SAINT ANDREW: PATRON OF SCOTLAND

Saint Andrew's

 Eineann Donan's Castle

Edinburgh, capital of Scotland

Today's Saint Andrew, patron saint of Scotland. Here are some nice photos which show the beauty of this land and two videos to celebrate the day: one with the animated story of their patron saint and another a musical and visual invitation to Scotland. Enjoy.

Video animated story of Saint Andrew, patron of Scortland:
A video invitation to Scotland:

A HISTORY OF LONDON'S TALLEST BUILDINGS (IN A 60 SEC VIDEO)

Here's a video from the Londonist which shows the history of London's tallest buildings in only 60 seconds.

Video:

FAMILY'S SPECIAL EVENTS

Here's a chart to check on the vocabulary related to the family and special occasions celebrated with the family.

COLOURS* IN ENGLISH

[*colours (BrE) British English spelling. *color (AmE) American English spelling]

Basic post to show you the vocabulary of colours in English.

Practice and play:

WHICH COLOUR IS?

...THE ACORN?

...THE BAT?

...THE CARROT?

...THE CHAMELEON?

...THE CHEESE?

...THE EARTH?

...THE FROG?

...THE GRAPES?

...THE HEART?

...THE HORSE?

...THE LEMON?

...THE MOUSE?

...THE MOUTH?

...THE PIG?

...THE PUMPKIN?

...THE SEAL?

...THE SHEEP?

...THE SNOWMAN?

...THE SWALLEN EYE?

...THE STRAWBERRY?

...THE WHALE?

...THE WHEEL?

CAN YOU GIVE MORE EXAMPLES OF EACH COLOUR?

Philosophy behind colours:

THE VERB 'TO DO'

The verb TO DO is an ordinary verb with its own meaning as many others, but on the other hand its an auxiliary verb for the SIMPLE TENSES (PRESENT AND PAST). So as an ordinary verb it works just like any other and as an auxiliary we use it to make questions and negative sentences in those two tenses. Check these two charts.

Video-lesson about DO:

THE DIFFERENCE OF ADJECTIVES WITH -ED OR -ING

Always confusing, when to use an edjective ending in -ED or in -ING and what's the difference in meaning. Here are some quick charts to clear up.

Video:


+ info links:
- Adjectives ending in ED and ING
- BBC Grammar challenge -ED and -ING adjectives

practice links:
- Exercise practice 1
- Exercise practise 2
- Exercise practice 3
- Exercise practice 4
- Exercise practice 5

THERE IS / ARE

Charts to remind you about a basic grammar structure THERE IS / ARE to talk about and describe existing things.

THIS, THAT, THESE, THOSE: DEMONSTRATIVES

A chart with the Demonstratives.

LEFT DRIVING COUNTRIES

If you travel to Britain, you'll have to be very careful when you're about to cross the street, because the British drive on the left. But they're not the only ones, as you can see in the map above, other countries drive on the same side: Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, India, South Africa, Japan, Kenia, among others.

But it's not due to an impulse, it has some historical reasons. Historically, most traffic drove on the left side in most of the civilised world, thanks mostly to the Roman Empire. Archaeologists found that deeper marks or grooves on the roads are seen on their left side.

Bt medieval times, driving on the left is related to knights. Since most people were right-handed, knights held their swords in their right hands and their lances under the right arms.So, on the road, knights walked on the left to make sure that their sword was between them and a stranger, while passing on the right when on horseback. In the 18th century, driving on the left became law to drive on the London Bridge. The General Highways Act of 1773 recommended to drive on the left in the whole of the UK and it 1835 it became compulsory by the Highway Act.
[Based on article from Anglotopia]

Video "LEFT vs RIGHT DRIVING":

We also include a chart with phrasal verbs related with DRIVING.

Remember there's a separate page in this blog where you can find phrasal verbs listed alphabetically.

A COMMON MISTAKE: DOUBLE NEGATIVES

Be careful if you have to use a double negative: use the negative form of the verb and a word with a negative meaning. Two negatives in English make an affirmative, never use two negative words in the same sentence. Above you see how you have to solve this.

[12th CW] GOING TO THE DENTIST

We've been to the doctor's in a previous post (see HERE), today we're presenting vocabulary and expressions used when you are at the dentist's.

[12th CW] GOING TO THE DOCTOR'S

Here are charts with vocabulary and function-structures to use when you go to the doctor's.

[12th CW] BODY ANATOMY, HEALTH & FITNESS

This post is devoted to the human body, its health and fitness through different visual charts. Above is a vocabulary chart to check the meaning of some of the inner parts of the body. For exterior parts check on previous post, here. More inner parts below:

Below a chart about symptoms of ilness:

Following some vocabulary practice on stress and fitness:

and a body & health quiz:

- WHAT ORGAN...?

1- do you use to breathe?

2- sends blood around your body?

3- controls all other parts?

4- is most affected if you drink too much alcohol?

- WHAT PART(S) OF THE BODY...?

5- turn brown in the sun?

6- come in pairs?

7- do you have 200 of

- WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF...?

8- flu

9- appendicitis

10- stress

APPLYING FOR A JOB: COVERING LETTERS & CVs.

A covering or motivation(al) letter is a letter of introduction attached to another document as a CV (curriculum vitae).

Job seekers normally send a cover letter along with their curriculum vitae or application for employment as a way of introducing themselves to potential employers, explaining their suitability for the desired post. Employers may look for individualized and thoughtfully written cover letters as a way of screening out applicants who aren't sufficiently interested in their position or who lack the necessary basic skills for it.

Cover letters are typically divided into 3 categories:

• The application letter or invited cover letter which responds to a known job opening
• The prospecting letter or uninvited cover letter which inquires about possible positions
• The networking letter which requests information and assistance in the sender's job search.

Some tips of how to write a covering letter and an example:

Curriculum vitae is a Latin expression which can be translated as the course of my life. A curriculum vitae (C.V.) gives an overview of a person's experience and other qualifications. In some countries a C.V. is typically the first item that a potential employer encounters regarding the job seeker and it's typically used to screen applicants, often followed by a job interview.

Following is help to prepare a correct CV:

Links:
- ADVICE ON CVs (British Council)
- FILLING IN FORMS (British Council)
- WRITING A CV. (British Council)

WRITING (FORMAL & INFORMAL) LETTERS.

This post is devoted to learning how to write a letter and distinguishing between formal (writen to institutions, companies or for official purposes) and informal ones (written to family and friends). Now most informal letters have been changed for informal emails (see previous post). Above you can see how they are different in layout. Study below all the other differences:

A practical exercise:

Link to more practice:
- WRITING FORMAL LETTERS. (British Council)
- FORMAL EMAILS. (Oxford University Press)
- FORMAL EXPRESSIONS. (Flo-Joe)
- FORMAL X INFORMAL LANGUAGE (Flo-Joe)

ENGLISH VERB TENSES IN CONCEPTUAL GRAPHICS

WHY DO MANY BRITISH PEOPLE WEAR A POPPY ON THEIR LAPEL IN NOVEMBER? IT'S REMEMBRANCE DAY (Updated November 2014)

Tower of London, November 2014

A poppy on a lapel

Remembrance Day – also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day (the event it commemorates) or Veterans Day – is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war, specifically since the First World War. It is observed on 11 November to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.) The day was specifically dedicated by King George V, on 7 November 1919, to the observance of members of the armed forces who were killed during war.

The poppy's significance to Remembrance Day is a result of Canadian military physician John McCrae's poem In Flanders Fields. The poppy emblem was chosen because of the poppies that bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their red colour an appropriate symbol for the bloodshed of trench warfare. An American YMCA Overseas War Secretaries employee, Moina Michael, was inspired to make 25 silk poppies based on McCrae's poem, which she distributed to attendees of the YMCA Overseas War Secretaries' Conference. She then made an effort to have the poppy adopted as a national symbol of remembrance, and succeeded in having the National American Legion Conference adopt it two years later. At this conference, a Frenchwoman, Anna E. Guérin, was inspired to introduce the widely used artificial poppies given out today. In 1921 she sent her poppy sellers to England, where they were adopted as well as by veterans' groups in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Some people choose to wear white poppies, which emphasises a desire for peaceful alternatives to military action.
The Royal Canadian Legion suggests that poppies be worn on the left lapel, or as close to the heart as possible. In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland the poppies are paper representatives of the flat Earl Haig variety with a leaf, mounted on a plastic stem. Wearers require a separate pin to attach the poppy to their clothing. In Scotland the poppies are curled at the petals with no leaf.

Tower of London, November 2014: 888.246 poppies

Video: IN FLANDERS FIELDS poem:




Link to more info @ EnglishWithATwist:

Why Do We Celebrate Poppy Day?

“Lest We Forget” – A Poppy for Each Fallen Soldier