English in Madrid

Here are some more animals to add to the list of expressions. See also A - D . elephant      Source: Wikipedia (Thomas Breuer)   If there was an elephant in the room , then it'd be difficult to go unnoticed. An elephant in the room is an important and obvious problem, which everyone present is aware of, but isn't discussed, as such discussion is uncomfortable.  The elephant in the room between many couples is what to do with aging parents. Many people admired his courage in addressing  the elephant in the room . A white elephant , like in Spanish, is something that requires a lot of care and money and that gives little profit or enjoyment. In Spain, there are countless examples of white elephants such as The City of Arts and Sciences . Do you say "como un elefante en una cacharrería" in Spanish ?? We say that someone acted like a bull in a china shop  if they are very careless in the way that they...

Source: Pexels (Thirdman ) The following are linking expressions that we use to give reasons for why something has occurred. Because / because of The difference between these two words is that because is followed by a subject + verb , and because of is followed by a noun : I like Madrileños because they are fun. I like Madrileños because of their fun-loving nature . The flight was cancelled  because the air-traffic controllers were on strike. The flight was cancelled because of the air-traffic controllers' strike . People in 20s more likely to be out of work because of poor mental health than those in early 40s https://t.co/5FFbReEFfU — The Guardian (@guardian) February 26, 2024 Be careful with it ! I chose this school because is near where I work.😡 I chose this school because it is near where I work.😍 Due to / owing to Both due to (= because of) and owing to are followed by a noun . They are quite formal. Emergency services were overwhelme...

Complete the following sentences with suitable words: Why do you want to visit there? It's such a d_ _ _. It must be one of the ugliest towns in the country. I think Italy has the lowest birth r _ _ _ in the whole of Europe. So many parents just have one child.  Rich? They are one of the w_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ families in Madrid. They own properties all over Spain. I doubt that was a very w_ _ _ decision. I think he risks losing all his money. Most footballers aren't good r _ _ _ m_ _ _ _ _ for children though sport stars are usually a good example for them. You should get r _ _  of these clothes if you never wear them. I wish you wouldn't be so m _ _ _ _. Go and tidy up your room. I got these shoes for half price. Did you find any b_ _ _ _ _ _ _ in the sale? She is English but she was b_ _ _ _ _ _ up in France. She went back to England as an adult. Someone must have seen the accident but the police...

 Source:  jean wimmerlin on Unsplash The lion hugger In 2012 Valentin Gruener rescued a young lion cub and raised it himself at a wildlife park in Botswana. It was the start of an extraordinary relationship. Now an astonishing scene is repeated each time they meet - the young lion leaps on Gruener and holds him in an affectionate embrace. "Since the lion arrived, which is three years now, I haven't really left the camp," says Gruener. "Sometimes for one night I go into the town here to organise something for the business, but other than that I've been here with the lion."  The lion he has devoted himself to is Sirga - a female cub he rescued from a holding pen established by a farmer who was fed up with shooting animals that preyed on his cattle.  "The lions had killed the other two or three cubs inside the cage, and the mother abandoned the remaining cub. She was very tiny, maybe 10 days old," Gruener says.  The farmer, Willy de Graaf, asked Gr...

There are two wrong sentences in each of the following groups. Correct them. A. I think I'll phone Anne tonight. We haven't spoken for ages. The gap between rich and poor each time gets wider. I don't know what am I going to do this summer. We aim to finish the project by the end of March. B. You can be tired. You have been working all day. If I see David, I'll tell him to get in touch with you. You look like sad. What's happened? He's changed his career - now he works as an engineer. I think he works for a German firm. C. There is much unemployment in Spain so many young people have gone abroad to look for work. I don't think we have enough time to finish all these reports. We have had plenty of drinks. You don't need to buy any more. It's too much noisy where I live. I'd like to move to a different neighbourhood. D. I'm going straight to home after I finish work. He sometimes listens to classical music but he prefe...

1. You should never be afraid to ___ your mind. A: tell B: talk C: say D: speak 2. Look! She ___ a jacket just like yours. A: is worn B: wears C: has wore D: is wearing 3. I couldn't ___ what he was saying because of the loud music. A: hear B: listen to C: understanding D: to understand 4. John: Hey! ___ ?     Ben: Alright thanks. A: How goes it? B: How do you do? C: How's it going? D: What are you up to? 5. Have you checked ___ the Italian restaurant that he recommended? A: down B: out C: up D: through 6. I ___ the film before so I ___ some revision for the exam that I have next week. A: saw / did B: had seen / done C: saw / had done D: had seen / did 7. He ___ have a house near the sea where he spent his summer holidays. A: used to B: would C: use to D: would to 8. Rachel: I think women are better drivers than men.       Pe...

Which of the following sentences (possibly more than one) are right? If they are wrong, correct them. 1. A: I promised that I would write to her. B: She promised me to phone. C: Did you promise to help him? D: My boss promised giving me a pay rise. 2. A: I recommend you to see his latest film. B: What book would you recommend that I read? C: My colleague recommended on taking a refresher course. D: Doctors recommend drinking a glass of red wine every day. 3. A: Weather forecasters are warning drivers to take extra care. B: Parents should warn their children don't to trust strangers. C: My boss warned to arrive on time. D: Tourists were warned for travelling to the area. 4. A: If I were you, I'd apologise her. B: He apologised for not remembering their anniversary. C: You don't have to apologise to tell the truth. D: My teacher apologised that he arrived late. 5. A: I have explained you this twice already. B: Would you mind explaining how this ...

Source: Kira auf der Heide on Unsplash   Consider the following words and expressions that contain body parts. Can you guess what they mean? 1. This suit cost me an arm and a leg . A: It was very expensive. B: It was a bargain. C: I bought it in the sales. 2. I didn't want to go but Amanda twisted my arm . A: to persuade sb to do stg they do not want to B: to punish sb because they don't do what you ask them to do C: to pay sb to do stg for you 3. Would you back me up if I put the suggestion to the boss? A: to support or encourage B: to disagree with sb C: to try to prevent sb from doing stg 4. She wants to get her own back  on her ex for  his cheating. . A: to take revenge on sb B: to forget that you ever met sb C: to forgive sb 5. Linda proves that you can be beautiful and brainy . A: witty B: intelligent C: hard working 6. They expect me to work until 9pm without paying me overtime. What a cheek ! A: a surprise B: bad behavio...

Which of the following stories interested you most? Read at least one article and in your comment tell me any new words or expressions that you discover. Former Madrid premier chased by police after illegally parking in Gran Vía http://t.co/IYNW006NwX via @el_pais — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) abril 3, 2014 #Weareallmonkeysnow Spanish ‘Kill Jews’ village considers changing its name to drop anti-Semitic phrase http://t.co/JlQTDdazDi pic.twitter.com/8e01iYMxRG — RT (@RT_com) abril 12, 2014 Russian bear v Bearded lady Adiós King Juan Carlos Justice minister’s son alleged to have fled scene after crashing into several cars http://t.co/LFfEqamCjt — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) junio 17, 2014 Dutch delight v Spanish sorrow

Source: Andrea De Santis on Unsplash   Kim Jong-un 'set to open a new restaurant in SCOTLAND' The North Korean leader already has a restaurant in Holland and is hoping to branch out and build diplomatic ties with European cities Kim Jong-un could try and open a restaurant in Scotland serving delicacies such as dog meat soup, North Korea experts claim. This comes after the controversial leader brought his chain, The 'Pyongyang' restaurants, over to Europe by launching one in Holland. Now North Korea watchers believe Scotland may be the next prime location, largely thanks to the popularity of whisky among the communist ruling elite. Michael Madden, editor of the North Korea Leadership Watch, said Jong-un is desperate to build diplomatic ties with European countries with left-wing leanings. He added: "It would not surprise me at all if they opted to open a restaurant in Scotland.  "The Scottish independence referendum catapulted Scotland into the North K...