English Grammar Practice and Afro-Panamanian History

English Grammar: Modals and Equatives

Section B: Expressing Obligation with Modals

Use must or have to / has to to express an obligation or strong advice.

• Their ship sails at 10:00 am. It is 9:30 am. They have to rush to the pier.
• All passengers must have their luggage checked by security.
• Lonnie has to stop at all intersections. It is the law.
• Ferry, you must listen to Jose Mujica’s dissertation. It is a masterpiece.
• To enter legally into the country, you must get a visa first.

Section C: Strong Advice with Had Better

Express strong advice using had better or had better not in the following sentences.

• We had better remember to set the alarm. We have to arrive 30 minutes earlier.
• The handyman had better not forget to close the windows before the cleaning starts.
• Mona told me I ought to study the designs. We had better take her advice to win the prize.
• They had better not make any noise. There is a debate taking place.
• You had better not dive into the river. The water is quite shallow.

Section D & E: Using Equatives

Write a sentence using as + adjective + as depending on the provided information.

Example: The Democrats got 45% of the votes. The Republicans got 45% of the votes. The votes for Democrats are as many as the votes for Republicans.

Example: Prescription medicine costs more than natural medicine. Prescription medicine is not as cheap as natural medicine.

• My brother is twenty years old. Patrick is twenty-five years old. My brother is not as old as Patrick.
• Australia is big. Canada is bigger. Australia is not as big as Canada.
• I am very tired. Kevin is also very tired. Kevin is as tired as I am.
• Iceland is colder than England. England is not as cold as Iceland.
• This chair is expensive. That chair is also expensive. This chair is as expensive as that chair.

The Vibrant Black Culture of Panama

The population that includes the Black ethnicity in Panama originated around 1850, at the beginning of the construction of the railroad, when they were brought to carry out these works. Since those times, they have remained in our territory, forming part of it and contributing their culture and customs.

Black descendants in Panama have generated a significant contribution to the population in terms of culture and traditions. Part of the cuisine, dances, folk music, plastic and artistic manifestations, clothing, and celebrations are heavily influenced by this ethnic group.

They are mainly concentrated in the provinces of Darién, Bocas del Toro, Colón, and Panama. In these regions, they showcase their representative dances, such as the Congo, on significant dates like International Black Day.