Friday, 21st October 2016
Write a story (100 words) about a time you went to a museum (if you have never visited a museum, make up a story).
In your story you have to include vocabulary words from Unit 1: paintings, background, sculptures, art gallery, portraits, mural and landscapes.
Friday, 15th October 2016
Correspondence
Write an email to a friend telling him/her about your summer.
Include: * Where did you go?
* What did you do?
* Who were you with?
(Write 5 Past Simple sentences)
Friday, 15th April 2016
Correspondence
Last week you played a new sport for the first time. Write a letter to your English penfriend about the sport. Say what equipment is necessary and tell him what you like and dislike about the sport. (100 words approximately)
Friday, 8th April 2016
Factual Writing
An older relative recently bought a mobile phone but cannot use it very well. Write some simple instructions for your relative telling her how to send an SMS message. (100 words approximately)
Friday, 1st April 2016
Correspondence
Your Irish friend is going to visit your area next month, but cannot decide where to go. Write an email to your friend comparing two different places you know well. Say which one is best for your friend.
Friday, 11th March 2016
Descriptive / Creative writing
Write a description (true or imaginary) for a writing competition about a time when you helped a friend in trouble. Describe what you did to help and explain what you have learnt from the experience.
Friday, 4th March 2016
Descriptive / Creative writing
Write your diary (true or imaginary) for a day when you had the opportunity to do something you have always wanted to do.
Friday, 26th February 2016
Creative writing
Write a Halloween story in which there is a cat, a monster with a problem and a haunted house. Have also someone speaking!!
Friday, 19th February 2016
Factual writing
Write an article for a music magazine about a popular band. Say how long they have been famous, explain why a lot of people like them and give your opinion of their songs.
Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action.
Example: My bike was stolen.
In the example above, the focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen. I do not know, however, who did it.
Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example shows:
Example: A mistake was made.
In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone (e.g. You have made a mistake.).
Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3rd column of irregular verbs)
Example: A letter was written.
When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:
| Tense | Subject | Verb | Object | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | Active: | Rita | writes | a letter. |
| Passive: | A letter | is written | by Rita. | |
| Simple Past | Active: | Rita | wrote | a letter. |
| Passive: | A letter | was written | by Rita. | |
| Present Perfect | Active: | Rita | has written | a letter. |
| Passive: | A letter | has been written | by Rita. | |
| Future I | Active: | Rita | will write | a letter. |
| Passive: | A letter | will be written | by Rita. | |
| Hilfsverben | Active: | Rita | can write | a letter. |
| Passive: | A letter | can be written | by Rita. | |
| Tense | Subject | Verb | Object | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present Progressive | Active: | Rita | is writing | a letter. |
| Passive: | A letter | is being written | by Rita. | |
| Past Progressive | Active: | Rita | was writing | a letter. |
| Passive: | A letter | was being written | by Rita. | |
| Past Perfect | Active: | Rita | had written | a letter. |
| Passive: | A letter | had been written | by Rita. | |
| Future II | Active: | Rita | will have written | a letter. |
| Passive: | A letter | will have been written | by Rita. | |
| Conditional I | Active: | Rita | would write | a letter. |
| Passive: | A letter | would be written | by Rita. | |
| Conditional II | Active: | Rita | would have written | a letter. |
| Passive: | A letter | would have been written | by Rita. | |
Personal Passive simply means that the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. So every verb that needs an object (transitive verb) can form a personal passive.
Example: They build houses. – Houses are built.
Verbs without an object (intransitive verb) normally cannot form a personal passive sentence (as there is no object that can become the subject of the passive sentence). If you want to use an intransitive verb in passive voice, you need an impersonal construction – therefore this passive is called Impersonal Passive.
Example: he says – it is said
Impersonal Passive is not as common in English as in some other languages (e.g. German, Latin). In English, Impersonal Passive is only possible with verbs of perception (e. g. say, think, know).
Example: They say that women live longer than men. – It is said that women live longer than men.
Although Impersonal Passive is possible here, Personal Passive is more common.
Example: They say that women live longer than men. – Women are said to live longer than men.
The subject of the subordinate clause (women) goes to the beginning of the sentence; the verb of perception is put into passive voice. The rest of the sentence is added using an infinitive construction with ’to’ (certain auxiliary verbs and that are dropped).
Sometimes the term Personal Passive is used in English lessons if the indirect object of an active sentence is to become the subject of the passive sentence.
Friday, 12th February 2016
Correspondence
An American film company is making a film in your area next month and they are looking for extras. Write a letter to the film company explaining why you want to be an extra and saying why you might be suitable. Ask for more information about the film.
Friday, 5th February 2016
Correspondence
You have just won a large sum of money in a lottery. Write an email to your best friend to tell him or her the good news. Explain how you are planning to spend the money and ask your friend what he / she thinks of your ideas.
Friday, 29th January 2016
Write a short story (approximately 150 words). In your story there should be a cat, a party, and a bus.
Friday, 22nd January 2016
Yesterday something important happened to you or to your family.
Write your diary for that day (approximately 75 words) saying:
i) what happened
ii) how important it was
iii) how you felt about it.
Using the present perfect, we can define a period of time before now by considering its duration, with for + a period of time, or by considering its starting point, with since + a point in time.
indicates that the action has happened in the very recent past and it is completed, e.g.
a. I’ve just lost my car keys and can’t leave for work.
b. Don’t call John, I’ve just done it.
Just can be placed before the main verb (past participle).
indicates the existence of past events, and emphasizing the pastness of the event with a redundant before e.g.
a. She has seen the movie before.
b. I have met her before the summer.
Before is usually placed at the end of the sentence.
It is also used in questions:
already can be placed before the main verb (past participle) or at the end of the sentence:
is used in negative statements and questions, to mean (not) in the period of time between before now and now, (not) up to and including the present. e.g.
Yet is usually placed at the end of the sentence.
[was/were + verb-ING]
Examples:
Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The interruption is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.
Examples:
In USE 1, described above, the Past Continuous is interrupted by a shorter action in the Simple Past. However, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.
Examples:
In the Simple Past, a specific time is used to show when an action began or finished. In the Past Continuous, a specific time only interrupts the action.
Examples:
When you use the Past Continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the same time. The actions are parallel.
Examples:
In English, we often use a series of parallel actions to describe the atmosphere at a particular time in the past.
Example:
The Past Continuous with words such as "always" or "constantly" expresses the idea that something irritating or shocking often happened in the past. The concept is very similar to the expression "used to" but with negative emotion. Remember to put the words "always" or "constantly" between "be" and "verb+ing."
Examples:
It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses. Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses. Instead of using Past Continuous with these verbs, you must use Simple Past.
Examples:
The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
Examples:
