Practice your English in context. Learn. Read. Listen. Pronounce. Play games...

Thursday 29 October 2015

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2015!


It's Haloween once again. This year with two extra free days linked to the normal weekend.: so we've got a 4-day long weekend holiday!!! Have a frightening good time!



.+ INFO: 

Click HERE to previous Halloween related post on this blog, and on the following links to:

- HALLOWEEN AROUND THE WORLD.

- EVERYTHING ABOUT HALLOWEEN: SUPERSTITIONS, CUSTOMS & TRADITIONS.

- HALLOWEEN @ THE BRITISH COUNCIL

Video Halloween costumes for kids on Ellen Degeneres TV show:

Sunday 25 October 2015

CLOCKS GO BACK

Last night we've been able to sleep one extra hour because our clocks and watches have been adapted to the winter time-table, going back one hour. So we'll have lighter mornings and darker evenings until the winter arrives... This has happened in Spain and in the rest of Europe, UK included.
Why does this happen? Here's +info about Britain from the Bristish newspaper The Telegraph: 

Clocks go back. What is Daylight Saving Time and why do we do it?


+ info: Everything about time @ timeanddate,com.

Video:


Saturday 24 October 2015

HELLO, IT'S ADELE!


Adele is back!  
Her debut album "19" was released  in 2008, later in 2011 came her second album "21", with great commercial and critical success. 
Now she's back with her third "25" and her new video, which was revealed yesterday.


The title of her new single is "HELLO". Here is the video and the audio-lyrics to sing-along.

Video "HELLO", Adele:



Lyrics "HELLO", Adele

Hello, it's me
I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet, to go over everything
They say that time's supposed to heal ya
But I ain't done much healing

Hello, can you hear me?
I'm in California dreaming about who we used to be
When we were younger and free
I've forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our feet

There's such a difference between us
And a million miles

[Chorus]
Hello from the other side
I must've called a thousand times to tell you
I'm sorry, for everything that I've done
But when I call you never seem to be home

Hello from the outside
At least I can say that I've tried to tell you
I'm sorry, for breaking your heart
But it don't matter, it clearly doesn't tear you apart anymore

Hello, how are you?
It's so typical of me to talk about myselfI'm sorry,
I hope that you're well
Did you ever make it out of that town
Where nothing ever happened?

It's no secret
That the both of us are running out of time

[Chorus]
So hello from the other side
I must've called a thousand times to tell you
I'm sorry, for everything that I've done
But when I call you never seem to be home

Hello from the outside
At least I can say that I've tried to tell you
I'm sorry, for breaking your heart
But it don't matter, it clearly doesn't tear you apart anymore

[Bridge]
Ooooohh, anymore
Ooooohh, anymore
Ooooohh, anymore
Anymore

[Chorus]
Hello from the other side
I must've called a thousand times to tell you
I'm sorry, for everything that I've done
But when I call you never seem to be home

Hello from the outside
At least I can say that I've tried to tell you
I'm sorry, for breaking your heart
But it don't matter, it clearly doesn't tear you apart anymore



+ info-link

+ link to video & lyrics together

For Spanish translation subtitles go to the song page on this blog.

Wednesday 21 October 2015

21st OCTOBER 2015: "BACK TO THE FUTURE" DAY


For many people, October 21st 2015 might be an insignificant date. However if you've seen the film "BACK TO THE FUTURE II", you'll know the day is here. Yes, the date when Doc and Marty McFly got into the DeLorean car converted into a time machine and travelled into the future. 
No doubt, the film starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd has been a hit and has created a great number of fans interested in seeing which things have become true in real life and which not.
"Where are we? When are we?" Driving along a motorway in the sky and Doc shows McFly the time calendar in the DeLorean. "We're in the XXIst century, in Hill Valley, California. It's 4:29 of Wednesday 21st October 2015" "We're in the future!". That's how the second part of "BACK TO THE FURURE" (1989) starts. A film that has become an icon in pop culture and a marketing success selling related memorabilia.
The future is here: this Wednesday is the day. By chance. Because in 1985 when the first film was premiered, no sequel had been planned. But the great success of this first film became a trilogy. With the second film they travelled to the future and Zemeckis, the film-director,  fantasized about how the world would be like in 2015.
Videocalls, digital binoculars, multiple TV channels, online shopping, digital fingerprints to open doors, flying cars and roller skates, total climate control, neon bars on road sides, biofuel... Many of Zemeckis inventions in fiction have become or will soon be true.
Others stay as simple crazy ideas or wild dreams...


BACK TO THE FUTURE” 2015
TRUE & WRONG PREDICTIONS
TRUE PREDICTIONS
WRONG PREDICTIONS
VIDEOCALLS (SKYPE)

JAWS-19” FILM

NIKE AIR MAG TRAINERS

FLYING ROLLER SKATES

BIOMETRIC SECURITY 
(Fingerprints, iris recognition...)

AUTOMATIC DRONE CONTROLLED LEASHES FOR WALKING DOGS

INTELLIGENT GLASSES (Google glass)

FLYING CARS

PEPSI “PERFECT”

AUTODRYING JACKETS


More about this celebration below:



Video trailer of the film:




Video what's right and what's wrong about 2015 predictions:

Monday 12 October 2015

Sunday 4 October 2015

INFINITIVE OR GERUND PRACTICE

SUMMARY
REMEMBER ALWAYS
  • TO” INFINITIVE:
after ADJECTIVES It's difficult to understand
after QUESTION WORDS I don't know how to do it
to express PURPOSE Use a knife to cut it
  • INFINITIVE without TO”:
after MODAL VERBS You must practice more
  • -ING” GERUND:
after PREPOSTIONS I left the party without seeing you
used as a noun Smoking is bad for your health

Here are exercises to practice the use of the infinitive or gerund forms after different verbs or in different expressions. If you want to check on the basic rules click HERE





Link to more here.

More exercises here.


Saturday 3 October 2015

INFINITIVE OR GERUND?, GERUND OR INFINITIVE?



Sometimes we need to decide whether to use a verb in its: -ing form, gerund (doing, singing) or infinitive form (to do, to sing). For example, only one of the following sentences is correct. Which one?
We decided to take a taxi OR We decided taking a taxi

A) WHEN TO USE AN INFINITIVE:
1-always used AFTER ADJECTIVES, for example:
disappointed, glad, happy, pleased, relieved, sad, surprised...
I was happy to help them. She will be delighted to see you.
- Including TOO+ADJECTIVE: The water was too cold to swim in.
Is your coffee too hot to drink?
- It is used after ADJECTIVE+ENOUGH: He was strong enough to lift it.
She is rich enough to buy two.


2- It's used to express PURPOSE*: He phoned to invite me to a party
*For+somebody+TO DO+something: This bench is for us to sit on /
*For+ing: A knife is used for cutting


3- It's always used after QUESTION WORDS+ a verb:
I don't know how to do it. He didn't say when to call him.


4- The infinitive form is used after certain verbs:
agree, allow, can/can't afford, choose, decide, encourage, expect, forget, help, hope, learn, manage, mean, offer, plan, pretend, promise, recommend, refuse, teach, train, want...
I forgot to close the window. We can't afford to take a long holiday.


5- With other verbs the structure is: VERB+(obj)+TO* infinitive: 
allow, ask, expect, help, invite, mean, order, recommend, remind, teach, tell, want, warn...
The police ordered the people to leave.
He wanted me to go with him. I warned him not to come back late.
!!*- make & let: verb+obj.+infinitive without to. Let me do it.


6- Always with MODAL VERBS+infinitive without to: 
can/could, may/might, must, need, shall/should, will/would. (Except: ought to).
She can swim very well. I'll see you tomorrow. You mustn't do that.
You should go to the doctor. / You ought to go to the doctor.


B) WHEN TO USE A GERUND (-ing):
1- The -ing form is used as a noun and is the subject of a sentence or clause:
Swimming is good exercise. Doctors say that smoking is bad for you.

2- The -ing form is ALWAYS used after a PREPOSITION:

They left without saying "goodbye".

or a VERB+PREPOSITION*: - succeed in, insist on, think of...
He insisted on taking me home.
or EXPRESSIONS*: - it's no good/use, have difficulty, go+-ing...
It's no use in complaining He goes swimming every Tuesday.
!!* Watch out with:
- USED TO+infinitive: He used to wear glasses.
- BE/GET USED TO+ing: He's used to getting up early.
- LOOK FORWARD TO+ing: They are looking forward to visiting us this summer.


3- The -ing form is used after certain verbs: 
avoid, can/can't stand, carry on, dislike, enjoy, fancy, finish, give up, imagine, keep on, mind/not mind, miss, practise
I dislike getting up early. Would you mind opening the window?

C) Some verbs can be followed by the -ing form or the infinitive:
1) Without a big change in meaning: begin, continue, hate, intend, like*, love, prefer*, propose, start.
It started to rain. (common) - It started raining.
I like to play tennis.
(it's good, right) - I like playing tennis. (I enjoy it).

!!*would like to+infinitive: I would like to live here.
!!*prefer +ing to +ing: I prefer driving to travelling by train.
prefer to infinitive rather than...: I prefer to drive rather than to travel by train.
would prefer to infinitive rather than...: I'd prefer to stay (rather than leave).

2) Others have a change of meaning depending on which is used:
- FORGET 
I forgot to tell him the news. (fail to do something)
I forget telling him the news but perhaps I did. do something and not remember)
 REGRET 
I regret to inform you have to leave the country. (be sorry to+unpleasant info)
I regret settling in Britain. (a mistake in the past)
- REMEMBER 
I remember posting the letter. (= He remembers having done it. After)
Remember to post the letter when you go out. (Before doing it, remind you to do it.)
- NEED
I need to do more exercise. (It's necessary for me. You have to do it).
The batteries need changing. (Need as a modal verb. It needs to be done. Impersonal sentence).
- STOP
I stopped to talk to him. (It tells the reason for stopping).
He stopped walking. (It tells the action which stopped).
- TRY
I tried to keep my eyes open. (Effort, attempt).
Try pressing this button. (Experiment, test).

Summary verb chart:


Video GERUND / TO+infinitive:

Here are links to practice and test yourself on Gerunds & Infinitives:
On this blog.
English study quiz (1)
English study Quiz (2)

Thursday 1 October 2015

ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS & INITIALISMS


As you can see above, it's not the same an abbreviation (Dr. = doctor or Ave. = avenue)
than an initialism:

or an acronym:
Watch the video a similar explanation:


Links:

50 of the most useful English abbreviations and acronyms


This site is used with a non-profit educational purpose only. If you find content (photo/video...) you think shouldn't have been included here, please tell me so I can delete it. Thanks.

Blog labels / Tabs

'-ED' '-ING' 'S 1ºBac 1ºESO 2ºBac 2ºESO 3ºESO 4ºESO 8M A(N) ABAU Abbreviations Ability Accents Adjectives Ads Adverbs Advicing Agreeing Agreement Alphabet Altkönigschule Animals Animation Anniversaries Antonyms Apologizing AprilFool Art Articles Aux.Verbs Basics BE Behaviour Biography BlackFriday Blog Body BonfireNight BrE/AmE Bullying Business BY Carnival Causative Cause Celebration Christmas CINEMA Cities CitySongs ClassActivity ClassrooManagement ClassroomLanguage Clothes Collocations Colours Commitment Communicating Comparatives Competition Compounds Conditionals Confusing Connectors ContinuousTenses Contractions Contrast ConversationAssist Cooking Coruña Cosmos Countability COVID Crime Culture Curiosities CV CW Date Day Demonstratives Descriptions Design Determiners Directions DO Emails EngDepActivities EngEvolution EnglishWeek Environment EW19 Exams Exclamations F&AEssay FalseFriends Family Feelings Films Food Formal FrequencyAdvs Fun Functions Furniture Future Galicia Game Gastronomy Gender Genitive Geography GET GO Graduation Grammar Greetings Greta HAD BETTER Halloween HandwritingHistory Harassment HAVE Health Help tips Heritage History Home Homecoming Homographs Homophones Horoscopes HumanRights Hygiene ICT Idioms Imperative Infinitive Info Informal Instruments Interjections Internet Introducing Inviting Ireland IrregularVerbs Jobs Karaoke Kron19 Kron23 LanguageLearning Leisure Letterwriting LIKE Listening Literature Lockdown London LoveActually MAKE Maps Maths Measures Media MindMap Mistakes ModalVerbs Money Music MusicProject Narrative NaturalDisasters Nature Negative News Numbers Nürn10/11 Nürn12 Nürn14 Nürn18 Obit Obligation Offering Onomatopoeias Opinions Passive PASSWORD Past Peace Penpals PerfectTenses Permission Personality Philosophy Phoning Photography PhrasalVerbs Pioneers Plurals Poetry Politeness Politics Poll Possessive Possibility Practice Preference Prefix Prepositions Present PresentPerfect Press Prohibition Projects Promising Pronouns Pronunciation Punctuation Purpose QTags Qualifications Quantifiers QuestionMaking Questionnaire Quiz Qwords RD25Years Reading Reason Recipes Relatives ReportedSpeech Requesting Routines Royals Scholarships SchoolActivities Science Scotland SeaSongs Secuencing Senses Shipwrecks Shopping Slang Slide Smileys SocialMedia Speaking Spelling Sport SportProject St.Patrick Storytelling Strategies StudentExchange StudentPics StudentRecipes Suffix Suffragette Suggestions Symbols Synonyms Teaching Technology Terrorism Thanksgiving THE THE SEA Theatre Time Tools Traditions Translation Travel Tribute TrinityExams TV UK USA UsedTo Valentine Vehicles Verbs VerbTenses Videos Vocabulary vs Wales Wearing Weather Wellbeing Willstätter Wishing Women Wordbuilding WordOrder Writing

PHONEMIC CHART

PHONEMIC CHART
Practice pronunciation

FIND OUT YOUR ENGLISH LEVEL

FIND OUT YOUR ENGLISH LEVEL
Click on image to do the test

AN APP TO LEARN ENGLISH

WRITING PRACTICE

LEARN ENGLISH FROM FILMS

LEARN ENGLISH FROM FILMS
Speechyard