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Monday 28 May 2012

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE



T
he PRESENT PERFECT TENSE generally describes past events which are connected with the present. 

FORMATION             



subject + have / has + V
 (action 3 col)
1º col
2º col
3º col
go
went
gone








Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I have gone
I haven't gone
Have I gone ?
You have gone
You haven't gone
Have you gone ?
He has gone
He hasn't gone
Has he gone ?
She has gone
She hasn't gone
Has she gone ?
It has gone
It hasn't gone
Has it gone ?
We have gone
We haven't gone
Have we gone ?
You have gone
You haven't gone
Have you gone ?
They have gone
They haven't gone
Have they gone ?





















































































































 Affirmative
subject + have / has + V (3º col)
E.G. I have gone to New York - He ido a New York
        He has gone to New York - El ha ido a New York
Negative
subject + haven't / hasn't + V (3º col)
E.G. I haven't gone to New York - No he ido a New York
        He hasn't gone to New York - El no ha ido a New York
Interrogative
Have / Has + subject + V (3º col) ?
E.G.  Have I gone to New York? - ¿He ido a New York ?
         Has he gone to New York? - ¿Ha ido él a New York?


BE CAREFUL! THE ACTION VERB IS CONJUGATED IN PAST PARTICIPLE, THAT IS TO SAY, IF THE VERB IS REGULAR YOU ADD -ED. IRREGULAR VERBS TAKE THE 3º COLUMN
E.G.  Sarah has worked a lot this week.
         Sarah has gone to London this week.
 
USAGE
T
here are a number of different meanings in the use. See the chart below:
 
Examples
Usage
Fred Meyers has had excellent marks this period.
The students
have just sat
for the exam.
Have they finished the report yet?
Giving or asking for news or recent events.
The study of irregular verbs has improved test scores.
No, thank you. I've already eaten lunch.
I can’t run because I’ve hurt my knee.
Past actions with results in the present.
She's traveled to many parts of the world.
Have you ever been to France?
They've never seen a mountain.
Life experience
He's lived in San Francisco for 10 years.
How long have you worked for this company?
They've studied English for 3 years.
Unfinished actions (action still in progress).
What have you done today?
I haven’t seen her this week.
I have been to Mar del Plata this year.
Actions with time that comes up to the present
Common present perfect time expressions include:
for (with a period of time), since (with an exact point in time), ever, never, yet, already, this week (month, year)

BEEN & GONE
B
e careful with the use of these verbs. Spanish speakers use them wrongly easily. This rule will help you:
        *  If someone has gone to a place, he or she is there now
         e.g. – Where’s Iris?

            – She’s gone to Anna’s house. Call her there if you want. (she’s still there)
If someone has been to a place, he or she has travelled there and come back.
    e.g. – I’ve been to the USA three times this year. (i travelled there and i’m back 
             now)

 AND...

THERE ARE CERTAIN WORDS THAT CAN HELP YOU TO IDENTIFY THE PRESENT PERFECT OR SIMPLE PAST IN A SENTENCE. SOME OF THEM ARE:


AND NOW IT'S...

LET'S PRACTISE PRESENT PERFECT!! CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO START PRACTISING

PRESENT PERFECT & PAST SIMPLE
















Just in case you need more help because you could not understand Present Perfect vs Simple Past, watch the slides below. They will help you.

The Present Perfect Vs The Past Simple
View more PowerPoint from inmaculada


AN IDIOM THAT YOU "NEED TO KNOW"

Last February the song Need to Know by Lady Antebellum won the record of the year in the Grammy Awards. I think the song is beautiful. I love the whole sound and flow of it! The first time I heard it was in the Grammys and I fell in love with it right away. 

The song is about how you try to leave someone but no matter how hard you try and no matter how much they hurt you, you can't get them off of your mind so you are sitting around thinking about that person, trying to find things to cope and take your mind off of the situation, and in this case she results to drinking whiskey and watching the door hoping that they would come back like they always do, but not this time so you try not to pick up the phone and call but you have lost all control due to your thoughts about that person. 

I'd heard the song many times before but it never "cross my mind" till yesterday when I paid attention to one idiom in the song that I think it may be useful to English language learners.


• cross someone's mind
If something crosses your mind, you think of it, but often not for very long or very seriously
Ex. It suddenly crossed his mind that maybe Stephanie had been right.

And now... watch at the video and enjoy it!!



Lyrics

Picture perfect memories,
Scattered all around the floor,
Reaching for the phone cause, I can't fight it any more.
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind.
For me it happens all the time.

It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now.
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now.
And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now.

Another shot of whiskey, can't stop looking at the door.
Wishing you'd come sweepin' in the way you did before.
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind.
For me it happens all the time.

It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk,
And I need you now.
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now.
And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now.
Oh oh oh

Guess I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all.
It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now.
And I said I wouldn't call but I'm a little drunk and I need you now.
And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now.
I just need you now.
Oh baby I need you now.
---


JOKE OF THE WEEK

THE JOKE - A Snail Enters a Bar

A snail goes into a bar and the barman tells him there’s a strict policy about not having snails in the bar and so kicks him out. A year later the same snail re-enters the bar and asks the barman “Hey, man! What did you do that for?”





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VOCABULARY

Snail = a small creature (like a slug) with a round shell on its back. Snails are known for being very slow.
Policy = rules, a plan of action or ideals of a business or political party
Strict = unbending or uncompromising, demanding that rules be obeyed
To kick (somebody) out = to send someone away, to expel.


 WHY IS IT FUNNY?

The snail took so long - a year - to return back into the bar and ask why it was kicked out.

QUESTION: Have you ever been kicked out a place?


Retrieved from Woodward English

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Saturday 26 May 2012

MURAL MOSAIC





CLICK HERE TO WATCH AT AN AMAZING MURAL MOSAIC. IT CONTAINS AN ACTIVE GRID. CLICK ON ANY TILE TO SEE MORE.


QUESTIONS: 
  1. Have you ever seen anything like this? 
  2. What technique is necessary to do this? 
  3. Do you feel you could do anything like this? Why? Why not?

If you want to continue enjoying of the Mural Gallery click on the image below




AND NOW...

ACTIVITY

DESIGN YOUR OWN MURAL POSTER USING A SIMILAR TECHNIQUE. USE CRAFT PAPER OR DRAWING PAPER OF A BIG SIZE.  IF YOU NEED HELP, CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW OR ASK YOUR ART TEACHER. CREATIVITY AND DESIGN WILL BE EVALUATED. 
Be careful! It's your first time! Make simple designs. Work with your Art Teacher to get some advice.

JOKE OF THE WEEK

THE JOKE - A fly without wings

QUESTION: What do you call a fly without wings?

ANSWER: A walk.


☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺
 
VOCABULARY

Fly (noun) – a common black insect that is attracted to faecal matter and rubbish.
Wings (noun) – A pair of limbs that birds and insects use to fly


WHY IS IT FUNNY?

It is playing on the double meaning of fly as a verb (to travel without touching the ground) and fly the noun (the insect). If a fly cannot travel through the air using its wings then it must travel along the ground walking. The joke then changes the fly’s name to a walk.


QUESTION: Have you ever seen a weird animal, as a fly without wings?
 
Retrieved from Woodward English

☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺


Friday 25 May 2012

WHAT MAKES A PERSON BEAUTIFUL?


WHAT IS THAT MAKES A PERSON ATTRACTIVE? OR GEORGEOUS? OR BEAUTIFUL? 
 (OR WHATEVER YOUR FAVOURITE ADJECTIVE IS)...



Seriously, what is it that makes a man handsome or a woman beautiful? What is it that sets someone above another on the appeal scale? Many people claim it depends on each culture. 

Nevertheless, the general topic of attractiveness is important to members of virtually every society and attractive people are recognized universally as being appealing, even across wildly varying cultures… This means that there is a measurable standard for beauty and what is generally found most desirable. 

Recently, there has been a survey in Britain to find the most beautiful face. The result showed an 18-Year-Old as having Britain's most beautiful face.

The following text is the transcription of the video launched to show the girl whose face has been voted to be most perfect in the U.K.

TRANSCRIPTION

It might not launch a thousand ships, but this is the face that won the title “Britain’s Most Natural Beauty”. Eighteen-year-old Florence Colgate’s face is considered almost flawless … it’s perfectly symmetrical, with large eyes, full lips and high cheekbones.

- I had to send in a picture wearing no make-up and from that I got called to say I got through into the top 5 out of 8000 people. It’s just unbelievable. Honestly, I did not expect to get this far at all.

The competition wasn’t just about subjective beauty – it was settled with science. Researchers say the distances between facial features and the width and length of the face are deciding factors for perfection. And Colgate scored very close to the ideal.

- I think I just look at my face and I see me, I don’t really see, like science, it’s just yeah.

Colgate works part-time at a local fish and chips shop. But she says her new-found fame doesn’t seem to have made her more popular with customers.

- I haven’t really noticed. Obviously you still get your regulars who come in every week. I don’t know, it’s a busy fish and chip shop anyway.

Colgate plans to study business management at university, unless of course, a lucrative modeling contract shows its face.

 

Vocabulary

Launch – to send or shoot (something, such as a rocket) into the air or water or into outer space.

Flawless – with no faults or errors.

Full – having a rounded shape : not thin or narrow.

Cheekbones – a bone of the face that is located below the eye.

Subjective – relating to the way a person experiences things in his or her own mind.

Lucrative – producing money or wealth.





AND NOW WATCH AT THE VIDEO:



AND NOW IT'S...
ANSWER:

1º What do you think? Is she beautiful?

2º In your opinion, what makes a person beautiful?

3º Is it only a matter of physical appearance - colour eyes, hair, waist size, skin colour, etc? Can a person's personality make someone beautiful?

4º How important is to be beautiful according to someone's else standards?

5º Does the pursuit of Beauty or Perfection distract you from other things you would enjoy or could carry out?

6º How much is it worth to sacrifice for Beauty?

7º Is Beauty interior or exterior? Can you have one and not the other? 

 

THE ENGLISH BREAKFAST

READING COMPREHENSION

One of the most famous British meals is the English Breakfast. It’s a substantial meal, best enjoyed on the weekend. Then you have time to prepare, enjoy and not fall asleep at work!

It’s also often served in hotels as a treat.


What do you need to have a perfect English breakfast?
  1. Fried Egg
  2. Bacon
  3. Hash Brows
  4. Bread
  5. Mushrooms
  6. Tomatoes
  7. Sausages
You can also eat baked beans, black pudding or have mashed potato. If you decide to have everything, the breakfast is called a Full Monty.

Of course, being a traditional English meal, the preferred drink is English Breaffast tea.This tea is made from teas that originate all over the world, from Assam, Ceylon and Kenya. It’s one of the most popular teas in Britain, thanks to Queen Victoria.

The origin of this hearty breakfast are unclear and believed to originate in rural England as a sustaining meal to carry workers through a long morning. It is also believed that the English had two main meals, breakfast and dinner, so they needed a big breakfast!
Remember that this is not a very healthy meal, so only eat it occasionally.


Vocabulary


Substantial – large in amount, size, or number.
Treat – to deal with or think about (something) especially in a particular way.
Hash brows – boiled potatoes that have been cut up, mixed with chopped onions and fat, and fried until brown.
Black pudding – a very dark sausage that contains a lot of blood; also called black sausage.
Full Monty – British expression that means “the whole thing”. It is used a lot in the North of England.
Preferred – to like (someone or something) better than someone or something else.
Hearty – large enough to satisfy hunger.
Sustaining – to provide what is needed for (something or someone) to exist, continue, etc.


AND NOW...
WHICH IS THE MOST TRADITIONAL BREAKFAST IN OUR COUNTRY?

WRITE ABOUT IT:

1º WRITE THE ELEMENTS - FOOD - NECESSARY FOR THAT TRADITIONAL BREAKFAST (IN A LIST).
2º WRITE A PARAGRAPH - OR TWO - TO EXPLAIN WHAT THE TRADIONAL BREAKFAST CONSITS OF  
3º ILLUSTRATE THE ASSIGNMENT 

USE THE TEXT ABOUT THE ENGLISH BREAKFAST AS A GUIDE


HOME PROJECT

HOME

"We are living in exceptional times. Scientists tell us that we have 10 years to change the way we live, avert the depletion of natural resources and the catastrophic evolution of the Earth's climate.

The stakes are high for us and our children. Everyone should take part in the effort, and HOME has been conceived to take a message of mobilization out to every human being.

For this purpose, HOME needs to be free. A patron, the PPR Group, made this possible. EuropaCorp, the distributor, also pledged not to make any profit because Home is a non-profit film.

HOME has been made for you : share it! And act for the planet."

Yann Arthus-Bertrand

HOME PROJECT has incredible images of the Earth to be used in Geography, Social Science, History, Biology or simply to be enjoyed as a high definition film in English with subtitles.


CLICK HERE TO SEE, AND ENJOY, THE FILM

And now it's... 
ACTIVITY: SAVE THE PLANET WEBQUEST




THINK GREEN AND SAVE THE PLANET!

Your help is needed! Imagine it is the year 2035 and you and your team have been selected to find ideas to save our planet. The top leading scientists from around the world have been trying to reduce the greenhouse effect which will destroy the Earth in one week. You have to learn about climate change and to find urgent solutions to the problem.

1) EARTH ISSUES:
Match the pictures to the corresponding legend:

AIR POLLUTION / GARBAGE / GLOBAL WARMING / WATER POLLUTION / ENDANGERED SPECIES






                                                  






                                                  




                                                  





                                                  





                                                  







                                                     



  

 
2. Global Warming
Click on the links provided to find information about:

A. Definition of global warming

Click HERE
                                                                                                                                                             

B. Name at lists four signs of global warming

Click   1. HERE
            2. HERE
            3. HERE

                                                                                                                                                            

C. Causes of Global Warming

Click HERE 

                                                                                                                                                             


D. Here is an extract of a video about global warming by Matt Groening (the creator of the Simpsons). What phenomenon do the green characters represent?
   
 Click HERE 

                                                                                                                                                           

E. If you could heal the heal the planet, what would you and your team do? Write five sentences

Click HERE 

                                                                                                                                                          

F. Name two famous people who have already taken the first steps to improve the situation

Click 1 HERE 
          2 HERE