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

Characters:

Henry:

• The narrator and chief character in Factotum, Henry Chinaski is a classic antihero.
• He is green-eyed, the son of a workaholic veteran of World War I who is critical of his son's 4F status during World War II for psychological reasons, addicted to alcohol and sex, and has drunk his way through two years at Los Angeles City College while studying journalism.
• He works when he must, flops in the cheapest places he can find, eats when he can, and drinks constantly.
• The novel follows Henry's misadventures getting and losing jobs in New Orleans, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Los Angeles again, Miami, and Los Angeles a third time.
• His attempts to parlay his two years of journalism into an editorial job at the Los Angeles

Richard Hannay is an intelligent officer in South Africa. He has returned to Britain because his life was boring. One day, his neighbor tells him that he must be considered dead because the anarchists are looking for him. When Hannay finds her dead neighbor, he escapes with Scuder's notebook. Then, he will meet different people until he discovers the message in the notebook.

Hannay tells him that he has a bet with his friends and convinces him to give him his clothes so he can escape from the building without the anarchists recognizing him.

When jumping from the train, he finds an inn and when he enters, he meets a boy who really wants to be a writer. Hannay manages to stay at the inn, lying about his true story.

Later, he has a car accident and... Continue reading "The 39 Steps: A Thrilling Adventure of Richard Hannay" »

Learning foreign language is very important, and there are a lot of reasons to do it.Three of these reasons are that you can speak to more people, you have more chances of find a job and you can travel anywhere.

The fist reason is that you will be able to speak to more people because when you talk to someone who is not from your country , you have to speak in a foreign language.Due to this, you can get to know other cultures, make new friends of other countries and you will feel fine in another country.

The second reason is that you have more chances to get the job that you want if you can speak a foreign language. Because, for bussines, its very important that their employees are able to speak a foreign language and the willing of the companies

Mastering English Tenses and Modal Verbs

Past Simple and Present Perfect

• Roland didn’t set his alarm…
• We decided to take… because Sue hadn’t seen…
• Jane has lost her key…
• Louisa hasn’t swum in the…
• The match didn’t last…
• My father has had six…
• When did they buy…?
• Jenny was… she had forgotten…
• How long have you known…?
• I had made…

Past Simple and Past Perfect

• Last summer, I met…
• Fiona… she had missed…
• Dan had been painting…
• Sally hasn’t written…
• How many times have you broken…?
• Andy has been staying…
• Rebecca has lost…
• I didn’t know…

Present Perfect Simple and Continuous

• Susie has been staying in the…
• Joana hasn’t bought that…
• They haven’t been playing…
• Matt has just gone…
• We haven’t known…

Modal Verbs

• You

Workplace Vocabulary and Communication

1.

• The new train makes it possible to commute easily.
• We must fire these bags of sort.
• Unfortunately, we had to commute to fire.
• The night shift at the hospital requires specific qualifications.
• Have you done your shift, Shane?
• She was hired because of her qualifications.
• If you need a computer, you should specialize in that field.

2.

• This job requires good people skills, individuals who know how to communicate correctly.
• He always slacks off at work. I won't be surprised if he doesn't have a job in two months.
• I'm going to ask for a raise this month. I need to earn more money to buy a new car.
• I forgot to pack my lunch. I'll just buy a sandwich in the supermarket.
• He went to run an errand. He needed to help his grandfather

Food

F, F, T

A Town B Eat C Stop

1. Yes, I love travelling
2. It depends on the weather
3. I broke my leg
4. Children are complicated
5. What would you do?
6. I would go to USA
7. I don't think so

1. I can't understand how you could be happy with two TV channels. I need a lot of channels.

2. I can't concentrate because the music I am listening to is very quiet.

3. I agree with you. I think it is boring.

4. Mary, you should come to the school trip. You will have a good time.

In my opinion, a healthy life is to eat healthy food every day, although sometimes you can eat fast food. Healthy food for me is meat, fish, vegetables, eggs, milk, and fruit. I think that we should avoid eating a lot of sugar and salt. In addition, people should do exercise every day to have fun. For example,... Continue reading "Importance of Healthy Eating and Exercise for a Fun-filled Life" »

Presenting an Opinion

Many believe the teenage years are the best. However, I disagree.

Supporting Arguments

Firstly, most teenagers lack independence. They follow parental and teacher directives. Additionally, they often have limited finances.

Secondly, while teens may have fewer adult responsibilities, they face other concerns. Exam pressure can significantly impact their future.

Conclusion

All in all, despite the fun, I believe the best years come later, with a job, financial stability, and freedom.

Useful Phrases

Expressing Opinions

• From my point of view...
• As far as I am concerned...
• I am sure/convinced that...
• I (dis)agree with the statement, because...

Presenting Facts

• It is widely known that...
• It is a well-known fact that...
• Research has shown that.

Third Thoughts by E.V. Lucas (1868–1938)

Literal Comprehension

Once, the writer’s friend, while visiting New York, bought a painting thinking that it was by Turner. He got it at a cheap price since the seller was also confused about its originality. With the painting, he went to London and sold it for fifty pounds. He was so happy that he decided to share the profit with the seller in New York. At first, he decided to share fifty percent of his profit and wrote a letter, but having no stamp, he went to his room. Again, at about 3 AM, he thought it quite inappropriate to share the profit but still thought of sending ten pounds only. His thinking kept changing, and he couldn’t sleep well. Again, he thought of sending five pounds, thinking... Continue reading "E.V. Lucas's Third Thoughts: Morality in Business Deals" »

Call Back

Call back someone after a missed call or message.

Cut Off

Disconnect or end a phone call abruptly.

Get Through

Successfully connect with someone on the phone.

Hang Up

End a phone call by putting the receiver down.

Listen In

Secretly listen to a conversation without participating.

Make a Call

Initiate a phone call to someone.

Quieten Down

Reduce noise or become quieter.

Ring Up

Call someone on the phone.

Run Out Of

Exhaust or deplete the supply of something.

Switch Off

Turn off a device or appliance.

Top Up

Add more credit or funds to something.

Turn Down

Decrease the volume or intensity of something.

Be Disqualified From

Be excluded or ineligible for something.

Boo Off

Express disapproval by booing loudly.

Carry On

Continue doing something.

Support

Provide assistance... Continue reading "Common Phrases and Idioms for Everyday Conversations" »