English in Madrid

Everyone complained that this was a particularly difficult test. The results were mixed - some were good while others were disappointing. As with every Use of English, collect the answers to each part while demonstrating evidence for them. Part 1 1. some of these changes are caused by human activity ... 2. Snow and ice have a considerable impact on the environment ... 3. areas that experience harsh winters ... (harsh ≠ mild)   to bear ≈ to tolerate eg I can't bear the pain. 4. when the pipes freeze, they crack and split because of the expansion  of the ice inside. ( split = break)     to  rip ≈ tear   eg. ripped jeans, tear a piece of paper ... to  peel - to take the "skin" of fruit or veg eg. peel an orange / a potato ... 5. ... water runs into exposed cracks...    to slide ≈ to slip    eg The children slid along the icy path.     I slipped on a bana...

Consider the following sentences: (1) People say that the King has more than one mistress. (2) It is said that the King has more than one mistress. (3) The King is said to have more than one mistress. (2) and (3) are passive forms which are often used in news reports. The Passive + Infinitive is the most common. Other reporting verbs used in this way are: assume, believe, claim, consider, discover, estimate, expect, hope, know, report, suppose, think, understand etc. With Present / Future reference: The murderer is believed to be a local man. The government is expected to announce some new measures to tackle the problem at a press conference later today. It is estimated that unemployment will continue rising for another year or so. With Past reference: 350 people are now known to have died in last week's earthquake. Half of the country is thought to have watched the football match. It is understood that the prisoner escaped with ...

Source: Thomas Le on Unsplash I'm still on my vegetarian diet. I'm getting used to it slowly and I'm not really missing meat. I've been thinking about fruit and veg expressions that you have in Spanish. Here are some that I have translated literally. They do not exist in English. Can you explain them to me? When would you use them? They are counted beans. to be fresher than a lettuce. to be a cabbage to give pumpkins to give a pineapple to care a cucumber Have a look at this post on Fruit and Veg Expressions we use in English .

Spain moves to give bullfighting special cultural status Spanish MPs have voted to consider giving bullfighting special cultural status - a move that could overturn regional bans on the age-old tradition. In a 180-40 vote, the parliament backed a petition signed by 590,000 people. If the idea becomes law, it may roll back the ban in Spain's regions of Catalonia and the Canary Islands. It may also provide tax breaks for promoters of bullfighting (corrida). Opponents describe the tradition of killing animals as barbaric.  'Barbaric' tradition  On Tuesday, the popular petition was easily backed in parliament, where the governing conservative Popular Party (PP) has a majority.  Under the proposal, bullfighting would be promoted by the authorities who would also push the UN to recognise it as part of Spain's cultural heritage.  A parliamentary commission is now expected to fine-tune proposed legislation and the vote could take place later this year.  T...

Source: Wikipedia   Spotlight on Vocabulary : The Pope resigned yesterday or rather, he told us that he was going to resign at the end of the month. Next month we will have a new Pope. If you resign , you decide to leave your job. It is thought that the Pope resigned because of ill health. Politicians often resign because of some scandal. During demonstrations last week, many people called for Mariano Rajoy 's resignation . Complete the following sentences: The Pope ___ his resignation yesterday. Mrs Thatcher resigned ___ PM  in 1990. I'm going to  ___ in my resignation and look for a better job. After many years at the top, he decided to resign ___ the company . He resigned ___ to the high stress level he faced in his job. Here are some other job expressions: He got the sack / was sacked  for always arriving late. 100 people were made redundant when the factory closed down. You lose your job in both of th...

Source: shescooking.com   Millions prepare to celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year Millions of people are preparing to celebrate Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, the most important annual holiday in much of Asia. The new year begins on Sunday, when the new moon is seen in the sky. In the Chinese zodiac, this year will be the year of the snake, taking over from the dragon of 2012. In China, an estimated 200 million people are travelling to be with their families in what is considered the biggest mass human migration on Earth. The holiday will continue throughout the week, with government offices and businesses shut down. The snake has a mixed reputation in China. It is associated with wisdom, beauty and intelligence but also pride and anger. Pollution concerns Residents of Beijing braved freezing temperatures on Saturday night to let off fireworks, which are believed to ward off evil spirits. However, the displays in the capital were reportedly more muted tha...

Source:  pixelperfektion en Unsplash But v However But is more informal than however. You can use however at the beginning of a sentence. You can't use but at the beginning of a sentence in written English. I can understand Italian but I can't speak it very well. I can understand Italian. However, I can't speak it very well. Justice for gulls! They steal our chips – but also deserve our love, empathy and respect https://t.co/dCqzCIxCLR — The Guardian (@guardian) April 1, 2024 Obesity has become the most common form of malnutrition in the majority of countries According to the WHO about 774 million people in the world were afflicted by the coronavirus. However, obesity already affects more than one billion people https://t.co/u1LfaU1egD — El País English Edition (@elpaisinenglish) March 3, 2024 Despite v In spite of These linking words are the same. They are followed by a noun or a gerund . They are never followed by a subject pronoun.  We had a great ti...

Source:  Markus Winkler on Unsplash   I am  thinking to go  to London next summer.  😡  I am thinking in going  to London next summer.  😡  I am thinking about/of going  to London next summer.  😍  So what's the difference between think of and think about ? Sometimes, like in the above example, they can be used interchangeably. think of is used when you think for a few seconds or you imagine something. When I hear this song, I think of my ex. Can you think of five countries that begin with the letter "S"? I can't think of his name right now. Oh, my memory is getting worse and worse. think of is also you used to  ask opinions . What do you think of our new teacher? Have you read his latest book? What did you think of it? What do you think of my new haircut? Lyrics: No I can forget tomorrow When I think of all my sorrow When I had you there But then I let you go When yo...

Source: Wikiepdia (Triple Caña) Top PP officials shown to have taken payments on the side Source: El País in English (1) El País said (that) politicians from the Popular Party had accepted illegal payments. (2) El País accused PP politicians of accept ing illegal payments. Rajoy on slush fund: “It is all untrue, except for some things” Source: El País in English (1) Rajoy told reporters (that) it was all untrue. (2) Rajoy denied receiv ing any illegal payments. Spain Socialist leader Rubalcaba tells PM Rajoy to go Source: BBC News (1) Rubalcaba said (that) Rajoy had to resign. (2) Rubalcaba told Rajoy to resign. (1) Reported Speech            (2) Reporting Verbs/Verb Patterns Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy denies slush fund allegations   Source: Newsy (video with transcript) Spain: PM under fire over renewed corruption claims   Source: BBC News (video) Here is the transcript for the ab...