segunda-feira, 8 de maio de 2017

this, that – these, those


Resultado de imagem para this that these those

      This, that – these, those

Thisthatthesethose











Thisthatthesethose as determiners

Pointing to things


Time phrases











Thisthatthesethose as pronouns

Referring to things or ideas


Referring to people











This and thesethat and those: uses

Physical closeness and distance


Emotional distance


Shared knowledge and new information


Substitution with that, those



Tips to learn English III




                     Resultado de imagem para learning english

Here are more 10 things, from a series of 100, you can do to improve your English (in no order).

21. Don’t be in such a hurry to move up a level. Concentrate on the level you are at now.

22. Watch DVDs rather than TV. It’s better to use something that you can watch over again to catch information you might have missed the first time.

23. Watching TV only gives you the chance to hear something correctly first time. This is better for high level students. It can be great practice for speaking to native English speakers so you don’t have to ask them to repeat themselves!

24. Read graded readers. These books are especially written for your level. Read a whole novel. You can do it! You’ll feel great afterwards.

25. Children’s books have easier words and are a good alternative to graded readers.

26. Newspapers are a good place to find passive constructs. Read through an article and see if you can find the passive sentences.

27. Read for the general meaning first. Don’t worry about understanding every word, then go back and look up new words.

28. For a word you don’t understand in a sentence, look at the other words around it. They will give you a hint. Try to guess the meaning from the context.

29. Learn root words. They’ll help you guess the meaning of words. For example: scrib = write, min = small

30. When you learn a new word, think of all its other forms: Beautiful (adjective), beauty (noun), beautifully (adverb).

domingo, 7 de maio de 2017

Commas in English

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Commas in English, Punctuation

When do we use commas?

ExplanationExamples
1. separate independent clauses
The following conjunctions (so-called coordinating conjunctions) are used in such case: *
and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet
The students asked for a second chance to rewrite the exam, but the teacher did not grant it.
2.1. after introductory subclausesIf you leave the door open, the dog might run away.
2.2. after introductory phrasesAs a matter of fact, I’m going on vacation to Hawaii next week.
2.3. after introductory wordsUnfortunately, he was convicted of a crime and put into jail.
3.1. when subclauses appear in the middle of the sentence.Jill, who was sitting behind her desk, gave Tim a smile.
3.2. when phrases appear in the middle of the sentence.We, as a matter of course, will contact your former employer.
3.3. when words appear in the middle of the sentence.We have, however, found several severe errors.
4. to set off three or more words, phrases or mainclauses in a serious.She went into the living room, sat down, and played chess on the computer.
5. to set off two or more coordinate adjectives, that is, the meaning does not change when the order is altered.We had to travel over several narrow, winding,treacherous roads.
6. at the end of a sentence in order to indicate a pause.He was merely ignorant, not stupid.
7. to set off a nonrestrictive (also non-defining) relative clause. **Theodore Roosevelt, who was leader of the famous rough riders, became president in 1901.
8. when someone is addressed directly.Susan, can you help me do the dishes please?
9. when a direct quotation is included.Descartes said,“I think, therefore I am.”
10. to show an appositive. ***Bill Clinton, former US president, is still very popular in Europe.
11. in dates.Yes, July 17, 1972, was the date of his birth.
12. separate identical words.How it is, is how it’s always been.
13. in front of tag questions.Bring me the tools, will you?
14. after digits indicating thousands.10,000
9,999,999
15.1. after a salutation in letters.Dear John,
15.2. after a farewell in letters.
Sincerely yours,
  • * Note that ‘but’ and ‘and’ do not take a comma when both are relatively short.
  • ** restrictive relative clause= they tell us which person or thing, or which kind of person or thing, is meant;
    non-restrictive relative clause = they tell us more about a person or thing that is already identified.
  • *** When an appositive is only one word, no comma is needed.

Tips to learn English II





                       Resultado de imagem para learning english

Here are more 10 things, from a series of 100, you can do to improve your English (in no order).


11. Plan to take a test. You’ll find that you work harder when you need to study for something.

12. Saying that, it’s better not to study just to take a test. Think of the bigger picture. What can you do when you have a good command of English? How will the quality of your life improve?

13. Give yourself a long term goal. Focus on working towards it.

14. Give yourself short term goals too and reward yourself when you achieve each one.

15. Create an atmosphere in which you want to learn, not because you have to. You’ll learn more when you’re learning because you want to.

16. Know what works best for you. Think about what methods have been successful for you in the past and stick with them.

17. Figure out how you learn. It can be by memorising, reading, speaking, summarising or other methods. Find out how you study best. It can be in a quiet place by yourself or with a group.

18. Get help! If you don’t understand something you’ve got to ask someone. Ask your teacher, classmates or friends for help.

19. Review! Review! Review! Make sure that you take the time to review things you have studied in the past.

20. It’s not a good idea to study on your own for more than 30 minutes at a time. Take regular breaks, get some fresh air and stretch your legs.