Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for English for Secondary education

Relative Clauses: Definition and Function

Relative clauses, also known as substantive clauses, function like nouns within a sentence, always complementing the main proposition.

We refer to the noun or pronoun that the relative clause modifies as the antecedent of the clause. The relative clause connects to its antecedent using relative pronouns, relative adjectives, or relative adverbs.

Relative Pronouns

• Simple: who, whom, whose, which, that, what
• Compound: whoever, whomever, whichever, whatever

Relative Possessive Adjective

whose (also inflects for gender and number in some languages, e.g., Spanish: cuyo, cuya, cuyos, cuyas)

Examples of Relative Clauses

Here are examples illustrating the use of relative pronouns and their antecedents:

• I gave the news

Mastering Irregular Verbs: A Comprehensive List

What are Irregular Verbs?

Irregular verbs are verbs that do not follow the standard rules of conjugation. In English, regular verbs form their past simple and past participle by adding "-ed" or "-d" to the base form. Irregular verbs, however, have unique forms for the past simple and past participle that must be memorized.

Why are Irregular Verbs Important?

Irregular verbs are essential for forming grammatically correct sentences in English. They are frequently used in everyday conversation and writing. Understanding and correctly using irregular verbs is crucial for effective communication.

Tips for Learning Irregular Verbs

• Group similar verbs: Some irregular verbs have similar patterns in their past

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

Captain Lemuel Gulliver

The narrator of the story.

The Blefuscudians

The sworn enemies of the Lilliputians, they live on a neighboring island. Gulliver flees to their island when the Lilliputians convict him of treason.

The Brobdingnagians

The inhabitants of Brobdingnag. They are giant creatures relative to Gulliver.

The Emperor of Lilliput

The leader of the Lilliputians. He is initially friendly toward Gulliver but changes his mind about him when Gulliver refuses to continue fighting Blefuscu and puts out a fire in the Empress's chamber by urinating on it.

The Farmer

During his stay in Brobdingnag, Gulliver calls the farmer who takes him in his master. The farmer eventually sells Gulliver to the Queen.

Flimnap

Gulliver's enemy in Lilliput, he accuses...

Past Simple

Affirmative

I/you/he/she/it/we/they watched. Translation: I watched.

Negative

I/you/he/she/it/we/they didn't watch.

Interrogative

Did I/you/he/she/it/we/they watch?

Past Continuous

Affirmative

I/he/she/it was watching Translation: I was watching.

we/they/you were watching

Negative

I/he/she/it wasn't watching

we/they/you weren't watching

Present Simple

Affirmative

I/you/we/they play Translation: I play

he/she/it plays

Negative

I/you/we/they don't play

he/she/it doesn't play

Present Continuous

Affirmative

I am reading Translation: I am reading

He/she/it is reading

we/they/you are reading

Negative

I am not reading

He/she/it isn't reading

we/they/you aren't reading

Present Perfect

Affirmative

I/you/we/they have finished Translation: I have finished

he/she/it has finished

Negative

I/...

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

6. Complete the text using the COMPARATIVE or the SUPERLATIVE of the following adjectives in their corresponding place (8 points):

Adjectives: Good, Long, Frightening, Fast, Strange, Beautiful, Big, Thick

Last night I had the strangest dream. I was in a jungle and the most frightening snake in the world was hanging from a tree. Its body was as long as my leg. Another snake was lying on a rock. It was not as big as the first snake, but it had the most beautiful eyes. There were also two huge gorillas in my dream. They were looking at me. They were thicker than King Kong! Then I saw a tiger and I began to run. But the tiger ran faster than me. It jumped on me. Then I woke up and I was in bed.

My dog Fritz was...

Comprehensive List of English Irregular Verbs

This list provides the base form, past simple, past participle, and Spanish translation for common irregular verbs.

• Be: was/were, been (ser/estar)
• Bear: bore, borne (soportar)
• Beat: beat, beaten (golpear)
• Become: became, become (convertirse)
• Begin: began, begun (comenzar)
• Bend: bent, bent (doblar)
• Bet: bet, bet (apostar)
• Bite: bit, bitten (morder)
• Blow: blew, blown (soplar)
• Break: broke, broken (romper)
• Breed: bred, bred (criar)
• Bring: brought, brought (traer)
• Broadcast: broadcast, broadcast (transmitir)
• Build: built, built (construir)
• Burn: burnt, burnt (quemar)
• Buy: bought, bought (comprar)
• Can: could (poder)
• Catch: caught, caught (atrapar)
• Choose: chose, chosen (elegir)
• Come: came, come (venir)
• Cost: cost, cost (costar)

Johnny Depp - Jack Sparrow, is back in his fifth movie. He was born on board a pirate ship during a typhoon. Johnny wanted Jack Sparrow to be very weird, in a funny way. Jack always looks drunk, but he is like a real hero and the world's coolest pirate. He has a lot of tattoos, for example, a sparrow on his right forearm. He has a perfect pirate accent and decided to imitate Keith Richards' (of the Rolling Stones) London accent. Johnny read a lot about pirates to prepare for the movie and discovered that they were rock stars of their time, so he decided to copy the look of his favorite rockstar, Keith Richards. In the pirate style, he is the one who chose to put all the little objects in Jack's dreadlocks. He also wanted to have gold teeth.

Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The story revolves around the main character, Elizabeth Bennet. She is the second of five daughters of a country gentleman named Mr. Bennet, the proprietor of a great house in Longbourn.

Set in England in the early 19th century, Pride and Prejudice tells the story of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's five unmarried daughters after two gentlemen have moved into their neighborhood: the rich Mr. Bingley and his friend, the even richer and more eligible Mr. Darcy. While Bingley takes an immediate liking to the eldest Bennet daughter, Jane, Darcy (a very serious person with no intentions to fall in love) repeatedly clashes with the Bennets' lively second daughter, Elizabeth. This is how...

Indirect Questions in English

Exercise 1

Rewrite the following questions indirectly:

1. Original: What have you been doing recently?
   Indirect: Would you mind telling me what you have been doing recently?
2. Original: Where can I get something cold to drink?
   Indirect: Does anybody know where I can get something cold to drink?
3. Original: What time are you coming to the party next week?
   Indirect: Could you tell me what time you are coming to the party next week?
4. Original: Why did you not do the homework?
   Indirect: Could you explain to me why you did not do the homework?
5. Original: Are you interested in playing tennis on Friday?
   Indirect: We'd like to know if you are interested in playing tennis on Friday.
6. Original: What does he do for a living?
   Indirect: I wonder what