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

Environmental Responsibility and Action

In recent years, people have become increasingly aware of the problems we are causing to the environment. These environmental issues are harming our planet and, consequently, are detrimental to our health. While governments in the richest countries are approving laws to combat pollution, we, as individuals, can also contribute significantly by changing many aspects of our daily lives.

Individual Contributions to a Greener Planet

There are several practical steps we can take to reduce our environmental footprint:

• Recycling: By simply classifying our waste into paper, plastic, and glass bins, we avoid the use of new materials and the continuous exploitation of natural resources. This also helps to save our

Recettes Simples

Recette : Sandwich

1. Tartinez une tranche de pain avec un peu de beurre.
2. Ajoutez du jambon de York et de la laitue lavée.
3. Lavez une tomate, coupez-la en tranches et ajoutez-les au sandwich.
4. Tartinez l'autre tranche de pain avec un peu de mayonnaise.
5. Fermez le sandwich avec la deuxième tranche de pain et voilà !

Bon appétit !

Recette : Salade Composée

1. Lavez la laitue et la tomate, puis coupez-les.
2. Ajoutez ensuite le thon et les cornichons.
3. Ajoutez une pincée de sel, un peu d'huile et du vinaigre.
4. Mélangez bien tous les ingrédients dans un saladier.

Bon appétit !

Vocabulaire Alimentaire

• Boissons :
• eau : water
• vin : wine
• bière : beer
• thé : tea
• jus : juice
• cidre : cider
• Boulangerie & Pâtisserie :
• pain : bread
• baguette : baguette
• gâteau :

Simple Past Tense: Regular and Irregular Verbs

Forming Simple Past Sentences

• Affirmative: Subject + verb (past form) + complement
• Negative: Subject + auxiliary (did) + not + verb (base form) + complement
• Interrogative: Auxiliary (Did) + subject + verb (base form) + complement?

Simple Past Examples

• I bought a pair of shoes yesterday.
• I didn't buy a pair of shoes yesterday.
• Did I buy a pair of shoes yesterday?

Practice Exercises: Simple Past

1. A: Did you go fishing last weekend?

   B: No, but I went swimming.

2. Yesterday, Ron found a cat on the street and took it home.
3. Yesterday, the school basketball team played against Northbridge. There were a lot of people at the game.
4. Dennis was in Barcelona last weekend and he visited many places.

Modal Verb "Would"

Understanding

Understanding Grammar in Language Teaching

Grammar is often misunderstood in the language teaching field. Instead of viewing grammar as a static system of arbitrary rules, it should be seen as a rational, dynamic system comprised of structures characterized by the three dimensions of form and use.

Myths About Grammar

Grammar is acquired naturally; it need not be taught.

It is true that some learners acquire second language grammar naturally without instruction. For example, there are immigrants to the United States who acquire proficiency in English on their own. Chomsky showed that native English speakers were still in the process of acquiring certain grammatical structures in English well into adolescence.

Grammar is boring.

This myth is derived... Continue reading "Understanding Grammar in Language Teaching: Key Concepts" »

Topic 3: Travel and Adventure

Mastering Reported Speech

Tense Changes in Reported Speech

• Present Simple --- Past Simple (did, -ed, saw,...)
• Present Continuous --- Past Continuous (was/were +ing)
• Past Simple --- Past Perfect Simple (had studied)
• Present Perfect Simple (have seen) --- Past Perfect Simple
• Will --- Would
• Can --- Could
• May --- Might
• Must / Have to --- Had to

Word Changes in Reported Speech

• Now --- Then
• Today --- That day
• Yesterday --- The day before
• Tonight --- That night
• Tomorrow --- The next day
• Two months ago --- Two months before
• Last week --- The previous week
• Next year --- The following year

Reported Statements

Subject + reporting verb + (that) + subject + verb

He said (that) he was planning to take a gap year after university.

Reported Questions (Yes/No Questions)

Subject +... Continue reading "Mastering Reported Speech and Travel Vocabulary" »

Geography Quiz Challenge

Mike: Here's a geography quiz in the paper.

Wendy: Oh, I love geography! Ask me the questions.

Mike: Sure. First question: Which country is larger, China or Canada?

Wendy: I know! Canada is larger than China.

Mike: Okay, next. What's the longest river in the Americas?

Wendy: Hmm, I think it's the Mississippi.

Mike: Here's a hard one. Which country is more crowded, Monaco or Singapore?

Wendy: I'm not sure. I think Monaco is more crowded.

Mike: Okay, one more. Which South American capital city is the highest: La Paz, Quito, or Bogotá?

Wendy: Oh, that's easy. Bogotá is the highest.

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

1. Adding -er and -est to Short Adjectives

For short adjectives (one or sometimes two syllables), add -er for the... Continue reading "Geography Quiz Challenge: Test Your Knowledge" »

Understanding English Modals, Verbs, and Compounds

Modal Verbs and Their Core Uses

• Can

  • Ability
  • Making suggestions
  • Asking for favors
  • Expressing certainty that something is impossible

• Be Able To

  • Ability in the past, present, and future

• Could

  • Skill in the past
  • Polite requests

• May

  • Probability or possibility (greater than 'might')
  • Politely asking for favors

• Might

  • Probability or possibility (less than 'may')

• Would

  • Asking favors (more formal)
  • Making offers or invitations

• Must

  • Obligation or necessity (e.g., law)
  • Certainty that what is said is true

• Have To

  • Obligation (common usage worldwide)

• Need To

  • Expressing need

• Need Not

  • No obligation or necessity

• Must Not

  • Prohibition or ban

• Do Not Have To

  • No obligation or necessity

• Should

  • Advice or opinion (most common use)

• Ought To

  • Advice or opinion

Medieval Cathedral Schools and the Rise of Universities

Cathedral schools first appeared in the East, mirroring older institutions, during the eleventh century. These study centers were similar to their European counterparts. People gathered at these cathedral schools to hear news brought by immigrants from the East. This led to large groups of students undertaking work to survive and learning to read and write.

Here, discussions began on new truths and interpretations of faith. Students also started creating their own guilds, which later gained strength and rights.

The shelters provided by the church to these students offered certain freedoms, including freedom of opinion. Students were arranged in a master-apprentice system, where the teacher... Continue reading "Medieval Cathedral Schools & University Evolution" »

Noun Phrase

A noun phrase is characterized by having a noun or other nominal element as its core, such as a pronoun, an infinitive, or a substantive noun.

Modifiers

Examples of modifiers include:

1. Articles
2. Demonstratives
3. Possessives
4. Indefinite pronouns
5. Numerals
6. Interrogative and exclamative pronouns
7. Distributive pronouns

Core Elements

Core elements include:

1. Nouns
2. Pronouns
3. Substantivized elements

Noun Complements (NC)

Examples of noun complements include:

1. Adjectives
2. Prepositional Phrases (PrepP)
3. Noun Phrases in apposition
4. Adjective clauses
5. Substantive clauses

Adjective

An adjective describes a quality of the noun it accompanies. From a syntactic point of view, it has three functions: noun complement, attribute, and predicative complement. From a morphological point... Continue reading "Understanding Noun Phrases, Adjectives, and Verb Phrases" »