I still haven't found what I'm looking for (Lyrics training)

If you want to practise with the song we listened to in class, click on the image or on the link below. Enjoy it : https://lyricstraining.com/play/u2/i-still-havent-found-what-im-looking-for-live/H6w0ZDLHK6#b7w

I still haven't found what I'm looking for

The weekend is here, so let's celebrate it by singing. This time you can practise with U2's song : I still haven't found what I'm looking for. You have to fill in the lyrics with the verbs in the box, in the present perfect or the simple past. Are you ready ?

Complete the song  of U2 with the verbs in the box in present perfect or simple past

be (x2)          break              burn              carry              climb              crawl 

feel               not find (x8)    hold     kiss      loose         run(x2)      scale         speak 

I ___________ highest mountain 

I ___________ through the fields 

Only to be with you 

Only to be with you 

I ___________ 

I ___________ 

I ________ these city walls 

These city walls 

Only to be with you 

But I still _______________ what I'm looking for 

But I still ______________ what I'm looking for 

I __________ honey lips 

________ the healing in her fingertips 

It ________ like fire 

This burning desire 

I __________ with the tongue of angels 

I ___________the hand of a devil 

It _______ warm in the night 

I ________  cold as a stone 

But I still ___________ what I'm looking for 

But I still ___________ what I'm looking for 

I believe in the kingdom come 

Then all the colours will bleed into one 

Bleed into one 

Well yes I'm still running 

You _________ the bonds and you 

__________ the chains 

_______ the cross 

Of my shame 

Of my shame 

You know I believed it 

But I still ______________what I'm looking for 

But I still _____________what I'm looking for 

But I still _____________ what I'm looking for 

But I still _____________ what I'm looking for...

Consult your answers in the video 

Did you like this song ! I think is quite a good one ! If you want to continue practising with English songs, you can visit all my other exercises with songs in my blog in this link. In addition, you can learn by yourself in this webpage : Lyrics Training.

See you next week. 

My family

The best composition of the month : an informal email by Cristina Vilcán

Dear students, 

After having corrected all your emails, I have selected the best one. You can have a look at it and read it carefully. I'm sure it'll give you ideas if you have to write an email in your exams in June. This time, the winner hehe is no other than Cristina Vilcán. This is her amazing and remarkable piece of work by Cristina Vilcán

From : Cristina Vilcán

To : Helen M.

Subject : Meeting my friend

Dear Helen,

        I'm glad to hear from you and I'm very happy to know that you're going to stay in Madrid. How are things ? I haven't seen you for ages. 

       Although I'm busy during the week, we can meet later in the morning. I'm still working in the Association and I have to say it's going quite well. These days, I have to prepare a new project, but I'll try to find more time to meet you ! 

       I'd like to go sightseeing, but first you can have dinner with us. My family can't wait to see you. After that, we'll visit the Royal Palace, given that it's one of the most important monuments in Madrid ! When you've finished your conference, we can visit the Prado Museum. On Friday, I have two tickets for Malikian's concert. Do you like it ? Is there anything else you'd like to do those days ? 

       I'm looking forward to seeing you.

Kisses,

Cristina. 

P.S. Just in case, I'm writing down my phone number. It's 60000000000.

Wow ! A really impressive email, isn't it ? I hope that the expressions in bold can help you in your writing. Now if you want, you can leave a comment for Cristina in the blog. I'm sure she'll appreciate it. 

Present perfect exercises and do and make

Dear students of 2º Básico,
Here you have some exercises about the present perfect.
In addition, some exercises about just, already and yet.
To finish, some 'do' and 'make' exercises.
Enjoy them and revise your English.

Blue Monday and lyrics training

Dear students,
If you click on the photo, you will have access to the webpage Lyrics Training and you can do the exercise of this wonderful song again : 

Exercises on questions

Dear students, 

Here you have some exercises on question-making :

Here you have another one. 
Also pay attention to my webpage if you want to practise your grammar autonomously

Have a nice weekend. 

Friday, 13th

Dear students,
next Friday is Friday, 13th, so it is a good idea for you to learn something about superstitions. Have a look at this lovely presentation 

Friday, 13th

Hello,

You need to be careful of Friday, 13th. In most countries, it is Friday, 13th (and not Tuesday, 13th) that brings bad luck. But what are the origins of this terrible day ?

On Friday, 13th, 1307, a group of knights from the Templar Order were hanged and they didn't say where their treasure was hidden. There were 13 steps to the noose. From that day on, bad luck for everyone.

Besides, on Friday, 13th, a computer virus affected a lot of computers in Great Britain, so it is not advisable to use computers on this day.

Bad things associated to Fridays

- Jesus Christ was crucified on Friday.

- Adam and Eve ate the forbidden apple on Friday and they died on Friday.

- In Medieval times, people and criminals were hanged on Fridays.

- It is bad luck to start something on Friday and to have a haircut that day.

Bad things associated to number 13

- Number of people in the Last Supper (12 Apostles and Jesus Christ).

- In tarot, this is associated to death.

- Chapter 13 in the Apocalypse is linked to the Antichrist and the Beast.
- In the past, people bought things by the dozen. Having twelve guests for dinner meant thirteen people and, therefore, one didn't have enough cuttlery and crockery for them.

Bad luck bearers

a) Walk under a ladder                    

     b) Black cats and bats

c) Break a mirror                            d) Opening an umbrella indoors

    

e) Hats on the bed                                 f) Shoes on the table

   

Good luck charms
1. Rabbit feet                                                 2. Horseshoes 

         

3.Ladybirds / ladybugs                          4. Four-leaf clovers

     

5. Finding a penny                                  6. Red underpants

              

Words and idioms associated to luck 

- Break a leg (good luck before acting in front of public)

- Knock on wood (people do this when they see a black cat)

- Bad luck comes in threes (when you are unlucky, a lot of things happen to you)

- Beginner's luck (when you are debutant you will have an unexplainable stream of good luck)

- To get up on the wrong foot / on the wrong side of the bed (when you have a bad day, it may be because of this).

- Stepping on a crack will break your mother's back; stepping on a line will break your mother's spine : This is why children play games when they never step on lines or cracks.

- Triskadeikaphobia : This word actually means 'fear to Friday, 13th'.

Did you learn something about Friday, 13th ? Post a comment and tell me how your day went. Did you have any accidents or problems with computers ? What is your favourite good luck charm or bad luck bearer ? Post your comments.

The best videos about Christmas

Hello fellow bloggers,
Lately my blog seems more like the Quirks of Christmas rather than the Quirks of English, so I promise this will be but my last post about Christmas. Last week I wrote several blog entries (one about Christmas carols that included some exercises and videos; and another about Christmas vocabulary (I think it is pretty clear that I love the Christmas season). This time I would like to compile the funniest videos about Christmas. 

1. Do you like my decorations ?
As I mentioned in my post about the different Christmas traditions, one typically American tradition is to go to a farm to cut down your own real Christmas tree (or have it cut down). This video perfectly reflects that tradition in a funny, engaging and surprisingly humorous way. It also includes a pun with the word 'saw'. Simply hilarious. 

2. I gave my children a horrible Christmas present 

Jimmy Kimmel has a very famous late-show program in America. He likes pulling pranks and asking others to pull pranks too. One of his most famous and well-known pranks is to ask parents to tell their children that they ate all their Halloween candy. However, at Christmas, he also asks parents to give their children terrible presents. Watch the children's reaction. It's priceless ! :

3. The singing Christmas hedgehogs

This is an interactive video about some cute hedgehogs eager to sing a Christmas carol, but... you know... accidents always happen. Enjoy : 

4. Christmas clumsiness compilation 
This video shows a lot of clumsy people doing their best at Christmas...

5. The scary snowman
A spooky snowman terrifying pedestrian as they go past the street...

6. Christmas lights : Gangham Style 
Some people at Christmas go crazy and decorate their houses with tons and tons of lights. By contrast, other people go even crazier and use the lights to reproduce the song : Gangham Style...

7. Christmas pranks
A compilation of some very funny Christmas pranks. 

8. Santa's adventure to catch some Christmas cookies 
This Santa is a decoration on a Christmas tree trying by all means to eat some delicious Christmas cookies. But how will he go down the tree in the first place ?

9. John Lewis's advertisement

In this lovely ad, a young child eagerly awaits Christmas to get a special present...Really touching !

Did you like my selection of videos ? Would you like to share some more videos with me ? Well, Christmas is almost over. The Three Wise Men are about pop up with your presents. Have you been good or naughty ? We'll see, hehe. Remember, on the Twelfth Night (5th January), it is believed that you must remove all your Christmas decorations and ornaments to avoid bad luck and start the year on the right foot. I hope this Christmas has been fun and welcoming for you all. 
See you soon.
Enjoy the rest of the holidays.

New Year resolutions

Well, I start off with a new fresh entry of the blog in 2017. In this case, I intend to speak about New Year resolutions. I assume that you are familiar with them : New Year resolutions are the promises that you make at the beginning of the year, promises that you're willing to stick to, but, eventually, you usually break them, or do you not ? They are the principles that are going to lead your whole year, the commitments that you are willing to make this New Year but you failed to make last year. 

Here you have some possible structures in English that you can use to enunciate your New Year resolutions : 

This year, I will .../I'll

I intend to... this year

I hope I will ...  this year

I hope to... this year

I'd like to ... this year

I wish I could... this year

I promise I'll ... this year

This year I'll definitely ....

This year I'm going to...

What guidelines are you going to pursue during 2017 ? In my case, I intend to enjoy life a bit more; I wish I could control my temper a bit more this year and I'd like to be even happier. If possible, I hope to read more. Not so interesting resolutions, right ?

Now I'm going to share two videos with one. The first video is an example of some New Year resolutions set out by some people, you know, quit smoking, go to the gym and do exercise...

The second video attempts to answer the question : "do New Year resolutions work ?" from a scientific point of view. 

What are your New Year resolutions ? Please, share them with us : post them in a comment and try to stick to them. Remember, your intention is important. You have 365 opportunities to succeed in this newly born year !