Happier alone?

 

"Happier alone"  "I beg your pardon. I am quite happy being part of a group, a family, a team, meeting friends and relatives...", although it is true that sometimes it is better to be alone than in bad company.

Some years ago there was a new trending behaviour that was born in South Korea that staying single was a better option.

Happy alone: the young South Koreans embracing single life (The Guardian)

A loneliness epidemic is spreading worldwide. Seoul is spending $327 million to stop it (CNN)

Why South Korean women aren't having babies (BBC News)

Apart from the fact that humankind is meant to live in groups (family, society, country, continent, planet...), we have to be careful as a well-worn meme of a cartoon dinosaur says in the last article: "Be careful," the dinosaur says. "Don't let yourself become extinct like us."

 

Learning English from the News:   Global impact of US-Israel war with Iran  (BBC Learning English) 

 

• Globalisation is under threat from Iran war (The Guardian)
• How the Middle-East war could hurt the global economy (CNN) 
• How is the Iran war impacting global relief efforts? | DW News

  

  

 

 

Beating Speaking Anxiety:   I'm scared I can't be myself  (BBC Learning English)   >>>>  How to be yourself in English   

Learning English Grammar (NARRATIVE TENSES):   Stories from the past  (BBC Learning English) 

 

  Here's my musical hint for today:    Until you come back to me by Aretha Franklin. And here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing along.

 

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

 

 

 

Here are some more activities for my students (International Women's Day):

• Listening exercise for you to do:  Should we pay more for chocolate?  (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)  

• 
  

  Leadership: Are women better leaders than men?  (BBC Learning English) 

  
  

• Listening exercise for you to do:  Women in the workplace  (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English) 

• Listening exercise for you to do:   The bond between sisters  (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

     

Here are some activities for my students:

• in 4º ESO... Exercises on Reported Speech:

 

A. Transform these sentences into Reported Speech.

 

1. "I can't stop laughing", the student to the teacher.

2. "They're laughing at me now", said Mary.

3. "I can't afford to buy your car", Albert to Fernando Alonso.

4. "FC Barcelona will win the King's Cup tomorrow", said Messi in the press conference.

5. "We don't like this exercise", said the students.

6. "I'm afraid of spiders", said my mum.

B. Fill in the gaps with 'said' or 'told' and then transform these sentences into Direct Speech.

 

1. They ....... that they couldn't find a cash machine in that city.

2. Mary ........  them that the fish tasted awful.

3. Fernando Alonso ........ Albert that he was saving for a new car then.

4. My parents ..... my aunt that they wanted to borrow her house in the mountains.

5. Nadal ......... that his elbow was very painful.

6. She ...... me that her coat was made of leather.

C. Rewrite the sentences using REPORTED SPEECH. First, decide which verb to use: ‘said’ or ‘told’

1. The student to the teacher: “I don't think it is made of glass”   

The student ....................... ___________________________________________

2. The children: “We collected lots of cans in this river”. 

They .................. ______________________________

3. Jane to her father: “I have invented a new tyre”.  Jane .................. ______________________

4. The students to the robotics teacher: “We are building a smart house.” 

They .................. _______________________________

5. Maria to her boyfriend: “I’ll help you, Tom”. She ................... _________________________

6. My parents: “We must save more energy”. They ................... _________________________

 

• in 2º ESO:

Make these people agree with the statements.

Comparing actions. Make these people agree with the statements.

Examples:  "I write more clearly than my brother. "   >>  "_____________ I"  ("So do I")

                     "I have got a new car."  >>>  "__________ my English teacher"   ("So has my English teacher")

"I don't write English well"   >>   "____________ my English teacher"  ("Neither/Nor does my English teacher")

"I haven't got a car"   >>  "_____________ I"   ("Neither/Nor have I")

 

1. "I am taller than my brother. "   >>  "_____________ I"   ,   "______________ my sister"

2. "She writes a letter to her parents every day. "   >>  "_____________ I"      ,   "______________ my sister" 

3. "My father hasn't got a new job. "   >>  "_____________ I"   ,   "______________ my sister"

4. "I worked yesterday. "   >>  "_____________ my parents"   ,   "______________ we"

5. "We aren't doing an exam. "   >>  "_____________ you"   ,   "______________ Tom"

Unit 4. Translation sentences

1. ¿Para quién trajiste el pastel?        2. ¿De qué se hace el pan?     3. ¿Con quién vas al supermercado?  4. ¿De qué caja cogiste el libro?

English with Lucy: Are you saying it wrong? 5 common mistakes in English  

 

 

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

Learning English with Mind your language -  A point of honour   

 

 

 

Old stories about Nadal:

Nadal vs Djokovic  - Full Match Nadal vs Djokovic 2020 Men's final | Roland-Garros

 

 

 

ONE-HIT WONDERS

 

 We don't want our students to be one-hit wonders, but to succeed in life and their future careers (professional lives). However, do you know what a "one-hit wonder" is? Think about it for a minute.

Well a one-hit wonder is a singer or a group who had a big hit in music, but that is all we can remember of them. For instance, can you remember this song? and do you know any more songs by this singer?

 

 

 

 

Here are some activities for you to do:

• 

  English in a Minute: How do we use the word 'EXECUTIVE'?   (BBC Learning English)
  

• Tenses with Georgie:   When and How to use the PRESENT CONTINUOUS  (BBC Learning English)

• Office English: Making calls and instant messaging at work  (BBC Learning English)

•  The English We Speak:   Cash in on something   (BBC Learning English)

 

 

Newsreview:   Women working more, men working less (BBC Learning English)

 

It is said that since the pandemic women have been working much more. Is it true? Women are not certainly one-hit wonders!!!

Women working more hours in Covid crisis than first thought, study finds (The Guardian)

Women work 39 days a year more than men, report says (BBC News)

 

 

Getting ready for Bachillerato.....

Activities for students in Bachillerato >>>

 

205. CONDITIONALS. Complete the sentences with the appropriate tenses (___) and with the following words (...) : unless, if, when, provided/providing (that), as long as

 

1. Your girl (BE) __________ safe .............. you (FOLLOW) __________ our instructions.

2. I'll buy a sandwich at the school canteen ............ the class (FINISH) __________.

3. We can go to the playground ............ the History teacher (NOT COME) ____________ today.

4. ............ we (STUDY) __________ more, we (NOT PASS) __________ our English exam.

5. ............ you (COME) __________ home before nine, I don't care where you go.

6. ............ I had a Ferrari, nobody in Salobreña (DRIVE) __________ faster than me.

7. ............ Indurain (NOT RETIRE) _______________________, he (PROBABLY WIN)  ____________________ the Tour de France for the sixth time.

 

Now write three sentences using the following words and expressing these two ideas (make any changes if necessary):   I'll finish the job today. You give me £1,000.

 

PROVIDED (THAT) ______________________________________________________

IF   ____________________________________________________________

UNLESS  _______________________________________________________          

 

206. PROBABILITY. Complete the following sentences:

 

1. I __________ be getting a new job. I don't know yet.

2. "Here's a letter for you"  "It's from Greece. It __________ be from Sonia. I don't know anybody else in Greece"

3. "I'm afraid I've crashed your car"  "Oh, no! I __________ believe it"

 

Now think about Jude Bellingham and Taylor Swift. Let's suppose they get married and that they are going to have a baby. What do you think the baby will be like? You can write about his/her possible physical appearance or any other aspect of his/her personality you think of using as many probability structures as you know.

 

207. Suggest doing something next weekend using different structures.

 

 

208. COMPARATIVES. Fill in the gaps with the comparatives of superiority and the superlatives of the adjectives you are given in brackets:

 

1. It's terrible! The petrol is  becoming (expensive) ________________________________ .

2. I think Saudi Arabia is one of (hot) ____________________ countries in the world.

3. (much) _______________ you write, (good) ________________ for you.

4. This is (bad) _______________ football match I've ever watched.

5. I love you (much) ______________  than yesterday and (little) ____________ than tomorrow.

 

Translate the following sentences into English:

 

6. Ella no llegó tan tarde como de costumbre.  ________________________________________

7. Había menos gente en la fiesta que en la iglesia.______________________________________

8. Para más detalles debéis preguntarle a su hermano mayor.

______________________________________________________________________________

9. Es el libro más interesante que jamás haya leído en mi vida.

______________________________________________________________________________

10. Juan es tan alto que puede tocar el techo. _________________________________________

209. Put the following sentences into REPORTED SPEECH:

 

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

 _____________________________________________________________________________

2. "My young brother wants to be a tax inspector", said Mary. "I can't think why. None of my family has ever been a tax inspector". (use the suitable connectors to link the three sentences)

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

3. "Who has been using my typewriter?", said my mother.

______________________________________________________________________________

4. "Please, please, don't do anything dangerous", said his wife.

______________________________________________________________________________

5. "Do you want to see the cathedral?", said the guide.

______________________________________________________________________________

210. Insert the second sentences into the first ones by means of a RELATIVE CLAUSE.

 

1. The man was sitting at the desk. I had come to see this man.

______________________________________________________________________________

2. I saw several houses. Most of them were quite unsuitable.

______________________________________________________________________________

3. This is Mrs Jones. Her son won the championship last year.

______________________________________________________________________________

4. This firm is sending me to York. I have worked for this firm since 1987.

______________________________________________________________________________

5. I was given his address by a man. I met this man on a train.

______________________________________________________________________________

  

211. Put the following sentences into the PASSIVE VOICE:

 

1. Someone left this handbag in a classroom yesterday; the cleaner found it.

______________________________________________________________________________

2. They haven't stamped the letter.  ________________________________________________

3. Visitors must leave umbrellas in the cloakroom. _____________________________________

4. They are repairing my piano at the moment. ________________________________________

5. We had to give the books back; they did not allow us to take them home.

______________________________________________________________________________

212. Translate the following sentences into English:

 

1. ¿Sabes cual es su nombre? ______________________________________________________

2. Tanto mi mujer como yo tenemos los ojos azules, pero ninguno de los dos somos rubios.

______________________________________________________________________________

3. Hoy ni es lunes ni viernes. ______________________________________________________

4. El es suficientemente fuerte para llevar dos maletas.___________________________________

5. El quería saber si te había visto hoy.   _______________________________________ 

   

Here's my musical hint for today:   Lemon Tree by Fools Garden, and this is a version with lyrics  for you to sing along!

 

 

Can you tell me about other one-hit wonders? Here's a playlist with some of these famous one-hit wonder songs.

 

Has streaming killed the one-hit wonder? (The Guardian)

 

 

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

 Learn English with MOVIES:  Percy Jackson