Dear Mrs. Mitchell
How are you all? I (write)am writing to say a big thank you for letting me stay while I was in England. I really (enjoy) enjoyed living with your family. Life‘s pretty good at the moment. Do you remember (you/remember) I wanted to move out from my parents’ place? Well, last week I (walk) was walking through town when suddenly I (meet) met an old friend of mine who (look) had been looking for a flat mate for months.
I (live) have been living in this flat for a week now. It’s eleven o’clock on a brilliant,
sunny day, I’m on a balcony overlooking the sea, an I’m being very lazy! Teresa, my flat mate (get up) doesn’t get up until about midday, so I have the flat to myself most mornings.
I (find) haven’t found a real job yet, but just for this month I (do) am doing some
Translation work for a friend, it’s okay for now, but it’s getting harder and harder to find full-time work, so I need to start looking seriously.
I’m sending you copies of some photos I (take) took during my stay. I hope you like
them. Give my love to all the family.
Best wishes, Ursula
by Hernan Fuentes Araujo
Friday, 26 March 2010
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Practice for the revision test Booklet pg.33 by KARINA GLASER 4QI
1. We’ve been waiting since five o’clock.
2. My old computer used to go wrong.
3. I have been a member of this club for four years.
4. We went out when we had finished our work.
5. You mustn’t argue with the President’s decision.
6. You don’t have to wear a tie.
7. I should have studied Physics. * Or ‘I wish I had studied Physics’
8. If I were rich, I wouldn’t be ashamed. * Or ‘If only I were rich.’
9. I will probably buy this computer.
10. If I had broken the law, I would have gone to prison. Or ‘… I would go to prison’
11. He’ll go to prison, unless the judge is in a good mood.
Thank you, Karina. Corrections & alternatives in violet.
* Both you answers are grammatically correct. Only the second one sounds sort of awkward.
2. My old computer used to go wrong.
3. I have been a member of this club for four years.
4. We went out when we had finished our work.
5. You mustn’t argue with the President’s decision.
6. You don’t have to wear a tie.
7. I should have studied Physics. * Or ‘I wish I had studied Physics’
8. If I were rich, I wouldn’t be ashamed. * Or ‘If only I were rich.’
9. I will probably buy this computer.
10. If I had broken the law, I would have gone to prison. Or ‘… I would go to prison’
11. He’ll go to prison, unless the judge is in a good mood.
Thank you, Karina. Corrections & alternatives in violet.
* Both you answers are grammatically correct. Only the second one sounds sort of awkward.
Hw Reported Speech Booklet pg. 32
Sacha Gimenez Chalkho
Answers for exercise 1 on page 32 of the Booklet
1) She said the food would be ready in five minutes. 'five minutes later'.
2) He said he had spent the whole of Sunday morning cooking.
3) Tim said he had learnt how to cook Chinese food
4) She said she could teach me how to cook lasagne
5) Paul said he had just been to a very nice restaurant
6) She said her grandmother had showed her how to cook traditional dishes
7) He said he hated anything with garlic in it
8) She said she wasn’t enjoying that meal
9) He said the food in France was always very good
10) She said that those little cakes looked delicious
Answers for exercise 1 on page 32 of the Booklet
1) She said the food would be ready in five minutes. 'five minutes later'.
2) He said he had spent the whole of Sunday morning cooking.
3) Tim said he had learnt how to cook Chinese food
4) She said she could teach me how to cook lasagne
5) Paul said he had just been to a very nice restaurant
6) She said her grandmother had showed her how to cook traditional dishes
7) He said he hated anything with garlic in it
8) She said she wasn’t enjoying that meal
9) He said the food in France was always very good
10) She said that those little cakes looked delicious
Booklet HW reported speech
Hi Erika, I'm Melany Wesler, of 4Q, I'm sending you the exercise 3 of the Booklet.
3) Report these statements, commands and questions.
1- "Where did you buy this bike?", my friend asked me.
My friend asked me where I had bought that bike.
2- "Have you ever been to England?" my students asked me.
My students asked me if I had ever been to England.
3- "I usually bring flowers for my wife", Tom said
Tom said he usually brought flowers for his wife.
4- "I'm going to visit my relatives in France", my friend told me.
My friend told me he was going to visit his relatives in France,
5- "Don't touch those documents please", my father told me.
My father told me not to touch those documents.
3) Report these statements, commands and questions.
1- "Where did you buy this bike?", my friend asked me.
My friend asked me where I had bought that bike.
2- "Have you ever been to England?" my students asked me.
My students asked me if I had ever been to England.
3- "I usually bring flowers for my wife", Tom said
Tom said he usually brought flowers for his wife.
4- "I'm going to visit my relatives in France", my friend told me.
My friend told me he was going to visit his relatives in France,
5- "Don't touch those documents please", my father told me.
My father told me not to touch those documents.
Monday, 22 March 2010
Expressing Preferences
Expressing Preferences
We often use words like prefer, would prefer, would rather to talk or ask about preferences.
"I prefer living on my own."
"Would you prefer to see a movie or go to a club?"
"Would you rather go shopping with me?"
Those expressions are quite different in meaning and this is why learners of English often find them challenging. So here is how we can separate them:
Difference in meaning:
We tend to use 'prefer' to talk generally about likes, dislikes, what we want.
“He prefers reading books.”
“I prefer going to the beach than going to a swimming pool.”
The expressions 'would prefer' and 'would rather', to be a little more specific.
“I would prefer to see him in person.”
“I would rather go home now.”
Difference in form:
Followed by a different verb form:
“I prefer living in a city.” (followed by the gerund; the '-ing' ending)
“I would prefer to be told the truth.” (followed by the infinitive; to+ the verb)
“Would you rather stay at a hotel?” (followed by the base form of the verb; the verb without 'to'.
Different prepositions to state the choice.
prefer, would prefer – go with 'to'
“I'd prefer living in a city to living in the country.”
“I would (I'd) prefer being alone to being with the wrong person”.
would rather – goes with 'than'
“I would (I'd) rather talk to him in person than call him on the phone.”
1. You can check your understanding as you match the questions below with suitable endings:
Would you prefer ...?
Would you rather ....?
- taking a nap or going for a walk
- a trip to Jamaica or a cruise to Alaska
- watch a talk show or see a movie
- to stay at home or go outside with friends
source: http://sp.englishbaby.com/lessons/4687/member_submitted/expressing_preferences_(prefer,_would_prefer,_would_rather)
We often use words like prefer, would prefer, would rather to talk or ask about preferences.
"I prefer living on my own."
"Would you prefer to see a movie or go to a club?"
"Would you rather go shopping with me?"
Those expressions are quite different in meaning and this is why learners of English often find them challenging. So here is how we can separate them:
Difference in meaning:
We tend to use 'prefer' to talk generally about likes, dislikes, what we want.
“He prefers reading books.”
“I prefer going to the beach than going to a swimming pool.”
The expressions 'would prefer' and 'would rather', to be a little more specific.
“I would prefer to see him in person.”
“I would rather go home now.”
Difference in form:
Followed by a different verb form:
“I prefer living in a city.” (followed by the gerund; the '-ing' ending)
“I would prefer to be told the truth.” (followed by the infinitive; to+ the verb)
“Would you rather stay at a hotel?” (followed by the base form of the verb; the verb without 'to'.
Different prepositions to state the choice.
prefer, would prefer – go with 'to'
“I'd prefer living in a city to living in the country.”
“I would (I'd) prefer being alone to being with the wrong person”.
would rather – goes with 'than'
“I would (I'd) rather talk to him in person than call him on the phone.”
1. You can check your understanding as you match the questions below with suitable endings:
Would you prefer ...?
Would you rather ....?
- taking a nap or going for a walk
- a trip to Jamaica or a cruise to Alaska
- watch a talk show or see a movie
- to stay at home or go outside with friends
source: http://sp.englishbaby.com/lessons/4687/member_submitted/expressing_preferences_(prefer,_would_prefer,_would_rather)
Verb patterns in context
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/verblist.htm
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/gerunds.htm
Using Possessives with Gerunds
Do we say "I can't stand him singing in the shower," or do we say "I can't stand his singing in the shower"? Well, you have to decide what you find objectionable: is it him, the fact that he is singing in the shower, or is it the singing that is being done by him that you can't stand? Chances are, it's the latter, it's the singing that belongs to him that bugs you. So we would say, "I can't stand his singing in the shower."
On the other hand, do we say "I noticed your standing in the alley last night"? Probably not, because it's not the action that we noticed; it's the person. So we'd say and write, instead, "I noticed you standing in the alley last night." Usually, however, when a noun or pronoun precedes a gerund, that noun or pronoun takes a possessive form. This is especially true of formal, academic writing.
There are exceptions to this. (What would the study of language be without exceptions?)
When the noun preceding the gerund is modified by other words, use the common form of that noun, not the possessive.
Federico was pleased by Carlos's making the Dean's List for the first time.
but
Federico was pleased by Carlos, his oldest son, making the Dean's List for the first time.
When the noun preceding the gerund is plural, collective, or abstract, use the common form of that noun, not the possessive.
Professor Villa was amazed by her students working as hard as they did.
The class working collaboratively was somebody else's idea.
It was a case of old age getting the better of them.
There are certain situations in which the possessive and the gerund create an awkward combination. This seems to be particularly true when indefinite pronouns are involved.
I was shocked by somebody's making that remark.
This would be greatly improved by saying, instead . . .
I was shocked that somebody would make that remark.
This is also true when the "owner" of the gerund comes wrapped in a noun phrase:
I was thankful for the guy next door shoveling snow from my driveway.
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/gerunds.htm
Using Possessives with Gerunds
Do we say "I can't stand him singing in the shower," or do we say "I can't stand his singing in the shower"? Well, you have to decide what you find objectionable: is it him, the fact that he is singing in the shower, or is it the singing that is being done by him that you can't stand? Chances are, it's the latter, it's the singing that belongs to him that bugs you. So we would say, "I can't stand his singing in the shower."
On the other hand, do we say "I noticed your standing in the alley last night"? Probably not, because it's not the action that we noticed; it's the person. So we'd say and write, instead, "I noticed you standing in the alley last night." Usually, however, when a noun or pronoun precedes a gerund, that noun or pronoun takes a possessive form. This is especially true of formal, academic writing.
There are exceptions to this. (What would the study of language be without exceptions?)
When the noun preceding the gerund is modified by other words, use the common form of that noun, not the possessive.
Federico was pleased by Carlos's making the Dean's List for the first time.
but
Federico was pleased by Carlos, his oldest son, making the Dean's List for the first time.
When the noun preceding the gerund is plural, collective, or abstract, use the common form of that noun, not the possessive.
Professor Villa was amazed by her students working as hard as they did.
The class working collaboratively was somebody else's idea.
It was a case of old age getting the better of them.
There are certain situations in which the possessive and the gerund create an awkward combination. This seems to be particularly true when indefinite pronouns are involved.
I was shocked by somebody's making that remark.
This would be greatly improved by saying, instead . . .
I was shocked that somebody would make that remark.
This is also true when the "owner" of the gerund comes wrapped in a noun phrase:
I was thankful for the guy next door shoveling snow from my driveway.
verb patterns
OXFORD Collocations dictionary for students of English
afford verb
1. + easily, well: She can well afford to pay for herself.
2. + barely, hardly, ill, (only) just, not really: an amount which we could ill afford to pay
3. be able/unable to, can/can't, could (not) + afford: I can't afford to eat in restaurants.
succeed
1. + against: to succeed against serious opposition
2. + at: She can teach you how to succeed at tennis. in She has succeeded
3. + in: a difficult career. We succeeded in repairing the engine.
4. + with: hints on how to succeed with interior design
risk: put on the line, lay on the line
1. expose to a chance of loss or damage: "We risked losing a lot of money in this venture"; "Why risk your life?"
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Risk+premium
2. to expose to danger; to lay open to the possibility of loss: He would risk his life for his friend; He risked all his money on betting on that horse.
3. to take the chance of (something bad happening): He was willing to risk death to save his friend; I'd better leave early as I don't want to risk being late for the play.
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