TENSE REVIEW

Hi!

Check this:

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbtenseintro.html

In this page you will find a lot of exercises to practise grammar tenses.

Present simple, continuous and perfect
Past simple, continuous and perfect
Future simple, continuous and perfect
Present, past and future perfect continuous

For advanced levels: Now, you are masters so try the Verb Tense Practice and Final Tests (They are at the end of the menu!)

Possessive pronouns and adjectives

Mexican students generally find difficult the use of possessives and they tend to make mistakes such as:

"Michael has a dog, your dog is a Schnawzer (your instead of HIS)"

The solution?... Study and practise!

Using Possessive Pronouns and Adjectives

A possessive adjective is usually used to describe a noun, and it comes before it, like other adjectives.

My car is bigger than her car.

My name is John and his name is Dany.

A possessive pronoun is used instead of ("en lugar de") a noun. We use pronouns to avoid repeating information that is already clear.

Julie's car is red. Mine is blue.

In this example Mine is a possessive pronoun that replaces my car.

Forms of Possessive Pronouns and Adjectives

Person	Pronoun	Adjective
1st singular	mine	my
2nd	yours	your
3rd (female)	hers	her
3rd (male)	his	his
3rd (neutral)	its	its
1st plural	ours	our
3rd plural	theirs	their

QUIZZES

Possessive adjectives

http://a4esl.org/q/h/fb005-bp.html

http://members.iinet.net.au/~adelegc/grammar/possessive_adjectives/possessiveadjectives.html

Possessive pronouns

http://www.grammar.cl/Games/Possessive_Pronouns.htm

http://a4esl.org/q/h/vc-pronouns-lb.html

Avoiding repetition - synonyms.

Synonyms are different words (or sometimes phrases) with identical or very similar meanings.

When you create sentences, you can make them more interesting by using words that mean the same as the word you are speaking about. This allows you to add variety to your vocabulary.

Here are some tips to use synonyms properly.

1. Step 1

   Use synonyms to add flavor to your writing. Your writing can sound boring if you use the same words over and over.

2. Step 2

   Fix the following sentence by changing the second word house to home. For example, "I live in a nice house and my house is in Canada." Change the second house to home and the sentence sounds much better. "I live in a nice house and my home is in Canada."

3. Step 3

   Exchange common nouns for a synonym when you want to be more specific. For example, you talk about a dance in a sentence like the following sentence: I like to dance every weekend. You can be more specific if you say "I like to waltz every weekend."

4. Step 4

   Check the meaning of the synonyms you use in a dictionary so you don't use the wrong word by accident.

5. Step 5

   Use a thesaurus to pick synonyms to enhance your writing. Look up the word you want to change and choose from the list of synonyms.

6. Step 6

   Find a thesaurus online or in a word processing program if you are writing on a computer. Open Microsoft Word. Select your word, click "Tools" on the menu bar at the top of your screen and choose "Language" and "Thesaurus." The computer will present you with a list of words you can substitute for your own word. Choose from the list to switch words.

7. Step 7 (and the most important)
   

When choosing a synonym consider stylistic, regional, emotional, or other differences.
Some words are only used in formal or informal context, or they may vary the content!


GAMES:

-To win it you must be effective and fast!

http://www.scholastic.com/wordgirl/synonym_toast.htm


- In this game you can also listen to the pronunciation of the words.

http://pbskids.org/lions/games/synsam.html

POST YOUR SYNONYMS AND EXEMPLIFY THEM!

1. Write the word and its category (adjective, verb, noun, adverb) and definition
2. Write the synonyms
3. Write a sentence to put them whithin a context

Example.

SKILLED (adj.)
Having or showing a specialized ability or training.

SYNONYMS: talented/ expert/ competent/ proficient/ accomplished/ trained/ skilful/ be a dab hand at

"She is not only a skilled painter, she is also an accomplished piano player."

Avoiding repetition.

Hi Guys!

To avoid repetition in many languages, it is common for words to be missed out (ellipsis or omission) or substituted by other words: pronouns, synonyms.

We use these resources to make comments in conversations and avoid repeating info that has just been given or to shorten our speech when the meaning is clear without saying the complete sentence. Examples:

OMISSIONS

A) I can run long distances without getting tired.
B) You can't (run long distances...),,can you (run long distances...)?

A) Are you going to the match?
B) I'd like to (go)

SUBSTITUTIONS

My father works for a foreign company. He likes his job.

A) I bought my English book in American Bookstore in Polanco.

B) I bought mine in the FESI bookshop.

SYNONYMS

A) Sorry, I haven't got time to talk now.

B) Perhaps we can have a chat later on.

Check this link to have some practice!

http://www.llas.ac.uk/materialsbank/mb061/8.11/index.htm

Writing letters

These are some links with tips, key vocabulary, layouts and rules for writing letters.

Formal letters: http://www.usingenglish.com/resources/letter-writing.html

Informal letters: http://www.scribd.com/doc/12258697/How-to-Write-Informal-Letters

Questions are welcome!

Hi!

In this post I invite you to:

Add comments with any kind of questions: grammar rules, vocabulary...
Ask for advice such as: study techniques...

Feel free to comment I'll answer as soon as possible!

Tongue twisters (trabalenguas)

Try to say these 3 times as fast as you can!

EXTRA EASY:

Unique New York.


Red lorry, yellow lorry, red lorry, yellow lorry.


A noisy noise annoys an oyster.


Strange strategic statistics.

EASY:

Six thick thistle sticks. Six thick thistles stick.


A big black bug bit a big black bear,
made the big black bear bleed blood.


Give papa a cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup

MEDIUM:

Ruby Rugby's brother bought and brought her
back some rubber baby-buggy bumpers.


Say this sharply, say this sweetly,
Say this shortly, say this softly.
(Say this sixteen times in succession.)


If one doctor doctors another doctor, does the doctor
who doctors the doctor doctor the doctor the way the
doctor he is doctoring doctors? Or does he doctor
the doctor the way the doctor who doctors doctors?

DIFFICULT:

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers?
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?


She sells sea shells by the sea shore.
The shells she sells are surely seashells.
So if she sells shells on the seashore,
I'm sure she sells seashore shells.


Betty Botter had some butter,
"But," she said, "this butter's bitter.
If I bake this bitter butter,
it would make my batter bitter.
But a bit of better butter--
that would make my batter better."

So she bought a bit of butter,
better than her bitter butter,
and she baked it in her batter,
and the batter was not bitter.
So 'twas better Betty Botter
bought a bit of better butter


For more English and non-English tongue twisters, I recommend Michael Reck's page of International Tongue Twisters. He has tongue twisters in many different languages!

Love parody?

Hi!

I found this cartoon which parodies romantic relationships. Any similarity with the reality is mere coincidence ;D

Only listen for fun while practising English!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmBkpXOP6EY&feature=channel

You can check the other cartoons they're also good.