Merry Christmas!

Mercat Solidari

-ing or -ed?

Exercise 1 

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

Exercise 4

Exercise 5

Also, as well, too

You seem to have some problems using these three words. Let's have a look at them. 

Also, as well and too are adverbs and mean ‘in addition’.

Also

Also is commonly used in writing, but is less common in speaking. Also occupies different positions in a sentence.

We use also in front position to emphasise what follows or to add a new point or topic:

It’s very humid. Also, you can easily get sunburnt.

[on the telephone]

OK, I’ll phone you next week and we can discuss it then. Also, we need to decide who will be going to Singapore.

We use also in the normal mid position for adverbs, between the subject and main verb, or after the modal verb or first auxiliary verb, or after be as a main verb. In this position, the meaning of also usually connects back to the whole clause that comes before:

She works very hard but she also goes to the gym every week.

I’ve been working in the garden this week, and I’ve also been reading a lot.

In end position, also normally connects two phrases. We use as well and too instead of also, in end position, especially in speech:

She contacted him in the office but he didn’t answer the phone. His mobile phone was silent also. (or His mobile phone was silent too. or … was silent as well.)

As well

Spoken English:

As well is much more common in speaking than in writing, and is more common in speaking than also.

As well almost always comes in end position:

[In a restaurant. Customer (A) is ordering from a waiter (B)]

A: I’ll have steak please.

B: Yes.

A: And I’ll have the mixed vegetables as well.

Too

We usually put too in end position:

Gill’s having chicken. I’ll probably have chicken too.

She looks really tired and she must be really hungry too.

Too can occur immediately after the subject, if it refers directly to the subject. It does not normally occur after a modal or auxiliary verb. We sometimes write commas before and after too:

I too thought she looked unwell.

We, too, have been very pleased to receive the prize on her behalf.

Not: We have too been very pleased …

Too is especially common in responses to fixed expressions such as giving good wishes, and in responses consisting of a single object pronoun:

A: Enjoy the play.

B: Thanks. You enjoy your evening too. (preferred to You enjoy your evening as well. or You also enjoy your evening.)

A: I need to go to the gym.

B: Yeah, me too. (preferred to Yeah, me also. or Yeah, me as well.)

In imperative clauses, as well and too are normally preferred to also:

[customer in a post office, buying books of first and second class stamps]

Give me a book of ten first and a book of ten second as well then please. (preferred to … and a book of ten second also then please.)

Linking negatives

We use either not also, as well or too to connect two negative ideas:

Bill’s not here. I don’t think Dave is either, is he?

Not: I don’t think Dave is also/as well/too.

A: That’s not in paperback yet. It’s not been in any book clubs either, has it?

B: No.

Not: It’s not been in any book clubs also/as well/too, has it?

Also, as well and too: typical error

• We don’t use as well at the beginning of a clause. As well usually comes at the end of a clause:

I just ignored it. I think everybody else did as well.

Not: As well I think everybody else did.

Source: dictionary.cambridge

Writing an article

This is a kind reminder, you have homework, you have to write an article (Unit 2).   

Remember that  an article is usually written for a language magazine or newsletter, and the reader is assumed to have similar interests to the writer. The main purpose is to inform, interest and engage the reader, so there should be some opinion or comment. It may include amusing stories, reported speech and descriptions. It can be formal or informal, depending on the target audience. 

If you need some help, go to 'Writing' where you will find PDF documents with general especification and some models to give you ideas.

Going to the cinema

This is a unit by the BBC Learning English Service.
John persuades Fiona to to go out with him to the cinema. They decide to go to see 'About a Boy' starring Hugh Grant at 'The Prince Charles' cinema in Leicester Square. At the end, they express different opinions about what they thought of the film.

This unit will help you with the following;
Making suggestions
Reading simple film reviews
Finding out about cinemas in London
Using adjectives to describe films
Giving opinions using base and strong adjectives
Practicing the pronunciation (sentence stress) of these opinions

What are you waiting for? Click on the screen below to do the exercises!!

Mercat solidari

Free audio books to download

Acting on the belief that books should be free for everyone,the website Loyal Books brings you thousands of free downloadable audio books in either MP3 or iTunes format. You can search for a book by title, author, keyword or browse through the collection by categories such as fiction, history and romance.

An audio preview of each book is available before you start downloading it. In addition to a very detailed description about the book, links are also provided to the full text of the book and also related Wikipedia articles. Each book listing also contains user reviews and ratings. The website contains free audio books in over a dozen languages that can be downloaded with a single click. No registration is required.

What are you waiting for to improve your skills? 

Listening practice

We probably spend more time using our listening skills than any other kind of skill. Like other skills, listening takes practice.

Why don't you go to ' Listening' or 'Exam practice' for more practice?

And remember, time is on your side! Thoughts move about four times as fast as speech. With practice, while you are listening you will also be able to think about what you are hearing, really understand it, and give feedback to the speaker.

Black Friday

Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. On this day, most major retailers open extremely early, often at 4 a.m., or earlier, and offer promotional sales to kick off the shopping season, similar to Boxing Day sales in many British Commonwealth countries. Black Friday is not actually a holiday, but many non-retail employers give their employees the day off, increasing the number of potential shoppers. It has routinely been the busiest shopping day of the year since 2005, although news reports, which at that time were inaccurate, have described it as the busiest shopping day of the year for a much longer period of time.

The day's name originated in Philadelphia, where it originally was used to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic which would occur on the day after Thanksgiving. Use of the term started before 1966 and began to see broader use outside Philadelphia around 1975. Later an alternative explanation began to be offered: that "Black Friday" indicates the point at which retailers begin to turn a profit, or are "in the black".

For many years, it was common for retailers to open at 6:00, but in the late 2000s, many had crept to 5:00 or even 4:00. This was taken to a new extreme in 2011, when several retailers opened at midnight for the first time.

Comparison

Remember that when we compare two things we can also vary the strength of the comparison by using "qualifying" expressions such as 'almost', 'nearly', 'by far', etc.


Now, why don't you try these exercises?

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thrusday in November, so today 26 November is Thanksgiving Day for 2015. It's a tradition in the United States. Families gather together for a large meal or dinner and the main dish is turkey. But what are its origins? Watch the video by The Channel History to know! 

Writing a letter of application

This is a kind reminder, you have homework, you have to write a letter of application (Unit 2). 

If you need some help, go to 'Writing' where you will find PDF documents with general especification and some models to give you ideas.  A letter of application is sometimes sent, rather than an application form or CV, in which case the letter should include the information you would put in a CV but presented in sentences and paragraphs. It is used to apply for a job. It’s your opportunity to say why you want the job and to present yourself as a candidate for the position in a way that impresses a prospective employer and makes you seem the perfect person for the job.

The key to how to write a letter/email whether it is informal, formal, personal or cover format is to communicate in the clearest way possible. To do it so, include all the points in the task, use appropriate openings and closings, organize your ideas in paragraphs, check punctuation and spelling, and use all that vocabulary and structures we have been learning. 

I'm sure you will do great!

The best jobs in the world

Are you looking for a new job? Would you like to make a change in your life by working in something different? In 2009, Tourism Queensland promoted the Great Barrier Reef as a global tourism destination with a website encouraging people worldwide to apply for The Best Job In The World, to be a "Caretaker of the Islands" to "house-sit" the islands of the Great Barrier Reef for half a year, based on Hamilton Island.

Job benefits included a large salary, free lodging in a multimillion-dollar villa, and transportation there and around the islands. The application process required a web video to be submitted, available publicly for consideration for the position. The job duties listed were primarily publicity-related with web videos, blogging, and photo diaries. The submission web site crashed two days following the launch of the campaign, from excessive visits and application video uploading

The winner was Ben Southall, from the United Kingdom. In the last week of his paradise job, he was stung by an Irukandji jellyfish. Although lethal cases are known, he made a full recovery. And here he is on this video. Have a look at the jobs he talks about, which one do you find more appealing? Which one would you apply for?

Note: The video has the option to activate subtitles in case you need them.

History of the Internet

In class, when you were asked which technology you usually use most of you thought of the Internet, but what's the Internet? By definition the Internet is a worldwide, publicly accessible series of interconnected computer networks that transmit data by packet switching using the standard Internet Protocol. But, how did it come to be this technology that is so popular and so widely used around the world? Was it always so large and extensive, filled with information about just anything you could possibly think of accessible from almost anywhere, anytime? Well, the answer is no.

"History of the Internet" is an animated documentary explaining the inventions from time-sharing to filesharing, from Arpanet to Internet.

Cheaters vs inspiring people

Cheaters never win, and winners never cheat ... unless you are one of these athletes. Who are some of the biggest cheaters in sport history? Have a look at this video and you will discover! You will probably find a surprise at the end of the video!

 

Fortunately, there are some inspiring people, like Rick Hyot and his father, Dick. What makes them especial is the fact that Rick suffers from cerebral palsy since birth. They have competed together in several events, including marathons and triathlons. During competition Dick pulls Rick in a special boat as they swim, carries him in a special seat in the front of a bicycle, and pushes him in a special wheelchair as they ran. The Hoyts did not finish the 2013 Boston Marathon, the last marathon they have run together. They had about a mile to go when two bombs exploded near the finish line, and were stopped by officials along with thousands of other runners still running the race. They were not injured.

This is their official page 

 Watch the video to know more about them, even though it's in original it has subtitles, remember that this is good listening practice!

Zorbing

Zorbing is the recreation of rolling downhill in an orb, generally made of transparent plastic. Zorbing is generally performed on a gentle slope, but can also be done on a level surface, permitting more rider control. The first zorbing site was established in Rotorua, New Zealand.
The zorb is double-sectioned, with one ball inside the other with an air layer between. This acts as a shock absorber for the rider, damping bumps while traveling. Orbs are lightweight and made of flexible plastic, as opposed to the rigid plastic. Many orbs have straps to hold the rider in place, while others leave the rider free to walk the orb around or be tossed about freely by the rolling motion - water can be added inside, and this is commonly called a "water or aqua ride The inner and outer orb are connected by numerous (often hundreds) small ropes. Orbs have one or two tunnel-like entrances.
Sphereing is also referred to as Orbing or Zorbing, and Zorbing entered the Concise Oxford English Dictionary in 2001 where it was defined as: "a sport in which a participant is secured inside an inner capsule in a large, transparent ball which is then rolled along the ground or down hills".

Wacky sports

Have you ever heard of `toe westling', 'octopushing', 'chess boxing', 'elephant polo', 'cheese rolling' or 'ice racing'? These are some of those sports considered 'wacky'. Watch the videos below to enlight you. Would you practice any of them?

Toe westling 



Octophushing


Elephant polo


Wife carrying 

Infinitive vs Gerund

Would you like to practise using the gerund and the infinitive? Why don't you try this exercise? There are 100 questions but they are shuffled and only 15 are shown at a time. Each time the page reloads you will get new questions so come more than once!!!

Gerund or infinitive?

If you need some practice about when to use an infinitive or when to use a gerund, why don't you try these exercises?


- Many interactive tests - different levels

- Choose the right form

- Exercise on gerunds and infinitives

- Write the correct form

And if you still need some more practice, go to 'Our filing cabinet' to get some exercises with their key.


 

Eleccions al Consell Escolar de l'EOI

Fins el dimecres 18 de novembre està obert el termini de presentació de candidatures al Consell Escolar de l'EOI. L'alumnat interessat a presentar-s'hi com a candidat/a ha de presentar la seua candidatura a la secretaria del centre de 15.00 a 20.00 h.

És molt important que vosaltres estigeu representats en aquest òrgan de govern, és la via principal per fer arribar al centre les vostres propostes, queixes i suggeriments, i ajudar i reflexionar sobre el que s'està fent en l'Escola.

Més informació en : EOI Eivissa.

Anima't i participa-hi!

Exam practice

An old adage proclaims 'Theory without practice is meaningless, but practice without theory is blind'. So now that you have the knowledge, why don't you go ahead and practise? Go to the 'Exam practice' section above to do the exercises you will find there. You will find multiple choice tests, word formation tests, cloze tests, listening, tips, reading...

Remember that you need a password. If you don't have it yet, ask your teacher for it.

Good luck!

Polite indirect questions

Remember that direct questions are often considered rude when speaking to strangers. To sound more polite we often use indirect questions. Indirect questions serve the same purpose as direct ones, but are considered more formal.
In this presentation you will learn how to make an indirect question and different ways for asking sounding more polite.




On this page you can review the theory.
And you can put them in practice in these exercises:
exercise 1
exercise 2
exercise 3
exercise 4

Lost for questions? Have a look at The Guardian site Q&A . Each week they interview a famous person that is on the news. 

British English vs American English III

British English vs American English II

Learn some of the differences between American and British English in this video, which goes over 4 vowel/diphthongs. See the different mouth positions and hear examples words pronounced by native speakers.

British English vs American English I

Last lesson we had our language assistant, Kiran, in class with us and we worked with British and American English. Here you have a video about differences in pronunciation.

Guy Fawkes

In England, each 5 November people burn images of Guy Fawkes and make bonfires to remember the failed attempt to destroy the Parliament.

Early in the morning of 5 November 1605, Guy Fawkes was discovered in a cellar under the House of Lords with 36 barrels of gunpowder and a 'slowmatch' to ignite the explosive. He hoped to cause an explosion that would kill James I when he attended Parliament later that day.

The plan never came to fruition, and Fawkes, like the annual population of straw-stuffed effigies, faced a painful execution. But if he had succeeded, explosion experts believe that King James' death might have been the thin end of the wedge, in terms of collateral damage.

Would you like to know about the story?

In 1605, thirteen young men planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Among them was Guy Fawkes, Britain's most notorious traitor.

After Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603, English Catholics who had been persecuted under her rule had hoped that her successor, James I, would be more tolerant of their religion. James I had, after all, had a Catholic mother. Unfortunately, James did not turn out to be more tolerant than Elizabeth and a number of young men, 13 to be exact, decided that violent action was the answer.

A small group took shape, under the leadership of Robert Catesby. Catesby felt that violent action was warranted. Indeed, the thing to do was to blow up the Houses of Parliament. In doing so, they would kill the King, maybe even the Prince of Wales, and the Members of Parliament who were making life difficult for the Catholics.

To carry out their plan, the conspirators got hold of 36 barrels of gunpowder - and stored them in a cellar, just under the House of Lords.

But as the group worked on the plot, it became clear that innocent people would be hurt or killed in the attack, including some people who even fought for more rights for Catholics. Some of the plotters started having second thoughts. One of the group members even sent an anonymous letter warning his friend, Lord Monteagle, to stay away from the Parliament on November 5th.

The warning letter reached the King, and the King's forces made plans to stop the conspirators.

Guy Fawkes, who was in the cellar of the parliament with the 36 barrels of gunpowder when the authorities stormed it in the early hours of November 5th, was caught, tortured and executed.

To know more about the conspirators click here.

And now you can play a game by the BBC to save the Houses of Parliament. Click on the image below to go to the game.

Musical shows

Next lesson we're going to talk about music. Read about the shows, watch the videos and think about how much you would enjoy these shows. Think of the reasons, of course, because we'll talk about it in class.

Tap Dogs
They are currently taking the world by storm with their tap show that combines the strength and power of workmen with the precision and talent of tap dancing.



Pagagnini

An innovative musical show that brings to life some of the world's best-loved pieces of classical music. But Pagagnini is more than just a concert: the musicians dance, laugh, cry and generally clown around in one of the most original comedy acts of the moment. 



Rhythm of the Dance

This two-hour dance and music extravaganza contains a wealth of irish talent. The show relives the journey of the Irish Celts throughtout history, combining traditional dance and music with the most up-to-date stage technology.



 Cirque Éloize - iD

Sixteen artists on stage, thirteen circus disciplines, and a world of urban dances such as breakdance and hip-hop. The rock, electronic and poetic music, together with the presence of video, highlight the show's playful, energetic, and youthful aspects. 

Everyday idioms made easy

Idioms! Big ideas in a nutshell... Of course not in the literal sense! Idioms are the most refined expressions in any language. It requires a good deal of practice and exposure to incorporate them into your everyday conversations... Here are some examples under the title Everyday Idioms Made Easy, from Appu Series. All of these phrases are worked into some fun contexts! Watch, learn and use them!

Jack-o-lantern

People have been making jack o'lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack." According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit.
While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.
Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern."
In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries took the jack o'lantern tradition with them when they went to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack o'lanterns.
(source: History Channel)

It's Halloween time!

Halloween's origins date back more than 2,000 years. On what we consider November 1, Europe's Celtic peoples celebrated their New Year's Day, called Samhain (SAH-win).
The night before Samhain—what we know as Halloween—spirits were thought to walk the Earth as they traveled to the afterlife. Fairies, demons, and other creatures were also said to be abroad.

Samhain was later transformed as Christian leaders co-opted pagan holidays. In the seventh century Pope Boniface IV decreed November 1 All Saints' Day, or All Hallows' Day. The night before Samhain continued to be observed with bonfires, costumes, and parades, though under a new name: All Hallows' Eve—later "Halloween."
Read more ...

These videos showcase the history of Halloween. Below each video you can find the link to its transcript. Remember that this is listening practice, not a competition!! So, take your time and watch it as many times as you consider.




Click here if you want to get the transcript.

And this is another video about halloween history and customs by History Channel.



Click here if you want to get the transcript.

Writing an informal letter

This is a kind reminder, you have homework, you have to write an informal letter to Mark (Unit 1). 

If you need some help, go to 'Writing' where you will find PDF documents with DOs and DONTs, general especifications and useful vocabulary as well as some informal letter models to give you ideas. 

The key to how to write a letter/email whether it is informal, formal, personal or cover format is to communicate in the clearest way possible. To do it so, include all the points in the task, use appropriate openings and closings, organize your ideas in paragraphs, check punctuation and spelling, and use all that vocabulary and structures we have been learning. 

I'm sure you will do great! 

 

English we say without thinking

Not all English phrases are created equal! Some get used a lot by native speakers, though they don't even think about it.

Find out what phrases Alisha and Michael say without thinking and give your English a native flair!

   

Let's practise 'be used to', 'get used to', 'used to'

Some of you seemed to still need some more practice so, here you have some more exercises for you to do. If once they are done you still need some more, just let me know!

- Exercise 1 - used to and be used to

- Exercise 2 - be used to / get used to / used to

- Exercise 3 - choose the best option to complete the sentence

- Exercise 4 - complete the text

- Exercise 5 - choose the correct answer

- Exercise 6 - choose the correct answer

- Exercise 7 - complete the sentences with the correct option

Let's talk about fashion

Watch this video with vocabulary about fashion, not only you will improve your vocabulary but also your listening skills.

Be used to / get used to / used to

This is the presentation we saw in class


Remember:

USED TO shows that a particular thing always happened or was true in the past but it no longer happens or is no longer true now:

• David used to live in Madrid.
• She used to exercise every morning, but since she had that terrible accident she doesn't exercise anymore.
• Why don't you come and see me like you used to?

BE USED TO is used to say that something is normal, not unusual:

• I'm used to living alone.
• Don't worry, John is used to driving for long hours. He has worked as a professional driver for 20 years.

GET USED TO shows that something is in the process of becoming normal:

• She found the heels too high, but she got used to them.
• Since the divorce, she has become very sad. But I think she'll get used to her new life.
• I got used to living in Canada in spite of the cold weather.

IMPORTANT!!!

Get used to and be used to are followed by either a noun or a gerund.

Get/be used to + noun	Get /be used to + gerund (verb+ing)
I got used to the noise I'm used to the cold weather	I got used to waking up early I'm used to working late at night

Go to "Grammar" if you want to download, print or just watch the explanation on your screen on a PDF document.