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

I have gone to Sariñena's high school since I was twelve, but this is my last year because next September I'm going to study in Zaragoza. However, I have to pass all my last exams before going. At first, I have studied so much, but I'm going to have a difficult science exam. And I'm depressed and nervous with my exams. I always have got good marks, but this year I have failed some exams. I'm worried about my exams because it's very important for me to study in Zaragoza next year. In this city, I will practice my favorite sports and get good marks in this high school for sport people. Please help me! Can you give me some tips to pass my last exams? - Jorge in Sariñena (11)

STARRY NIGHT is a work by Post-Impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh. The painting depicts a night view from a window, showing the moon and many stars over a town called Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. The picture was painted in mid-1889. Right now, this painting is represented in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. This picture is one of the best-known works of Van Gogh.

Mine is a favorite because it reminds me of the best night of my life, where I could see the stars with a great person. Every time I see it, it reminds me of that person. I also love it because blue is one of my favorite colors, and it has many shades, both light and dark, and flashes of yellow light, which I love. It is a truly perfect picture, one I love. Someday, I'd love to... Continue reading "My Thoughts on Van Gogh's Starry Night" »

My Unforgettable Vacation in Mancora, Peru

My last trip was when my father told us to take a vacation to Mancora, Peru. And so it was fulfilled. We traveled to some of the most beautiful beaches of Peru. I felt so happy. That was the first time we went on vacation with my father, and we shared great moments with him. He was always distant with us and was very quiet; we were not very attached to him. But those days we were at the beach, he was very different. He behaved in a manner the opposite of what he usually was. We ate a lot of seafood, swam in the sea, and also spent time with my brothers. It was great. I was very happy, and so were they. The scenery was beautiful, and the sea also. We spent three days there and then returned to our home... Continue reading "Family, Unforgettable Moments, and The Elephant Man" »

Use Commas

Use a comma to separate elements in a series:

I like to eat apples, bananas, and oranges.

Use a comma to separate the month and day of the year:

June 23, 2012

Hyphen

A hyphen (-) is used to join the separate parts of a compound word; it is a joiner:

• Cooperate - co-operate
• Pre-eminent
• Re-enact

Question Mark

Use a question mark at the end of a sentence to ask a question:

• Where is the bathroom?
• Are you home?

Use a question mark when you are trying to get information:

• Where is the gas station?
• Who is your teacher?

Exclamation Mark

An exclamation mark is a type of punctuation that goes at the end of a sentence. Use it to indicate strong feelings:

Go away!

They are used after interjections:

Ouch! That hurt!

Quotation Marks

A quotation mark is used to show the... Continue reading "Mastering Punctuation and Sentence Structure" »

Welcome to Your New Flat and School!

Your Flat

I'm excited to tell you I've found a wonderful, comfortable, and affordable flat for you in the city center! It's conveniently located near shops, taxis, the town hall, parks, and other essential places. The flat is on the second floor with a lift, so no need to worry about stairs.

It has five rooms: a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom, a double bedroom with an ensuite bathroom, and a single bedroom for your children.

The Living Room

My favorite room is the living room, and I think you'll love it too. It's very bright, with four huge windows, and painted a cheerful light yellow. There's a comfortable big sofa with cushions and an armchair. Opposite the sofa, there's a piece of furniture with a TV,... Continue reading "Your Comfortable Flat & Easy School Commute" »

I usually wake up at 5:00, I

get out of bed at 10 and then

I take a shower. After the sho

wer I usually do like 60 push-u

ps and then I have a cup of co

ffee and sometimes cereal or

a glass or orange juice.I drive

to work and I usually leave ho

me at 5:45, I get to work arou

nd 6:50 amI drive home for an

hour or more and I get around

 5:40 PM. I eat some snack and

 sometimes I take a nap for ar

ound 20 minutes.I check social

media, watch the news and have

lunch with my family. Then I deci

ded if I have to prepare someth

ing for tomorrow, do exercises

or watch a movie or TV show.

i am going to wath I usually

go to bed around 11pm

• be was/were been ser, estar
• become became become convertirse en
• begin began begun empezar, comenzar
• bite bit bitten morder
• blow blew blown soplar
• break broke broken romper
• bring brought brought llevar, traer
• build built built construir
• buy bought bought comprar
• can could been able poder
• catch caught caught coger, atrapar, tomar
• choose chose chosen elegir, escoger
• come came come venir
• cost cost cost cortar
• cut cut cut cortar
• do did done hacer
• draw drew drawn dibujar
• drink drank drunk beber
• drive drove driven conducir
• eat ate eaten comer
• fall fell fallen caer
• feel felt felt sentir
• fight fought fought pelear, luchar
• find found found encontrar
• fly flew flown volar
• forget forgot forgotten olvidarse
• forgive forgave forgiven perdonar
• freeze froze frozen congelar
• get got got

Common Phrasal Verbs:

• To step in for somebody: substitute for someone
• To come up with: elaborate
• To jump at: seize an opportunity
• To take on: assume
• To hang around: spend time in a place
• To help out: assist in a particular way
• To cheer somebody up: become less sad
• To end up: finish in an improvised way
• To run out: deplete resources
• To settle in: get accustomed to something new
• To catch up with: arrest/meet
• To cut back on: reduce
• To get in with: join a group
• To pay off: finish paying something
• To track somebody down: find somebody
• To turn up: appear
• To meet up: come together
• To bring about: make some changes happen

Common Idioms:

• Come out of the blue: unexpected
• Fell into place: go exactly as you wanted
• Go downhill: getting worse for moments
• On the cards: predictable
• The

achus/

There,s only one thing for it, Mrs Dubble/ 

Yes, I,m going to have to turn off the mixing machine, achus/

This is a desesperate situation, Mrs Dubble! It calls for strong nerves and a clear head, achus, achus!/

Yes, I think we can saftely say our little problem is now solved... Thanks to me, oh no achus!/

 achus/

That,s not fair, achus!/ 

There was no mistake, Mr Tootle. We put in exactly what Ernie told us to. The water, the mint, the lemons and the pepper/

Don,t worry, Mr Tootle, we,ll get this sorted out, but before  we do, there is just one thing we,d like to ask/

Core Literary Elements Explained

Plot: The Main Narrative

The main sequence of events in a story.

Setting: Time and Place

The time and places in which the action of a story takes place.

Foreshadowing: Hints of Future Events

A hint at what is going to happen later in the story.

Outcome: Story Resolution

The ending or resolution of the story.

Tone: Author's Attitude

How the author wants the reader to perceive the story and its subject matter.

Imagery: Creating Mental Pictures

Language that appeals to the senses, creating a mental image for the reader.

Hemingway's 'Cat in the Rain' Analysis

Plot Summary

“Cat in the Rain” is about an American woman on holiday in Italy who is unhappy with her marital life. She projects her feelings of loneliness and desire... Continue reading "Literary Devices & Themes in Classic Short Stories" »