WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017

What word can we use use to complete ALL three of these phrases?

Do you _________ if I smoke?

- Which do you prefer? Tea of coffee? - I don't _______.

- Sorry I can't come. - Never ______. Maybe next time.

Many words in English have more than one meaning. so it can be interesting to focus on one word and investigate it's different uses.

See here for more examples with mind.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslcV9Yd2JUUEpBZW8/view?usp=sharing

See here for another example with the word change.

http://www.tefl.net/esl-lesson-plans/TP_All-Change.pdf

Mind is also used in many idiomatic expressions.

See here for more examples

http://recursostic.educacion.es/multidisciplinar/wikididactica/images/Idioms_mind.pdf

 Knowledge of common phrases and idioms are tested in PET Writing Part 1 and FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Key Word Transformation.

http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/preliminaryenglish/pet-writing-practice-tests.htm

http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/strategy/p3pt3a.htm

MERCOLEDI 19 APRILE 2017

Per ricordare meglio le parole, e una buona idea organizzarle in gruppi per argomento. Facciamo un esempio con il cibo. 

Per il cibo possiamo pensare a quatro sotto categorie - ingredienti, metodi di preparazione, aggetivi per descrivere il cibo e attrezzi della cucina.  

Usate il menu delle pagina 19 e 20 di questo documento per trovare esempi di ingredienti e metodi di preparazione. 

 http://www.ujaz.feec.vutbr.cz/texty/practical_english.pdf

Qua ci sono aggettivi per descrivere il sapore con un quiz.

http://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/adjectives-describe-tastes-foods

Su questo sito troverete verbi per azioni e strumenti della cucina. 

http://www.say-it-in-english.com/inthekitchen.html

Abbiamo utilizzato queste parole per dare un dialogo in un ristorante. Chiedete le schede.

TUESDAY 18 APRIL 2017

A good way to test your knowledge of English tenses is to use the passive voice and indirect speech. For this reason these structures are often tested in Cambridge exams.



When we use the passive voice, we are interested in the action or the object and not the subject.

See here for an explanation.

https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive





To report what someone has said, use reported or indirect speech.

See here for an explanation.

https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/reported-speech

A good way to practise is to read or watch an interview and report what is said.

You can find an interview to report on page 86 of Insight into PET.

See here for a video interview.

http://www.eduhi.at/dl/RSListen2_1.htm

When you do sentence transformation practice, it is a good idea to note the changes that you make.
You may often find the same structures repeated. See here for some recurring patterns.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslZi1HRGlWY25RWHc/view?usp=sharing

MARTEDI 18 APRILE 2017

La settimana scorsa abbiamo visto diversi modi per parlare del futuro.

Per parlare di attivita programmata usiamo il presente continuo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS7_qa6AL4s

Chiedete la scheda.

la scheda contiene anche molte frasi ultili per parlare al telefono.

Per piu frasi, guardate qui, pagina 22.

http://www.ujaz.feec.vutbr.cz/texty/practical_english.pdf

MERCOLEDI 12 APRILE 2017

When we talk about future plans we use different forms.

You can read about these here

http://esl.about.com/od/grammarstructures/a/future_forms.htm

and click on the link for the quiz.

Look at these questions about future forms.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslM2xEYVZjMXFlaUU/view?usp=sharing

There is another explanation and some exercises on page 107 of Insight into PET.

There are two other tenses for talking about the future which are the future continuous and the future perfect. You can read about these here.

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futurecontinuous.html

TUESDAY 11 APRIL 2017

Here you can read a similar dialogue where two students discuss the best way to learn a language.

http://www.ukstudentlife.com/English/Exams/Oral.htm

When comparing the methods they use comparatives and superalatives.

Flo joe has some interesting exercises on this and other points of grammar.

http://www.flo-joe.com/preliminaryenglish/pet-grammar.htm

Think about learning language through these questions.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslV3l1cHE5ZktsdUU/view?usp=sharing

When learning a new language, it's always a good idea to identify words and phrases that mother tongue people use and copy them. This will help you to sound more natural.

Look at the some phrases in exercise 1 on page 48 of Insight into Pet and try to adapt them to make them true for us.

Look at comparative and superlative forms on page 109.

Comparative and superlative forms are useful in the interactive task of the speaking test, where you are given a situation to discuss with the other candidate. You must talk about the possible solutions and choose the best one.

Look at page 79 exercises 3 and 4 to practise.

Comparatives and superlatives are also tested in the sentence transformation part of the writing test. 

Try exercise 3 on page 39 of Insight into Pet.

You can find exercises of this type on pages 25, 46, 68 and 90 of PET extra. Ask me for the answer sheets.

Here is a very clear explanation video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G096Jdl2XVo

On this site you can learning some more interesting adjectives

http://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/what-are-extreme-adjectives

https://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/extreme-adjectives

https://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/extreme-adjectives-0

MARTEDI 11 APRILE 2017

L'utilizzo di aggettivi e un buon modo di imparare piu parole e aggiungere interesse al vostro discorso.

Potete pensare a contrari.

http://www.englishmedialab.com/Quizzes/elementary/adjectives%20opposites%201.htm

Sul questo sito ci sono molte informazioni sui aggetivi estremi

http://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/what-are-extreme-adjectives

https://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/extreme-adjectives

https://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/extreme-adjectives-0

Studiate nel libro Unit 85

WEDNESDAY 5 APRIL 2017
To revise the different tenses in English try to complete and then answer the questions in this document, pages 3 and 4

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslS3N4cFl2N3VGRlk/view?usp=sharing

When one verb follows another, something the second verb is with ing, and sometimes it is with to and the infinitive. Many people like to make lists, but a general rule it that it depends on the order of the actions.

For more information and examples see here

http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-lesson-gerund-infinitive.php

You can find an explanation and exercise in Insight into PET Page 109.

Then try this key word transformation exercise.

http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/strategy/transfrm/verbs.htm

MERCOLEDI 5 APRILE 2017

Per fare una domanda al presente si usa

parole interrogativa - ausiliare - soggetto - verbo

Where                        do             you           live?

Al passato basta sostituire do con did

Where                        did            you           live when you were a child?

Did si usa per ogni soggetto, quindi non dobbiamo piu pensare alla terza persona.

Fate pratica con delle domande su Shakespeare, chiedete la scheda.

Qui ci sono domande al passato.

http://www.eslbase.com/downloads/pdf/past-simple-board-game.pdf

TUESDAY 4 APRIL 2107

In English we make a difference between finished and unfinished time. When thinking of the past we must think about the time in which the action happened. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslVXc3VjQ0VVVRZ0U/view?usp=sharing

When we talk about a past action in a past time, we use the past simple. When we talk about a past action in an unfinished time we use the presesnt perfect have / has + past participle.The uses of the present perfect are 
1. To talk about a past action in an unfinished time - I have drunk two coffees today
2. To speak about an experience at an unspecified time of the past - I have been to America
3. To speak about something that started in the past and continues now -I have lived in Italy for 8 years
4. To bring something from the past closer to the present because it is news, or because there is a consequence now.
You have cut your hair!
This is a good book for grammar, Units 7 + 8 and 13 + 14. - http://vk.com/doc8069473_202956457?hash=5ce925651868f7ad3c&dl=aa922cf229371819a9

Irregular verb forms can be hard to remember. You can try putting them in groups of verbs that change in the same way.

Try these worksheets

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslVksxcWZ2aFRPYkk/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslUGgxV0JnQXZkZnM/view?usp=sharing

or watch these videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zhFJlCAbGU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNaDvAYC0Jw

Then complete the questions on Page 3 on this document.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslS3N4cFl2N3VGRlk/view?usp=sharing

There is also the present perfect continuous that we use to highlight the action that continues now and in the future instead of the result.

Read the explanation here and try the exercises here

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslR3hnYXh6bmZPOEk/view?usp=sharing

and on Page 1 of this document

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslS3N4cFl2N3VGRlk/view?usp=sharing

 For more practice try the exercises on englishpage.com

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbtenseintro.html

This tense is common in job interviews when talking about your current and past work situation.

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=5899

MARTEDI 4 APRILE 2017

Leggere puo essere ottimo modo per imparare nuove parole e rivedere la grammatica in un contesto naturale. Ci sono libri da autori famosi e biografie che sono semplificati per persone che stanno imparando l'inglese. 

Qui puoi leggere il primo capitolo di alcuni titoli. 

http://www.macmillanreaders.com/resources/sample-chapters

Per esempio questo e la storia di Princess Diana

http://www.macmillanreaders.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Princess_Diana_chapter_1.pdf

I libri si possono comparare anche da amazon

http://www.amazon.it/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=macmillan+reader&tag=slhyin-21&index=stripbooks&hvadid=24992154275&ref=pd_sl_1rlmfv3k54_b

O a volte e possible trovare la versione pdf online.

http://mggu-sh.ru/sites/default/files/frankenstein.pdf

Leggendo la prima pagina possiamo identificare verbi regolari e irreogolari del passato semplice. 

Ci sono esercizi nel libro di grammatica Units 11 + 12.

WEDNESDAY 29 MARCH 2017

Becoming fluent in English is a question of practice. The more you practice and repeat, the more automatic it becomes. So try to add more details when speaking to give a fuller answer and speak more.

You can do this in the following ways

1. adding ideas – what else can I say? - and, also

2. giving examples – can I think of an example? - for example, for instance

3. adding detail – what precisely do I mean?/when did it happen? etc - when, in fact, now

4. giving reasons – why? - because, so, and so

5. saying something different – isn’t there something different I can say? - but, though, even though

Look at Page 54 in Pet Result, exercises 1 and 2 and try to answer the questions fully.

You can also use linking words in your writing to make longer sentences.

You can read about them here.

http://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/linkwd.html

Try the exercises on Page 108 of Insight into PET

Then try this exercise

http://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/linkwdex.html

This exercise is similar to one part of the PET and FCE exam.

See this site for more information on the position of linkers in a phrase.

https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-contrast-ideas-1211123

MERCOLEDI 29 MARZO 2017

Un buon modo per imparare nuove parole e di descrivere una foto.

Cosa vedi qui? 

Quando descrivi una foto ci sono vari elementi da considerare. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIsleU15QlFXakhKSFE/view?usp=sharing

Per informazioni su come parlare delle posizione di una cosa in una foto, vedere questo documento, pagine 3 e 4

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslMUNSTUZkc2lwcms/view?usp=sharing

Per descrivere come sono vestiti le persone, cosa hanno in mano e cosa stanno facendo, usare il presente continuo. 

Per piu informazioni sul present continuo consultare il libro di grammatica, Unit 3. 

Possiamo anche usare il presente continuo per parlare di tendenze nella societa. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslZllEaXhZWDR5bzQ/view?usp=sharing

Potete utilizzare questi immagini per desscrivere altri tendenze nella societa. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslTno2RlJPcXQ5VFk/view?usp=sharing

TUESDAY 28 MARCH 2017

Reading can be an excellent way to learn new words and review grammar in a natural context. However reading a book in the original version can be difficult. There are books, by famous authors or biographies or non fiction books written in simplified English so that they are not to difficult to understand. one publisher is Macmillan.

Here you can read sample chapters from their books before you decide what you want to buy.

http://www.macmillanreaders.com/resources/sample-chapters

For example here is the first chapter of Frankenstein

http://www.macmillanreaders.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Frankenstein.pdf

You can but the book with a CD on amazon

http://www.amazon.it/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=macmillan+reader&tag=slhyin-21&index=stripbooks&hvadid=24992154275&ref=pd_sl_1rlmfv3k54_b

Or you can sometimes find them online.

http://mggu-sh.ru/sites/default/files/frankenstein.pdf

I have some books in pdf format. Ask me if you are interested.

When talking about the past, as well as the past simple you can use the past continuous and the past perfect to add different levels to your story.

There are some exercises on these tenses on Pages 53, 104 and 105 of Insight into PET.

You can read about these tenses here

http://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/narrative.html

and try the exercises on narrative tenses here

http://www.eltbase.com/quiz/201_02.htm

Two ways to understand these tenses better are 
1) reading and
2) using them to talk about your life or experience

Think of  year in the past, for example, 2005, and answer these questions thinking about your situation at the time.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslVE45VDRIaEk2a0U/view?usp=sharing

MARTEDI 28 MARZO 2017

Leggere in inglese puo essere un buon modo per rivedere la grammatica in un contesto naturale e imparare nuovi vocaboli, ma leggere direttamente in lingua orginale puo essere difficile. Per fortuna ci sono libri a livelli diversi in inglese semplificato.

Ci sono alcuni titoli qui

http://www.macmillanreaders.com/resources/sample-chapters

Un'altra casa editrice e Penguin. 
Ho un libro che si chiamo The Troy Stone, completo di file audio. Chiedetemi una copia.

Sono disponibili anche esercizi per aiutare con la comprensione.

http://www.penguinreaders.com/pdf/downloads/pr/activity-worksheets/9781405880718.pdf

WEDNESDAY 22 MARCH 2017

Reading skills are 25 per cent of the total mark in Cambridge exams.

Try these multiple choice reading exercises

FCE - Page 2 and 3 - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslSFI3VnFQSjZ0UjA/view?usp=sharing

CAE - Pages 1 - 3 - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslMXQwTGkxeUQzNGc/view?usp=sharing

You can try some exercises on affirmative, negative and question forms in the past tense in the grammar book, Units 11 + 12.

https://vk.com/doc8069473_207129479?hash=94cd970d0d980ac461&dl=5a539c9622c51a9bc2

Another way of talking about past is with used to.

http://www.eslvideo.com/esl_video_quiz_low_intermediate.php?id=4416

You can used to to discuss childhood memories.

You can use the past simple in the part  of the writing test.

You can find a writing exercise on Page 15 of this grammar book.

https://fernandamaterial.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/cambridge-grammar-for-first-certificate.pdf

Try it for home work.

MERCOLEDI 22 MARZO 2017

Questo articolo contiene molti avverbi di frequenza.

http://ajarncharlie.blogspot.it/2010/04/esl-lesson-day-in-my-life-adverbs-of.html

Leggere e fare i esercizi.

Immagina che il testo sia composto di riposte a delle domande.
Qui ci sono le risposte, scrivete le domande, poi rispondere a le domande per voi.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/166MtaS0LiE2WEyrGXbANIlPr6_0CYJHfGjK1I2RllbA/edit?usp=sharing

Per parlare del tempo, usiamo preposizioni.
at - per un tempo o orario preciso

on - per un giorno o una data

in  - per lunghi periodi come mese, anni e stagioni.

Qui ci sono piu esempi.

https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/prepositions-at-in-on-time.htm

Qui c'e un esercizio.

http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/time_prepositions_1.htm

TUESDAY 21 MARCH 2016

Because English and Italian are very different languages, it can be useful to create a phrase book of useful phrases and words to use in everyday situations.

On this website there is also the translation in Italian and audio.

http://it.speaklanguages.com/inglese/frasi/

On this site you can find pdfs that will allow you to learn several words and phrases associated with everyday situations.

http://englishpower.jp/moodle/course/view.php?id=224

Here is a document about taking a taxi

https://is/file/d/0B4EN8MtjAE4dTGprMFBoNldQQ3M/view

Look at this situation related to train travel

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslTmYxbGNZUlo0NmM/view?usp=sharing

You can use these situations to review question forms.

You can also ask questions indirectly.

You can review these in Units 49 and 50 of English Grammar in Use.

MARTEDI 21 MARZO 2017

L'inglese e una lingua internazionale e quindi e utile in tanti situazioni durante i viaggi. 

Mettere parole in categorie secondo l'argomento aiuta a memorizzarle meglio. 

Iniziamo a pensare a delle parole relative al viaggio con l'aereo. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslTk9TeHJpVTlPbTA/view?usp=sharing

Puoi leggere e ascoltare annunci all'aeroporto o a bordo l'aereo qui. 

https://www.englishclub.com/english-for-work/airline-announcements.htm

Qui potete fare pratica dialoghi e frasi da utilizzare durante un viaggio.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslTmYxbGNZUlo0NmM/view?usp=sharing

Per fare piu pratica con le domande vedere qui, pagina 4

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslNk9pLWtmVmZ4ZzQ/view?usp=sharing

WEDNESDAY  15 MARCH 2017

Paraphrasing, saying the same thing in a different way is an important skill for checking understanding.

You  can learn some phrases for verifying on BBC Six minute English

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2014/01/140116_6min_business_misunderstandings.shtml

See here for more phrases

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslemx6c0UwWlh1ZUk/view?usp=sharing

There are examples on Page 38 of Insight into PET , exercises 1 + 2.

This skill is also tested in the PET Writing Sentence Transformation and FCE Reading and Use of English Key Word transformation.

These exercises test modal verbs

PET - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslekI4RkdUUUtHQ1k/view?usp=sharing

FCE - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslRk4tdjJxYlZ1TE0/view?usp=sharing

MERCOLEDI 15 MARZO 2017

Il verbo can serve per parlare di capacita, possibilita e permesso, anche durante le nostre lezioni.

Potete trovare esempi di frasi da utilizzare in classe qui

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslVG00NDZDbWRManM/view?usp=sharing

I verbi essere, avere e i verbi modali formano il negativo e la domanda allo stesso modo.

Forma negativa - soggetto piu verbo piu not

I am not Italian
You have not got a car
He can speak English

Forma interrogativa - verbo piu soggetto

Are you Italian?
Have you got a car?
Can you speak English?

Per altri verbi, bisogna aggiungere do o does not

I do not speak English
He does not drive
Do you work here?

Per la forma negativa e interrogativa dei verbi al presente semplice vedere Essential Grammar In Use Unit 6 e 7.

In classe abbiamo poi fatto questo gioco.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_B2HZ_bIslQkRLYmFwQW1iV2c/view?usp=sharing