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

Hi John,

Catching Up: Life Updates from Bill

How are you? It's been ages since we last spoke. I hope everything is going well. Sorry, I haven't been in contact recently. I've been meaning to write to you for the last couple of months, but I just haven't gotten around to doing it. Sorry for my laziness.

What Have You Been Up To?

What have you been up to lately? I remember you telling me that you were thinking about moving house. Did you do it, or are you still living in the same place?

Career Shift: New Role at Omega in Manchester

I don't know if you've heard, but since the last time we spoke, I left my job. I'm now working at Omega in Manchester. It's a similar job to what I had before, but I have more responsibility (and more hours, unfortunately)... Continue reading "Manchester Job, Honda Civic, and Pyrenees Travel Plans" »

CLASS #5

Recap:

• The gangster film
• A Warner Bros. specialty
• Gangsters had to die
• Cagney, Robinson, Raft and Bogart
• “White Heat” last of the great Warner gangster films

THE WESTERN

The Western glamorized and glorified the American spirit of independence and expansion.

• Guys in the white hat, good, guys in the black hat, bad.
• Native American almost always bad
• Native American, stereotypes and rarely depicted by actual Native Americans
• Westerns began in silent era: “Squaw Man” directed by Cecil B. DeMille
• Early Stars: William S. Hart, Tom Mix, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry
• Republic Pictures – Herbert Yates
• Western serials – shorts
• Lone Ranger
• “Shane”
• “Unforgiven” – Clint Eastwood
• Spaghetti Westerns – Sergio Leone
• TV westerns – Bonanza, Gunsmoke
• “Stage

Journey to Tarapoto: Family Roots and Long Travels

My family and I had always wanted to go to Tarapoto because my mother grew up there, so our vacations started thanks to that connection. First, I had to travel from Ica to Lima. Since the trip was longer than the one to Chincha, I brought different types of books to avoid boredom, including:

• Magazines
• A novel
• A travel guide to prepare for the trip

From Ica to Lima: Preparing for the Flight

After finally arriving in Lima, we had to take a plane to Tarapoto. The most amusing thing that happened to us was that we had to help a foreign couple who did not speak the language well, and we advised them to use a Dictionary. After helping them, we boarded the plane. Since we traveled at night, I remembered... Continue reading "A Family Journey to Tarapoto and the Heights of Kuelap" »

Treasure Island: A Character Analysis

Billy Bones

Billy Bones exhibits several negative traits, most notably his violent nature. This is evident when he threatens Dr. Livesey with a knife. His poor health, exacerbated by excessive drinking, ultimately leads to his demise. Furthermore, Bones's pirate background is revealed through drunken tales of his criminal past.

Jim Hawkins

Jim Hawkins is portrayed as adventurous, demonstrated by his solo quest for the treasure, leaving his mother behind. His bravery is remarkable, especially when he uncovers the pirates' mutiny plot, steals the Hispaniola, and finds Ben Gunn. Jim also displays a risky nature, confronting the pirates despite the clear danger to his life.

Long John Silver

Long John Silver's... Continue reading "Treasure Island: A Character Study of Jim, Bill, and Silver" »

MY DESCRIPTION

I’m a boy of 16 years old, my name is Markel and I live in Bergara.

Now, in my house we live 4 people; my mother, my father, my grandfather and me. My mother is called Lourdes, my father is called Francisco Javier and my grandfather is called Jose and we are very happy living together.

At school I've got good marks but now things are getting complicated.

In my free time I practice Karate and there are two types of Karate one is Katas that is about making series of moves and the other type is Kumite where you try to compete against your opponent and you have to get points and the person that gets the most points is the winner and fights usually last two minutes. I am quite good at it and I have participated in various competitions... Continue reading "Meet Markel: A Karate Champion with a Big Heart" »

Conditional Sentences in English

If I finish early, I will call you.

She will know the answer if she tries to understand.

If I were a star, I would help the needy.

He would buy a house if he had a job.

She would be happy if she married him.

If he had been careful, he would not have had that terrible accident.

I would have passed the exam if I had worked hard.

Her father would not have died if he had gone to the doctor.

They have had lots of homework in mathematics recently.

Questions and Observations

• How much time do you need to finish the work?
• There are too many students in the library.
• Have you visited any foreign countries?
• Although he's very ill, he hasn't taken any medicine.
• Few people know as much about linguistics as John does.
• They say little knowledge

A Student’s Retreat to the Suffolk Coast

The narrator recounts the story of Mr. Thomson, a young student who sought refuge at a quiet inn in Suffolk to focus on his studies. He planned to stay for a month, dedicating his mornings to academic work and his afternoons to walking and visiting the bar. Mr. Thomson was the inn's sole guest, ensuring the solitude he desired.

The Mysterious Post Hole

During one of his afternoon walks, Mr. Thomson noticed a large rock featuring a hole, clearly the former anchor point for a post. Intrigued, he later inquired about it with Mr. Betts, the innkeeper.

Mr. Betts explained that a post had indeed stood there previously, but sailors had torn it down, claiming it brought bad luck. This explanation, while strange,... Continue reading "The Suffolk Inn's Chilling Secret: Mr. Thomson's Ghostly Encounter" »

Common Phrasal Verbs with Examples

Challenges and Solutions

Cope with: I'm finding it hard to cope with all the work I've got at the moment. I'm so stressed.

Back up: I always back up my important photos onto a pen drive in case I lose the original.

Public Demands and Cancellations

Calling for: The public are calling for (demanding) new elections as soon as possible.

Called off: Unfortunately, the concert was called off (cancelled) because the band were ill.

Past Habits and Clutter

Come round: He always used to come round (visit) to my house after school when we were kids.

Cluttered up: The front of his car is so cluttered up (filled untidily) with MacDonald's boxes that you can't see the floor.

Discoveries and Missed Opportunities

Came across: I came

Dependent Prepositions

Verb + Preposition

insisted on, consist of, concentrate on, took revenge on, criticized for, translate into, specializes in, apologize for, blamed for, accused of, borrow from, lend to, succeeded in, aimed at, named after, rely on, divide into, complain to/about

Noun + Preposition

solution to, reason for, difficulty in, need for, increase in, intention of, investigation into, protest about, respect for, point in, hope of, report on, lack of, reputation for, attitude to

Verb + Preposition Examples

Offer him the job: take him on
He's doing well = taking on
Started work here = took up this
Be the new director = take over as a director
Handle = deal with
Did = carried out

Missing Prepositions

1. Do you admire ... for?
2. What do you worry about?

This document captures a series of candid, everyday dialogues, offering a glimpse into various personal interactions, plans, and observations. From packing for trips to discussing new managers and future aspirations, these snippets highlight the diverse facets of daily life.

Conversations on Daily Life

• Packing and Preparations

  Susan: "Okay, I packed some towels, shampoo, and soap."
  Peter: "Oh, you need to take some sunscreen too."

• Where Things Are Kept

  Ellen: "I put my cell phone on that shelf. Sarah puts hers here, and Josh puts his over there. Where do you keep yours?"
  Chass: "I keep mine on my desk."

• Home Decor Choices

  Arnold: "Which curtain do you prefer?"
  Gin: "Well, I like that small, brown Italian one."

• Modern Impressions

  Samantha: "My mother