A collocation dictionary

In class we've encountered sometimes several collocations. We've seen them, analised them and studied them. 

However, sometimes you NEED them. 

Like when you're writing an essay and you don't know how to express a certain expression. If I am nearby you don't hesitate and ask me but... What happens when you are at home?

Well, this is a very useful resource for these sort of moments. It's called a collocation dictionary.

Let's see an example:

You want to express that you love some very much.... 

You look up the word "love" in the Collocation Dictionary and you check the possibilities...

Did you find it?

Yes, in the verb section you can see different possibilities:

love dearly

love deeply

love passionately

love really

love tenderly

love very much

Now you only have to pick the best one from the list! 

Here's the link:

Oxford Online Collocation Dictionary

First things first

As promised, you can find below the answer key to the exercises 1, 2 and 3 of pages 108 and 109 (student's book).

Exercise 1:
1. were listening
2. had stopped
3. had rained
4. would get
5. was going to buy

Exercise 2
1. Sharon told me that she couldn't help me /him
2. Kevin shouted that they had bought tickets for the game.
3. My mum warned me that I would hurt myself if I weren't careful.
4. Simon admitted that he had forgotten to feed the cat.

Exercise 3:
1. She claimed that she had phoned him/her/me the day before.
2. She said that she was leaving then/ at that moment.
3. They told me that they had once stayed at that hotel.
4. He promised that he would see him/her/me the following week.
5. Steve told Kate that they had to meet there.

Workbook Answer Key, Unit 9 page 69
Exercise 1:
1. fashion
2. local news
3. horoscopes
4. business.
5. world news
6. travel

Exercise 2: 
1. entertainment
2. classified ads.
3. weather
4. editorial
5. national news
6. sport

Workbook Answer Key, Unit 9 page 70

Exercise 1
1. hadn't seen John
2. would help me with my homework
3. was cancelled
4. were getting married in the summer
5. hadn't heard anyone

Exercise 2
1. could start
2. had eaten
3. had won
4. the party was
5. to keep off
6. meet

Exercise 3: 
1. complained
2. suggested
3. promised
4. wanted to know
5. told

Tense revision--> Past simple and Past Continuous

We keep on with our revision entries. Number 2 is dedicated to the Past simple and Past Continuous Tenses. Help yourselves!

Worsheet #1: Past simple and Past Continuous Revision (level: easy). With answer key!

Worksheet 1

Worksheet #2: Past Simple and Past Continuous test (level: A2). Answer key is not included.

Worksheet #2

TENSE REVISION--> an useful summary

Hi there! How are you doing?

Some of you were concerned about the increasing difficulty of those grammar exercises mixing all the grammar tenses we've seen so far in class. So, despite I think that you should make your OWN notes, I've made a table to help you (just because I'm a good person).

So, click on the link (remember! the link, not the picture) to download your tenses chart.

PS: It's aimed for Spanish Speakers.

Tenses chart 4ºESO

RELATIVE PRONOUNS AND RELATIVE CLAUSES

And these are the copies concerning the relative pronouns and the relative clauses. Click on the link to download them.

Relative Pronouns and Relative Clauses

I'm sure you will throw yourselves at your keyboards to download the copies just as fast as Hooch ran after his muffin.

When pigs fly...

Have you ever in your life seen a pig fly? 

No, I'm not crazy. 

Of course you haven't, they don't have wings. 

As a matter of fact, it would be the most unusual, crazy, impossible thing if a pig could fly. 

Right?

And that's exactly what this idiom means:

"When pigs fly" means something that is impossible and will probably never, ever happen!"

TIME IDIOMS

OMG, OMG, OMG! Look what I found!

A compilation of time idioms! 

In a sole picture! 


Annnnd...........Including their respective contexts! 

(and I must confess that I got really excited when I found it, is that even normal?)

(I'm afraid that the picture appears slightly small in your screens. But don't worry, click on it to read the idioms properly)

Hey you! I've brought you something :)

Hello everyone!

You've been asking for some exercises to revise all the contents we've seen in class so far. Click on the link below to download a copy with some cumulative exercises to help you review. 

GRAMMAR

Cumulative exercises (with answer key)

VOCABULARY

Optional cumulative exercises (vocabulary) with answer key

Tense revision--->4ºESO

You asked for it this morning.

Tense revision Worksheet (Answer key is included)

I hope you find it useful. Click on the link to download your copy.

Tense Revision Worksheet

Past tenses Revision

Fill in the gaps: Past tenses (revision)

Conditionals

"Teacher, if you post more exercises on the blog, I will do them all at home"

And that, dear friends, is a statement which I'm not very used to hear these days (please, note that my student even used the conditionals that I had just explained). What's not to love?

I'm sure that those fellow teachers who read my blog will understand completely why my face turned into this:

Okay, okay, maybe I don't have such an expressive face. 

And maybe, I don't look as good as her when I'm excited. 

But you get my point, right?

So here I am, posting more CONDITIONAL EXERCISES for you (and now I'm talking to my dear students) to practise. 

Help yourselves!

(Answer key will be posted soon)

Conditional exercises

Getting back into our routine after holidays

Hello guys!

I believe this cartoon accurately depicts your faces this morning. 

Take an extra cup of coffee tomorrow. 

I'm not kidding, you were all very quiet.

This morning the only one participating in in class was the cricket chirping on the courts outside (and he seemed to like my classes)

So, school is back and so are my daily (weekly) posts. Today I'm bringing you some grammar practise involving relative clauses. It's in .pdf format and you can dowload it by clicking on the following link (answer key is included).

Defining and Non-Defining Relative Clauses

Grammar time--> Revision

How are you doing?

Easter week is coming to an end and I know that some of your books look actually like this:

So, it's time to remove the dust from your pile of notes and books and start revising. In order to help you with that task, I'm posting some worksheets to brush up some of the tenses seen so far. Click on the links to download the worksheet in .pdf format (ANSWER KEY included)

Past simple and Present perfect

Present Simple and Present Continuous

Future Tenses

If you like these exercises, check out the following blog:

https://bconnected12.wordpress.com/2014/10/03/use-of-english-part-3-word-formation/

Listening resources: Escuela de Idiomas

In this webpage you can find examples of the listening exams you can find and take during the different levels of the Escuela de Idiomas (Official Language School in Spain). Click on the link to be directed to the webpage:

Escuela de Idiomas de Estepa: Listening examples

Just a quick tip:

- Students in the 2nd year of ESO can take the A1 (and A2 if you feel brave enough).

- Students in the 4th year of ESO can take the B1 and B2.

- Students in Bachillerato (Non-compulsory Secondary Education) can take the B2 exams onwards.

More listening resources (KET for schools)

This post is for those students in my group who worry about their listening exams. 

I've brought you some extra materials (although you might remember some of them from class) so you can practise at home. 

Click on the links to download the exam papers. 

Be patient, as it might take a while (it is a complete exam: audio + pdf + answer key).

                                             

KET (for schools) Exam papers + audio + answer key

See you in class!

Relative Pronouns and Relative Clauses

Below you can find the handout I gave you in class PLUS the answer key. 

Click on the following link to download it. 

And remember, if you have any doubts, leave a comment or ask me in class.

Relative Clauses + ANSWER KEY

And the following are some links to several exercises online dealing with relative pronouns and relative clauses:

Forming Relative clauses

Relative Pronouns (fill-in-the gaps)

Relative Pronouns (Fill-in-the gaps)

Relative Clauses: Fill-in-the gaps

Relative Pronouns: Subject Pronouns or Object Pronouns?

Relative Clauses: a test

Good games for reviewing vocabulary

Hiya! 

I know that you all love playing with your fancy smartphones and tablets. I also know that you use them whenever and wherever you can... (except for the high school, RIGHT?)

What are your favourite games? Candy  Crush? Angry Birds?...

Why don't you try an alternative? 

I've brought you today a few good games for reviewing the vocabulary we've seen in class.

Click on the links to be directed to the WORD JUMBLES games:

Word Jumble: Sports

Word Jumple: The world around us

Some B2 Transformations

Hello buddies! How are you doing? Hope everything is OK:

Some of you told me that they are struggling with the USE OF ENGLISH SECTION in Cambridge's First Certificate Exam. You described it as a nightmare...

(this is how you look when you finally find the answer)

So...I've been looking for some materiales and I've found these exercises which might be useful for you.

They offer you different pairs in order to practise the transformations exercise. Hope you find them interesting!

Click on the pictures to download the materials :)

And this blog offers a wide range of different exercises for students and teaching tips for my colleagues. 

Useful Blog with multiple resources

Weather Vocabulary Games

Hi guys! How are you doing? 

Hope you've enjoyed these few days of rest!

But, I must remind you that the last exams of the term are round the corner and I don't want to see you like this...

So, today I've brought you a couple of interesting online exercises to brush up on the vocabulary of unit 5.

Click on the titles to be directed to the games:

A weather maze

Listen to the weather instructions and click on the corresponding picture. Can you find the solution to the puzzle?

What's the weather like?

You can practise your listening skills and revise the vocabulary seen in class.