16 enero 2008

BBC SERIES: FAWLTY TOWERS

Fawlty Towers is one of my favourite British television series. It was produced in 1970s. It is one of the finest sitcom (situation comedies) on BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) television. Its main character is performed by John Cleese (member of the well-known theater group Monty Python). He performs the role of Torquay hotel owner Basil Fawlty. The actress Prunella Scales is his wife Sybil. Cony Booth plays Polly, maid and general assistant at the hotel. And finally in my opinion, the most loving and funny character is little Manuel - played by Andrew Sachs - a waiter from Barcelona who misinterprets a lot of situations because of his problem with the knowledge of the English language. All the episodes are placed at the Torquay Hotel Fawlty towers where a great deal of funny situations ocurred among the staff of the hotel and their guests. Here you have some minutes of one of the best episodes. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.


14 enero 2008

GAMES



I'm sure you like very much playing games....so...what about learning english while you have some fun, ....great!
Here you have some websites were you can play and learn English. Try them you would ehjoy very much!
- GAME 1: APPLE CATCH (PRACTICE COMPARATIVES, SUPERLATIVES...)
- GAME 2: THE ANGRY TEACHER (PRACTICE VOCABULARY)
- GAME 3: MEMORY GAME (PRACTICE VOCABULARY AND PRONUNCIATION)
- GAME 4: CROSSWORDS (PRACTICE YOUR VOCABULARY WITH DIFFERENT CROSSWORDS)
- GAME 5: WORD DROP GAME (PRACTICE VOCABULARY)
- GAME 6: GREAT VARIETY OF ESL GAMES (BASKETBALL, SHOOT, MATCH...)

10 enero 2008

ENGLISH PRONOUNS

PRONOUNS

PERSONAL PRONOUNS, POSSESSIVE DETERMINERS, POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS

PERSONAL PRONOUNS

POSSESSIVE DETERMINERS

(seguidos de un sustantivo)

POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS

(NO van seguidos de sustantivos)


REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS

AS SUBJECT

AS OBJECT

(detrás del verbo, detrás de preposiciones)

I (yo)

Me (a mí)

My (mi/s)

Mine (mío/a/s)

Myself (yo mismo)

You (tú)

You (a ti)

Your (tu/s)

Yours (tuyo/a/s)

Yourself (tú mismo)

He (él)

Him (a él)

His (su/s de él)

His (suyo/a/s de él))

Himself (él mismo)

She (ella)

Her (a ella)

Her (su/s de ella)

Hers (suyo/a/s de ella)

Herself (ella mismo)

It

It (a ello)

Its (su/s de ello)

Its (suyo/a/s de ello)

Itself (ello mismo)

We (nosotros/as)

Us (a nosotros/as)

Our (nuestro/a/s)

Ours (nuestro/a/s)

Ourselves (nosotros/as mismos/as)

You (vosotros/as)

You (a vosotros/as)

Your (vuestro/a/s)

Yours (vuestro/a/s)

Yourselves (vosotros/as mismos/as)

They (ellos/as)

Them (a ellos/as)

Their (su/s de ellos/as)

Theirs (suyo/a/s de ellos/as)

Themselves (ellos/as mismos/as)

1

2

3

4

5

We have some books.

(Nosotros tenemos libros)

The books are for us.

(Los libros son para nosotros)

These are our books.

(Estos son nuestros libros)

The books are ours

(Los libros son nuestros)


I wrote a book by myself.

(escribí un libro yo mismo)


DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS AND DETERMINERS INDEFINITE PRONOUNS


NEAR

FAR

ONE/BODY (personas)

THING(cosas)

WHERE(lugares)

SINGULAR

This (este, esta, esto)

This book is mine.

(Este libro es mío)

That (ese, esa, eso)

That book is mine.

(Ese libro es mío)


SOME

(afirmativas)

Someone (alguien)

Somebody

Something (algo)

Somewhere (algún lugar)


PLURAL

These (estos, estas)

These books are mine.

(Estos libros son míos)

Those (esos, esas)

Those books are mine.

(Esos libros son míos)


ANY

(negativas)

Anyone (nadie /cualquiera)

Anybody

Anything (nada / cualquier cosa)

Anywhere (ningún/ cualquier lugar)

NO

(afirmativas pero con sentido negativo)

No one (nadie)

Nobody

Nothing (nada)

Nowhere (ningún lugar)

EVERY

Everyone (todo el mundo)

Everybody

Everything (todo)

Everywhere (todos los lugares)



NOW IT'S TIME TO PRACTICE WITH SOME EXERCISES:
- EXERCISE 1: TYPE THE CORRECT PERSONAL PRONOUN (subject, object, possessives, reflexive...)
- EXERCISE 2: CHOOSE THE CORRECT PERSONAL PRONOUN
- EXERCISE 3: TYPE THE CORRECT POSSESSIVE PRONOUN
- EXERCISE 4: TYPE THE CORRECT POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE
- EXERCISE 5: CHOOSE THE CORRECT OBJECT PRONOUN
- EXERCISE 6: TYPE THE CORRECT REFLEXIVE PRONOUN

TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES

TENSE

FORM

USE

SIGNAL WORDS

PRESENT

SIMPLE

A: I / You / We / They eat

He / She / It eats

N: I / You / We / They don't eat


He / She / It doesn't eat

Q: Do
I / You / We / They eat?


Does He / She / It eat?

  • Con acciones rutinarias: I see my grandparents twice a week.
  • Con hechos o verdades generales: Water boils at 100 Cº
  • Con situaciones permanentes: I work as a Walter in a restaurant
  • Acciones futuras con horarios de trenes, aviones, etc. My train leaves at 5.30
  • Oraciones condicionales de 1er tipo y en oraciones temporales
  • Con verbos que no suelen ir en presente
    continuo: know, like, hate, want, love, need, belong, mean, understand, remember, prefer…
  • Adverbios de frecuencia: always, often, usually, generally, seldom, never…
  • Every day/ week/ month…
  • Once / Twice / Three times… a week/ day / month/ year…

PRESENT

CONTINUOUS

A: I am eating

He / She / It is eating

We / You / They are eating

N: I am not eating

He / She / It isn't eating

We / You / They aren't eating

Q: Am I eating?


Is He / She / It eating?


Are We / You / They eating?

  • Con acciones que ocurren en el momento de hablar: We're studying the verbs now.
  • Con acciones que están ocurriendo temporalmente: My brother is working hard this year.
  • Con acciones habituales que causan irritación al hablante: They are always complaining about the same thing.
  • Con acciones futuras planeadas y confirmadas (fecha): She's visiting the doctor tomorrow morning.
  • * El presente continuo no se suele utilizar con los siguientes verbos: know, like, want, hate, love, need, belong mean, understand, believe, remember, prefer; aunque algunos de estos verbos pueden aparecer en forma continua con un sentido diferente
  • Now, right now
  • At present, at the moment, in this moment, ….
  • These days, this year/ month/ week…, nowadays
  • Tonight, tomorrow, next week / month…, in a minute, in a couple of days…

PAST

SIMPLE

A: He watched
/ He
ate

N: He didn't watch / He didn't eat

Q: Did he watch? / Did he eat?

  • Con acciones pasadas que tuvieron lugar en un momento determinado: We didn't watch TV last night
  • Narrar hechos pasados secuenciados
  • Normalmente, después de las siguientes expresiones: I wish, If only, as if, as though, would rather, would sooner, it's time….
  • Yesterday
  • Last month / week..
  • Ago
  • Fechas pasadas

PAST

CONTINUOUS

A: I / He / She / It was eating

We / You / They were eating

N: I / He / She / It wasn't eating

We / You / They weren't eating

Q:
Was I / He / She / It eating?


Were We / You / They eating?

  • Para expresar una acción incompleta que estaba ocurriendo en el pasado. (acción larga): Last week, we were working in a science project.
  • Para señalar que una acción larga estaba teniendo lugar en el pasado cuando fue interrumpida por otra breve: We were watching TV, when suddenly the TV set broke down.
  • Para indicar que 2 o + acciones largas estaban ocurriendo simultáneamente en el pasado: While I was cooking dinner, he was laying the table.
  • Para indicar acciones repetidas y monótonas en el pasado indicando cierta queja: The children were always screaming.
  • Para descripciones y especificaciones: People were walking, the sun was shining, the birds….
  • While

PRESENT

PERFECT

SIMPLE

A: I / You / We / They have eaten

He / She / It has eaten

N: I / You / We / They haven't eaten

He / She / It hasn't eaten

Q: have I / You / We / They eaten?


has He / She / It eaten?

  • Para hablar de acciones que ocurrieron en el pasado pero llegan o tienen importancia en el presente: I have found a wallet in the street.
  • Con el superlativo: She's the most intelligent person I have ever met.
  • En las expresiones
    It's the first/ second time: It's the first time I've eaten raw fish
  • Already (AF)…ya
  • Yet (NG/INT)….ya, aún, todavía
  • For…durante
  • Since…desde
  • Just…acabo de
  • This week/ month…
  • Recently
  • Adverbios de frecuencia: ever…

PRESENT

PERFECT

CONTINUOUS

A: I / You / We / They have been eating

He / She / It has been eating

N: I / You / We / They haven't been eating

He / She / It hasn't been eating

Q: have I / You / We / They been
eating?


has He / She / It been
eating?

  • Tiene el mismo uso que el present perfect simple pero resaltando la duración de la actividad: I've been working in this factory since 1999.
  • Para hablar de acciones pasadas que acaban de concluir y su resultado es evidente: Have you been frying fish?
  • Already (AF)…ya
  • Yet (NG/INT)….ya, aún, todavía
  • For…durante
  • Since…desde
  • Just…acabo de
  • This week/ month…
  • Recently
  • Adverbios de frecuencia: ever…

PAST

PERFECT

SIMPLE

A: He had eaten

N: He hadn't eaten

Q: Had he eaten?

  • Para hablar de una acción pasada que ocurrió antes que otra: The school had already closed when I arrived.
  • En oraciones condicionales de 3er tipo
  • En oraciones temporales para enfatizar que una acción pasada estaba totalmente acabada antes de comenzar otra: He didn't go to bed until the last TV programme had finished.
  • Con I wish / If only
    para lamentarnos de algo que ha ocurrido en el pasado:
    If only they had stayed with us (ojalá)
  • En la expresión It was the first / the second… time: It was the second time I had flown.
  • Already (AF)…ya
  • Just
  • Until / Till
  • Before
  • As soon as
  • After

PAST

PERFECT

CONTINUOUS

A: He had been eating

N: He hadn't been eating

Q: Had he been
eating?

  • Para hablar de una acción pasada que ocurrió antes que otra pero poniendo énfasis e la duración de la misma: She was so ill because she had been eating so many chocolates.
  • For
  • Since
  • The whole day / all day

FUTURE I

SIMPLE

(WILL)

A: He
will eat

N: He won't eat

Q: Will
he

eat?

  • Expresar certeza en el futuro: We will definitely phone her tonight.
  • Predicciones: It'll be windy tomorrow.
  • Promesas: I'll buy you a present for your birthday.
  • Tomar una decisión en el momento de hablar: It's hot in here. I'll open the windows.
  • Hacer un ofrecimiento: I'll carry the suitcase if you like.
  • Pedir algo educadamente: Will you do it for me?
  • En condicionales de 1er tipo: If it rains, we'll stay at home.
  • Cuando sugerimos algo utilizamos SHALL: Shall we go to the cinema tonight?
  • Tomorrow
  • Next day/ week….
  • Fechas futuras

FUTURE I

SIMPLE

(GOING TO)

A: I am going to eat

He / She / It is going to eat

We / You / They are going to eat

N: I am not going to eat

He / She / It isn't going to eat

We / You / They aren't going to eat

Q: Am I going to eat?


Is He / She / It going to eat?


Are We / You / They going to eat?

  • Expresar intenciones: I'm going to eat less.
  • Para hablar de planes futuros: They're going to build a new bridge in autumn.
  • Para hacer predicciones de futuro a través de hechos evidentes en el presente: It's very hot today. We are going to sweat .
  • Para hablar de hechos que van a ocurrir con seguridad en el futuro: I'm going to finish Bachillerato next year.
  • Tomorrow
  • Next day/ week….
  • Fechas futuras

FUTURE I

CONTINUOUS

A: He
will be eating

N: He won't be eating

Q: Will
he
be
eating?

  • Para hablar de acciones que estarán en marcha en un momento determinado del futuro: At this time next web we'll be flying to New York.
  • Para preguntar por los planes de los demás sobre todo, cuando queremos pedir un favor: Will you be driving to the supermarket tomorrow.
  • Tomorrow
  • Next day/ week….
  • Fechas futuras

FUTURE II

PERFECT SIMPLE

A: He will have eaten.
N: He
won't have eaten
.
Q:
Will he have eaten?

  • Acciones que estarán finalizadas en un momento determinado del futuro: We'll have flown to New York by next week.
  • By Monday…
  • In a week…

FUTURE II

PERFECT

CONTINUOUS

A: He will have been eating.
N: He
won't have been eating
.
Q:
Will he have been eating?

  • Acción que tiene lugar antes de un momento exacto del futuro poniendo énfasis en la duración de la acción: By midnight I Hill have been sleeping for 2 hours.
  • By Monday…
  • In a week…

CONDITIONAL I

SIMPLE

A: He would eat.
N: He
wouldn't eat
.
Q:
Would he eat?

  • Acción que podría ocurrir:
  • Condicionales de tipo II : If I were you I would study more.
  • Conditional sentences (if) type II

CONDITIONAL I

CONTINUOUS

A: He would be eating.
N: He
wouldn't be eating
.
Q:
Would he be eating?

  • Acción que podría ocurrir, pero poniendo énfasis en la duración de la acción

CONDITIONAL II SIMPLE

A: He would have eaten.
N: He
wouldn't have eaten
.
Q:
Would he have eaten?

  • Acción que podría haber tenido lugar en el pasado
  • Condicionales de tipo III: If I had studied for the exam, I would have passed it.
  • Conditional sentences (if) type III

CONDITIONAL

II

CONTINUOUS

A: He would have been eating.
N: He
wouldn't have been eating
.
Q:
Would he have been eating?

  • Acción que podría haber tenido lugar en el pasado, pero poniendo énfasis en la duración de la acción.


Here are some useful wesites where you can learn and practise english tenses:
- ESL SITE
- ENGLISH PAGE
- OMPERSONAL
- OWL ENGLISH
- ENGLISH TENSES WITH CARTOONS
- ISABEL PEREZ
EXERCISES ON VERBAL TENSES:
- Simple Present exercise 1
- Simple Present exercise 2
- Present Continuous exercise 1
- Present Continuous exercise 2
- Simple Present / Present Continuous exercise 1
- Simple Present / Present Continuous exercise 2
- Simple Past exercise 1
- Simple Past exercise 2
- Simple Past exercise 3 (easy)
- Used to exercise 1
- Past Continuous exercise 1
- Simple past / Past continuous exercise 1
- Simple Past / Past Continuous exercise 2
- Simple Past / Present Perfect exercise 1
- Simple Past / Past Perfect exercise 1
- Simple Past / Past Perfect exercise 2
- Mixed Past Tenses exercise 1
- Present Perfect exercise 1
- Present Perfect Continuous exercise 1
- Present Perfect Continuous exercise 2
- Will Future exercise 1
- Going to Future exercise 1
- Future Perfect exercise 1
- Future Progressive (Continuous) exercise 1
- All future forms exercise 1
- Mixed verb tenses exercise 1
- Mixed verb tenses exercise 2

04 enero 2008

LEARNING ENGLISH THROUGH FILMS



Learning English as a second language is easier if we use all the instruments and technology we have at our disposal. Some years before, when I began studying English we have only a few methods to study English, but nowadays students have got DVDs that can be watched in English and you can also seen them with subtitles. Watching films in English with subtitles in English or Spanish is a good way of learning English.
For beginners and students of ESO my advice is that you start watching the film firstly in Spanish, secondly you can watch 15 minutes in English with subtitles in Spanish and finally watch at least 15 minutes in English with subtitles in English. If possible you will learn even more if you take a piece of paper and a pen and take notes about the new vocabulary.
One of the most popular films in order to learn English is the Harry Potter Saga: 1st Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (Sorcerer's)Stone, 2nd Harry Potter and the Chamber Of Secrets, 3rd Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban, 4th Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire, 5th Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix.
If you have seen Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets you can practice your knowledge ( click in Harry Potter's gifs to do some exercises).