Do you consider yourself an honest person or...?

Are you 100% honest or do you sometimes lie? During the summer time and sometimes in the flirting game, funny situations happen. Let's read this newspaper article and do the listening exercise later, then you can give me your opinion.  😎

 

Keep the mornings honest, the afternoons for lying and cheating (The Guardian)

 

Listening exercise to do: How honest are we? (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English) Word formation  >> How many words do you know that come from 'honest'?

 

 

And Billy Joel insists on the topic in this other song: Just the way you are   

 

Most interesting free app for all students of English  >>>

Here I present a record of all the comments and projects made by our students during the summer time.

   So far, this is our SUMMER SCOREBOARD (Click here and you will discover who is leading our summer ranking). Don't procastinate it for tomorrow. There are only 4 weeks left!!!!

 

 

Lucy tells us in this video about 4 secrets to speak quickly and fluently.

REVISION EXERCISE for 1º Bachillerato  >>>   

96. Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions:

       I  want  to  tell you something ..........  Arthur. He  lives ..........  21  Gladstone Avenue,.......... Mrs Harrison  and  Mr Smithers.  He  works .......... the library ..........  Middleford High  Street. The Sunny Snack Bar is quite ......... the  library ..........  the other side .......... the road. Sometimes he  goes there .......... a cup .......... coffee.

97. Put the following sentences into the PASSIVE VOICE:

1. Somebody had cleaned my shoes.

2. We use this room only in special occasions.

3. Someone switched on a light and opened the door.

4. The police asked each of us about his movements on the night of the crime.

5. Someone will serve refreshments.

6. They make these artificial flowers of silk.

98. Complete these sentences using  SO / NEITHER :

1. He's a student. ......I.    2. You aren't very clever. .....my brother.   3. Mr Steele hadn't arrived yet.  ......you.    4. Mary has been to France. ..............Albert.   5. Arthur failed his A‑levels.   ...................we.

Proposed solutions to exercises 93, 94 & 95 in the previous post

Ex93   >>>  

1. Shall I buy you a drink?  /   I'll buy you...if you like     

2. Sorry, but I missed the 9.30 bus.

3. Why don't we order a pizza? / Let's...  / What about ordering...?   /   How about....?

Ex94  >>>>>. Define the words: 'tape' & 'palace'   

Ex95  >>>>

1. I wish I passed English.    2. There are fewer exercises in this exam than in the previous one.

3. I am going to have my hair cut before school starts. So is my brother.

4. When the exercises began to get more and more difficult, I asked my elder/eldest brother.

5. I have just remembered that I have to go to the bank right now.

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 170802 / 2 August 2017   >>>  Expressions presented: vicious cycle, vices & welfare.

Oh,no!!! My battery is flat!!

Nowadays batteries are one of our biggest concerns, if not the biggest. Expressions like these can be uttered with such a desperate feeling that we would think someone is about to die: "My battery is flat", "Your car battery is dead, I'm afraid", "The battery of my mobile phone is too low", "The TV remote control has run out! How are we change channels?"....  And now the problem becomes more and more serious with the appearance of electrical cars.

Articles related to the issue:

• Smaller, longer-lasting and cheaper batteries store much more energy (Treehugger)

• How to make your 'dead' batteries last eight times longer  (CNN)

• Can electricity from the human body replace batteries? (BBC News)

By the way, one of our articles was from the website TREEHUGGER. Where does this word come from? (See at the bottom of this post)

 

Listening exercise to do: It's good to talk (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English) 

 

The English we speak: Echo chamber (BBC Learning English)

 

REVISION EXERCISE for 1º Bachillerato  >>>   

93. EVERYDAY ENGLISH. What would you say in these situations?

1. You are in a bar. Offer to buy your friend a drink.

2. You are late for a meeting. Apologize and say why you are late.

3. You have just come home from the cinema. Suggest your friend to order a pizza.

94. Define the words: 'tape' & 'palace' :

95. Translate the following sentences into English:

1. ¡Ojala que apruebe el inglés!     

2. Hay menos ejercicios en este examen que en el anterior.

3. Voy a pelarme antes de que empiece el instituto. Y mi hermano también.

4. Cuando los ejercicios empezaron a complicarse, le pregunté a mi hermano mayor.

5. Acabo de recordar que tengo que ir al banco ahora mismo.

Proposed solutions to exercises 91 & 92 in the previous post

Ex91   >>>  

1. Who did you go to the cinema with?      2. How often does he do the gardening?

3. What is the book about?     4. How long have you been learning English?  

5. What will the weather be like tomorrow?

Ex92  >>>

1. shorter and shorter     2. further    3. the funniest    4. The more polluted, the bigger

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 170726 / 26 July 2017   >>>  Expressions presented: segregated, front-runner, vehicles & internal combustion engine.

TREEHUGGER is a person who hugs trees, that is, a person who loves nature.

Mixed feelings when feeling invisible

There may be people, especially famous people or even teachers, that would like to feel invisible at times, that is, they would like to go shopping, go for a drink... and that the people would not stop them or look at them. On the contrary, feeling invisible to the people around you can also be negative, especially when you want someone to pay attention to you. For instance, teachers may feel invisible to their students when they just don't care about what they are telling them. On the whole, mixed feelings.

Do you like feeling invisible to people around you or does it annoy you? Do you feel depressed?

Listening exercise to do: You think you're invisible? (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

What does 'mismatch' mean? Can you give other words with the same prefix?

Let's analyse the following sentence from the programme:  

"Not only does the garment make you impossible to see, it also protects you against magic spells."

 

First, pay attention to the cleft sentence and the inversion "Not only does the garment...., it also....". By the way, if you want to revise what a cleft sentence was, have a look at this post. Secondly, could you tell me what 'spell' means in this context.






  

Interesting video about accents in English: 

The Jon Snow Accent! - Game of Thrones Accents Tutorial (Learn English with Papa Teach me)

REVISION EXERCISE for 1º Bachillerato  >>>   

91. Write suitable questions for these answers (pay attention to the underlined words).

1. __________ ? I went to the cinema with my sister.

2. __________ ? He does the gardening   twice a month.

3. __________ ? The book is about the French Revolution.

4. __________ ? I've been learning English since 1985.

5. __________ ? Tomorrow it will be sunny and warm.

92. Fill in the gaps with the comparative forms of superiority or the superlatives  of the adjectives given in brackets:

1. English exams are getting (short)_______________________, Albert must have gone bananas.

2. Sadam Hussein answered that journalists could ask the Minister of Defence for (far) ______________ information on their weapons.

3. She is (funny) ____________________ person I've ever met.

4. (polluted) _________________ our world is, (big) ______________ health problems we have.

Proposed solutions to exercises 89 & 90 in the previous post

 

Ex89   >>>  

1. A letter hasn't been being written.    2. All the things must be bought because the meat is going to be cooked (by her).    3. Albert was given a wonderful present.   /   A wonderful present was given to Albert.   

4. Was Rose seen by John?   

Ex90   >>>>

1. They said they had a lift, but that very often it didn't work.

2. He asked us who put/had put salt in his coffee.

3. He told her he was going fishing with her mother that afternoon.

4. She told him not to open the door.   

5. The mother asked her daughter if she could pass the exam.

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 170719 / 19 July 2017   >>>  Expressions presented: breadwinner, habitat & drastically.

Are you lost?

How do lost cats and dogs find their way home?  When you are visiting a city, are you good at finding your way to the hotel?  Have you ever been lost? What did you do?

Article to read >>>

The Amazing Science Behind Pets That Find Their Way Home (Time Magazine)

 

Video about >>>  How Do Animals Find Their Way Home Without GPS?

 

 

By the way, what does 'stray cat/dog' mean?

Listening exercise to do: How do pets navigate? (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

How do you call the person who navigates? And in a bus or a coach?

Last year we visited Dublin on our V Trip to the British-Irish Isles, the hometown of Oscar Wilde. Here I present you with one of his most famous comedies.

The Importance of Being Earnest, Part 1: Earnest or Ernest?   (Parts 2 & 3)   Dramas from BBC Learning English

Ernest is a proper name, but do you know the meaning of the adjective 'earnest'? Misunderstanding is one of the techniques used in this comedy to make us laugh.

REVISION EXERCISE for 1º Bachillerato  >>>   

89. Put the sentences into the PASSIVE VOICE :

1. Nobody has been writing a letter.  

2. We must buy all the things because she is going to cook the meat.

3. Somebody gave Albert a wonderful present.    

4. Did John see Rose?   

90. Put these sentences into REPORTED SPEECH. (Use suitable introducing verbs)

1. "We have a lift, but very often it doesn't work", they said.

2. "Who put salt in my coffee?", he asked us.

3. "I'm going fishing with your mother this afternoon", he told her.

4. "Don't open the door!", she told him.   

5. "Can you pass the exam?", the mother asked her daughter.

Proposed solutions to exercises 87 & 88 in the previous post
Ex 87  >>>  1. will pass     2. broke down, was listening     3. have studied    4. come, rains   5. to be carried      6. go    7. had been   8.  would listen    9. were

Ex 88  >>>>

1. The post is about Roger Federer's eighth title in Wimbledon, which is the only major tennis....

2. I've just read an article about Roger Federer, whose family was watching the Wimbledon final.

3. Have you ever been to the lake where Nessy usually swims?

4. Queen Elisabeth II lives in Buckhingham Palace, which is just 300 metres far from Trafalgar Square.

5. The detective was questioning the men I had been speaking with the day before.

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 170712 / 12 July 2017   >>>  Expressions presented: vicious cycle, vices & welfare.

Roger Federer, the most talented tennis player of all times?

Indeed he is Roger, the GR-eight, the King of Grass!! What a superb return he has made this season after winning in the Australian Open and in Wimbledon!!!

Some related articles to read:

Roger Federer stands tallest of all as Wimbledon’s history man (The Guardian)

Roger Federer, at 35, wins Wimbledon for a record eighth time (The Washington Post)

After winning 15 majors, people said...

Now that he has won 19 majors... here's

John McEnroe poem about Roger Federer Comeback 2017 

Wimbledon 2017 Federer Tennis Channel interview 

 

And our Spanish Queen of Grass >>>

Garbiñe Muguruza banishes nerves to write her name in Wimbledon gold (The Guardian)

Very interesting grammar point to revise: How to use 'yet' (Learners' Questions, BBC Learning English) 

Pay attention to the little difference between these two sentences:

"I haven't been to Scotland yet"     and      "I still haven't been to Scotland"

 

REVISION EXERCISE for 1º Bachillerato  >>>   

87. TENSES. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense (the last sentences are conditionals):

1. I hope I (pass)_________________ this exam.

2. One day the tape recorder (break down) ________________ when I (listen) _______________ to the tape of the Hound of the Baskervilles.

3. I (study) ______________________ English for two hours every day this summer.

4. I always (come) ____________________ to school by  bus when it (rain) _______________.

5. The injured man couldn't walk and had (carry) ___________________ away.

6. If you (go) ________________ away, please write to me.

7. If you (be) __________________ at home when I went, I would have given you a cake.

8. If you didn't speak so loudly, I (listen) _____________________  perfectly to the radio.

9. If the exam (be) __________________ not so difficult, I would do it.

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

1. The post is about Roger Federer's eighth title in Wimbledon.  This is the only major tennis tournament on grass.

2. I've just read an article about Roger Federer. His family was watching the Wimbledon final.

3. Have you ever been to the lake? Nessy usually swims there.

4. Queen Elisabeth II lives in Buckhingham Palace.It is just 300 metres far from Trafalgar Square.

5. The detective was questioning the men. I had been speaking with them the day before.

Solutions to exercises 85 & 86 in the previous post
Ex 85  >>>  1. heavier and heavier    2. the most famous player in the NBA  -  so good as   3. the worst
4. elder/eldest

Ex 86   >>>>   1. Stop talking and let me finish the story.   2. My girlfriend wants me to take her to the cinema.  3. I've got the same age as you. / I'm as old as you.   4. If I were you, I wouldn't go.

5. What an easy exam!  6. She is believed to work for the government / It is thought that she works for the government.

Couchsurfing is no picnic

Again it is getting hotter and hotter, but we are getting tired of going to the beach!!! First, this post would like to present these two expressions you can find in the section The English We Speak (BBC Learning English):

 

• No picnic   >>>  What does it mean in Spanish?

• Wet weekend   >>>>  Was last weekend a wet weekend for you?

And here's the solution for those who haven't got much money and feel bored of doing the same things all over again  >>>   COUCH SURFING (Listening exercise, 6 Minute English, BBC Learning English).

Some related articles:

• Couch surfing reaches one million! 

• Best of the net: Couchsurfing - the reality (The Guardian) 

• Why I'd rather take a free couchsurfer than make money from Airbnb  (The Guardian)

 

By the way, do you know what Airbnb is? It comes from two concepts: 'airbed' and 'bed & breakfast'.

Solutions to exercises 83 & 84 in the previous post
Ex 83  >>>  1. Shall I buy you a coke? / I'll pay you a coke or anything you like.   2. I'm so sorry. I got stuck in a terrible traffic jam.   3. Why don't we order a pizza? / How about ordering a pizza? / Let's order a pizza.
Ex 84   >>>>   1. ...if you like.    2. ....if I had studied more regularly.   3. ..., he would train with Rafa Nadal every day.

REVISION EXERCISES for the September exam  >>>>

85. Fill in the gaps with the comparative forms of superiority or the superlatives  of the adjectives given in brackets:

1. Traffic in Granada is getting (heavy) ______________ and _________________ these days.

2. Karl Malone is (famous) ______________ player .......... the NBA, but I think he is not so (good) ____________ ............. Michael Jordan was.

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

4. Your (old) _______________ brother told me you were at  school

86. Translate the following sentences into English:

1. ¡Dejad de hablar y permitidme que acabe la historia!

2. Mi novia quiere que la lleve al cine.

3. Tengo la misma edad que tú.

4. Yo en tu lugar, no iría.

5. ¡ Qué examen tan fácil!

6. Se cree que ella trabaja para el gobierno.

Solutions in the next post

I'd rather have an average girlfriend!!

If you are unhappy with the ordinary girls you may meet in your life, here's a really bizarre proposal:

Sex robots promise 'revolutionary' service but also risks, says study (The Guardian)

 

However, would you consider this a development in our social relations, or just another sexist gadget? 

Sex robots are SEXIST: Feminist says 'brutal' love machines will turn men into misogynist monsters (Daily Mirror)

Scientists have delivered a chilling warning about the use of futuristic sex robots (Technology, University of Sheffield, Daily Mirror)

Listening exercise to do: Self-help (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

Solutions to exercises 81 & 82 in the previous post
Ex 81  >>>  1. Who did you go to the cinema with?   2. How often does he do the gardening?   3. What is the book about?
Ex 82   >>>>   1. Was the doctor called?    2. The bicycles must be repaired....   3. Oil has recently been discovered near the Falkland Islands.

REVISION EXERCISES for the September exam  >>>>

83. EVERYDAY ENGLISH. What would you say in these situations?

1. You are in a bar. Offer to buy your friend a drink.

2. You are late for a meeting. Apologize and say why you are late.

3. You have just come home from the cinema. Suggest your friend to order a pizza.

84. CONDITIONALS. Finish the following  sentences appropriately:

1. Tell me the truth    .....................................................................................................

2. I would have passed English in June ...............................................................................

3. If our English teacher were better at tennis   ..............................................................................

Solutions in the next post

Am I the man or just a man?

There is a big difference between these two options. Can you explain it? If you are not sure, revise what follows and do the exercises later. The difference will be much clearer, then.

And here's also THE MAN by Ed Sheeran.

Read this incredible story about....

The man who went on a hike – and never stopped walking (Travel, The Guardian)

Your comment can be about an important man or woman who really deserves to be called THE MAN or THE WOMAN. For instance, in the field of tennis and as a supporter of Rafa, I would say: 'He's the man...to win the tournament' or let's suppose someone asks you about English or exams in English, you can advise him/her to speak with Albert saying: 'He's the man ... to talk to'.

DEFINITE or INDEFINITE ARTICLES? or NEITHER OF THEM? You tend to commit too many mistakes concerning the use of the definite and indefinite article, so I advise you to revise the most important grammatical rules about the issue in my site and then do these exercises:  1  ,  2  ,  3  ,  4   

Solutions to exercises 79 & 80 in the previous post
Ex 79  >>>  1. The book we read for the second term....   2. I've just forgotten the name of the film whose main role...     3. I recently went back to the town where I was born.     4. Camacho has called 18 players, only two of whom weren't.....
Ex 80   >>>>   1. Albert asked his students if they had got any problems with that exercise.    2. Albert told his students not to talk during the exam.   3. He told her he couldn't lend her his CD player that day.

REVISION EXERCISES for the September exam  >>>>

81. Write suitable questions for these answers (pay attention to the underlined words).

1. ___________________________________________ ? I went to the cinema with my sister.

2. ___________________________________________ ? He does the gardening   twice a month.

3. _________________________________________ ? The book is about the French Revolution.

82. Put the sentences into the PASSIVE VOICE :

1. Did anybody call the doctor?   

2. They must repair the bicycles before they go to school.

3. They have recently discovered oil near the Falkland Islands.

Solutions in the next post

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 170705 / 05 July 2017   >>>  Expressions presented: cap, stood down & remains.

Do you trust first impressions?

Do you trust first impressions or do you need more time to get to know a person and then decide what kind of relationship you are going to have with him/her?

Listening exercise to do: Faces and first impressions (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

 

Which verb does the adjective 'trustworthy' come from? What does it mean?   

 

What does the expression 'to go with your gut' mean?

 

 

Article to read about the issue:

First Impressions: what can babies see? (The Guardian)

 

 

What does 'a drill' mean? It has got mainly two meanings. Here's one from the point of view of teachers:  DRILLING TECHNIQUE (The teachers' room, BBC Learning English)

Solutions to the Exercise 78 in the previous post
1. broke down, was watching   2. are starting/will be starting     3. will pass     4. have written   5. had her eyes tested   6. going   7. to come

REVISION EXERCISES for the September exam  >>>>

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

1. The book was about a very dangerous dog. We read the book for the second term.

2. I've just forgotten the name of the film. Its main role is played by Leonardo DiCaprio.

3. I recently went back to the town. I was born there.

4. Camacho has called 18 players. Only two of them weren't in the previous match.

80. Put these sentences into REPORTED SPEECH. (Use suitable introducing verbs)

1. Albert to his students: "Have you got any problems with this exercise?".

Albert asked his students ________

2. Albert to his students: "Don't talk during the exam!"

3. He to her: "I can't lend you my CD player today."

Solutions in the next post

Best songs for summer 2017

Summer is a wonderful time to relax, to dance and for music. There will always be songs that bring you unforgettable memories for the rest of your life. Give me some hits of your best songs in English for this summer. Here are some songs that may be popular this summer:

 

English with Lucy: 5 English conversation tips  >>>  How to improve your communication skills. They could be really useful for flirting this summer!!!

REVISION EXERCISES for the September exam  >>>>

78. TENSES. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense.

1. The television set (break down) __________________ just when I (watch) _______________ the latest episodes of Baywatch.

2. We (start) ____________________  the new school year in two weeks.

3. I hope I (pass) ________________________ this exam.

4. I (write) _________________________ ten compositions this summer.

5. She (test)  ___________ her eyes ________________ at the optician's last July.

6. My grandfather can remember (go) _____________ to the cinema with my grandmother.

7. Would you like (come) ___________ to a party on Saturday evening?

Solutions in the next post