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

The Broader Scope of Education

During our lives, we are often told that we have studied all we need to know at school and in various academies. But is that truly the case? Is school the only or best place to learn and develop? Are there no other avenues where we can improve ourselves? If what I've heard is true, what about the education we receive at home? Are my family, my friends, the people I have known, the trips, the good moments, and the hard moments not part of my learning journey?

At school, I learned how to do mathematics, how to write, how to read, and how to be polite. While these lessons are important in life, the specific details can often be easy to forget. In contrast, the things I have learned in other places, outside of formal... Continue reading "Beyond the Classroom: Lifelong Learning Insights" »

Common English Phrases

• Are you?
• Do you?
• Didn't you?
• Shall we?
• Have you?
• So am I.
• Neither do I.
• So did I.
• So do I.
• Neither will I.

Occupations

• Assistant
• Electrician
• Lawyer
• Librarian
• Receptionist
• Visitor
• Customer
• Optician
• Owner
• Director

Exam Angles

Vocabulary: Positive Adjectives

• Affordable: economic, a bon preu, assequible
• Appealing: atractiu, interessant
• Convenient: adequat, pràctic, facil d'utilitzar
• Efficient: bons resultats, eficaç, eficient
• Effortless: facil, sense esforç, còmode
• First-rate: millor qualitat, excel·lent
• Standard: normal
• Unbeatable: insuperable, millor que les altres coses
• Well-established: de llarga data, durada
• Worthwhile: que val la pena, mereix la pena

Vocabulary: Living Together

• Life expectancy: esperança de vida
• Population growth: creixement de la població
• Senior citizens: persones grans, de la tercera edat
• End poverty: acabar amb la pobresa
• Ageing population: envelliment de la població
• Own their own property: tenir la seva pròpia propietat
• Have been made

These days, as we all know, we are all in our houses because of the popular coronavirus. If you don’t know, coronavirus is a new illness that has been created in China, specifically in Wuhan. This virus has given a lot to talk about, as it is very contagious. It is people that are asymptomatic; that means that he or she can infect other people but he or she hasn’t got any symptoms, and this is why this illness is so dangerous. The president of Spain has said that we will stay at home minimum until 26 (twenty-six) of April. In addition, it is expected that scientists will find a vaccine for it in a year.

In my case, I follow the news about the virus every day, although I think that every day is the same, it seems to me that the time doesn’t... Continue reading "Impact of Coronavirus on Daily Life: A Personal Reflection" »

ESTILO DIRECTO-ESTILO INDIRECTO

Present simple: I don't want to go to bed, Gina said.

Past simple: Gina said that she didn't want to go to bed.

Present Continuous: She is visiting her father, Adam said.

Past Continuous: Adam said that she was visiting her father.

Past simple: Tim arrived late, Mum said.

Past Perfect Simple: Mum said that Tim had arrived late.

Present Perfect simple: The train has left the station, Alvaro said.

Past Perfect simple: Alvaro said that the train had left the station.

Future will: We will feed the dog, Alvaro said.

Would: Alvaro said that they would feed the dog.

Can: I can run fast, the teacher said.

Could: The teacher said that she could run fast.

Must: I must call her, the teacher said.

Had to: Tom said that he had to call... Continue reading "Direct Style - Indirect Style: Grammar Rules and Examples" »

Talking about possibility

• We use will for making predictions about the future. We often use think and I don't think with will. I don't think it'll snow tonight.
• We can use shall/shan't instead of will/won't with and and we, but will is more common. I think we shall visit Italy next summer.
• We also use will to make assumptions about the present. It's 4.40. Right now Jim will be on his way home. Helen will be getting on the plane.
• We also use will to express our assumptions about the present. It's six o'clock. Mum will be preparing dinner. I'm sure the football match will have finished by now.

must and can't

• We use must for talking about things which we can deduce are definitely true. He must be at work. He just called me from his office.
• We use can'

• let (dejar/permitir) - let - let
• lie (tumbarse) - lay - lain
• light (encender) - lit - lit
• lose (perder) - lost - lost
• make (hacer) - made - made
• mean (significar) - meant - meant
• meet (encontrar) - met - met
• pay (pagar) - paid - paid
• put (poner) - put - put
• ride (montar) - rode - ridden
• rise (levantarse) - rose - risen
• say (decir) - said - said
• see (ver) - saw - seen
• send (enviar) - sent - sent
• sell (vender) - sold - sold
• shine (brillar) - shone - shone
• speak (hablar) - spoke - spoken
• spend (gastar/pasar) - spent - spent
• stand (estar de pie) - stood - stood
• steal (robar) - stole - stolen
• swim (nadar) - swam - swum
• take (tomar/llevar) - took - taken
• teach (enseñar) - taught - taught
• tear (rasgar) - tore - torn
• tell (decir) - told - told
• think (pensar) - thought - thought
• throw

Essential English Vocabulary

Sports & Competition Terms

• Athlete - Atleta
• Ban - Prohibir
• Beat - Vencer
• Championship - Campeonato
• Compete - Competición
• Disqualify - Descalificar
• Doping Offence - Delito de dopaje
• Foul - Falta
• Get Through - Superar / Pasar
• Opponent - Adversario
• Qualify - Clasificarse
• Round - Fase
• Runner-up - Subcampeón
• Sponsorship Deal - Contrato de patrocinio

Health & Fitness Vocabulary

• Balanced Diet - Dieta equilibrada
• Be Into - Ser aficionado a
• Body Mass - Índice de masa corporal
• Crash Diet - Dieta de choque
• Junk Food - Comida basura
• Nutrient - Nutriente
• Overdo It - Excederse
• Push Yourself - Esforzarse
• Sedentary Lifestyle - Estilo de vida sedentario
• Set a Goal - Establecer un objetivo
• Skip - Saltarse (e.g., a meal)
• Stay in Shape - Mantenerse

This movie clip deals with the story of Laurie and Jo. Throughout the whole scene, we can see beautiful landscapes.

They are walking in the field, talking about their futures when suddenly Laurie proposes to Jo. First, the romantic boy states that he has always loved her and that he couldn’t wait any longer to avoid his love for Jo.

Secondly, Jo turns off the proposal saying that they will be a disaster together, that they will be miserable, unhappy and that everything will be horrid and they will wish that they would have never been married. Even though he thinks Jo is wrong, later on he will realize that in fact she was right. Laurie keeps insisting saying that he would rather be dead and hang himself than realizing that Jo wasn't the love... Continue reading "Heartbreaking Proposal Rejection in Beautiful Landscape" »