English in Madrid

Choose one of the following events that you have been to and describe it with some of the structures that you have studied in class. a wedding a sporting event a football match a demonstration a rally a concert a peace march a special party a big concert a performance by a famous actor or singer Just over a year ago I joined a group from Equanimal on a trip to Galicia. I follow the organisation's news with interest because I feel very strongly about the welfare of animals. I jumped at the chance to go to Galicia to try to disrupt a day of fox-hunting . I was a bit nervous though because I didn't know anybody. A bus full of people  left Madrid in the evening and arrived in a small village near Pontevedra around 5am.  It was the meeting place for protestors from all over Spain as well as the hunters. Needless to say , I didn't manage to get any sleep during the journey. It started to pour rain  as all the protestors gathered together. I remember...

'Most unfortunate names' revealed What do you call some of the most unlucky people in Britain? Justin Case, Barb Dwyer and Stan Still. It sounds like a bad joke, but a study has revealed that there really are unfortunate people with those names in the UK. Joining them on the list are Terry Bull, Paige Turner, Mary Christmas and Anna Sasin. And just imagine having to introduce yourself to a crowd as Doug Hole or Hazel Nutt. The names were uncovered by researchers from parenting group TheBabyWebsite.com after trawling through online telephone records . Retired airman Stan Still, 76, from Cirencester, Gloucestershire, said his name had been "a blooming millstone around my neck my entire life". "When I was in the RAF my commanding officer used to shout, 'Stan Still, get a move on ' and roll about laughing ," he said. "It got hugely boring after a while ." But 51-year-old Rose Bush, from Coventry, West Midlands, said s...

Kilt shop owner warned by police for sell ing anti-England World Cup T-shirts  A KILT shop got a police warning for sell ing World Cup T-shirts with "Anyone But England" on the front.  An officer told staff at Slanj of Scotland's Aberdeen branch that the slogan could spark racial unrest .  And he gave the same warning over another of the store's T-shirts, with the slogan "Algeria, USA and Slovenia Supporters Club".  The three countries will be England's group opponents at the World Cup in June.  The shop's assistant manager, Jamie Wilkinson, 23, insisted yesterday that the T-shirts in their window were just " harmless football banter ".  He added: " It has nothing to do with hating the English. It's just about winding them up . "I'm really surprised they are making such an issue about this, and I think they need to get a sense of humour about it."  Slanj owner Brian Halley vowe...

Source: You Tube (Rick Steve's Europe)    Key Words: London mad and trad "Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford ." - Samuel Johnson Have you ever been to London? What did/didn't you like about it? What was the highlight of your trip? What memories do you have? What struck you most ? Would you like to live there? Why/why not? Compare life in London to life in Madrid. Source:  Jack Finnigan on Unsplash If you haven't been, would you like to go? What would you like to do and see? How do you imagine London? Source: Laurenz Kleinheider on Unsplash Try to complete the lyrics to London Calling by The Clash . Source: You Tube (Wolters World) Key Words: 5 hates lioves London

Even if we do some work on pronunciation and word stress, we don't do nearly as much as I would like to. I'll try to create some posts now and again, that give you the chance to improve your pronunciation skills. Many people still have difficulties pronouncing the -ed endings. There are three ways to pronounce the ending: /t/ /d/ /ɪd/ It is only in the third group that there is an extra syllable (because of the vowel /ɪ/ sound) when the -ed is added. An example for each group: watch /wɒtʃ/ (one syllable), watched /wɑtʃt/ (one syllable) stay /steɪ/ (one syllable), stayed /steɪd/ (one syllable) start /stɒːrt/ ( one syllable ), started / 'stɒːr tɪd / ( two syllables ) N.B. In group 3 there are o nly verbs that end in a /d/ or /t/ sound and there is an extra syllable when -ed is added. e.g. invite /ɪnˈvaɪt/ (2 syllables), invited /ɪnˈvaɪ t ɪd / (3 syllables) e.g. decide /dɪˈsaɪd/ (2 syllables), decided /dɪˈsaɪ dɪd / (3 syllables) A.  What are the following ver...

Source: Charles Deluvio on Unsplash   Woman fined £50 as baby drops banana A mother from North East Lincolnshire is refusing to pay a fine she was given after her baby son dropped part of a banana from his pram . Kirsty Allen, 29, from Grimsby, said she was " appalled " after be ing given a £50 fine by a litter warden . She said the end of the banana had rolled off 16-month-old Lennon's blanket and into a puddle . North East Lincolnshire Council said it was "standard procedure" to issue a fine to anyone caught litter ing . However, Ms Allen said: "I was shocked, I was appalled actually." "Maybe if it had been actual litter that you could see then I would understand, I would pay the fine first time, but no, I was appalled." 'Banana skin' However the council disputed Ms Allen's story, saying the skin of the banana had been dropped . Environmental enforcement manager for the council, John Waite, said: ...

  Source: note thanun on Unsplash Noisy children no longer verboten in Berlin  Children in the German capital Berlin are to be exempt from strict laws on noise pollution. An amendment to the city's law now makes it "fundamentally and socially tolerable" for members of the younger generation to make a racket. Berlin has become the first of Germany's 16 federal states to adopt such legislation. But all Berliners - children included - must continue to respect the official quiet time at night and all day Sunday. Until now, only church bells, emergency sirens, snow ploughs and tractors have fallen outside the stringent rules on excessive noise in Germany. In Berlin alone , hundreds of complaints are made each year about noise levels in kindergartens and children's playgrounds. Some day-care facilities have even been forced to close after local residents have gone to court in search of a quiet life.  Now Berlin's local government, the senate, has...

Lent is the period of forty days which comes before Easter in the Christian calendar, traditionally a time of fasting and reflection. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and begins with Ash Wednesday. Lent Lent is the period of 40 days which comes before Easter in the Christian calendar. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, Lent is a season of reflection and preparation before the celebrations of Easter. By observing the 40 days of Lent, Christians replicate Jesus Christ's sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for 40 days. Lent is marked by fasting, both from food and festivities. The Christian churches that observe Lent in the 21st century (and not all do significantly) use it as a time for prayer and penance. Only a small number of people today fast for the whole of Lent, although some maintain the practice on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. It is more common these days for believers to surrender a particular vice such as favourite foods or smoking. Whatever the sacrifice it is a ...

Correct the sentences if they are wrong. Always remember giving a firm handshake at the start of an interview. Avoid translating word for word. Try to translate the idea if anything. The Thursday is my favourite day of the week by far. The Scots are much friendlier than the English. I like the Italian fashion but I prefer the Spanish food. It's important don't to overdo it. Start by jogging ten minutes each day. I've had an absolutely dreadful day. I should have stayed at home. It was really nice of you to do what you did. You are so kind. The last Thursday I went to the theatre for the first time in ages. It was you who suggested going; it wasn't my idea.. I really do think you should take your time before making a decision. You rang her on the Sunday before you went away. A: Do you know what the longest river in the world is? B: I think it's the Nile. A: They have two children - a son and a daughter. B: Do the children go to the university? What t...

Don't think terrific means terrorífico! Source: Arthur Poulin on Unsplash We had a terrific time. = We had a great time. We had terrific weather this summer. = We had fantastic weather this summer. Wow! That's a terrific idea. = That's an excellent idea. You look terrific . You are a terrific friend. Terrific usually has a positive sense. It is an informal adjective. It is an example of an extreme adjective , so we can use it with " absolutely " Did you enjoy the match? It was absolutely terrific . Terrorífico which has the idea of fear can be translated as (absolutely) terrifying or (very)  fr ightening . In another sense (un terrorífico error, una terrorífica decisión), it can be translated as horrific or dreadful . Can you think of an actor or actress who gave a terrific performance in a film? Why were they so good in the role? When did you last have a terrific holiday? Why was it so good? What are the ingredients for a terrific h...

The town where pupils speak 150 different languages Schools in just one town are having to cope with pupils who speak 150 different languages, a survey has found . They range from the Ghanaian dialect of Akan, through the African language of Chichewa and the ancient Aztec tongue of Nahuatl to the Indian language of Telugu. This is as well as the more common foreign languages of Urdu, Punjabi and Polish. The survey in Reading, Berkshire, shows how schools are being put under mounting pressure by the rising levels of pupils who do not speak English as their first language. In a bid to ease the burden , Reading Borough Council, is offering discounted English lessons for both children and adults. The * aim is to get children , whose command of English is often much better, to help their families learn it. Lesley Reilly, head of adult learning at the authority, said: ‘Our aim is to involve stakeholders in community groups across the town to encourage people to ...

Source: Foto de Jackson Schaal en Unsplash promise  agree deny refuse remind suggest admit blame persuade advise invite congratulate explain accuse offer apologise threaten warn forgive demand  recommend Rewrite the following sentences using the correct form of one of the above verbs. Make any other necessary changes. e.g You should read his latest book. He recommended (read ing ) his latest book. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth, Diana," said Charles. "I didn't kill her," said the gardener. "The butler did." "If she doesn't arrive on time, I will sack her" said the boss. " I can give you a lift if your car is at the mechanic's, John," said Anne. "I'll buy you a computer, Andy" said his father "but only if you pass your exams." "You press the button and it switches on," he said. "Why don't you try this cream next time?" she said. "Remember that...

Source:  Susan Holt Simpson on Unsplash Ban on Valentine's Day cards at school A primary school in Weston-super-Mare has been criticised for banning Valentine cards to save pupils the "emotional trauma" of being rejected . Children at Ashcombe Primary School were stopped from exchanging cards because the head teacher said they were not emotionally mature enough to cope . Peter Turner told parents of the 430 pupils that cards would be confiscated. One pupil's mother said: "I think it's outrageous . They're just children. Why spoil their fun ?" The woman, whose son attends the school, said: "It's comical really. I couldn't believe it when I saw the newsletter. "My son is six and he's had a little girlfriend since nursery . They say they're going to get married, but we don't read anything into it ." Mr Turner said in the newsletter that children get upset when they are " dumped " which i...

Here is a list of reporting verbs. What are the corresponding nouns? e.g. to advise / advice (uncountable noun so we can't say an advice or advices)  to agree  to offer to invite  to accuse  to warn  to refuse to deny  to suggest  to apologise  to remind  to promise  to admit  to recommend to demand  to decide  to threaten  to explain  Complete the sentences using one of the nouns. His silence was as good as an ___ of guilt. Did you hear the weather ___? Apparently there is a big storm on the way. The MP issued a ___ that he was having an affair with the actress. Is that a ___? Will you give me your word? Have you got any ___ where I can go this weekend? You deserve an ___ from him. He had no right to say such a thing. I'm going to take my time because it will be the most important ___ that I have ever taken. Whenever I have a problem, I go to my best friend for ___. Why haven't I re...

Are the following sentences right or wrong? Correct them if they are wrong. We've been having such a horrible weather recently. I had such a nice time. Thank you. I was so glad that you were able to come in the end. So much people came that there wasn't enough food for everyone. I laughed so much that I fell off my chair. You gave me such a fright. I didn't think there was anyone here. The meeting went on for so long. I thought it would never end. I've missed you so much. I am a so lucky guy. I've seen this film so much times. He is such an idiot. How can anyone be so stupid? My English is so much better than this time last year. Try these other exercises too : Flatmates (BBC Learning English) Grammar challenge (BBC Learning English) So/such quiz (usingenglish) How could you continue these sentences? e.g. He's so stingy . He is always the last one to reach for his wallet. e.g. I love you so much that I would do anything for you. He is so ...

Here is a list of the words from the "How to cope in an emergency" text. Choose some of them and write example sentences (not definitions). a wound ( see difference with an injury ) thunder to outrun a piece of string a piece of rope a haven to charge to be struck (to strike) debris cardboard a bandage a doorway a boom a shelter to antagonise a threat to bleed a bandage to remain still to kneel a splint

Source:  Herr Bohn on Unsplash Here is lots of practice on the ed/ing adjectives: The Flatmates Grammar Challenge Are you bored or boring? You can find more exercises under the grammar section in the left-hand column. Choose some of the following to talk about. Give reasons for your answer. an exciting job to have a boring job to have a confusing part of English grammar an annoying famous person a fascinating person you'd like to meet a disappointing film a frightening experience a depressing story in the news an amazing view a shocking statistic Choose from the following. When did you last feel...? Why? stressed annoyed embarrassed surprised worried disappointed frightened frustrated

Complete the following with a word in the correct form. You won't earn much if you become a teacher. It's really b____-p___. He's had a really s_________ career. He's the top manager in the firm now. It's only a t________ job. It ends in March and then I'll have to look for a new one. Has he got w___ it t____ to be a soldier? I think he is too indecisive. I don't think he made a w___ decision. He should think again. I'm going to finish work early tonight u_____ my boss asks me to stay behind. The train on platform 2 is d__ to leave in 10 minutes. I think the prime minister should r_____. He lied to parliament. He is just j______ that I got a promotion and he didn't. I wouldn't mind having a c__________ job; it would make life more interesting. She is t_______ to be a nurse. She'll finish the course this summer. Which university he goes to depends on his g_____ from school. I need to find a more exciting job - I'm really f_...