordinating conjunction that merges two clauses into one is usually preceded by a comma. However, the comma can be left out when the clauses connected by the conjunction are very short.

The boys sang, and the girls danced.

The comma is not exactly necessary in the example given above because the clauses are short. However, it is possible.

If one or both of the clauses connected by a conjunction contains a comma, we sometimes use a semicolon instead of a comma. Note that although a semicolon is possible here, it may look dated.

Alan, Sophie and Mira absolutely love the steak pie; but Maria, a staunch vegetarian, detests it.

Here the two clauses are connected by the coordinating conjunction but. However, we separate them using a semicolon because the second clause contains two commas.

Note that a semicolon is not exactly necessary here. A comma will work just fine. In fact, a comma tends to be more common than a semicolon.

Alan, Sophie and Mira absolutely love the steak pie, but Maria, a staunch vegetarian, detests it.

‘that’ -clauses

Commas are not used before that-clauses.

She said that she would come. (NOT She said, that she would come.)

Notes

A that-clause is essentially a noun clause that serves as the subject or object of the verb in the main clause.

Comma before subordinate clauses

When subordinate clauses come at the beginning of sentences we usually separate them with a comma. The comma can be left out when the subordinate clause goes after the main clause.

Because he had been reading my letters without my knowledge, I was quite angry with him.

I was quite angry with him because he had been reading my letters without my knowledge.

CAE writing skill linking words - addition

Today we visit another set of linking words to pep up and bring a higher standard to your CAE writing paper.

CAE Writing: Linking Words

Addition

Choose the answer A or B that has the most appropriate level of formality for the sentence.

(solutions under exercise)

1) I overslept this morning. ........ , my car ran out of petrol on the way to work.

  A    Not only that

  B   Furthermore

2) The report is expected to be critical of the industry. ........, it is likely to recommend extensive changes to production.

  A    What's more

  B   Furthermore

3) The witness claims to have seen the suspect at the scene of the crime. ........, the police are in possession of video evidence of the man entering the building.

  A    Moreover

  B   As well as that

4) ........ the wonderful main meal we also had a delicious pudding.

  A    In addition to

  B   Besides

5) If you're going into town could you get me some shampoo? ........, we need some more bread.

  A    Also

  B   Furthermore

6) Payments to your account have fallen behind considerably. ........, on several occasions your credit limit has been exceeded.

  A    Moreover

  B   Besides this

7) It was a brilliant game. ........, we didn't have to pay to get in!

  A    What's more

  B   In addition

8) The meeting concluded without any agreement being reached. ........, several further issues arose.

  A    As well as that

  B   In addition

Solutions:  1A             2B             3A              4B              5A              6A              7A             8B

CAE writing linking words - contrast

In the CAE you are expected to show your writing skills.  Let's look now at some key words needed for producing a good writing.
First up: 

CAE Writing: Linking Words

Contrast

 Click on the answer A, B, C or D that completes each sentence. There are EIGHT questions in all.

  (Solutions under exercise)

1) The team haven't been playing too well. ......, they are expected to win this afternoon.

  A   Nevertheless

  B   In contrast

  C   On the contrary

  D   Whereas

2) ........ in nearly every country in the world they drive on the right, in England they insist on driving on the left.

  A    On the one hand

  B    While

  C    Nevertheless

  D    In contrast

3) ........ to the north, which will remain warm and sunny, the south will become cloudy during the early morning.

  A    On the contrary

  B    In contrast

  C    Although

  D    While

4) He couldn't get the machine to work ........ following the instructions carefully.

  A    despite

  B    however

  C    while

  D    yet

5) I'm not tired at all. ........, I'm feeling full of energy.

A    However

  B    In contrast

  C    On the contrary

  D    Despite

6) ........ the computer had recently been repaired, it still kept crashing.

  A   Although

  B   Whereas

  C    In spite of

  D    Nevertheless

7) I know we agreed to raise the issue at the next meeting ........ we simply won't have the time to discuss it.

  A    although

  B    whereas

  C    but

  D    still

8) The man was arrested ........ claiming to have been nowhere near the scene of the crime.

  A    whereas

  B    in spite of

  C    yet

  D    in contrast

Solutions:  1A             2B             3B              4A              5C              6A                7C           8B