What are your family doing at the moment?

My husband is working at the moment. Perhaps he is sending an email or talking with a client. My children are playing with their toys in the living-room.

My parents are in their house and I'm sure they are watching TV while my sister and my brother are working.

What are your family doing???

Tell me in a comment ;-)

Remember to use the present continuous to talk about actions that are happening at the moment we are speaking.

Prepositions of Place: practice

1. Complete the sentences with in / at / on.

1. Don't sit _______ the grass. It's wet.
2. What have you got _______ your bag?
3. Look! There's a man _______ the roof. What's he doing?
4. There are a lot of fish _______ this river.
5. Our house is number 45 -the number is _______ the door.
6. Is the post office near here?     Yes, turn left _______ the traffic lights.
7. It's difficult to park _______ the city centre. It's better to take the bus.
8. My sister lives _______ Brussels.
9. There's a small park _______ the top of the hill.
10. I think I heard the doorbell. There's somebody _______ the door.
11. Munich is a large city _______ the south of Germany.
12. There are a few shops _______ the end of the street.
13. It's difficult to carry a lot of things _______ a bicycle.
14. I looked at the list of names. My name was _______ the bottom.
15. There is a mirror _______ the wall _______ the living room.


2. Complete the sentences with in / at / on.

1. Helen is studying law _______ university.
2. There was a big table _______ the middle of the room.
3. What is the longest river _______ the world?
4. Where there many people _______ the concert last night?
5. Will you be _______ home tomorrow afternoon?
6. Who is the man _______ this photograph? Do you know him?
7. Where are your children? Are they _______ school?
8. Gary is coming by train. I'm going to meet him _______ the train station.
9. Charlie is _______ hospital. He had an operation yesterday.
10. How many pages are there _______ this book?
11. Are you hungry after your journey?    No, I had something to eat _______ the train.
12. I'm sorry I'm late. My car broke down _______ the way here.
13. Is Tom here?      No, he's _______ his brother's.
14. Don't believe everything you see _______ the newspaper!
15. I walked to work, but I came home _______ the bus.











ANSWER KEY:
1)

1. on 2. in 3. on 4. in 5. on 6. at 7. in 8. in 9. at 10. at 11. in 12. at 13. on 14. at 15. on, in

2)

1. at 2. in 3. in 4. at 5. at 6. in 7. at 8. at 9. in 10. in 11. on 12. on 13. at 14. in 15. on. 

  

Prepositions of place: in, at, on

Prepositions of Place At_on_in by LauGalindo

Complete the sentences with the correct preposition in, at, on.

1. The children are playing _____ the park.
2. I love having lunch _____ the garden.
3. I'll wait for you _____ the bus stop.
4. I love that painting _____ the wall.
5. There too many things _____ that cupboard.
6. I think I left my mobile phone _____ my desk, but I can't find it.
7. My bags are _____ my bedroom.
8. I met him yesterday _____ the cinema.
9. I'll pick you up _____ the airport at six.
10. We live _____ the second floor.


Click here if you want to practise a bit more.




















ANSWER KEY:

1. in
2. in
3. at
4. on
5. in
6. on
7. in
8. at
9. at
10. on

Present Continuous

Present Continuous

Present Simple

Let's start the year by making sure we all know how to speak about our daily routines. For this, we need to use the present simple. You already studied the present simple last year in Basic 1, but let's refresh it, study the notes and watch the videos below.

Present Simple

Present Simple for routines

How to make questions in the present simple

Now practise your grammar by writing a comment to my post What do you usually do on Saturdays?

What do you usually do on Saturdays?

I don't work on Saturday, so I like to have a lazy morning on Saturdays. I usually get up about 8 o'clock when my children wake up ;-P . I give them their breakfast and my husband goes to buy some bread. We have breakfast together and then I cook some lunch while I listen to music and my husband does some housework. Then, we always go for a walk or we take the kids to the park. 
We feed the kids and then we have lunch around 2 pm, while the girls sleep we watch a film. We often have lunch with our family. In the afternoon we go to the swimming-pool or to the beach. We sometimes meet our friends or invite them to have dinner at home.




What do you usually do on Saturdays???

Tell me in a comment :-)


Remember to use the present simple to speak about routines and use the frequency adverbs to say how often you do something.

Word order in questions

Hello everyone,

Next week we will work on Unit 1A. To get ready for that this is what I want you to do:

• Go through the notes below about Word order in questions
• Do the activities on the document
• Do the activities from the Student's Book page 5, excercise 2a and 2b.

Word Order in Questions by LauGalindo

We will practise in class once you have studied the grammar at home.

Have a nice weekend!!





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WILL for spontaneous decisions, offers and promises

Go through the notes and practise your grammar.

WILL for Spontaneous Decisions, Offers and Promises by LauGalindo

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Tense Review

Below you'll find a very useful chart with all the verb tenses we've seen this year.



Tense Review

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Responding to predictions

Do you think it will rain tomorrow?

I hope so / I hope not

I think so / I don't think so

I doubt it

Maybe / Perhaps

Probably (not)

Definitely (not)

Above you have several short answers very useful when responding to predictions.

Now, what do you think? Will something amazing happen to you tomorrow?

Tell me in a comment!

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WILL: Predictions

Read the notes to revise the grammar and answer the questions below.


Predictions with will / won't

Answer the following questions:

• Who do you think will win the next elections?

• Do you think we will do all our shopping online in 2060?

• Do you think we will work from home one day?

• Will we have better schools in the future?

Leave your answers as a comment. 

Remember to use WILL + INFINITIVE in your answers to express your predictions and opinions about the future.

Infinitives & Gerunds

It can be sometimes confusing when to use the infinitive or when to use the -ing form. To be or not to be that's the question!

To start, have a look at the theory and then watch the video from the British Council. And then all you need is practice and more practice!!

Infinitive With To

Gerunds

Present Perfect & Past Simple Practice

If you want to practise a little bit of grammar click on the links below:

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs5.htm


http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs6.htm

Past Simple- Present Perfect contrast

It is sometimes confusing when to use past simple or present perfect, but once you practise a little bit you will realise it's not that hard.

Have a look at the notes below:

Present Perfect Past Simple Constrast

If you still hesitate, there are some words which will help you make the decision:

And a video from the British Council...

Past Simple VS Present Perfect

Past Simple vs Present Perfect

Lindka Cierach

In unit 4 there is a text about the fashion designer Lindka Cierach. In this post you can find out more information about her.



1. Read the text about her and complete the blanks with the correct form of the verb, past simple or present simple.

In 1979, Lindka 1. _______ (start) her Couture business, inspired by her love of luxurious fabrics, exquisite beadwork and embroidery.

She 2. _________ (be born) in Lesotho in a Polish-English family, she 3. _______ (spend) her early childhood in Africa. Later she was educated in England and following a period in Paris and at Vogue Magazine, she 4. __________ (decide) to do a Fashion degree at the London College of Fashion.

Lindka's first commission of a Wedding Dress for a Bahrainian Princess, was pivotal to her reputation throughout the Middle East.

A prestigious and select client base 5. _________ (grow) internationally through word of mouth and in 1986 Lindka was commissioned to design The Duchess of York's Wedding Dress. Over a billion people worldwide watched the wedding, establishing Lindka's standing internationally in British Couture.

Today, she 6. ________ (work) with her Design Team in her intimate Studio in South Kensington, London. Lindka's unwavering attention to detail and desire for perfection forms the foundations of the Brand's identity and is reflected in the highly skilled members of her Studio that she has personally trained.

Nowadays Lindka 7. ________ (design) for members of the British, European and Middle Eastern Royal Families as well as International Music and Film Personalities.

2. Now to find out more about her work go to her website and go to "collections" and have a look to see if you find something you like.  

I found a dress I really like it is in "Daywear" and it's style 2725,it  is a very colourful and happy dress. I think it would be lovely for a nice and warm sunny evening. I like it because I love bright colours and I like the combination and pink and orange.

What about you? Do you like anything?











ANSWER KEY

1)
1. started
2. was born
3. spent
4. decided
5. grew
6. works
7. designs

Hurricane - Bob Dylan

Listen to the song and put the verbs in the correct verb tense past simple or past continuous.

Bob Dylan - Hurricane

Pistols shots ring out in the barroom night

Enter Patty Valentine from the upper hall

She sees the bartender in a pool of blood

Cries out "My God they killed them all"

Here comes the story of the Hurricane

The man the authorities (1)__________ to blame (COME)

For something that he never done

(2)__________ him in a prison cell but one time he could-a been (PUT)

The champion of the world.

Three bodies lying there does Patty see

And another man named Bello moving around mysteriously

"I didn't do it" he says and he throws up his hands

"I (3)__________ only the register I hope you understand (ROB)

I (4)__________ them leaving" he says and he stops (SEE)

"One of us had better call up the cops"

And so Patty calls the cops

And they arrive on the scene with their red lights flashing

In the hot New Jersey night.

Meanwhile far away in another part of town

Rubin Carter and a couple of friends are driving around

Number one contender for the middleweight crown

(5)__________ no idea what kind of shit was about to go down (HAVE)

When a cop pulled him over to the side of the road

Just like the time before and the time before that

In Patterson that's just the way things go

If you're black you might as well not shown up on the street

'Less you wanna draw the heat.

Alfred Bello had a partner and he had a rap for the corps

Him and Arthur Dexter Bradley were just out prowling around

He (6)__________ "I saw two men running out they looked like middleweights (SAY)

They (7)__________ into a white car with out-of-state plates" (JUMP)

And Miss Patty Valentine just nodded her head

Cop said "Wait a minute boys this one's not dead"

So they (8)__________ him to the infirmary (TAKE)

And though this man could hardly see

They told him that he could identify the guilty men.

Four in the morning and they haul Rubin in

Take him to the hospital and they bring him upstairs

The wounded man looks up through his one dying eye

Says "What do you bring him in here for ? He ain't the guy !"

Yes here comes the story of the Hurricane

The man the authorities (9)__________ to blame (COME)

For something that he never done

(10)__________ in a prison cell but one time he could-a been (PUT)

The champion of the world.

Four months later the ghettos are in flame

Rubin's in South America fighting for his name

While Arthur Dexter Bradley's still in the robbery game

And the cops are putting the screws to him looking for somebody to blame

"Remember that murder that (11)__________ in a bar ?" (HAPPEN)

"Remember you said you saw the getaway car?"

"You think you'd like to play ball with the law ?"

"Think it might-a been that fighter you (12)__________ running that night ?" (SEE)

"Don't forget that you are white".

Arthur Dexter Bradley said "I'm really not sure"

Cops said "A boy like you (13)__________ use a break (CAN)

We got you for the motel job and we're talking to your friend Bello

Now you don't want to have to go back to jail be a nice fellow

You'll be doing society a favour

That son of a bitch is brave and getting braver

We want to put his ass in stir

We want to pin this triple murder on him

He ain't no Gentleman Jim".

Rubin could take a man out with just one punch

But he never (14)__________ like to talk about it all that much (DO)

It's my work he'd say and I do it for pay

And when it's over I'd just as soon go on my way

Up to some paradise

Where the trout streams flow and the air is nice

And ride a horse along a trail

But then they (15)__________ him to the jailhouse (TAKE)

Where they try to turn a man into a mouse.

All of Rubin's cards (16)__________ marked in advance (BE)

The trial was a pig-circus he never had a chance

The judge made Rubin's witnesses drunkards from the slums

To the white folks who (17)__________ he was a revolutionary bum (WATCH)

And to the black folks he was just a crazy nigger

No one doubted that he pulled the trigger

And though they could not produce the gun

The DA said he was the one who did the deed

And the all-white jury agreed.

Rubin Carter was falsely tried

The crime was murder 'one' guess who testified

Bello and Bradley and they both baldly lied

And the newspapers they all (18)__________ along for the ride (GO)

How can the life of such a man

Be in the palm of some fool's hand?

To see him obviously framed

Couldn't help but make me feel ashamed to live in a land

Where justice is a game.

Now all the criminals in their coats and their ties

Are free to drink martinis and watch the sun rise

While Rubin sits like Buddha in a ten-foot cell

An innocent man in a living hell

That's the story of the Hurricane

But it won't be over till they clear his name

And give him back the time he's done

Put him in a prison cell but one time he could-a been

The champion of the world

ANSWER KEY:

1. came 2. put 3. was (only) robbing 4. saw 5. had 6. said 7. jumped 8. took 9. came 10. put 11. happened 12. saw 13. could 14. did 15. took 16. were 17. watched 18. went