B2.1 - Unit 2B: Present simple and present continuos

This is a difficult issue for Spanish speakers as we have the same tenses in our language but we don't use them in the same way, especially when we use present continuous for future actions like Tomorrow I'm having dinner with Susan.

These videos may help you to revise this grammar point:

• this simple one
• this is a comparison between present simple and continuous

Some exercises you could do are these: exercise 1   exercise 2   exercise 3  exercise 4    a list of exercises to choose.

Pay attention to the verbs which are dynamic or static (which are not usually used in progressive forms) and the spelling of the -ING form (when to double the consonant and ending in -Y). As I told you in class, I'd rather speak about permanent actions (habitual present o present simple) or temporary actions (present continuous)

VERB	PRES. SIMPLE  (permanent actions)	PRES. CONTINUOUS (temporary actions)
HAVE	I´ve got/have a car (possession)	I’m having a shower (taking)
THINK	She thinks he’s nice (opinion)	We’re thinking of going away next (planning)
SEE	I see quite well (sense)	I’m seeing Peter (meeting)
FEEL	I feel sorry for you (habitual feelings)	I’m feeling sick (getting)

If you need more help, please let me know in class. See you!

C1 - Verbs followed by infinitive and/or gerund

In this lesson we'll have to practise with this grammar issue. You can find thousands of lists of these Verbs and I recommend learning them by doing exercises but also by hearing in mind useful exemples.

The other difficulty is to remember that TO may be a preposition as well so in those cases TO is followed by gerund as in the example of the book and some more:

• I don't get round to phoning you yesterday
• I look forward to seeing you soon
• My sister objected to spending more money on that

This is a link which shows you this problem: click here

To finish with, remember that many verbs followed by gerund and infinitive are related to indirect speech: 

• Followed by gerund: suggest, recommend, propose, admit, deny, etc.
• Followed by infinitive: accept, promise, agree, revise, offer, etc.

Just in case you need some help, you can have this list and do these exercises to practise a bit:

• exercise 1 (easy, as a warming exercise)
• presentation about reported verbs
• a kind of rephrasing to see how to improve your writing
• another exercise and this one as well

See yuo in class!

That's English! - Module 7 - Unit 2: Good science, bad ethics? (B1.2)

Introduction
In this unit we are going to speak about how development can be something good or something to be aware of. About grammar, we'll see purpose clauses. Besides, there is a review of connectors and how to use them to join and connect all the ideas expressed in a text.

General Questions

• Do you think there is a "good science" and a "bad science"? Give reasons for your answer
• Do governments and/or society should set boundaries to science? Which ones?
• Can you think of a dilemma connected to science or medicine, such as the use of stem cells, palliative cares, who is worth being save or what to do with terminal ill people?
• Taking drugs should be legalized? Under what conditions or in what cases drugs might be allowed?
• What technical advances would you like to see in the future? Explaqin how those improvements would affect our lives.

Activity 1
Which advances mentioned below do you think are more necessary? Discuss with your partner and give reasons for your answer.

• Advances in biotechnology, especially the use of stem cells.
• Safer, faster transportation
• Improvements in information technology: is it a necessity or an addiction?
• The use of IT: new devices and how to use them
• Space travel, as the last frontier and even as a touristic destination

Activity 2

The use of purpose is very usual in spoken English. Let's work with some examples. Find some sentences which express the meaning given below:

• To say the use or purpose of something:  A hammer is a tool for .... (-ING); a camera is something you use to .... (INFINITIVE); an umbrella is something people use so that they ...... (followed by A SENTENCE); we use medicines in order not to ..... (INFINITIVE)

• To say the reason for doing something: I started doing exercise to feel better. The doctor told me to do it little by little in order to avoid health problems. I trained more and more so that I could take part into a competition. I did it hard for geting the first price.

Try to do the same with your partner. Share your examples. This link will give you some examples as well: click here.

If you want to see a good summary of how to express purpose, go to this link. At the end of this page you've got a chart about purpose.

Activity 3 (use of conditional sentences)

In this unit there is a review of zero conditional or general truth conditional sentences (if-clause with present simple and main clause with present simple as well). Let's work with second conditionals or hypothetical/conditional sentence (simple conditional - simple past). Here you are some questions to work with your partner:

• What happens when you want to lose weight?  If you need to be slimmer you can do exercise; if I were overweight, I'd try to eat less
• What can you do to learn a language?
• Professional athletes need to take drugs to boost their performance.

Activity 4 (listening comprenhension)

Listening comprenhension exercise. You'll here some news about cloned animals. Fill in the blanks with a missing word. Click here
This other exercise is very useful to review passive voice. Although it is not in this unit I think it'll be a good help to refresh your grammar with this exercise: click here

Activity 5

See you in class!

10th October: Erasmus Day

I guess you've seen some posters and photographs about Erasmus programmes and projects. You know that our school is involved in an Erasmus KA-1 project called Retos, which deals with Blended Learning, Mediation and Level C1-C2. You can read about it on the posters exhibited on each floor of the school.

We joined the event promoted by the EU all around Europe and if you go to the web page of the Erasmus Day you'll see this:

Let me remind you that there is a contest among all of you who want to share your opinion about being European or your experience about Erasmus projects. If you take part in it, you're likely to win a 20-euro cheque to spend on books. The rules for the contest are at the hall of the school and on our web page. Join us and good luck!

B2.1 - Lost properties

Here you can see the videos we watched in class:

• the short animation film: click here
• the one about the lost property office in London: click here

C1 - Starting to prepare de exams: Mediation

This is very clear explanation of what mediation is and it gives you a sample to show you how to do it. Let's start with this: click here. Comunidad Castilla-La Mancha has this link about mediation but remember we use other charts for assessment.

If you want to know how it's measured, here is it a summary of the chart we usually use as examiners: click here

B2.1 - Unit 1B: Comparatives and superlatives

We've already seen this grammar point in class, but I want you to do some more exercises to practise so here are there some:

• Filling the gaps: click here 
• Using the pronoun one as well: click here

In the class we also saw expressions with double comparative such as The sooner, the better or The more, the merrier. If you need further explanation about this grammar point, go to this link (although it's a bit thick for your level). After checking the grammar, do these exercises to practise a bit more: first click here and then do this one and this other exercise.

Another use for the double comparative is just emphatic like in this sentence: she has more and more friends so she´s happier and happier

Apart from comparing qualities, we may compare quantities. In that case we use:

• MUCH / LITTLE / LESS / THE LEAST for uncountable (singular) nouns: much sugar, little money, less effort
• MANY / FEW / FEWER / THE FEWEST for countable (plural) nouns: many people, few books, fewer pens

We may need some practise with less and fewer so here are you some exercises: exercise 1,  exercise 2,  exercise 3, exercise 4, exercise 5; for useing much and many you can go to: exercise 1, exercise 2, exercise 3, exercise 4.