PEACE DAY 2013: WORDS OF PEACE

Do you know the meaning of all these words of peace? Test yourself...

PEACE WEEK 2013. SONGS (2): "IMAGINE"

Today's officially the School Day of Peace and Non-Violence, and for such a day we could only choose a classic peace song by John Lennon "IMAGINE". Can you imagine all the things he says in the song? He says it's easy...doesn't seem so when we take a look at the real world, but lets try.

Video "IMAGINE", John Lennon:

Galician version of this post @ ArquivosDoTrasno.

USES OF "GET"



- "GET" as a phrasal verb:

Get is one of the commonest words in English. It is used in many different ways. Note that get is sometimes avoided in very formal writing, but it is correct in most kinds of speech and writing.

Get + noun/pronoun
When get is followed by a direct object, it usually means ‘receive’, ‘fetch’, ‘obtain’, ‘catch’ or similar ideas.

He has got a prize.
I get a headache whenever I watch TV.

Get can be followed by two objects.

Can you get me a drink?

Get + adjective
Before an adjective, get usually means ‘become’.

My hands and feet were getting cold.

Get can also be followed by object + adjective.

Can you get the kids ready for school?

Get + adverb particle or preposition
When get is followed by an adverb particle or preposition.

I get up at 6 o’clock.

When I went to see him, he told me to get out.

Get + past participle
Get can be followed by a past participle. This structure is often used to talk about things that we do to ourselves.

I only take two minutes to get dressed.

Get + past participle is also used in passive structures.

My watch got broken while was playing.


Get + object + past participle
This structure can be used to talk about things that happen to us.

I got my car stolen last week.

We got our roof blown off in the storm.

Note that in American English, the past participle of get is gotten.
See some examples:

Collocations with GET:

LINKS:

- Uses of GET.
- Phrasal verbs with GET.
- Phrasal verbs with GET (+Spanish translation).
- Exercises meanings of GET.
- Exercises GET (2).

Exercises / Ejercicios (gracias a basic grammar in use)

Videos "GET":

"PRIDE & PREJUDICE", 200th ANNIVERSARY

Today marks the 200th anniversary of the first publication of what is probably Jane Austen's most famous novel. 

Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The story follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education, and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England. Elizabeth is the second of five daughters of a country gentleman living near the fictional town of Meryton in Hertfordshire, near London.

Though the story is set at the turn of the 19th century, it retains a fascination for modern readers, continuing near the top of lists of most loved books. It has also been adapted as films and TV series throughout the years.

More information about "PRIDE & PREJUDICE" @ Wikipedia.
More information about the author JANE AUSTEN @ Wikipedia.

Video "PRIDE & PREJUDICE", trailer:

PEACE WEEK 2013. SONGS (1): "ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE"

The School Day of Non-violence and Peace (or DENIP, acronym from Catalan-Balearic: Dia Escolar de la No-violència i la Pau), is an observance founded by the Spanish poet Llorenç Vidal Vidal in Majorca in 1964 as a starting point and support for a pacifying and non-violent education of a permanent character. Celebrated on January 30 or thereabouts every year, on the anniversary of the death of Mahatma Gandhi, in schools all over the world.

Our school's library is devoting this whole week to the celebration of peace, reading texts and listening to songs, among other activities. The library's blog will have a new post each day of this week with a song related to peace and human rights. ClickOnEnglish will share those which have songs in English.

Today's the first one, with a song by British singer Phil Collins "ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE". The song is about homeless people, an issue which is relevant in Spain nowadays as many people are losing their houses because of the economic crisis. Peace cannot be reached without social justice.

Video "ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE", Phil Collins:

Galician version of this post @ ArquivosDoTrasno.

MARTIN LUTHER KING'S DAY

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This date is a United States federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around the time of King's birthday, January 15. 

Here are some links to webpages about Martin Luther King:

- MARTIN LUTHER KING'S WIKIPEDIA PAGE.

- RESOURCES & ACTIVITIES ABOUT MARTIN LUTHER KING.

- LUTHER KING'S NOBEL PRIZE LECTURE ORIGINAL HANDWRITING.

Video MARTIN LUTHER KING'S FREEDOM SPEECH "I HAVE A DREAM":

This year's Martin Luther King's Day was also the day of Barack Obama's second Presidency inauguration, whose speech you can listen to in this video:

 

RELATIVE CLAUSES: THE SENTENCES WHICH/THAT GIVE INFORMATION

Here's some basic and simple information on Relative Clauses.

Link to complete info  PERFECT GRAMMAR.

- WHAT'S A RELATIVE CLAUSE?
We use a Relative Clause to join two sentences in English or to give extra information about something.

I bought a new car. It is very fast. - I bought a new car that is very fast

She lives in New York. She likes living in New York. - She lives in New York, which she likes.

- DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES.
Give us the necessary information to know what we're talking about.

I like the woman who lives next door. (If we don't say "who lives next door", we don't know which woman it is).

When the relative pronoun is the subject of a defining relative clause.

We can use ‘who’, ‘which’ or ‘that’. We use ‘who’ for people and ‘which’ for things. We can use ‘that’ for people or things.

The relative clause can come after the subject or the object of the sentence. We can’t drop the relative pronoun.

For example: (clause after the object of the sentence):

I’m looking for a secretary who / that can use a computer well.

 (clause after the subject of the sentence):

The people who / that live on the island are very friendly.

Link: EXERCISE OF RELATIVE PRONOUN AS SUBJECT.

When the relative pronoun is the object of the clause. In this case we can drop the relative pronoun if we want to. Again, the clause can come after the subject or the object of the sentence. Here are some examples:

(clause after the object) She loves the chocolate (which / that) I bought. 

(clause after the subject) The bike (which / that) I loved was stolen.

Link: EXERCISE OF RELATIVE PRONOUN AS OBJECT.

Link: EXERCISE OF MIXED DEFINING RELATIVES SUBJECT & OBJECT.

- NON DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES.

Give us extra information about something, but we don't need it to understand it.

I live in London, which has some fantastic parks. (Everybody knows where London is, "which has fantastic parks" is extra information).

We don’t use ‘that’ in non-defining relative clauses, so we need to use ‘which’ if the pronoun refers to a thing, and ‘who’ if it refers to a person. We can’t drop the relative pronoun in this kind of clause, even if the relative pronoun is the subject of the clause. A non-defining relative always goes between commas and a pause is made in speech.

(clause comes after the subject)

My sister, who I live with, knows a lot about cars.

My bicycle, which I've had for more than ten years, is falling apart.

(clause comes after the object)

Yesterday I called our friend Julie, who lives in New York.

Last week I bought a new computer, which I don't like now.

- WHOSE.

‘Whose’ is always the subject of the relative clause and can’t be left out. It replaces a possessive. It can be used for people and things.

The woman is coming tonight. Her car is a BMW.
→ The woman whose car is a BMW is coming tonight.

- WHEN / WHERE / WHY.

We can sometimes use these question words instead of relative pronouns and prepositions.

I live in a city. I study in the city.
→ I live in the city where I study.
→ I live in the city that / which I study in.
→ I live in the city in which I study.

- PREPOSITIONS IN RELATIVE CLAUSES.

If the verb in the relative clause needs a preposition, we put it at the end of the clause:

My brother met a woman. I used to work with the woman.
→ My brother met a woman (who / that) I used to work with.

If you want to hear an oral explanation on Relative Clauses, here's a video:
Video Relative Clauses explanation:

OUR OWN PRIVATE CULTURAL HERITAGE

The school's English Department wants to participate in this year's cultural week with a photo exhibition of our own personal cultural and natural heritage.

Photos of our villages, our own nearby monuments, buildings, private landscapes... together with a personal description of each of the photos in English to be displayed at the school's hall during the event. So start taking photos...

• Photos must be a standard digital size between 11'4x15'2 & 15'2x20'2
• The description must be in English. You must explain where it is, its name, what it is and the reason you chose it. You must check that your description is correct. You can count on your teacher's help.
• PHOTOS MUST BE HANDED IN BEFORE MARCH 1st
  
  
  
  
  Here are some examples:
  
  As Fragas do Eume is a natural park situated in north-west Spain. Fraga is a Galician word for "natural woodland" and the park is an example of a temperate rainforest. The protected area extends along the valley of the river Eume within the Ferrolterra municipalities of Pontedeume, Cabanas, A Capela, Monfero, Pontedeume, and As Pontes. Some 500 people reside within the park.The area was declared a natural park (a level of protection lower than national park) in 1997. It is one of six natural parks in Galicia. It's near where my parents come from and its a peaceful place to visit and a natural heritage that we should preserve.
• 
  
  
  
  Monastery of Caaveiro The Monastery of Saint John of Caaveiro (Galician Mosteiro de San Xoán de Caaveiro) is a Spanish monastery founded in the tenth century by Saint Rudesind. It is situated in Pontedeume, Ferrolterra, Galicia, within the Fragas do Eume Natural park. You have to climb up the hill to reach it. It's a wonder how they could build it there so long time ago.

WHAT'S INTERNET ALL ABOUT?

Here are some videos to show you what Internet is all about and what you should do to surf it safely.

Video "WHAT IS THE INTERNET?"

NetSafe Episode 1: What is the Internet? (Grades K-3) from Planet Nutshell on Vimeo.

Video "WHAT'S PERSONAL INFORMATION?

NetSafe Episode 2: What is Personal Information? (Grades K-3) from Planet Nutshell on Vimeo.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013!