Humankind never stops facing off!!

 

 

 

Watching the news is just a matter of watching how politicians, peoples, generations, parties, teams... never stop facing off and it seems they are never fed up. Well, I am and, surely, so are most sensible people!

 

Face/Off (1997) - Original Trailer

 

 

There are also times to bury the hatchet (look up words and idioms related to friendship) and accept the rules of competitions and who the winner is and who deserves the best of farewells, as it is the case of  these two legends of football.

 

 

 Two great legends say goodbye: Carlo Ancelotti (as a footballer) and Luka Modric  (tribute) La Décima 

 

Sometimes a friendship is for ever, like the one between the Sundance Kid and Butch Cassidy...

Paul Newman , Robert Redford - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid | "The Money stays, you go"

 

 

 

 

Office English: Asking for and offering help at work  (BBC Learning English)

 

 

Here are some activities for my students:

 

1º ESO    Unit 6   Simple Past TO BE  

3º ESO    Unit 8   REPORTED SPEECH  

 

Describe these two objects. Which 3 questions do you have to answer to write a proper description?

A torch and some goggles.

Rewrite the following requests, offers, instructions and suggestions:

1. Albert told his students to write 25 comments on his blog.   >>>  "...."

2. My father asked me to bring him a glass of milk.   >>>  "...."

3. The students suggested having a barbecue at the beach.  >>>  "..."

4. My uncle offered to buy me a strawberry ice-cream.   >>>  "....."

5. The police officer told us not to park there in front of the gate.   >>>  "..."

6. My mother suggested not taking that bus again.   >>>  "...." 

7. She asked me to answer the phone for her.   >>>  "...."

 

 

Road towards success in the new PAU (Selectivity exam)

 

Solution to the exercises in the previous post:

8. Fill in the blanks with SO, SUCH or SUCH A,and then put the verb in brackets in the correct tense:

1. The apples were such good ones that we ate them all.  >>  What good apples we ate!

2. I had so many things to do that I slept in my office.  >>>  How many things I had to do!

3. It was such a rainy day that I didn't go out.  >>> What a rainy day it was!

4. George was such a liar that we paid no attention to his words.  >>>  What a liar George was!

How would you rephrase these sentences?  Using exclamatory sentences.

 

9. RELATIVE CLAUSES . Insert the second clauses into the first ones :

1. The milkman who got married last week comes at ten o'clock every day. 

2. I went to that supermarket where your sister works.

3. Mr Smith works with that man, who I saw at your house.

4. She works with John, whose sister is my neighbour.

5. I've just bought the horse which won the Grand National eight months ago.

 

10. Put the following sentences into Indirect Speech :

1. He said he was going out then, but that he would be there by nine.

2. My mother asked me who had been using her typewriter.

3. The student asked the teacher if he wanted him/her to study that lesson.

4. We asked her not to come/go the next Tuesday.

5. She told you she was leaving the next day because her parents and yours would arrive that evening.

 

11. Put the following sentences into the ACTIVE VOICE :

1. People called out his name. 2. Nobody had delivered the message.  3. People will sing some songs.

 

 

Here are some more activities for my students:

• Prepositions with Georgie:   Prepositions for TRANSPORT  (BBC Learning English)  
  

• 
  

  English in a MINUTE: Verbs to use with GOAL  (BBC Learning English)  

• Listening exercise for you to do: Foods that go crunch  (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)  

• Learn English from the News:   Human consciousness. Where is it in the brain?  (BBC Learning English)  
  

Jane Goodall's interview - United Kingdom - #HUMAN

 

 

 

English with Lucy warning us Never to add "A" or "AN"  to these 26 common words!!!

 

 

 

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

Learn English with The Handmaid's Tale   

 

 

Human speeches

 

Last week I came across with these HUMAN stories and I think they are worthwhile listening to them.

 

Francine's interview - FRANCE - #HUMAN

 

I was so captivated by these human speeches that I decided to use them in my blog with the intention of making my students conscious of what is really important in life and how people can be really influenced by real human stories apart from Tiktokers or Youtubers or whatever we have in social media.

 

Listening to these ordinary people you will discover how differently many people surrounding us behave. People who are supposedly our leaders and who have the power in their hands, with thousands of supporters or followers. It is up to us to decide who deserves our attention and interest.

 

Road towards success in the new PAU (Selectivity exam)

 

Some revision exercises:

8. Fill in the blanks with SO, SUCH or SUCH A,and then put the verb in brackets in the correct tense :

1. The apples were ________ good ones that we (EAT) ________ them all.

2. I had ________ many things to do that I (SLEEP) ________ in my office.

3. It was ________ rainy day that I (NOT GO OUT) __________ .

4. George was ________ liar that we (PAY) ________ no attention to his words.

How would you rephrase these sentences?

 

9. RELATIVE CLAUSES . Insert the second clauses into the first ones :

1. The milkman comes at ten o'clock every day.He got married last week.

2. I went to that supermarket.Your sister works there.

3. Mr Smith works with that man.I saw that man at your house.

4. She works with John.His sister is my neighbour.

5. I've just bought a horse.It won theGrand National eight months ago.

 

10. Put the following sentences into Indirect Speech :

1. "I'm going out now, but I'll be here by nine", he said.

2. "Who has been using my typewriter", my mother asked me.

3. "Do you want me to study this lesson?", the student asked the teacher.

4. "Don't come next Tuesday, please!", we told her.

5. "I'm leaving tomorrow, because my parents and yours will arrive this evening", she told you.

 

11. Put the following sentences into the ACTIVE VOICE :

1. His name was called out. ______________________________

2. The message had not been delivered. ____________________

3. Some songs will be sung. _____________________________

 

 

As you know, I'm very keen on music, but honestly I don't like the Eurovision contest at all. Actually, I haven't seen it for years and, apart from the music style,  I believe it is a fake musical contest. Again this year the event is said to have been a complete masquerade. Here are some articles for you to read about the issue:

Eurovision 2025: Austria wins with last-minute vote, as the UK comes 19th (BBC News)

Eurovision winner did not take cocaine (DW)

Fraud at Eurovision? 'Irregular' jury points from six countries had to be recalculated (The Brussels Times)

Eurovision song contest: Fears over text voting system (The Guardian)

 

 

And remember the case of Spain some years ago with Chikilicuatre, who we had one of the best results in the latest years with:

Your thoughts on Chikilicuatre - Baila El Chiki Chiki (Spain 2008)

 

Here are some more activities to make my students stronger:

• Prepositions with Georgie:   Prepositions of MOVEMENT  (BBC Learning English)  
  

• 
  

  English in a MINUTE: Verbs to use with TRIP  (BBC Learning English)  

• Listening exercise for you to do: Which cooking oil is the best?  (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English) 
  

• Learn English from the News:   Weight-loss drugs reduce cancer risk, study finds  (BBC Learning English) 

 

 

English with Lucy sets a grammar test for us!!!

 

 

Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer - Roland Garros 2011 - Full match , Men's Final.             

 

 

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

Learn English with Troy  - Epic movie with Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom   

 

 

 

 

 Rome 2025 -  Semi-finals  and final between Álcaraz vs Sinner   

 

 

 

 

Hurdles in life make you stronger

 

Hurdles, tough moments, failures (not only power failures)... in life make you stronger and a better person because you are ready to face harder challenges. So you should never give up and you should keep trying and making an effort, like in the song.

 

 

 Here's my musical hint for today:  Stronger by Kelly Clarkson. And now here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing along.

 

 

Learning English from the News: Huge power cuts in Spain and Portugal (BBC Learning English) 

 

The older you are, the readier you are to face any difficulty in life. You have solutions for almost every problem or at least you don't despair when you come across a really difficult situation and resilience becomes one of your skills.

 

 

Today is a holiday in Madrid because of the 2^nd May uprising against the French Imperial troops, as the population was being violently repressed with hundreds of public executions. 

 

 

Do you remember where there was another famous uprising?

The Easter Uprising (IES Mediterraneo students were there!!!)

 

 

Here are some activities to make my students stronger:

1º ESO    Unit 5

Translate into English :

1) ¿Cómo es la señora Harrison? Es gorda y fea.

2) Tengo mucha sed. 

3) Aquellos vasos están en la estantería,¿dónde está el vino?

4) Hay carne en el plato,pero no hay leche en el vaso.

5) ¿Tienes buen vino? Sí,tenemos un vino muy bueno.

6) ¿Cuánto mide tu hermano? Él mide casi 2 metros.

MODAL VERBS   >>>   Translate these sentences into English. 

• • No debieras comerte un almuerzo grande antes de un partido de fútbol.

  • Debes llevar sandalias dentro de la piscina. No debes llevar zapatos o zapatillas de deporte.

  • Un pez no sabe andar, pero algunos pueden saltar muy alto  fuera del agua.

  • ¿Sabes hablar alemán? No, pero sé hablar francés bien.

  • Los alumnos debieran hacer el comic de la Vuelta al Mundo en 80 días rápido.

  • Tú puedes estudiar duro durante el curso y aprobar en junio, o tú puedes vivir felizmente sin trabajar. Entonces debes estudiar durante el verano para los exámenes de septiembre.

  • La gente no puede jugar al golf en Itrabo.

 

3º ESO 

41. PASSIVE /ACTIVE. Rewrite these sentences into the Passive or Active Voice :

 1. The work has been done by the children.

 2. His horse won the race.

 3. Many things were being broken by children playing at home.

 4. He had said many things. 

 5. My colleague will do the job. 

 6. The government might buy that company.

 

 

 

Road towards success in the new PAU (Selectivity exam)

 

Rephrase/Rewrite these sentences by using another suitable structure:

221. Albert is such a hard teacher, but in the end we are better prepared for the Selectivity exam.     Although....

222. During the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities widely used medical robots to take patients' temperatures as these couldn't get infected.    Medical robots...

223. The price of olive oil is increasing very much these days.      ... getting....

224. Although they grew up in Germany, they have never thought of claiming the German nationality.    Despite...

225. Nerea usually plays the piano after lunch.  How...

226. It wouldn't be sensible to drive in such a heavy rain. You...

227. His father-in-law invited him for dinner. "

228. We have decided to go to the cinema this evening.    We....

229. My grandmother had the habit of washing the clothes in the river.   My grandmother...

230. The bookshelf was too high for the small boy to get the dictionary. The small boy was not... 

 

 

Solution to the exercises in the previous post

 

Rephrasing

 

211.  "Can we use our calculators in the exam?"

212. Which company does your father work for?

213. If only I had remembered your birthday party.  ///  If I hadn't forgotten your birthday party, I would have bought you a present and I would have gone.

214.  My neighbour's son may/might be studying at the University of Granada.

215. It was such a long book I couldn't finish reading it before Christmas.

216. I wish I had taken my umbrella.

217. You must have a driving licence in Spain to drive a car.  

218. "Will/Would/Could you, please, lie on the couch?"

219. My little brother was able to get out of the swimming-pool when he fell into it at the age of 3.  

220. The teacher asked his students to do that simple exercise // if they could do that simple exercise.

Here are some more activities to make my students stronger:

• Prepositions with Georgie:   What is a preposition?  (BBC Learning English)  
  

• 
  

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

• Listening exercise for you to do: Can cows prevent wildfires?  (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

• The English We Speak:   Zing  (BBC Learning English) 

 

English with Lucy  >>>  Do you know these 12 common words? 

  

 

 

 

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

Learn English with the Simpsons

 

 

Madrid 2025 -  Day 7  ,   Quarter-finals ,  Semi-finals and the FINAL: 

    Casper Ruud    vs     Jack Draper