The Bathroom

The Kitchen

The Bedroom

 

 

BEDS

The House: Outside

Oh My!

All Tenses - English Lesson

Practice: Beginners-Intermediate-Advanced

Simple Present

• BE - Simple Present Exercise (Beginner)
• HAVE - Simple Present Exercise (Beginner)
• Simple Present - Agreement Exercise (Beginner)
• Simple Present with Plural Nouns Exercise (Beginner)
• Simple Present - Yes / No Questions Exercise (Beginner)
• Simple Present - Information Questions Exercise (Beginner)
• Simple Present - Negative Contractions Exercise (Beginner)
• There + BE - Present Tense Exercise (Beginner)
• Pronunciation of Final -s / -es (tutorial & quiz)
• Pronunciation of Final s / -es Quiz (Beginner)

Simple Past

• Simple Past with BE Exercise (Beginner)
• Simple Past with BE - Yes / No Questions Exercise (Beginner)
• Simple Past - Negative Contractions Exercise (Beginner)
• Simple Past - Yes / No Questions Exercise (Beginner)
• Simple Past - Information Questions Exercise (Beginner)
• Irregular Verbs (tutorial)
• Irregular Past Tense (Beginner)
• Irregular Past Tense 2 (High Beginner and up)
• Subject - Verb Agreement (Intermediate to Advanced)
• Pronunciation of Final -ed (tutorial & quiz)
• Pronunciation of Final -ed Quiz (Beginner)

Simple Future

• Future with BE GOING TO - Agreement Exercise (Beginner)
• Future with BE GOING TO- Negative Contractions Exercise (Beginner)
• Future with BE GOING TO - Yes / No Questions Exercise (Beginner)
• Future with BE GOING TO - Information Questions Exercise (Beginner)
• Future with WILL- Negative Contractions Exercise (Beginner)
• Future with WILL - Yes / No Questions Exercise (Beginner)
• Future with WILL - Information Questions Exercise (Beginner)

Present Progressive

• Present Progressive Basic Form Exercise (Beginner)
• Present Progressive - Negative Contractions Exercise (Beginner)
• Present Progressive - Yes / No Questions Exercise (Beginner)
• Present Progressive - Information Questions Exercise (Beginner)
• Spelling Rules for Verb + ING
• -ING Form Spelling Practice Exercise (Beginner and up)
• Simple Present and Present Progressive (Intermediate)
• Simple Present and Present Progressive 2 (Intermediate)
• Simple Present and Present Progressive 3 (Intermediate)

Past Progressive

• Past Progressive Basic Form Exercise (Beginner)
• Past Progressive - Negative Contractions Exercise (Beginner)
• Past Progressive - Yes / No Questions Exercise (Beginner)
• Past Progressive - Information Questions Exercise (Beginner)
• Simple Past and Past Progressive Exercise (Intermediate)

Future Progressive

• Future Progressive with BE GOING TO - Basic Form Exercise (Intermediate)
• Future Progressive with BE GOING TO- Negative Contractions Exercise (Intermediate)
• Future Progressive with BE GOING TO - Yes / No Questions Exercise (Intermediate)
• Future Progressive with BE GOING TO - Information Questions Exercise (Intermediate)
• Future Progressive with WILL - Basic Form Exercise (Intermediate)
• Future Progressive with WILL - Negative Contractions Exercise (Intermediate)
• Future Progressive with WILL - Yes / No Questions Exercise (Intermediate)
• Future Progressive with WILL - Information Questions Exercise (Intermediate)

Present Perfect

• Present Perfect Basic Form Exercise (Intermediate)
• Present Perfect - Negative Contractions Exercise (Intermediate)
• Present Perfect - Yes / No Questions Exercise (Intermediate)
• Present Progressive - Information Questions Exercise (Intermediate)
• Present Perfect vs. Simple Past (Intermediate)
• Irregular Verbs (tutorial)
• Irregular Past Participles (Intermediate and up)
• For vs. Since (Intermediate)

Past Perfect

• Past Perfect Basic Form Exercise (Intermediate)
• Past Perfect - Negative Contractions Exercise (Intermediate)
• Past Perfect - Yes / No Questions Exercise (Intermediate)
• Past Perfect - Information Questions Exercise (Intermediate)

Future Perfect

• Future Perfect with WILL Basic Form Exercise (Intermediate)
• Future Perfect with WILL - Negative Contractions Exercise (Intermediate)
• Future Perfect with WILL - Yes / No Questions Exercise (Intermediate)
• Future Progressive - Information Questions Exercise (Intermediate)

Present Perfect Progressive

• Present Perfect Progressive Basic Form Exercise (Intermediate)
• Present Perfect Progressive - Negative Contractions Exercise (Intermediate)
• Present Perfect Progressive - Yes / No Questions Exercise (Intermediate)
• Present Progressive - Information Questions Exercise (Intermediate)

Past Perfect Progressive

• Past Perfect Progressive Basic Form Exercise (Intermediate)
• Past Perfect Progressive - Negative Contractions Exercise (Intermediate)
• Past Perfect Progressive - Yes / No Questions Exercise (Intermediate)
• Past Progressive - Information Questions Exercise (Intermediate)

Future Perfect Progressive

• Future Perfect Progressive Basic Form Exercise (Intermediate)
• Future Perfect Progressive - Negative Contractions Exercise (Intermediate)
• Future Perfect Progressive - Yes / No Questions Exercise (Intermediate)
• Future Progressive - Information Questions Exercise (Intermediate)
• Verb Tense Quiz 1 (Intermediate to Advanced)
• Verb Tense Quiz 2 (Intermediate to Advanced)

                                                                                                                       eflnet.com

Hobbies (Like / Love / Hate)

Click here and you'll enjoy this online activity book. Test Yourself!!!

More activities? :)

1-2 ESO
2nd Cycle
Leisure quiz

Daily Routines

San Fermín. History

The origin of the fiesta of San Fermín goes back to the Middle Ages and is related to three celebrations: religious ceremonies in honour of San Fermín, which intensified from the 12th century onwards, trade fairs and bullfights, which were first documented in the 14th century. Initially, the fiesta San Fermín was held on October 10th, but in 1591 the people of Pamplona, fed up with the bad weather at that time of year, decided to transfer the fiesta to July so it would coincide with the Fair. This is how the Sanfermines were born. It initially lasted two days and had a pregón (opening speech), musicians, a tournament, theatre and bullfights. Other events were added later, such as fireworks and dances, and the fiesta lasted until July 10th.

Chronicles from the 17th and 18th centuries tell us of religious events together with music, dance, giants, tournaments, acrobats, bull runs and bullfights, and the clergy's concern at the excessive drinking and dissolute behaviour of young men and women. They also refer to the presence of people from other lands, whose shows "made the city more fun". In the 19th century there were curious fairground attractions such as a woman fired from a cannon, exotic animals or wax figures, while the Comparsa de Gigantes (parade of giants) had new carnival figures with big heads, kilikis and zaldikos. Furthermore, the absence of a double fence in the bull run meant that the bulls escaped on several occasions and ran around the city streets.

The Sanfermines reached their peak of popularity in the 20th century. The novel "The Sun Also Rises" ("Fiesta"), written by Ernest Hemingway in 1926, attracted people from all over the world to come to the fiesta of Pamplona. The 20th century also witnessed new events within the fiesta such as the Riau-Riau (suspended since 1991), the Chupinazo, or the cultural programme.                               (turismo.navarra.es)

Moira, the first female Beefeater / Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London...

The guards at the Tower of London are called Yeoman Warders. In principle they are responsible for looking after any prisoners at the Tower and safeguarding the British crown jewels, but in practice they act as tour guides and are a tourist attraction in their own right. There are twelve Yeomen Warders.

While their role is usually confined to the Tower of London, the Yeomen Warders do take part in one State ceremony. At Coronations, they form a guard of honour inside the annexe at Westminster Abbey.

Their nickname is Beefeater. The name Beefeaters is often thought to come from the French word - 'buffetier'. (Buffetiers were guards in the palace of French kings. They protected the king's food.) However, the name Beefeater is more likely to have originated from the time when the Yeomen Warders at the Tower were paid part of their salary with chunks of beef. This took place right up until the 1800s.

The Queen's Body Guard, known as the Yeomen of the Guard is the oldest of the Royal bodyguards and the oldest military corps in existence in Britain.

Watch this video about the first ever female Yeoman Warder (Beefeater) at the Tower of London and learn more about their life.

Conditional Clauses + Mixed Conditionals

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3

Articles in English II

Writing: The Process

Students have to write quickly in test situations and exam essays are important because they  influence final grades for courses.This resource will help you prepare and write essays for exams.

How to write a thank-you letter?

Somebody has just offered you a good job or sent you a nice gift. Writing a ‘Thank you letter’ is the best way to show your appreciation. Here are a few tips to write a courteous thank-you letter.

• Address your letter to a specific person
• Be sincere
• The purpose of a thank-you letter is to express your gratitude. And hence stick to that point. Avoid the temptation to discuss other things in a thank-you letter.
• Close the letter appropriately. For example, you may reaffirm the gratitude. Or you can indicate your intention to continue contact.
• Send it as soon as possible
• Be concise
• Keep it short and simple. 

Ten Common Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling Errors to Avoid in Business Writing

Here are ten common errors to avoid when you write your next business communication:

1. “Its” and “It’s” are two different words. The former is a possessive, meaning it shows that one thing belongs to another. The latter is a shortened form of “it is.”

2. “They’re,” “their,” and “there” are also different words. The first means “they are,” the second means “belonging to them,” and the third means “that place away from here.” The same goes for “you’re” (you are) and “your” (belonging to you).

3. Avoid using “they” and “their” when talking about one person.

4. Simple plurals do not require an apostrophe. 

5. Quotation marks are needed less often than you might expect. In general, they should be used for quotations (the exact words someone said), direct references to a phrase, word, or letter (the letter “s”) and irony or euphemisms (she was “sick” on that sunny day when she missed work). A sign that misuses quotation marks (“Apples” for sale) suggests that those apples aren’t really apples but something else that looks like them.

6. A complete sentence requires a subject and a main verb. Somebody does something. If you are missing a subject or a main verb, you have a phrase. A phrase should not have a period at the end of it. “Submitting my work” is a phrase. “I am submitting my work” is a sentence.

7. Job titles should not be capitalized unless they are used directly before a name, as part of the name. Capitalized job titles are so common that when you start writing them correctly, with lowercase letters, you can almost be certain someone will tell you it is wrong. A few exceptions do exist (such as the President of the United States of America), but most titles used in sentences should be written like this: “The president of XYZ Company spoke today.” If you say, “XYZ Company President Xavier Y. Zelinsky spoke today,” the title is appropriately capitalized.

8. “This” should nearly always be followed by a noun. Frequently, after describing a complex idea, writers will say something like, “This is not what we want.” Sometimes it is clear what “this” means, but usually the previous sentences have so many nouns that the reference is too vague to be useful. It could mean “this concept is not what we want” or “this effect is not what we want” or even “this color is not what we want.” Specify what you mean by adding a noun after every “this.”

9. Avoid overusing passive voice. “Mistakes were made” is not much of an apology because it does not accept responsibility. “I made a mistake” is much better grammatically. Passive voice does have a few legitimate uses, such as when the person or thing responsible for an action is unknown or irrelevant, but many mediocre writers use – and overuse – passive voice without cause.

10. Spelling counts. The meaning of our written language can be completely changed by one mistake.

Do run your computer’s spelling and grammar checks, but don’t count on them to keep your writing error free. Sometimes these tools miss spelling errors or tell you that your grammar is wrong when it is not. If writing is not your strength, ask someone who paid attention in English class to proofread your business writing.

Letter writing

You can find four basic elements in both formal and informal letters: a salutation, an introduction, body text and a conclusion with signature.

Salutation

The salutation is also known as the greeting. Formal letters often begin with Dear Sir/Madam. If you know the name of the person you are writing to, use it instead of the impersonal Sir/Madam.

In formal and semi-formal letters, it is common to put a colon after Dear X. In informal letters you can put a comma or nothing at all.

Introduction

The introduction doesn’t have to be particularly long. Explain in one or two sentences the reason for your writing. That’s enough.

Body

This is where you have to outline the information you need to communicate. Be concise but don’t forget to provide all the necessary information. In formal and semi-formal letters, you should also include a formal conclusion. Examples are given below.

Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for your help and consideration.

Closing and signature

Yours sincerely is the most common closing used in formal and semi-formal letters. When the name of the addressee is not known the phrase Yours faithfully should be used. Note that in American English Yours faithfully is not normally used.

In informal letters other closings such as Regards or All the best can be used.

Leave some space for your signature and then print or write your name underneath it.

How to make your writing more formal?

While communicating with business people, the language you use must be consistently appropriate in style and tone.

The following are the basic features of formal writing.

• Write all verbs in full. Do not use contracted forms like don’t or can’t.
• Do not use abbreviations such as info (for information) and asap (for as soon as possible).
• Limit the use of passive voice. 
• Watch your vocabulary. Certain words are considered informal. Examples are: fix, begin, start, OK, thanks, etc. Avoid them in formal writing. Instead, use words like repair (for fix), commence (for start/begin), in order / all right (for OK) and thank you (for thanks).
• Avoid informal intensifiers like really and so. Instead use more sophisticated ones such as extremely, highly, entirely, etc.
• Limit the use of phrasal verbs. As far as possible avoid using them, but if that is not possible limit their use. It is usually possible to express the same idea using standard verb forms.
• Certain discourse markers are considered informal. Avoid using them. For example, write incidentally instead of by the way.
• Do not leave out words. Ellipsis is not acceptable in formal writing. Write ‘I hope to see you soon’ instead of ‘Hope to see you soon.’

Prepositions of Movement

Study the prepositions and do the exercises below.

Exercise 1 (online) Exercise 2 (online)

Exercise 3 
Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions. Choose your answers from the options given in the brackets.

1. The boy ran ……………………………………….. the street. (across / on / to)

2. He walked …………………………………….. the building. (around / along / across)

3. The train goes ………………………………….. a tunnel. (through / along / from)

4. I walked ……………………………………….. the river bank. (on / along / over)

5. Who is standing ……………………………………. the gate? (at / in / on)

6. Your glasses are …………………………………….. your nose. (in / at / on)

7. The cat is hiding …………………………………….. the door. (under / behind / below)

8. Come and stand …………………………………….. me, Jane. (over / in front of / across)

9. The dog came running ……………………………………… its master, wagging its tail. (to / for / on)

10. They walked ……………………………………………. each other. (towards / around / across)

Answers

Food and Drinks

Parts of the House

Onomatopoeia

on•o•mat•o•poe•ia /ˌɑnəˌmætəˈpiə, -ˌmɑtə-/ n. 

[uncountable]

1. the formation of a word, as cuckoo or boom, by imitating the sound made by or associated with the thing the noun refers to:In English, onomatopoeia is found in words like tweet, zap, flick,and hiss.
2. the use of such imitative words, as in poetry. (WR)

Writing Practice. Beginners, Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate Levels

Get some practice doing the following activities. Each activity has two parts: Exercises and Solutions.
Don't cheat!!!!

BEGINNERS
Daily Routine
My Family
My favourite pop star
My favourite Sport
My Town

PRE-INTERMEDIATE 
A Famous Person
Agony Aunt
Aliens Visit Earth
Last Summer
My Favourite Film
A School Trip

INTERMEDIATE
Asking For Information
Job Application
Report Writing

Writing. Correct the text (beginners)

Correct the mistakes in this text.
my Summer Hoiliday
;in the sumerholidays i travellewd to spain with my familie =We
ewent their by plain and the jouurney took 4hours. <>: we >staid
in abighotel by theSee. i went swim
ing everyday and   3in the evenings I wached tV. i had a  great
time!  &

You'll have to read more to check if it is right.

Writing. Beginners

No gap morning routine

A. Put spaces in the right places!

myalarmclockringsathalfpastsevenandigetupfiveminuteslaterfirstigotothebathroomwhereiwashmyselfandbrushmyteeththenigotothekitchentohavebreakfastieattoastandjamandidrinkcoldmilkafterbreakfastigetreadyforschoolileavemyhouseateightoclockandcatchthebusatquarterpastittakestwentyminutestogettoschool

B. Write the paragraph. 
Use Capital letters, commas and stops. 
And if you want to see the whole paragraph, the answers are below:

ANSWER:

The English Pub

England has, over the years, become known for its pub culture. Pubs (short for Public Houses) grace almost every street and are known for their tradition and heritage. They date back to the time of Roman occupation in England, when the Italians had their taverns in which they would drink alcoholic beverages and socialise. When the Anglo-Saxons were in command, they had alehouses, which served a similar purpose.

Today, pubs are still social hubs in which alcohol is consumed and friends are made. Some pubs also serve meals, which are usually hearty, tasty dishes that are simple and filling. The pub culture dictates that there are, invariably, ‘locals’. These ones usually live and / or work close to the pub and frequent it, often sticking to the same drink each time they come. The various locals get to know one another and establish a warm culture of camaraderie. The pub is owned by a landlord.


Some pubs offer entertainment, invariably keeping its drinkers there for
longer. This may include something simple, such as a television that shows sports, or something more exciting, like a darts board or a pool table. Some even have stand-up comedy performances, karaoke or strip shows.

In England, smoking has been banned in all indoor areas. Therefore, it is now illegal to smoke inside the pub or at the bar.

Beer is the most commonly drunk beverage at pubs. Therefore, they are usually well-stocked with many different brands and types of beer, both bottled and on tap (draught). In addition to ale, pubs also stock various wines as well as hard tack, such as brandy, whiskey, gin, cane, and so on.

By law, pubs can only open at 11h00 and can only serve drinks until 23h00 from Monday to Saturday and
until 22h30 on Sunday. Nobody under the age of 18 is allowed to consume alcohol in England and such ones will not be served.

The Beatles (Intermediate+)

The Beatles were an English rock band that formed in Liverpool, in 1960. With John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they became widely regarded as the greatest and most influential act of the rock era. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later experimented with several genres, ranging from pop ballads to psychedelic and hard rock, often incorporating classical elements in innovative ways. In the early 1960s, their enormous popularity first emerged as "Beatlemania", but as their songwriting grew in sophistication they came to be perceived as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the era's sociocultural revolutions.

What do you know about them? Click here, watch the video and do the quiz. Good luck! 

False Friends

The phenomenon known as “false friends” happens between two languages, like Spanish and English, when there are two words sounding very similar because they come from the same root but their meaning is completely different.


There are many “false friends” involving English and Spanish. Here you have some examples  (E= English; S = Spanish)

(E) ACTUAL = (E) REAL, VERDADERO
(S) ACTUAL = (E) CURRENT

(E) TO ASSIST = (S) AYUDAR              
(S) ASISTIR = TO ATTEND, TO BE PRESENT
(
E) SENSIBLE = (S) SENSATO                
(S) SENSIBLE = (E) SENSITIVE

(E) DISGUST = (S) ASCO, REPUGNANCIA
(S) DISGUSTO = (E) DISPLEASURE, MISFORTUNE

(E) TO RECORD = (S) ANOTAR (writing), GRABAR (on tape)
(S) RECORDAR = (E) TO REMEMBER, TO REMIND

(E) ROPE = (S) CUERDA
(S) ROPA = (N) CLOTHING

(E) BIZARRE = (S) EXTRAÑO, ESTRAFALARIO
(S) BIZARRO = (E) BRAVE

(E) CARPET = (S) MOQUETA
(S) CARPETA = (E) FOLDER

(E) TO VACUUM = (S) ASPIRAR
(S) VACUNAR = (E) TO VACCINATE

(E) CONSTIPATED = (S) ESTREÑIDO
(S) CONSTIPADO = (E) HAVING A COLD

(E) EMBARRASSED = (S) AVERGONZADO
(S) EMBARAZADA = (E) PREGNANT

(E) EXIT = (S) SALIDA
(S) ÉXITO = (E) SUCCESS

Do you want to learn more?

The Order of Adjectives before a Noun

Examples of the order of adjectives before a noun

Something to have in mind is that it does not sound natural using three or more adjectives in the same sentence and it is very rare to hear four adjectives together before a noun.

A big fat dog.

An interesting old Indian rug.

A striped silk shirt

Some comfortable black sleeping bags

Four small round wooden tables

Those funny little old men

Click here for further information

Do the exercise

10 Common Challenges Spanish Speakers Have When Learning English

While English is – supposedly – an easy language to learn (maybe), every native speaker of another language has his or her issues. Today we’re looking at the common mistakes that native Spanish speakers make when trying to learn English.

English learners, take a look – you might discover a mistake you didn’t even know you were making. ESOL teachers, bring this list with you to class. And everybody else, read over these mistakes and be a little understanding when your English-learning friend doesn’t get it quite right on the first try.

1. False Friends (i.e. cognates) —Librero (bookcase) and libreria (bookstore) are often confused with the English library (which in Spanish is, confusingly, biblioteca.) Aprobar (to pass, as in an exam) is often confused with approve, and familiar (having to do with one’s family) is often confused with the English familiar (something known.) There are plenty of funny Spanish learning equivalents, too: Embarazada does not mean embarrassed. But if you say you’re embarazada then you might actually become embarrassed, because you just said you’re pregnant!) So cut a learner some slack the next time they tell you they work as a “scientifico.” The word cientifico means “scientific” and “scientist” in Spanish.

2. Omission of the Subject –   The subject is always necessary in English
                                                  is good. It's good

3. Gender Confusion –  His/ Her in Spanish 'Su(s)'

4. Order of Adjectives and Nouns – In Spanish, an adjective often comes after the noun, while in English  it comes berore.  He had a dog brown.. He has a brown dog

5. Literal Translations –  “I am agree” instead of “I agree”

6. This/These – Native Spanish speakers often pronounce these two words the same so, in writing, tend to stick with “this,”

7. Make/Do

8. Pronunciation –  Some tend to want to add an “e” to the beginning of words that start with s, making for words like “espaces” or “eschools.” Others forget or over-pronounce the “ed” of regular verbs.

9. Shortened Contractions – Shortened contractions present another common pronunciation challenge. Native Spanish speakers will often forget to finish a contraction, resulting in “don” for “don’t” or “won” for “won’t.”

10. Spelling – In Spanish, words are spelled exactly how they sound. They don’t have any of this “silent letter” nonsense found in English, nor do they have words that sound exactly the same but can be spelled three different ways ( buy/bye/by).

Adapted from http://blog.rev.com/

The city of Edinburgh

Let Robin Harper, former Rector of the University of Edinburgh, take you on a guided tour of Edinburgh, and show you what an incredibly beautiful and lively city it is.

This is London

In this video you'll see the most famous landmarks in London. Watch the video and enjoy!