Tercero B

Hello guys,

We need to borrow this blog for a bit.

In any case, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

Tercero B,

Feliz Cumpleaños!!!

Y que tengan una Feliz Navidad!!!

Writing an article.

For those who asked for the writing requirements to be posted,

Write an article (250-300 words) for a magazine describing two towns you've visited.

• Use vocabulary that goes beyond basic.
• Try to extol the qualities of each one. (See? Vocabulary beyond basic there.)
• Must be written by computer and include pictures of both places.
• Must include at least 7 words from the vocabulary on p.35 of your student's book. (You copied this vocabulary on your notebook. It included words such as: cosmopolitan, thriving, renowned for.)

Remember to proofread your article once you've finished writing.


A bit of inspiration:


On the use of language:

Practice for module 2.

Hi guys!

As promised here you can find some practice to help you study for the exam.

Infinitives and Gerunds. (old post)
Present perfect simple and continuous.
Narrative tenses.
Vocabulary related to relationships.  (You can try this a few times, it generates slightly different versions each time)

As usual, if you have any questions, just leave a comment and I'll try to reply as soon as possible.

Good luck!

PS
Check the previous post about stative verbs too.

Stative verbs.

Hello guys!

I know you're probably tired of listening to me talking about this, so here you have other people doing so.

I hope it helped you understand the topic a bit better.

Film review.

Hello guys!

As promised here you have the requirements for your writing:
*  200-300 words
*  Use at least 7 of the following compound nouns and adjectives:

              Feature film                                   Wide-eyed

              Shoe-string budget                        Cold-blooded

              Opening-sequence                         Long-lasting

              Heart-throb                                   Action-packed

              Blockbuster                                   Heart-warming

              Road movie                                   Hair-raising

              Psychological thriller                      Cool-headed

              Film buff                                        Slow-moving

              Box office                                      All-time

              Special effects 

              Love story

*  Include film information. 

*  Must include: Summary/Synopsis, Strengths and weaknesses, Overall verdict/Recommendation.

Here are some tips** for you to write your film review:

1. If circumstances permit, view the film more than once.

2. Express your opinion of the film, but support your criticism. If you are offended or disappointed or embarrassed, provide a valid reason, even if you think it is obvious. 

3. Avoid spoilers, that is revealing the ending or important details that will ruin or diminish the enjoyment of watching the film for the first time.  

4. Judge the story. Are the character’s actions justified, and are their motives plausible? Is there an internal consistency to the way each person behaves, or do some words, thoughts, or actions ring false? Does the plot make sense? Is the story line logical? 

5. Rate the actors. Do they meet the expectations dictated by the plot and other story elements? If not, is it their own thespian shortcomings, are they hampered by a poor script, or is there something about their performances that makes you believe the director is at fault? What could the performers, the screenwriters, or the filmmaker have done differently to make the movie work better?

6. Evaluate the technical elements. How do the cinematography, editing, lighting, sound, and other components support or detract from the film? Is music appropriate and effectively employed? 

7. Give credit to the source where you got the information.

**Adapted from http://www.dailywritingtips.com/7-tips-for-writing-a-film-review/

Practice for Exam 1.

Well, we've gotten to that time; exam is just around the corner now. So here you have some links to practice some of the most important topics we worked with.

Remember, it's all about how we use the language.

To practice prefixes go here.

To practice habitual actions go here.

To review and practice vocabulary about emotions, check this post.

Do you think you need more practice? Drop me a line and I'll send you something.

Listening practice.

Hello guys!

Here's the song from the activity I gave you to practice. Do it without stopping the song, and without headphones as you won't be able to do that in class, ok?

Answer key.

Video

Hello letter G!

Here is the video for you to watch. I hope you enjoy it!

We'll talk about it in class.

Cheers.

Topics for final exam.

These are the topics we saw throughout the year. You should have notes on your notebook explaining each one, but I'm also writing the pages with the explanation on your books.

Present tenses (Not in book, check notebook and doctor who activity)
Habitual actions in present and past (SB. p.115)
Narrative tenses (SB. p.117)
Simple and continuous forms. Stative verbs. (SB. p.118, 119 and doctor who activity)
Infinitives and gerunds (SB. p.119-120, also there's a presentation here in the blog)
Conditionals (SB. p.121, for conditionals 0 and 1 check your notebooks)
Ellipsis (SB. p.122)
Future tenses (SB. p.122-123)
Reporing structures (SB. p.124)
Emphasis (SB. p.126)
Modals -present and past, including would- (SB. p.127-128)
Passive voice* (SB. p.128-129)

*Remember this is the main topic of the unit, so you need to put special care in this regard. Remember to study passive structures with consider, believe, etc.

I hope you find this list useful. You should already know everything in it. You can go back to older posts in here to find practice for most topics.

Good luck guys!!!

PS
If you need any help, drop a comment.

wibbly wobbly... time-y wimey... stuff.

You know you want to watch it.

I'll miss you guys!

If that one is removed, here is another user.

Alice in Wonderland

Hi!

For those of you who are behind in the reading and asked for the text.

Here.  It's a PDF file.

Stay tuned for the topics for the final exam.

Module 4

Hello guys,

Here's some practice for your exam. Sorry for the delay!

• Emphasis
• Modal verbs
• Would

• Synonyms for walk.  (don't worry if there are a few you don't know)
• Phrasal verbs with run. 

Short story.

For this assignment, you will be creating your own short story (500-750 words). Choose a set of three elements and write a story that contains all three of them!

• A stolen ring, fear of spiders, and a sinister stranger.
• A taxi, an old enemy, and Valentine's Day.
• Identical twins, a party invitation, and a locked closet.
• A broken wristwatch, peppermints, and a hug that goes too far.
• Aerobics, a secret diary, and something unpleasant under the bed.
• An ex-boyfriend, a pair of binoculars, and a good-luck charm.
• The first day of school, a love note, and a recipe with a significant mistake.
• A horoscope, makeup, and a missing tooth.
• A campfire, a scream, and a small lie that gets bigger and bigger.

In crafting your story, keep the following in mind:

• Choose a theme/conflict as the basis for your story. Consider the elements you've chosen when you outline this.
• Use indirect characterization (description of character’s appearance, actions, thoughts, words, and other character’s reactions to them) to bring your characters to “life.”
• Think carefully about your lead and your conclusion  -your lead should draw the reader into the story (narrative hook), and your conclusion should provide some sort of resolution.
• Try using thoughts and descriptive pictures to make your story and characters believable.

Reminders
As you write and revise your story, keep the following tips in mind:

Give enough information so the reader can actually picture the story events and characters.

Give details that are specific and relevant.

Consider word choice and sentence structure carefully.

Correct any grammatical and spelling errors.

Given the extent of the assignment, keep the character list short (2-3 characters)

Practice for exam module 3

Hi guys!

It's exam time again. Here are some activities for you to practice.

Vocabulary from unit 5.

Vocabulary from unit 6.

This one is very easy for you, but it'll help you practice the difference between will and going to. 

Here you can practice future continuous and future perfect. Pay attention to the list of verbs you have to use!

Reporting verbs:  practice1,
                           practice2 (again, check the verbs you need to use)

Questions? Leave a comment here.

This is the game we played in class. At the end you can find a detail explanation of each answer.

Listening Practice.

Hey guys!

As promised, here's an extra activity to practice listening.

You can print it, or just download the file to do it in your computer. Pay close attention to the lyrics as there are some very similar lines.

Activity.

Answer key.