Semantic field: LOOK and SEE

Ways of Looking

— look: give attention to what one is seeing; turn the eyes and see in a certain direction.
Look at that cute baby!
— see: use the power of sight.
See! Here she comes!
— watch: look at some activity or event; keep one's eyes fixed on something.
The boys watched television all the afternoon.
— gaze: look at something for a long time, in surprise or admiration.
She gazed at him in disbelief when he told her the news.
— stare: look at something for a long time with the eyes wide open.
She was staring into space.
— gawk = gawp: stare impolitely.
Many people gathered to gawp at the crashed car.
— gape: look at something with one's mouth open.
She gaped at him in surprise.
— glance: have a quick look at something.
She glanced at her watch.
— scan: look quickly at something without careful reading.
He scanned the newspaper over breakfast.
— glare: stare angrily or fiercely.
She didn't answered, but just glared silently at me.
— peer: look very carefully, as if not able to see well.
He peered at me over his spectacles.
— peep: look quickly and cautiously.
He was caught peeping through the keyhole.
— observe: watch carefully.
The police observed the man entering the bank.
— glimpse: have a passing view of something or someone. Usually used in the expression to catch a glimpse of.
He could catch a glimpse of the president among the crowd.
— spot: recognize someone suddenly among many others.
He was spotted by the police boarding a plane for Berlin.
— behold: old use of the verb to see.
Behold the king!
— view: (technical) look thouroughly; regard, consider.
That film hasn't been viewed by the censor yet.
— sight: see for the first time.
The men in the ship finally sighted land.
— leer: look in an unpleasant way, suggesting ill will or lust.
The man leered at the young girl
— blink: shut and open the eyes quickly.
How long can you stare without blinking?
— wink: close one eye briefly, as a signal to somebody.
He winked at me to show that he was just joking.
— frown: look in a worried or angry way, moving down the eyebrows together.
He read the telegram, frowning at its contents.
— scowl: frown angrily.
She was very angry and scowled at him while she talked.
— squint: look with eyes half shut or turned sideways, or through a narrow opening.
She squinted through the letter-box and saw an envelope.
— peek: look quickly and secretively.
She found her brother peeking at her diary.
— ogle: look or stare (at a woman) suggesting sexual interest.
Most women hate being ogled at.
_browse: look through the pages of a book or magazine; look at the goods in a shop without really wanting to buy anything.
Sheila spent all the afternoon browsing the boutiques.

I've discovered that it's very difficult to differentiate the different verbs related to look, that's the reason for posting this. I try to make it clear, in the English Language is richer than Spanish in verbs to explain different actions. ( En Español, sólo tenemos el verbo mirar o ver y los alternamos con adverbios o adjetivos para indicar diferentes significados; por ejemplo: mirar lascivamente, mirar boquiabierto... Por eso es bastante difícil aprender todos estos verbos, que por otra parte les serán muy utiles a nuestros alumnos, ya que mejorarán su vocabulario y expresión en la lengua inglesa)

SOME PRACTICE with these verbs:

EXERCISE 1:

Choose among the following verbs to complete the sentences:
Gaze (x 2), peep, stare(x2), see, glance (x2),gape, glare
1. The tourists stood there ......... at the lovely scenery. One could see the admiration in their eyes.
2.Some animals and birds find no difficulty moving at night as they have the ability to ………..in the dark.
3As Kathryn was in a hurry and so hungry she simply ......... at the menu and ordered a sandwich and some salad.
4. They decided to spend a romantic night sleeping on the beach and ......... at the stars.
5. As Jeremy had never been in a city like New York before, he just stood in front of the tall skyscrapers with his mouth open and ......... at them.
6 When Julia saw her husband with another woman, she was so shocked that she could do nothing but ......... at him in disbelief.
7 This man was their only hope and when he let them down they all ......... at him in alarm.
8. Brian had a feeling that the black Ford had been following him. He ......... in the rearview mirror to see if the car was still behind him.
9. The kids were told off many times for ......... through the keyhole while their parents were having an argument in the bedroom.
10. He ......... at his wife when she actually dared to oppose him.


Answers: (1.gazing 2.see. 3.glanced 4.gazing 5.gaped 6. stare 7. stared 8. glanced 9. peeping 10. glared.)

This is part of the information for my students about our trip to Gibraltar, "a little piece of the spanish U.K." on 16th February. We are all very excited about that. First of all, we present a brief history about how Spain lost that colony. Secondly, our students will have a brief and useful information of the city. Finally, I have summarised some of the main or worth-to-visit places in the Rock. This is a first approach to the topic, it will be widen in the following days.
This can also be very useful for teachers of the area to explain what happened with the colony.

Brief History about Gibraltar:

1492 AD: The Catholic King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella conquer Granada, the last vestige of the Muslim domination of Spain. The Jews are expelled from Spain and many pass through Gibraltar on their way into exile in North Africa.

1501 AD: It was Queen Isabella who, tired of the petty squabbling among her nobility, issued a decree on the 2nd December 1501 AD, making Gibraltar, Spanish crown property.

1704 AD: Life continued at a slow pace until the beginning of the eighteenth century. Then, on the 17th July 1704, a council of war was held aboard the English warship Royal Catherine off the North African town of Tetuan. Four days later the English fleet, under Admiral Sir George Rooke, entered the Gibraltar Bay. So in this way a joint Anglo-Dutch force captured Gibraltar, on behalf of Charles of Austria who was pretender to the throne of Spain.

1705 AD: Gibraltar is declared a 'free port', which leads to its development as an important international trading centre.

1713 AD: Spain under the Terms of the Treaty of Utrecht cedes Gibraltar to Britain in perpetuity.

General and Useful Information:

Languages: English and Spanish.
Population: 28, 750
Currency: Sterling.
Area: 8 km2
Political System: Democracy.


VISITS:

As a VAT free jurisdiction, Gibraltar's popularity with visitors is enhanced by its value added shopping experience in famed Main Street. A wide range of activities from rock touring, to sailing, diving, fishing and bird watching bring visitors back again and again.
Upper Rock:
Stand on top of the Rock of Gibraltar and you feel as if you were on top of the world. Europe is at your feet. Africa fills one horizon, while the gates to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic are on either side.

Great Siege Tunnels:

Tunnelling was made to get a projection of rock to allow the British guns to fire sideways on the attackers.
Apes :

Visit the Apes’ Den, home to some of Gibraltar’s famous Barbary Apes, the only free-to-roam primates in Europe. According to legend, if the Apes leave Gibraltar it will cease to be British. Watch out for monkey business though as they can be mischievous – and remember, they are wild animals. Don’t do anything to annoy them and do not feed them as they are fed fresh food every day.

St Michaels Cave:

The spectacular natural caverns of St Michael’s Cave begin about 350m above sea level and descend into the Rock. St Michael’s Cave forms a huge auditorium, which makes an unforgettable setting for concerts and live shows
Moorish Castle
Dating back to the 11th century, is made up of various buildings, gates, fortified walls and its most dominant features, The Tower of Homage and The Gate House.

THE CENTRE:

The Gibraltar Museum :

is centrally located within the City of Gibraltar, just one minute walking distance from the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned in Main Street. It is the ideal interpretation centre for Gibraltar, covering all aspects of its history and natural history, and is therefore a must for every visitor.
Situated in Bomb House Lane, the Gibraltar Museum houses the best-preserved Moorish Bath House in Europe. The Museum contains a rich collection of artefacts, weapons, medals, costumes, coins and postage stamps, together with a magnificently detailed old model of the Rock, constructed by officers of the Royal Engineers in 1865. Of particular interest is the outstanding collection of natural history.

Main Street:

Main Street, Gibraltar’s principal shopping thoroughfare, runs almost the length of town and the shops are filled with goods of all kinds at attractive prices. Turn off Main Street into the little lanes and alleys and there are even more shops. Gibraltar is a duty-free shopper’s paradise and still continues to offer duty free goods despite changes elsewhere in Europe. Shops are normally open by 9.30 am and stay open all day through to 7pm on weekdays, many close Saturday afternoon.

Who is Barack Obama?

Party : The Democrats - they're a bit like America's version of the Labour Party
Age: 47
Family :Married to Michelle, with two daughters
Fave song : Ready Or Not by The Fugees

Background:
He is the first black candidate to become the presidential candidate of either major American party.
His mum's American, his dad is African and he was born on one of the American islands of Hawaii. He also lived in Indonesia, in south east Asia, for a while as a child.
After studying law at one of the country's top universities, he worked as a lawyer for people's rights before getting into politics.

What happens next for Obama?

Barack Obama will not be sworn in as President of the United States of America until 20 January 2009 - this is called inauguration day. Until then George Bush is still in charge and Obama will be called the President-elect.

The outgoing President is often known as a 'lame-duck' during this period because everyone knows the new guy is just around the corner.


What will he do between now and then?
The next 11 weeks are known as the transition period, when the President-elect starts thinking about his new job, what he's going to do, and who he wants on his team.

He'll also have experts from George Bush's team getting him up to speed on all the topics that he'll need to know lots about for his new job.


What's at the top of Obama's to-do list as President?
Barack Obama has a big job on his hands, as people are expecting a lot from him. Here are some of the things he's talked about getting his teeth into:

The economic crisis

Health - better access to healthcare for the 45 million Americans who don't have medical insurance - including free healthcare for all children

Education - more teachers and better pay for them

Climate change - wants to slash greenhouse gas emissions and invest in clean energy
Changes like these need money - and with the current cash crisis this could prove tricky for the new president. But the USA and the rest of the world will be watching to see how he gets on.
He wants America to lead the way in the global effort to tackle climate change, including slashing America's greenhouse gas emissions by a whopping 80% by the year 2050.
He also says he will invest a staggering $150billion (about £100 billion) over 10 years in clean energy.

War in Iraq
Obama was against the war in Iraq and says he will pull out all the American troops within 16 months.

Other stuff
By winning the election, he has become America's first black President.

As little as 50 years ago, African Americans didn't have the same rights as everyone else and in some places, black and white children weren't even allowed to go to the same schools.
Although racism is still a problem in some parts of America, lots of people think that if Obama can win the election it would show the rest of the world how much America has changed.

Reading about OBAMA.

Why is a black president a big deal?

Barack Obama's made history as America's first black president, but why's it such a big deal he's got the top job?
In the 17th and 18th centuries hundreds of thousands of Africans were sold into slavery in America and made to work on cotton and tobacco plantations.


In 1865 slavery was abolished, but black people still didn't have equal rights and had to go to separate schools, churches, and even had to play on different footie teams.
In 1955, a woman, Rosa Parks, sparked protests by refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man - which was against the law at the time.

The protests were led by this man, Martin Luther King, who said he had a dream that one day black and white people in America would be able to come together as equals.

In 1964 the country made a huge leap forward with the introduction of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which made it illegal to treat people differently because of their race.
But until now, the top job has always gone to a white man, so it's a huge deal for America, and the rest of the world, that Barack Obama has become president.

American Culture Class

Barack Obama's Quiz

Question 1
Where was Barack Obama born?

A: Kenya
B: Hawaii
C: Australia

Question 2
In which country was Barack Obama's dad born?

A: America
B: Kenya
C: England

Question 3
What are the names of Barack Obama's daughters?

A: Malia and Sasha
B: Malia and Michelle
C: Michelle and Sasha

Question 4
In which state was Barack Obama elected a senator?

A: Ohio
B: Kentucky
C: Illinois

Question 5
Who did Barack Obama beat to be chosen as the candidate the Democratic party picked to run for president?

A: Hillary Clinton
B: Joseph Lieberman
C: Mitt Romney

You have to surf the net to find your answers!!

I recommend you: http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Question Tags ( oral practice)

Getting to know you

Question Tags

(This Speaking and writing activity is used to promote the use of question tags in class. I have observed that there aren't many speaking activities to practice the question tags, so I have made this one to help you. The ativity has been used in 4 ESO level (15 yrs old students), it was very funny and practical, I hope you like it)

Choose a person from your class.

Complete the sentences with information that you think is true,

e.g. ‘Your name is Juan…’

Now complete the second part of the sentence with a question tag,

e.g. ‘Your name is Juan, isn’t it?’

1. Your name is __________, __________ ?

2. You are from __________, __________ ?

3. You have been in this class for __________, __________ ?

4. You have __________ brothers and sisters, __________?

5. You think English is __________, __________ ?

6. You are interested in __________, __________ ?

7. Outside the class, you __________, __________ ?

8. In the future, you plan to __________, __________ ?

9. You spent your last holidays in __________, __________ ?

10. This evening, you are going to __________, __________ ?

Now ask the questions and see if your ideas are right.

Relative Clauses : Defining and Non-Defining, (Especificativas y Explicativas)

We use relative clauses to give additional information about something without starting another sentence. By combining sentences with a relative clause, your text becomes more fluent and you can avoid repeating certain words.
How to Form Relative Clauses :
Imagine, a girl is talking to Tom. You want to know who she is and ask a friend whether he knows her. You could say:
A girl is talking to Tom. Do you know the girl?
That sounds rather complicated, doesn't it? It would be easier with a relative clause:
Do you know the girl who is talking to Tom?

Relative Pronouns:

WHO: used to design people.
WHICH: used to refer to animals or things.
WHOSE: Possesion for people , animals, or things.
WHOM: object pronoun for people. (in non-defining relative clauses)
THAT: used for animals, people and things in defining relative clauses. It can substitute which or who in these sentences.
WHEN: refers to time expressions.
WHERE: refers to a place.
WHY: Refers to a reason.

Defining Relative Clauses:
(Especificativas en Español)
Defining relative clauses (also called identifying relative clauses or restrictive relative clauses) give detailed information defining a general term or expression. Defining relative clauses are not put in commas.

Imagine, Tom is in a room with five girls. One girl is talking to Tom and you ask somebody whether he knows this girl. Here the relative clause defines which of the five girls you mean.

Do you know the girl who is talking to Tom?

Defining relative clauses are often used in definitions.

A seaman is someone who works on a ship.

Object pronouns in defining relative clauses can be dropped. (Sentences with a relative clause without the relative pronoun are called Contact Clauses.)

The boy (who/whom) we met yesterday is very nice.

Non-Defining Relative Clauses:
( Explicativas en Español)

Non-defining relative clauses (also called non-identifying relative clauses or non-restrictive relative clauses) give additional information on something, but do not define it. Non-defining relative clauses are put in commas.

Imagine, Tom is in a room with only one girl. The two are talking to each other and you ask somebody whether he knows this girl. Here the relative clause is non-defining because in this situation it is obvious which girl you mean.

Do you know the girl, who is talking to Tom?

Note: In non-defining relative clauses, who/which may not be replaced with that.

Object pronouns in non-defining relative clauses must be used.

Jim, who/whom we met yesterday, is very nice.

LET'S PRACTICE RELATIVE CLAUSES:

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TEST ONE (4 ESO/ 4th course Secondary Compulsory Education in Spain)-

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TEST TWO ( 1 and 2 Bachillerato/ 1st and 2nd course to attend University in Spain)

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Grammar on the text: SAN FRANCISCO ( focus on relative clauses)

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Grammar on the text: STONEHENGE (focus on relative pronouns)

(source: http://www.ego4u.com/)

Common Grammar Mistakes (2nd Part)

(squeak chalk : make a horrible sound with chalk on the blackboard (Chirriar una tiza.))

Verb forms:

Inconsistent tenses:
‘Her stepfather often comes to see her. One day he asks her..’
Wrong use of the present continuous instead of the present simple:
‘The atmosphere is tense and the author intensifies it further with words like…’
Wrong use of the infinitive instead of the present participle:
‘This is a way to protect herself and to avoid showing what she really feels’
‘This shows that she is not used to going into her son’s room’
Wrong use of the present participle instead of the infinitive:
‘This scene explains her decision to get rid of Harry’s belongings’
Wrong use of a ‘that’ subclause instead of the infinitive:
‘He would like the old man to leave’
‘She wants them to know’
Wrong use of ‘can’ instead of ‘may’:
‘When we watch movies we may or may not identify with the characters’
Wrong use of the present tense instead of the present perfect:
‘Jim and Crystal Styan have lived/have been living in a log cabin by a river for five years’

Possessive forms:
Wrong use of ‘who’s’ instead of ‘whose’:
‘The story is about a woman whose son has died’
Wrong use of ‘it’s’ instead of ‘its’:
‘This is an intriguing story, its setting is significant’
Wrong use of the definite article in possessive forms:
‘The Spielberg film / Spielberg’s film’

learning with Songs: Britney spears-womanizer

Lyrics Britney Spears lyrics - Womanizer lyrics

Learning with this song:

*Womanizer: A man who flirts with many girls.(spanish)Mujeriego o Donjuan.

*Chicks: slang for Girls. Chicas (spanish)

*Fakin' like a good one: try to show that you're a good person, but you're the opposite.

*Charming: this adjective is used to show that a person is irresistible for people in general.

*Companion: your mate, lover...someone who is with you.

*If we both lived in a different world it would be all good, and maybe I could be ya girl: this is an example of 2nd type conditional. (Ejemplo de 2 tipo de condicional). It's used to express an irreal action, something that will not happen in the future.
*Ya: your.