Lesson 9
Hello and welcome to the final blog entry for this course.
In our ninth lesson we focused on crime and punishment. For grammar we looked at relative clauses, and for vocabulary we spoke about crime and justice.
Here is a detailed video that looks at defining relative clauses:
Here is a detailed video that explains non-defining relative clauses:
For homework I asked you to finish exercise 3c on page 58, and then complete the Vocabulary Focus exercises on page 162. You also need to complete the Grammar Focus exercises on page 146.
From the blue grammar textbook, you should complete Units 92-97. (These will give you a much better basic understanding of relative clauses.)
From the green grammar textbook, you should complete Units 53-59. (These are much more advanced exercises.)
That’s all for today.
See you next week!
Steve
Lesson 8
Welcome back to the blog.
In our eighth lesson we talked about memories and remembering. Click here for a link the to Cambridge Dictionary with some examples of more vocabulary related to memory (click on each specific word or phrase for a definition).
For grammar we looked at causative structures with ‘have’ and ‘get’.
Here is a video that specifically looks at the causative verbs ‘have’ and ‘get’:
Here is another, longer, video which looks at all the different ways (including causative structures) that ‘have’ and ‘get’ can be used in English:
For homework I asked you to complete the exercises for Vocabulary Focus 4B on page 161 You also need to complete the exercises for Grammar Focus 4B on page 145. Finally, you should complete the exercises for Unit 46 in the blue grammar textbook.
That’s all for today.
Steve
Lesson 7
In our seventh lesson we spoke about using instinct and reason.
For grammar homework you were asked to look at noun phrases.
Please click on this link to the British Council website for a comprehensive explanation of all forms of noun phrases. I also recommend completing the exercises given on this webpage.
For homework you were asked to complete exercises 3b, 3c, 4a and 4b on page 45. You should then complete the grammar exercises on page 144 AFTER YOU HAVE READ THE EXPLANATION AT THE TOP OF THE SAME PAGE. Next, you need to complete the Vocabulary Focus exercises on page 161.
That’s all for today.
See you next week!
Steve
Lesson 6
Welcome back to the blog. In our sixth lesson we spoke about describing journeys and landscapes. For grammar we looked at ways to speak about the future in the past to talk about past interntions. For homework you will also read about narrative tenses.
Here is a short video that explains the different ways to speak about the future in the past:
Here is a very quick video that gives a good example of the narrative tenses:
This video gives a more detailed explanation of the narrative tenses:
For homework you should complete exercises 4e, 5a and 5c on page 37. You also need to complete the grammar exercises on page 143 and the vocabulary exercises on page 160.
Finally, you should complete Units 13 and 14 from the green grammar textbook.
Have a great weekend!
Steve
Lesson 5
Hello again.
In our fifth lesson we read and spoke about volunteering. For grammar we looked at how to emphasise positive and negative experiences using inversion. For vocabulary homework you were asked to do an exercise on wealth and poverty.
Here is a short video that explains how nd why we use inversion:
Here is a much longer video which provides many different examples of how inversion is commonly used:
For homework I asked you to complete the Vocabulary exercises 5a and 5b on page 34, and all of the grammar exercises on page 142. For extra homework from the green grammar textbook, you should also complete Units 99 and 100, and the exercises on page 250.
See you next week.
Steve
Lesson 4
Welcome back to the blog.
In our fourth lesson we did a reading exercise about zero-gravity flights. It had some high-level vocabulary, including several verbs related to movement. We also looked at some words that conveyed more exact, descriptive, and concise meanings than other more common words.
For grammar homework I asked you to read about intentions and arrangements.
Although the verbs we spoke about in class are able to be used more generally to talk about movement related to speed, here is a video that explains some verbs that are related to movement in a variety of different contexts:
Here are two videos that focus on verbs of movement that relate specifically to your body:
For homework, you should first complete exercise 2a on page 25 and the complete the exercises for Vocabulary Focus 2B on page 159. Next, you need to read the information and complete the grammar exercises on page 141. Finally, you should complete exercise 4b on page 25.
For EXTRA homework (which explains the same grammar topic in greater detail), you should read and complete Unit 20, 23 and 24 from the BLUE Grammar textbook, as well as Unit 9, 10, 11 and 12 from the GREEN grammar textbook.
That’s all for today.
Steve
Lesson 3
Hello again.
In our third lesson we described extreme sensory experiences. We focused on sounds, both pleasant and unpleasant. For grammar we looked at some different ways to make comparisons. For vocabulary homework I asked you to look at some multi-word verbs related to social interaction.
Here’s a video that gives a good overall explanation of comparisons; including how to modify comparisons, and also different structures:
Some have been asking about pronunciation and your accents. Here is a video playlist that will help you to relax,or ‘soften’, your accent. The videos will play one one after the other:
For homework I asked you to do the exercises for 5a and b on page 22. You also need to do the grammar exercises on page 140.
I aslo gave you extra grammar homework. From the BLUE grammar textbook, you should complete Units 105-108. From the RED grammar textbook, you should complete Unit 72.
That’s all for today.
Steve
Lesson 2
Welcome back to the course blog!
In our second lesson we read and spoke about how languages can change over time. We looked at various words that have only become commonly used in the English language at various points over the last 120 years.
For vocabulary we looked at different ways of describing change. For grammar homework I asked you to read about the perfect aspect.
Here is a video that explains Present Perfect Simple:
This video looks at the difference between Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Continuous:
Here is a video that explains the Past Perfect Simple tense:
This video looks at the difference between Past Perfect Simple and Past Perfect Continuous:
Here is a video that looks at Future Perfect Simple:
Here is a video that looks at the Future Perfect Continuous:
For our main homework, I asked you to read and complete all of the exercises for ‘1B The perfect aspect’ (on the photocopy of page 139).
For extra homework I gave you Units 3, 5, 6, 7 and 11. These look at the same topics in more details. I also gave you a copy of the answers for these exercises.
That’s all for today.
Steve
Lesson 1
Hello everyone, and welcome to the course blog!
This blog will help you get the most out of this course. After each lesson I will update it with details of what we have done in each lesson, as well as tell you what homework has been given. In future blogs I may also include links to videos or other webpages to read to help your learning.
We began our first lesson by introducing ourselves to each other. It was very nice to meet you all.
We then discussed various issues related to learning a second language. We also completed a reading exercise on the same topic.
For grammar, we looked at adverbs and adverbial phrases.
Here is a very detailed video that explains what adverbs are and how they are used:
Here is a video which focuses on how adverbial phrases are used:
For homework, you need to complete exercise 2b on page 9. You should then read and complete the exercises on page 138. You also need to complete the exercises on the photocopies of Unit 74 and Unit 75.
That’s all for today.
Steve