NI1 - unit 4A

This lesson has a grammar point about reflexive pronouns so here you are the page I showed you in class in which they explain they are used as a reflexive form or as an intensive form; click here. Remember there is a very common form which is by+reflexive pronoun. Here you have examples of all these uses:

• I cut myself yesterday (an ordinary reflexive form).
• I myself saw you doing that (emphatic form).
• I did it by myself, without any help (this means "lo hice yo solo")
• I did it myself (this means "lo hice yo mismo" or "lo hice yo")

The use is not very difficult in written English; I think it's more difficult when you use it in spoke English. Nevertheless, here you have some exercises to practise: exercise 1  and  exercise 2 (a list of exercises to practise).

When we spoke about the tips to learn or improve English, I told you that songs are very useful; here you are a couple of examples:

• The Hall of Fame: use of can/could , superlative and vocabulary; click here
• Wake Me Up: phrasals, some fixed structures, tenses; click here

Can, Can't and To Be Able to

In NI1 (Englihs File-unit 4A)  we've been working with this modal and we've seen that as CAN is a defective verb we should use TO BE ABLE TO + infinitive if we want to use it in some verbal forms such as the following ones:

• I haven't been able to finish my homework yet
• I'd like to be able to do it soon
• I love being able to do my homework on time
• I'll be able to do it next time

Although it is possible to use TO BE ABLE TO in present and past simple, it sounds a bit formal and it's more frequent (and easier) to use CAN and COULD. But whenever we need infinitive, gerund or past participle forms, we must use the forms of to be able to because CAN doesn't have those forms. If you need some more information about this point, you can click here

If you want to practise with this modal and to be able to you have these exercises:

• exercise 1        exercise 2        exercise 3

We've also worked with pronunciation in class and here you are a video which helps you to pronounce CAN and CAN'T properly; click here or here

New Year's Resolutions

This is the time for changing your life... or at least we try it. Here you are some documents to work about this topic:

• a video about New Year's Resolutions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH9gmmOkZV8
• this other BBC video is connected to the vocabulary and typical structures used: clich here
• an article about the topic: click here
• there are some songs about the topic, and here you are one as an example: Grahan Colton

About shopping and sales, here you have two videos which are interesting: the easy one is this and the other is here

To finish with, this is the page I showed in class about "doctor, doctor jokes": click here

NI1 - unit 3B: adjectives/verbs with prepositions

The use of prepositions in a language is one of the most difficult things to do and many times it's not logical the use of one preposition or another so the best way is by practising with exercises. Let's do some here:

• with adjectives: exercise 1   exercise 2   exercise 3   exercise 4

Reading Short Stories

These are some pages to practise with reading and listening. They are original version but easy to understand and some stories are graded:

• http://www.manythings.org/voa/stories/
• http://www.world-english.org/stories.htm
• https://www.englishclub.com/reading/short-stories.htm

NA1-unit 3B: The Use of Adverbs

Adverbs and adverbial phrases are really important in English as they give a better description of an action and the circustances; however, it's not so easy to use them properly and some of them are specially tricky for Spanish students.

To start with, have a look at this easy explantion of the function of adverbs and how to distinghish it from adjectives; click here and then you can follow with this one.

Once you've got a clear idea about this topic you should practise a bit so here you are some exercises to work on this subject: exercise

NI1-unit 3B: Use of articles

The use of articles is not the same in English than in Spanish and sometimes it makes trouble to distinguish when to use it or not. Here you are some exercises to practise with articles:

• exercise 1   exercise 2    exercise 3 

A typical problem is to see the difference between next/ the next or last/the last. Let's have a look with these exemples:

• exercise: click here

This lesson is dealing with stereotypes and here you are a song which treats this topic: If I Were a Boy by Beyonce; click here