WHATEVER IT TAKES

      

                             

Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons was released in May 2017 as a promotional single. 

The song finds Dan Reynolds, his singer, making great efforts to be the best despite of the obstacles.

Dan wants to do something with his life and he is ready to Evolve. He is willing to give "whatever it takes" to succed and he gives the reason why.

Let's stop reading and watch this weird but amazing video!





And now let's work with the lyrics. Click HERE

Post listening activities:

Now, answer these questions about the song:

1. What type of portrait does the singer paint about the world we live in today? (part 1)
2. Does he feel paralized in front of the uncertainty about the future? Account on your answer. (part 2)
3. Has he always felt like this? Was there a time when his feelings were different? Account on your answer. (part 3)
4. How have those feelings been replaced? What does he want to be considered today? (part 4)
5. Is there any paradox* in his words? Explain. (part 4)
6. If you think about the old saw about a glass being either half full or half empty, how would you describe such a glass about the future? What perspective about reality have you got ending this cycle?

* paradox: a proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurb but in reality expresses a possible
                  truth.




If you want to continue practising and enjoying this song, click HERE and go to Lyrics Training!

BELIEVER

The song Believer by the band Imagine Dragons was released in January 2017. 

His singer, Dan Reynolds, has struggled with a lot of health problems that led him to depression. He wrote this song to show people his attitude about adversity and beliefs. 

In an interview he said "This song explains my realization that emotional pain I faced the last few years actually helped me progress to this healthier mental space - that adversity truly  is what helps you become a believer in yourself."   

Let's wacth this powerful-brand video!

And now, click HERE to work with it!


Further practise: Answer:

1. Why does the singer say "First thing first"? Why are these three words important for the meaning of the song?
2. Explain the meaning of these words

• "I was broken from my young age"
• "Seeing the beauty through the . . . / Pain!"
• "You made me a, you made me a believer, believer."
• "I let the bullets fly, oh, let them rain..."
• "I was choking in the crowd."
• "Inhibited, limited."

And now personal opinion:

1. Which is the best way to deal with adversity?
2. Which is the final message of the song?

You can continue working with the song and... Lyrics Training! Click HERE.

SECRETS

                                                 

                                                
                                                                                              

Secrets is a groovy, awesome song by The Weeknd. It is about a relationship that is not going well. It is an interesting take on a relatinship that could be very close to falling apart.

Let's not talk anymore an watch the video!!







And now, click HERE to work with the lyrics.

Maybe you haven't understood the music video meaning. If it has happened to you, click HERE to know it better.

Now let's continue working with LYRICS TRAINING!!!! Click HERE.

I hope you've enjoyed it!!


                                         


                                     

THERE IS - THERE ARE

                 

In English we use THERE IS or THERE ARE to talk about things we can see and things that exist.

We use THERE IS for singular and uncountable nouns and we use THERE ARE for plural or countable nouns.

Let's see these charts:






Now it's your turn!! Click HERE and solve the activity. Then send your result to my email box.




                                                   



                            

ACTION VERBS

                                             

An ACTION VERB is a verb that expresses physical or mental action.

The action verb, also called dynamic verb, tells us what the subject is doing, physically or mentally.

There are endless action verbs used in English language. An action verb can express something that a person, animal or even object can do. 

I'm including here an Action Verb Pictionary of the most common ones:

And now it's your turn!!!

Click HERE and solve the activity about ACTION VERBS. If you don't understand any of them, a dictionary. Send your final mark to my email box. 

                  

                                                      That's all for now"!

                                       

CAPTION CONTEST

         CAPTION CONTEST

This is a new caption contest! Look at the picture and write a caption for it. Remember the funniest and the wittiest wins a 10!




Yes! This was me during a test when the teacher was looking at me... And I was pretending that at least I was trying to think...


                                                  


                   

SLANG WORDS USED IN SONGS

   
        

                                       


Songs often use slang and colloquial English that you should understand, but never use in formal situations.

Nevertheless, a lot of current slang is found in songs. Let's clarify some things:



Slang is a subset of a language used by one particular group of people. It consists of words and expressions which cannot be found in a common dictionary and they can be distortions of existings words or entirely invented terms. It is used in informal situations. It is not appropriate in formal situations. It is important to say that slang and informal English are not the same. Some slang can be used in formal situations and some of the words that can only be used in informal situations are not slang.



There are many situations in everyday life where informal English is allowed, even preferred. Some examples include of these informal situations are: while playing sports, while studying with friends, at a bar, with close family members, on the phone with frinds, among others.




Slang is used by all kinds of groups of people who share situations or interests. The group which uses these words is a minority and often use slang to set themselves apart  or to make it difficult for ordinary people to understand them. Sometimes singers use these slang words to catch rhythm or to make the words more fluent. 

Here you will find the translation into normal English of the most common colloquial words used in songs (and also on television and movies!):

ain't: the verb to be or the vert to have in all the forms in the negative, i.e. am not, is not, are not, have not, has not.

bae/babe: baby (a person's boyfriend or girlfrind's)

beef: a conflict


bling-bling: flashy jewelry worn as an indication of wealth

bootylicious: sexually attractive

bounce: time to leave

'bout: about

c'mom: come on

coolin it: relaxing

cos, 'cos, coz, 'cause: because

coulda: could have

dat: that

dime: a very beautiful woman

dontcha, don't cha: don't you

dunno: don't know, doesn't know

'em: them

ev'ry: every

fly (fly-boy): a shrewd or sophisticated guy

gerroff: get off

gimme: give me

gonna: going to

getcha: get you

get jiggy with it: to get into the groove

gotcha: got you

gotta: (have) got to

hafta: have to

innit (GB): isn't it

kinda: kind of

lemme: let me

lil, li'l: little

luv: love

musta: must have

'n', 'n: and

no diggity: no doubt

o': of


ol': old

outta (US): out of

sez: says

shoulda: should have

scrub: a guy who thinks is fine and still lives with his mom and is always broke

tho': though

tight: stylish and cool

trip: to act unreasonably

wanna: want to, want a

watcha: what are you (watcha talking about?), what you (Do whatcha got to do?)

woulda: would have

yada yada yada: I don't want to bore you with details

yeah/yasss: yes

I hope this will be useful for you!!


                                  

ANIMAL SOUNDS

                  

                                           


What is the sound each animal makes? The following is a list of the most common animals and the typical sound they make to communicate:

• BEARS growl
• BATS screech
• BEES buzz/hum
• BIRDS chirp/sing/tweet/whisle/chirrup
• BULLS bellow
• CATS mew/purr
• CHICKENS chirp
• COCKS crow
• COYOTES yelp
• COWS moo
• CRICKETS chirrup
• DEER bell
• DOGS bark/growl
• DOLPHINS click
• DONKEYS bray/heehaw
• DOVES coo
• DUCKS quack
• EAGLESscreech
• ELEPHANTS trumpet
• FALCONS chant 
• FISH swish
• FLIES buzz/hum
• FOXES yelp
• FROGS croak
• GIRAFFES bleat
• GOATS bleat
• GEESE honk/cackle
• GRASSHOPERS chirp
• GULLS squawk
• HAMSTERS squeak
• HENS cluck
• HORSES neigh
• HUMMINGBIRDS hum
• HYENAS laugh/scream
• LIONS roar
• KANGAROOS chortle
• LAMBS bleat
• MICE squeak
• MONKEYS gibber/chatter
• MOSQUITOES whine
• OSTRICHES bleep
• OWLS hoot
• PARROTS talk
• PIGS grunt/oink/squeal/snort
• RABBITS sqeak/drum
• RACCONS trill
• RAVENS croak
• RHINOCEROS bellow
• SHEEP bleat/baa
• SNAKES hiss
• SWAMS cry
• TIGERS growl
• TURKEYS gobble
• VULTURES scream
• WALES sing
• WALRUSES ort
• WOLVES howl/awoo
• ZEBRAS click

And now try this interactive game to practise the sound animals make. Click HERE


Something more to learn!

If you want to learn the animal onomatopoeias, that is to say the word that phonetically imitates, resembles or suggests the sound that animals make, click in the link below:

HERE

                                                 

STORYMAKER

                                            

                                                 

CREATING STORIES TO PRACTISE VOCABULARY

I got to this site stumbling around. Enter your name, some vocabulary required and in a few seconds you'll have a hilarious story.

Let's try it!! Click HERE

And now write it in a separate sheet or paper (or just copy and paste it), illustrate it and hand it in to your teacher.