Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for English

Reported Speech Tense Changes

Present Simple

Direct: He works as an editor.

Reported: She said that he worked as an editor.

Present Continuous

Direct: He is working as an editor.

Reported: She said that he was working as an editor.

Past Simple

Direct: He worked as an editor.

Reported: She said that he had worked as an editor.

Past Continuous

Direct: He was working as an editor.

Reported: She said that he had been working as an editor.

Present Perfect Simple

Direct: He has worked as an editor.

Reported: She said that he had worked as an editor.

Present Perfect Continuous

Direct: He has been working as an editor.

Reported: She said that he had been working as an editor.

Past Perfect Simple

Direct: He had worked as an editor.

Reported: She said that he had worked... Continue reading "English Grammar Transformations" »

Anwar's London Adventure: A Letter to Pedro

To: pepogarcí[email protected]
Subject: Excited to Join You in London!

Hi Pedro,

It was great to get your message! I'm very excited about my stay in London. I'm from Trondheim, Norway, where I live with my parents and younger sister. We're all into sports, especially skiing and ice hockey, which I've been playing for years. Luckily, we have lots of snow to enjoy safely!

I want to improve my English while exploring London. Although I read quite well, I'm still slightly shy when speaking. Hopefully, living with your family will help me become more confident. I'm also eager to explore the city's history and culture.

Could you tell me a bit about your hobbies? I'd love to know what you enjoy doing and any tips you... Continue reading "Personal Journeys and Lifestyle Perspectives" »

Immersive Entertainment Experiences

Leisure experiences now allow people to interact directly with scenes from their favorite series or movies. This rise in popularity of immersion experiences prompts questions about their appeal and the new profit models they've incorporated.

The Rise of Immersive Fan Experiences

• These experiences often feature the show’s actors, enhancing the authenticity.
• They particularly attract fans, such as female Bridgerton enthusiasts of various ages.
• For many, direct contact with a fictional world has become a normalized form of engagement.

Escapism and Criticism

Such immersive experiences offer people a unique chance to escape from real-world difficulties. However, immersion tends to face more criticism than traditional... Continue reading "Insights into Human Experience and Global Issues" »

Key Plot Developments in the Montbarry Mystery

• Henry agreed with the other club members that Montbarry’s death seemed suspicious.
• Mr. Troy was unable to persuade Emily that Countess Narona had no ill intentions.
• Due to a deception, Dr. Bruno was led to believe that Montbarry’s death had been natural.
• The Countess returned to Venice after she started suffering from visions and paranoia.
• The only person who trusted Agnes’ story about the severed head was Dr. Bruno.

Critical Questions and Answers on the Montbarry Case

Countess's Safety in Venice from Agnes

The Countess assumed that Agnes would never come to Venice because of everything that had happened related to Montbarry’s death.

Dr. Bruno's Certainty About Montbarry

Dr. Bruno was sure because... Continue reading "Montbarry Mystery: Key Plot Points and Character Insights" »

Sharing Favorite Past Events

Alexis: Alright, let’s get started with sharing about our favorite past events. I think it’s a great way to practice our English. I’ll begin. Last summer, I went to my cousin's wedding. It was absolutely beautiful. While the couple was exchanging their vows, the emotion in the air was palpable; some of the guests started crying.

Alexis: Definitely! After the ceremony, there was a reception under the stars. Everyone was dancing and celebrating. While the band played classic hits, the newlyweds had their first dance. It was like something out of a fairy tale. The whole event was not just about the couple but also about bringing two families together in joy.

Alexis: I agree, John. It’s those moments of connection... Continue reading "Cherished Memories: Sharing Favorite Past Events" »

Irregular Verbs: Past Participle Forms

• be - been
• bear - born
• beat - beaten
• become - become
• begin - begun
• bite - bitten
• blow - blown
• break - broken
• bring - brought
• build - built
• burn - burnt
• burst - burst
• buy - bought
• can - been able to
• catch - caught
• choose - chosen
• come - come
• cost - cost
• cut - cut
• deal - dealt
• dig - dug
• do - done
• draw - drawn
• dream - dreamt
• drink - drunk
• drive - driven
• eat - eaten
• fall - fallen
• feed - fed
• feel - felt
• fight - fought
• find - found
• fly - flown
• forbid - forbidden
• forget - forgotten
• forgive - forgiven
• freeze - frozen
• get - got
• give - given
• go - gone
• grow - grown
• hang - hung
• have - had
• hear - heard
• hide - hidden
• hit - hit
• hold - held
• hurt - hurt
• keep - kept
• know - known
• lay - laid
• lead - led
• learn - learnt
• leave - left
• lend - lent
• let - let
• lie - lain
• light - lit
• lose -

Reflections on the Past Generation

1. What did you think about the youth in your time?

I thought they were very full of life and dreams, but they also had their own worries.

2. How were young people different in your time?

They were closer and spent more time together, without as much distraction. They had more communication skills.

3. What values did you see changing in the younger generation back then?

Individualism and self-expression became more important. Thanks to technology, the new generation is improving their computer programming skills.

4. Did you think technology impacted young people positively or negatively in your time?

Technology was starting to appear and it was exciting, but it could also be disconnecting.

5. What advice would you

Improve your English grammar and rephrasing skills with these common sentence transformation examples. Each example demonstrates how to express the same idea using different grammatical structures.

1. Original:

   My aunt would spend hours watching the birds in the park.

   Transformed:

   My aunt used to spend hours watching the birds in the park.

2. Original:

   We had to deal with the matter carefully.

   Transformed:

   The matter had to be dealt with carefully.

3. Original:

   “Let’s go swimming!” she said.

   Transformed:

   She suggested going swimming.

4. Original:

   “Would you like a cup of tea?”

   Transformed:

   He offered me a cup of tea.

5. Original:

   Her house was broken into because she didn’t lock it.

   Transformed:

   If she had locked her house, it wouldn’t have been broken into.

6. Original:

Dear Mr. Jones

1. T, T, F, F, DS
2. On 28th July at 11 pm.
3. Because they arrived late, their room wasn’t available. / There were no rooms available.
4. The hotel regulation: guests must pay for the room in advance if they want the hotel to keep the room after the expected arrival time.
5. The price was £100 more than the Lotus Hotel.
6. Pay compensation for the trouble and expense.

Vocabulary Exercise 1

1. I worked a lot of overtime last month.
2. Some people don’t like to be asked their age.
3. Don’t leave your bags or luggage unattended.
4. We spoke to the manager about the rude hotel staff.
5. The job pays a voucher salary of £50,000 a year.
6. The hotel has got a restaurant on its premises.
7. We asked Kate to help, but she refused.
8. I’m thinking of accompanying Jenny.

Vocabulary