St. Patrick's history

St. Patrick's Day and Ireland

17th March is  a very important day in the United Kingdom and especially in Ireland. It is Saint Patrick's Day. Here I share with you the video that we watched in class.

And now I'll share with you some of the interesting facts and vocabulary that we have seen today :

- Ireland is divided into two parts : Northern Ireland (whose capital is Belfast) and southern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland or Eire (whose capital is Dublin). 

- Saint Patrick (Maewyn Succat) is the patron saint of Ireland. He was born in England and then he Christianized Ireland. He explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) with the well-known shamrock. 

From : http://www.markmillerhumorist.com/least-known-facts-st-patrick.html

- There will be a big parade in Dublin,  but not only there, New York's parade is also famous and Saint Patrick is celebrated all over the globe. In Chicago, for example, you can see the river completely coloured in green !

- Remember to wear something green if you don't want to get pinched by others ! 

- The national symbol of Ireland is the harp.

- Leprechauns are very popular. They are goblin-like figures who love gold and always carry a pot of gold around. If captured by men, they can grant them three wishes. 

From : http://www.123rf.com/photo_10711921_lucky-leprechaun-with-shamrock-and-treasure.html

- The typical beer in Ireland is Guinness. It is delicious black beer brewed in the Guinness Warehouse in Dublin. You can drink a pint with a shamrock designed in its foam... Delicious ! Remember, Arthur Guinness only pays 49 pounds as a yearly rent. 

From : https://diydilettante.wordpress.com/2011/03/17/the-genius-of-guinness/

- If you want the gift of gab (eloquence), you must kiss Blarney Stone located in Blarney's castle in Cork ! It's a bit disgusting, though. 

- Ireland is nicknamed as the emerald island because of its green colour due to abundant rainfall (that will later result in lush greenery). 

Simple past exercises and vocabulary exercises

Dear students,
here you have some online exercises to practise the grammar and vocabulary we saw in class over the last weeks.

SIMPLE PAST
THEORY: https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simple-past
https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simple-past/exercises
https://elt.oup.com/student/solutions/preint/grammar/grammar_02_012e?cc=global&selLanguage=en
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar/past-simple
NEGATIVE: http://www.adelescorner.org/grammar/past_tense/past_tense_negative.html
INTERROGATIVE: https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/questions/simple_past.htm

BORROW VS. LEND
https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/confusing_words/borrow_lend.htm
https://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-2/exercise-english-3308.php 

GO VS. COME
https://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-2/exercise-english-44786.php 
http://www.tinyteflteacher.co.uk/learning-english/vocabulary/come-go.html

BRING VS. TAKE
https://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-2/exercise-english-26124.php
https://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/bring-or-take

SAY VS. TELL
https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/confusing_words/say_tell.htm 
https://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-2/exercise-english-97685.php 

LOOK VS. WATCH (AND SEE) --> A BIT DIFFICULT
http://www.tinyteflteacher.co.uk/learning-english/vocabulary/see-look.html

 

Technology to make you healthier

Reading practice: Read the text on page 70 and choose the best answer that best answer:

1) In the programme:
a) three men used new technology to check their health and exercise
b) some women used technological devices and apps to check on their health
c) three scientists checked on their own health using apps and technological devices. 

2) The subjects:
a) achieved their objectives on the  very first day
b) took half the steps they were supposed to
c) sent an email to the scientists with their results

3) When sleeping, they used a phone:
a) to wake up early next day
b) to control their dreams
c) to see the hours they slept and how deeply

4) The results showed that:
a)  all the subjects have improved their health
b) they did more exercise, but slept fewer hours
c) they ran while watching TV and slept better

5) New technology:
a) can help us to get healthier
b) can be counterproductive for our health
c) can make us have a sedentary life 

Songs to practise simple past

Now that we are facing a long week, I thought it would be a good idea to practise our English with songs. I propose three songs :


Level 1 : Easy

This one I selected an easy one: Cold Play's Paradise. The exercise I propose is simply that you fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Are you ready ?

Complete the song using the verbs in the box in the SIMPLE PAST AFFIRMATIVE

be       can     close             dream            expect          fly       run     say

Coldplay’s Paradise

When she ______ (1) just a girl
She __expected__ (0) the world
But it _______ (2) away from her reach
So she ______ (3) away in her sleep
________ (4) of para- para- paradise
Para- para- paradise
Para- para- paradise
Every time she ________ (5) her eyes
Whoa-oh-oh oh-oooh oh-oh-oh

When she ______ (1) just a girl
She expected the world
But it _____ (2) away from her reach
And the bullets catch in her teeth

Life goes on
It gets so heavy
The wheel breaks the butterfly
Every tear, a waterfall
In the night, the stormy night
She _____ (5) her eyes
In the night, the stormy night
Away she'd fly.

And _______ (4)of para- para- paradise
Para- para- paradise
Para- para- paradise
Whoa-oh-oh oh-oooh oh-oh-oh (repeat)

La lalaLa
Lalala

So lying underneath those stormy skies.
She ________(6) oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh.
I know the sun must set to rise.This _______(7) be para- para- paradise
Para- para- paradiseWhoa-oh-oh oh-ooohohoh-oh. (repeat x5)

Here you have the lyrics of the song so thatyou can correct it by yourselves.


Level 2 : Intermediate

1. Listen to the video above and fill in the gaps of the song by using the simple past of the verbs in the box

be (x4)           can     feel     not have(x2)            happen         say     (x2) tell

"Somebody That I Used To Know"
(feat. Kimbra)

[Gotye:]
Now and then I think of when we _______ (1) together
Like when you _____ (2) you felt so happy you could die
______ (3) myself that you were right for me
But _____ (4) so lonely in your company
But that was love and it's an ache I still remember.

You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness
Like resignation to the end, always the end
So when we felt that we _____(5) not make sense
Well you said that we would still be friends
But I'll admit that I _____ (6) glad that it was over

You ________ (7) to cut me off
Make out like it never _________ (8) and that we _____ (9) nothing
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough
No you ________ (10) to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don't need that though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know
Now you're just somebody that I used to know
Now you're just somebody that I used to know

[Kimbra:]
Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over
But had me believing it ____(11) always something that I’d done
But I don't wanna live that way
Reading into every word you say
You ______ (12) that you could let it go
And I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know

Chorus

Somebody
(I used to know)
Somebody
(Now you're just somebody that I used to know)

(I used to know)
(That I used to know)
(I used to know)
Somebody

Answers:

1) Check the lyrics of the song in this link:

Level 3 : Difficult
Fill in the gaps of this song with the appropriate verb in the simple past:

 

Set fire to the rain


I let it fall, my heart,
And as it fell you rose to claim it
It was dark and I was over
Until you ____________ my lips and you __________ me
My hands, they're strong
But my knees ___________ far too weak
To stand in your arms
Without falling to your feet
But there's a side to you
That I never _________, never _______________
All the things you'd say
They were never true, never true
And the games you play
You would always win, always win
But I set fire to the rain
___________ it pour as I touched your face
Well, it burned while I cried
'Cause I heard it screaming out your name,
Your name
When I lay with you
I ____________stay there
Close my eyes
Feel you here forever
You and me together nothing gets better
'Cause there's a side to you
That I never _________, never ___________
All the things you'd say
They were never true, never true
And the games you play 

You would always win, always win
But I set fire to the rain
_________- it pour as I touched your face
Well, it burned while I cried
'Cause I heard it screaming out your name,
Your name
I set fire to the rain
And I ____________ us into the flames

Well, it felt something died
'Cause I knew that that was
The last time, the last time
Sometimes I wake up by the door,
That heart you _________ must be waiting for you
Even now when we're already over
I can't help myself from looking for you
I set fire to the rain
___________ it pour as I touched your face
Well, it burned while I cried
'Cause I heard it screaming Out your name,
Your name
I set fire to the rain,

And I threw us into the flames
Well, it felt something died
'Cause I knew that, that was the last time
The last time
Let it burn
Let it burn
Let it burn

Here you have the answers:

 I hope you have enjoyed learning English with songs.

The history of St. Valentine's Day

Questions:

1) The Romans conquered Europe and parts of Asia and Africa because:

a) they were strong

b) they were rich

c) they were soldiers

2) The Emperor Claudius II didn't wanttheir soldiers to get married because:

a) he didn't like families

b) he thought families made soldiers soft and weak

c) families made soldiers lazy

3) St. Valentine:

a) married every soldier in the army

b) was in favour of the Emperor's law

c) helped soldiers in love to get married in secret

4) St. Valentine was sentenced to death:

a) because they didn't prey

b) because he insisted on marrying soldiers

c) because as soon as the emperor discovered his actions, he sentenced him to die

5) The jailer's daughter and St. Valentine fell in love:

a) at first sight

b) after he cured her blindness

c) after they had spent a long time together

6) From 14th February 270:

a) lots of people draw hearts

b) lovers write letters to their girlfriends

c) lovers sign their cards :'from your Valentine'

Present simple vs Present continuous exercises

Dear students, 
Here you have some exercises about the present simple and present continuous, for you to practise.
https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simpre-prepro/exercises
https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simpre-prepro/tests?test3
https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simpre-prepro/exercises?ex10

That's Christmas to me

Dear students,
Here you have another catchy Christmas carol for you to keep practising your listening. Enjoy it : 

Christmas video compilation

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.

Christmas in Killarney

Hello folks,

As you know most of the Christmas carols, I thought it would be a good idea for you to get to know some Irish carols. Indeed. One fun Christmas carol is "Christmas in Killarney." To fully enjoy this carol, follow these steps. 

Maybe on Christmas Eve or on New Year's EVe you could get to sing as the folks in the video. 

1) First of all, listen to the first video to catch the rhythm and the lyrics. 

2) Secondly, have a look at the second video.  It is the carol sung and danced by some drunken friends. It is a funny, amazing video. Don't miss it ! 

3) Finally, KARAOKE ! sing yourself following the third video. (Remember the second video and go banana!)

Quite an interesting and new Christmas carol, don't you think ?

Jingle bells

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer

Here you can see another Christmas carol with a questionnaire . I hope you like it !

The last entry of the year

Well, hello there !

2018 is coming to an end. Tonight is New Year's Eve and the twelve chimes of the clock will finish a year that, at least for me, has been particularly good ! I have passed my public examinations once again and thanks to that I can get to live in Madrid with my significant other. Besides, my niece keeps growing and growing and she can walk and she's learning to do things quite fast ! Anyway, since I'm on holiday, this entry will be a compilation of some touching Christmas videos and carols. What better way of ending the year than with a bunch of optimistic songs of Christmas ?

Let's begin with Mog's Christmas. It's quite an entertaining advertisement about a clumsy -yet friendly cat that, much like the Grinch, ruined its owners' Christmas. Or didn't he ? 



Let's continue with another catchy Christmas carol representing all the Christmas values. 

You know today it's New Year's Eve. It's an important family celeberation in Spain where we will definitely try to eat the twelve grapes (one for every chime of the clock). However, in the English-speaking world it is not that important, Christmas Day being far more important for them. Anyway, the year is coming to an end, so to finish this post, here you have the trailer of a well-known film : New Year's Eve. Watch it because you will see some of the Christmas traditions, including New Year Resolutions. Here you have it : 

If you want to keep learning stuff about Christmas, you can click on the following links : Boxing Day ; Christmas vocabulary; Christmas videos; Practise your listening at Christmas; Christmas carols; Christmas in Spain, the UK and the US.

What are your New Year's resolutions for 2018? Come on, post them in a comment ! 

P.S. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

It's Christmas time in the city (Elvis Presley)

Christmas carol compilation

Hello there. Did you have a look at my ranking about the best Christmas carols ?. Now, let's do some exercises. You can listen to the songs and practise your listening skill at the same time. Listen to these  Christmas carols, watch the Christmas videos and do the self-correctable questionnaires. Then, you can share your results if you like. I hope you like them !
This first one is the carol White Christmas sung by Michael Bublé. 
Here you can listen to another Christmas carol about the most famous reindeer. Remember to do the questionnaire. Enjoy !




Here you do a questionnaire about one of my favourite (and widely known) Christmas carol. 
!
Here you have a Christmas carol that perfectly summarizes the Christmas season and the mobile phone addiction. It includes a questionnaire to test your English level. I hope you like it !