Never do it for the plot... at least in my class!

  

You should never do anything for the plot in the English class, or any classes at all. You have to be consistent in your efforts. This is no card game!Your future depends on it.

 

The English We Speak: Do it for the plot (BBC Learning English)

I agree there are times in life you have to do it for the plot even if you fail or have some negative consequences. In a relationship when you fancy someone, you have to make one step forward even if you are not 100% sure. When you are playing a match and you are losing, there's a moment when you have to do it for the plot and you may be lucky and win against the odds. That's the way to face a challenge.

 

 

 Here's my musical hint for today:  Drops of Jupiter by the group Train. And now here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing along.

Here are some activities for my students:

in 1º ESO  on Asking and giving directions    1  2  3  4  and many more activities      

in 3º ESO on  JUST / ALREADY / YET    1   and more exercises  

 

Road towards success in the new PAU (Selectivity exam)

 

Rephrase/Rewrite these sentences by using another suitable structure:

181. The film is not as good as the novel.  - The novel

182. The hairdresser cut my hair last week.  - I

183. “Let’s go to the cinema on Tuesday”, said Mary.     - Mary suggested

184. What a pity the weather was so bad last weekend.    - I wish

185. I haven’t seen a good film for ages.   - It’s

186. John bought a new Rolls Royce .   - ?

187. I visited a village yesterday but I did not like it.    - I

188. He knows how to play golf.   - He

189. It’s ages since I last visited Russia.   - I

190. You won’t understand the problem if you don’t listen carefully.   - Unless

 

Solution to the exercises in the previous post

 

Rephrasing

 

171. (Conditionals)   - If he had revised for the test, he wouldn’t have failed.

172. (Have sth. Done)  - She has her eyes tested every year by the ophthalmologist.

173. (Relative clauses)  - The Da Vinci Code, which was written by Dan Brown, is a best-seller.

174. (Question)    - Who goes swimming twice a week?

175. (Wish)   - I wish I had remembered your birthday.

176. (Reported speech)   - He ordered us not to make so much noise.

177. (Causal connector)   - The children stayed up late because it was Friday.

178. (Verbal tenses / Superlative)  - This is the first time I have read such an interesting book. / This is the most interesting book I’ve ever read.

179. (Conditionals)   - Unless you hurry up, you won’t get tickets for the concert.

180. (Question)   - When do you have to wear a uniform?

 

Here are some activities for you to do:

• Office English:   Saying NO  (BBC Learning English) 
  

• 
  

  The Pronunciation Lounge: Where to pause naturally in English  (BBC Learning English)  

• English in a Minute: Verbs to use with TECHNOLOGY  (BBC Learning English) 

• A listening exercise for you to do:   Healthy meals on a budget  (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English) 

And with regard to Trump's tariffs, he certainly did it for the plot:

• World leaders criticise Trump tariffs as 'major blow' (BBC News)
• Macron calls Trump’s tariffs ‘brutal and unfounded’ and warns France could suspend US investments – as it happened (The Guardian)
• Trump tariffs: How could Europe retaliate as trade war breaks out (The Independent)
• ‘Inflation Day Rather Than Liberation Day’: How the World Is Reacting to Trump’s Latest Tariffs (Time)

 

Lucy talking about 15 everyday phrases  for you to show off!!!

 

 

 

"All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl"

Learn English with SHREK -   Donkey meets Shrek   

 

 

Monte Carlo 2025 - Day 2   , Day 3  , 

 Álcaraz in the Semi-finals (vs. Davidovich) and the FINAL against Musetti!!!

 

 

How many times do I have to let things slide?

 

 

There are so many times when I have to let things slide pretending I'm deaf and that I haven't heard a swear word or something inappropriate, ignoring that students haven't done their homework, not taking into account bad moments students are going through and having poor results, accepting fake writing exercises...

 

The English We Speak: Let something slide (BBC Learning English)

Most of the times I am completely aware of all these issues, but you have to carry on teaching trying to convince your students this is not the right way to do things. In the old days they wouldn't allow you a second chance, but life has changed and teachers have to be more understanding. However, remember this cannot last for ever!!!

 

 

Here are some activities for my students:

in 1º ESO  on Comparison of EQUALITY   

in 3º ESO on  STILL / ALREADY / YET   quiz  1   

 

Road towards success in the new PAU (Selectivity exam)

 

Rephrase/Rewrite these sentences by using another suitable structure:

171.He didn’t revise for the test so he failed.   - If he

172.The ophthalmologist tests her eyes every year.   - She

173.The Da Vinci Code is a best-seller. It was written by Dan Brown.  - The Da Vinci Code

174.Mary goes swimming twice a week.  - ?

175.I am sorry I didn’t remember your birthday.   - I wish

176.He told us: “Don’t make so much noise!”    - He

177.As it was Friday, the children stayed up late.    - The children

178.I have never read such an interesting book.    - This is the

179.If you don’t hurry up, you won’t get tickets for the concert.   - Unless

180.I have to wear a uniform whenever I work in front of the customers .    - ? 

 

Solution to the exercises in the previous post

 

Rephrasing

 

161. (Modals)   - You mustn’t smoke in this room.

162. (Wish)  - I wish I had gone shopping with you.

163. (Passive)  - You will be fascinated by London.

164. (Relative clauses) - The man , who(m) I saw later, was the president of the European Community.

165. (Comparatives) - India is poorer than Germany. / India is not as rich as Germany.

166. (Reported speech)  - He told them that he didn’t know.

167. (Conditionals)  - If she wasn’t so busy, she could come to the party.

168. (Modals)  - Your friend may call you on your birthday.

169. (Indirect question) - Could you tell me where the nearest cinema is.

170. (Verbal tenses)   - It’s a long time since I last saw your wife.

 

Real Easy English: Talking about the OFFICE (BBC Learning English)

Here are some activities for you to do:

• Learning English from the News:   Myanmar mourns earthquake dead  (BBC Learning English) 
  

• 
  

  The Pronunciation Lounge: 3 ways to pronounce the letter 't'  (BBC Learning English)  

• English in a Minute: Verbs to use with ENVIRONMENT  (BBC Learning English) 

• A listening exercise for you to do:   Are we getting more allergic to things?  (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English) 

Here are some articles related to President Trump's decision on implementing tariffs on global trade:

Trump tariffs come into effect in ‘seismic’ shift to global trade (The Guardian)

What Trump has done - and why it matters (BBC News)

This is the dubious way Trump calculated his ‘reciprocal’ tariffs (CNN)

US: Trump implements sweeping 10% tariffs on many countries (DW)

Trump’s tariffs: A declaration of global trade war? | To the Point (DW)

 

 

 

Lucy talking about difference between MADE OF/ MADE FROM/ MADE WITH/MADE OUT OF  

 

 

 

"All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl"

Learn English with   Gladiator   

 

 

Rafael Nadal's FIRST EVER Masters 1000 Title!  Run to the Monte-Carlo 2005 Title 

 

 

 

Animation Versus, writing exercise 12 done by Amin Briouel (3º ESO B)

 

 

Añadir un título de Br6023

No country for old... teachers or for any teachers?

 

 

I'd rather say "Not a good moment for teaching in general". It's rather difficult to motivate our students nowadays, even if it is a subject such as English, which will later enable them to communicate with the rest of the world when travelling, to understand their favourite songs in English, to read newspapers or any authentic documents, to watch their favourite films also in their original version...

 

Real Easy English: Talking about teachers (BBC Learning English)

My master (Our great master) used to tell us that there are two kinds of motivations: the intrinsic motivation, that is, when you want to learn because you enjoy doing it and you find that knowledge interesting or useful expecting no external reward, and the instrumental or extrinsic motivation, that is to say, when you learn because you have to do it so as to have, for example, a pass in that subject. Well, unfortunately most of the times that is the sort of motivation I need to make my students do their job. As I said in my previous post, I have to twist their arm trying to persuade them to work.

 

Anyway, this instrumental or extrinsic motivation will eventually, and hopefully, lead to the desirable intrinsic motivation. That is why, years passed, old students are still happy to come across certain teachers who have made a real impact on their lives and have left some kind of mark in them.

 

Here are some activities for my students:

 

in 1º ESO  

Have a look at this city plan.

 

 

Fill in the gaps with the following prepositions (next to, opposite, near) according to the plan.

The post office is ______________ the railway station, __________________ the church and ______________  the National Bank.

Draw a bus stop in front of the Italian restaurant and a newsagent’s behind the church.

 

Put these directions ( It’s at the end of the street on the left  //  go straight on  //  go past the pet shop  // take the second turning on the right ) in order to go from B to the PARK.

 

1. ______________________________ 2. ___________________________

3. ___________________________ 4. ______________________________          

Now give the car driver some directions to buy the book Sinbad.

 

And remember you must be reading the book Sinbad! Here's the trailer of the film Sinbad and the legend of the seven seas...

 

 

 

in 3º ESO on  PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE + just, already, yet:     1     extra 

Let's read WHITE FANG   

And remember you must be reading the book White Fang! Here's the trailer of the film White Fang...

 

 Here's my musical hint for today:  She works hard for the money by Donna Summer. And now here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing along.

 

 

 

Road towards success in the new PAU (Selectivity exam)

 

Rephrase/Rewrite these sentences by using another suitable structure:

161. They don’t allow smoking in this room.  - You

162. I’m sorry I didn’t go shopping with you.    - I wish

163. London will fascinate you.   - You

164. I saw a man later. He was the president of the European Community.    - The man

165. Germany is richer than India.   - India

166. “I don’t know”, he told them.   - He told them

167. She can’t come to the party because she is so busy.   - If she

168. Maybe your friend will call you on your birthday.   - Your friend

169. “Where is the nearest cinema, please?”  - Could you tell me

170. I haven’t seen your wife for a long time.  - It’s

 

 

Solution to the exercises in the previous post

 

Rephrasing

 

151. (Passive)   - He is considered to be an expert on cricket.

152. (Gerund / Infinitive)   - He begged us not to shoot.

153. (Gerund / Infinitive)   - It is not easy to learn English.

154. (Conditionals)  - If we had had time, we would have visited the museum.

155. (Wish)   - I wish we hadn’t accepted the invitation.

156. (Contrast connector)  - In spite of being poor, she was happy.

157. (Relative clauses)  - This is the ring which they didn’t pay for.

158. (Contrast connector)   - In spite of the awful weather, they had a great time.

159. (Passive)  - We have been given a Roald Dahl novel.

160. (Verbal tenses)   - It’s two months since she last phoned her mother.

 

Here are some activities for you to do:

• Learning English from the News:   Turkey protests after political rival jailed  (BBC Learning English)
  

• 
  

  The English We Speak: Have someone on  (BBC Learning English)  

• English in a Minute: Verbs to use with ANSWER  (BBC Learning English) 

• A listening exercise for you to do:   Can we boost the immune system?  (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English) 

Here are some articles to read about inspiring teachers:

• How the UK's teacher of the year inspired me at school (BBC News) 

  
  

• ‘I was in awe’: our most inspiring teachers – and what they recall about us (The Guardian)

• It’s Not What You Teach, It’s What Kind of Teacher You Are (TED talk)

• Pakistani teacher sacrifices respect to help kids in need | DW News

 

 

Lucy talking about Subconscious fluency in English  

 

 

 

"All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl"

Learn English with  SUITS Mike meets Rachel   

 

Novak Djokovic vs Grigor Dimitrov Semi-Final Highlights | Miami 2025

Mensik defeats Djokovic in the final - highlights