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15/3/12
Printers are sent from hell!
These are the reasons why we hate printers! (Motivos por los que odiar las impresoras)
14/3/12
NEEDN'T OR DON'T NEED TO.
This is a difficult question because most of the times we can use both of them.
1.
Both these forms are used to talk about past events, but there is sometimes a difference in use. When we say that someone needn't have done something, it means that they did it, but it was not necessary. Didn't need to is also sometimes used in this way:
2.
There is also a difference in use when these verbs are used to describe present situations. We can use both needn't and don't need to to give permission to someone not to do something in the immediate future.
You don't need to water the garden this evening. It's going to rain tonight.
Para resumir: (en Español)
-Usamos Needn't y don't need to para dar permiso en el futuro inmediato.
- Pero sólo usamos Don't need to cuando hablamos de una necesidad general, no personal, algo común a todos.
- Usamos Needn't o Didn't need to en el pasado para expresar la no necesidad de haber hecho algo en el pasado, pero que sí hicimos.
-Pero sólo usamos Didn't need to en el pasado para expresar que no tuvimos la necesidad de hacer algo en el pasado finalmente.
1.
Both these forms are used to talk about past events, but there is sometimes a difference in use. When we say that someone needn't have done something, it means that they did it, but it was not necessary. Didn't need to is also sometimes used in this way:
You needn't have washed the dishes. I would've put them in the dishwasher.
You didn't need to wash the dishes. I would've put them in the dishwasher.
But we also use didn't need to to say that something was not necessary under circumstances where it was not done:
The sun came out so we didn't need to take any rainwear on the trip. 2.
There is also a difference in use when these verbs are used to describe present situations. We can use both needn't and don't need to to give permission to someone not to do something in the immediate future.
You don't need to water the garden this evening. It's going to rain tonight.
You needn't water the garden this evening. It's going to rain tonight.
3.
However, when we are talking about general necessity, we normally use don't need to:
You don't need to pay for medical care in National Health Service hospitals.
4.
4.
NEED can either act as a modal verb or as an ordinary verb. When it acts as a modal auxiliary verb it is nearly always used in negative sentences, as the above examples illustrate.
Para resumir: (en Español)
-Usamos Needn't y don't need to para dar permiso en el futuro inmediato.
- Pero sólo usamos Don't need to cuando hablamos de una necesidad general, no personal, algo común a todos.
- Usamos Needn't o Didn't need to en el pasado para expresar la no necesidad de haber hecho algo en el pasado, pero que sí hicimos.
-Pero sólo usamos Didn't need to en el pasado para expresar que no tuvimos la necesidad de hacer algo en el pasado finalmente.
13/3/12
TO BE WORTH IT (vale la pena)
La expresión " To be worth it" es un tanto estraña para el hispano hablante. Significa que merece o vale la pena.
Si yo digo : " It is worth it!" vale la pena!
Si en cambio digo "it is not worth it" No vale la pena!
Para preguntar sería: " Is it woth it?" ¿ merece la pena?
Is it worth it to study so hard? ¿Merece la pena estudiar tanto?
Si yo digo : " It is worth it!" vale la pena!
Si en cambio digo "it is not worth it" No vale la pena!
Para preguntar sería: " Is it woth it?" ¿ merece la pena?
Is it worth it to study so hard? ¿Merece la pena estudiar tanto?
12/3/12
What is SMALL TALK ?
In most English-speaking countries, it is normal and necessary to make "small talk" in certain situations.
Small talk is a casual form of conversation that "breaks the ice" or fills an awkward silence between people. Even though you may feel shy using your second language, it is sometimes considered rude to say nothing. Just as there are certain times when small talk is appropriate, there are also certain topics that people often discuss during these moments.
Small talk is a casual form of conversation that "breaks the ice" or fills an awkward silence between people. Even though you may feel shy using your second language, it is sometimes considered rude to say nothing. Just as there are certain times when small talk is appropriate, there are also certain topics that people often discuss during these moments.
7/3/12
Passive sentences with two objects / oraciones pasivas con dos objetos
This kind of passives are a nightmare for my students . Above all the one in which the subject is the Indirect Object, which souns weird for the "spanish ears".
Here you are some examples: ( el objeto indirecto en rojo y el directo en verde)
1) Kevin asked Dennis a question. (active )
Dennis was asked a question by Kevin.
( En este caso el O.indirecto es el sujeto, verb to be en pasado como en la oración activa seguido de part. p.; el O. directo y finalmente el agente introducido con by, que era el sujeto en la activa)
A question was asked to Dennis by Kevin .
(Este ejemplo en el que el Objeto directo es sujeto de la pasiva es más españolizado, y menos frecuente en Inglés, pero gramaticalmente correcto.)
2) She gives him a box.
He is given a box.
(el sujeto es el OI; como el pronombre personal es dativo , lo cambiamos a sujeto por eso el pronombre personal sujeto de 3ªpers. sing es He y no him. )
A box is given to him.
( El sujeto es el Objeto directo. En ninguna d elas dos pasivas utilizamos el agente introducido por "by" ya que el sujeto es un mero pronombre. La pasiva en si se utiliza para obviar el sujeto, lo que nos interesa es la acción; encima si ni siquiera sabemos quien la realizó( she, they, somebody,,,) no lo ponemos en la pasiva.
Transforma estas frases a pasiva en las dos formas:
Transform these sentences into the passive voice, it's your turn!
3) The waiter brought Fred a big steak.
4) The teacher told us a joke.
5) Michael has not sent me a text message.
Have a look to the comments to find out the answers!!
(las soluciones en los comentarios, pero hazlas primero en un papel!!)
Here you are some examples: ( el objeto indirecto en rojo y el directo en verde)
1) Kevin asked Dennis a question. (active )
Dennis was asked a question by Kevin.
( En este caso el O.indirecto es el sujeto, verb to be en pasado como en la oración activa seguido de part. p.; el O. directo y finalmente el agente introducido con by, que era el sujeto en la activa)
A question was asked to Dennis by Kevin .
(Este ejemplo en el que el Objeto directo es sujeto de la pasiva es más españolizado, y menos frecuente en Inglés, pero gramaticalmente correcto.)
2) She gives him a box.
He is given a box.
(el sujeto es el OI; como el pronombre personal es dativo , lo cambiamos a sujeto por eso el pronombre personal sujeto de 3ªpers. sing es He y no him. )
A box is given to him.
( El sujeto es el Objeto directo. En ninguna d elas dos pasivas utilizamos el agente introducido por "by" ya que el sujeto es un mero pronombre. La pasiva en si se utiliza para obviar el sujeto, lo que nos interesa es la acción; encima si ni siquiera sabemos quien la realizó( she, they, somebody,,,) no lo ponemos en la pasiva.
Transforma estas frases a pasiva en las dos formas:
Transform these sentences into the passive voice, it's your turn!
3) The waiter brought Fred a big steak.
4) The teacher told us a joke.
5) Michael has not sent me a text message.
Have a look to the comments to find out the answers!!
4/2/12
Write an effective essay
Have a look to this video and you'll learn more about writting good and effective essays in class.
29/1/12
CHARLES DICKENS ATALE OF TWO CITIES
You can find the plot summary of the book and information about the aurthor, Charles Dickes and the Historical Background of the book; in the following file, you can download and print.
A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities
15/1/12
ADELE 'S SOMEONE LIKE YOU ( Improving your English with Songs"
We start a new series of songs to improve your English called: " Improving your English with songs"
You can download the Handout or worksheet below for free.
ADELE Someone like you
You can download the Handout or worksheet below for free.
ADELE Someone like you
JUST OR ONLY
Ambos significan "solamente" en Inglés. y son sinónimos la mayor parte del tiempo pero existen pequeñas diferencias:
Just’ and ‘only’ are adverbs that point to or emphasise one part of the clause. In the example , the same meaning is implied in both sentences:
I came just to speak with you for a couple of minutes.
I came only to speak with you for a couple of minutes.
But I’d like to point out that your sentences sound very formal and literary. On the one hand, ‘just’ and ‘only’ can ‘float around’ in a sentence and take more than one position. But on the other, the normal position in spoken English is between the subject and verb. They sound much better like this:
I just came to speak with you for a couple of minutes.
I only came to speak with you for a couple of minutes.
In many cases you’ll come across in spoken English, ‘just’ is used as a softener. I’d better give you an example to explain what I mean by ‘softener’:
Can I just ask you a question?
- what I’m saying here is ‘I want to ask you a question but I don’t want to inconvenience you and it’ll only take a short time’, whereas directly saying ‘Can I ask you a question?’ doesn’t have this tone.
So, we often use ‘just’ to add a polite tone, the word doesn’t specifically carry much meaning in itself.
There are other situations when we use ‘just’ but we can’t use ‘only’ in its place, for example, if I say ‘he was just here’, I’m trying to tell you he was here a few minutes ago.
So although I’ve told you about some differences, there are lots of times when they are synonymous. Basically, anytime you can use ‘only’, you can usually use ‘just’ to mean the same thing. But you’ve got to remember that the range of uses and meanings for ‘just’ are quite wide.
Follow this link to do an activity about Just and Only.
Just’ and ‘only’ are adverbs that point to or emphasise one part of the clause. In the example , the same meaning is implied in both sentences:
I came just to speak with you for a couple of minutes.
I came only to speak with you for a couple of minutes.
But I’d like to point out that your sentences sound very formal and literary. On the one hand, ‘just’ and ‘only’ can ‘float around’ in a sentence and take more than one position. But on the other, the normal position in spoken English is between the subject and verb. They sound much better like this:
I just came to speak with you for a couple of minutes.
I only came to speak with you for a couple of minutes.
In many cases you’ll come across in spoken English, ‘just’ is used as a softener. I’d better give you an example to explain what I mean by ‘softener’:
Can I just ask you a question?
- what I’m saying here is ‘I want to ask you a question but I don’t want to inconvenience you and it’ll only take a short time’, whereas directly saying ‘Can I ask you a question?’ doesn’t have this tone.
So, we often use ‘just’ to add a polite tone, the word doesn’t specifically carry much meaning in itself.
There are other situations when we use ‘just’ but we can’t use ‘only’ in its place, for example, if I say ‘he was just here’, I’m trying to tell you he was here a few minutes ago.
Follow this link to do an activity about Just and Only.
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