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Class 27.11.2014

In this class we studied pages 12 & 13 from the Spanish Speakers Handbook.

We did the exercises 1a + 2(b-c) from the reading on page 12. We also did the listening on page 13, where we practiced making our point in discussions.

H/W: Review units 6 + 7. See what you would like to check.
          WB p38  Ex 2(a-b-c)

Writing correction codes.

To correct your writing, you'll need to refer to these codes. 

Writing correction code © BBC | British Council 2007

WW = Wrong word           As our plane flew on the mountains we saw snow.
WT = Wrong time              As our plane flew over the mountains we see snow.
WF = Wrong form             As our plane flew over the mountains we was seeing snow.
WO = Wrong order           As our plane over the mountain flew we saw snow.
SP =  Spelling                    As our plane flue over the mountains we saw snow.
P = Punctuation                 As our plane flew over the mountains; we saw snow.
X = Extra word                 As our plane flew over to the mountains we saw snow.
M =  Missing word            As our plane flew over the mountains saw snow.
R = Register                      As our plane flew over the mountains we observed snow.
? = Not clear                     As our plane flew over the mountains we saw snow.
! = Silly mistake!               As our plane flew over the mountains we seed snow.
RW = Try re-writing         Our vehicle flies, we snow find, over mountains you saw it.

EXAM THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11TH.

Our C1.2  progress test will be held on Thursday, December 11th, and will be based on units 6 & 7.

If it is impossible for you to attend class that day, you can request to do the exam with another group at the same level. Exams will be held on December 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th.

Class 25.11.14

In this class we studied pages 73 - 75 & 155

Listening:

An interrogation.

Pronunciation:

Intonation in questions.

Vocabulary:

Questioning

Speaking: 
Innocent or guilty?

Punctiation:

Colons & semi-colons

Homework:

Spanish Speaker's Handbook p.12 Reading.

Colons and Semi colons: Answers to SB p.73 3b

Here are the answers from the Teacher's Book. I hope you find them useful. (The answers are in red.)

Due to an excessive concern for health and safety, there are more and more rules and regulations for drivers; these are supposed to make our roads safer for everyone. This essay will discuss the following three factors: seatbelts, mobile phones and eating or drinking while driving. Some current laws make perfect sense, such as wearing a seatbelt. Children, in particular, are clearly not safe unless they are wearing a seatbelt.

The second issue to be considered is the illegal use of mobile phones: that is, the use of phones to make calls or send texts. As soon as a driver takes their eyes off the road, they are putting lives in danger, so it seems that texting is unsafe. It is claimed that the same danger applies to talking on the phone; however, as long as the speaker’s attention remains focused on the road, they should be able to drive perfectly safely. Nevertheless, the car must be parked in order to have a mobile phone conversation legally; otherwise it is breaking the law.

Class18.11.14

In this class we studied pages 72 & 107 / 108 + 169

Grammar:

Passives

Vocabulary:

Headlines - Phrasal nouns

Speaking: 
Plane hijacking

Fact or fiction?

Grammar:

Passives & Impersonals.

Homework:

WB p.35 Ex.6a & b

Unit 7 Writing - More on colons & semi-colons.

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Home » Handouts » Semi-colons, colons, and dashes

 

Semi-colons and colons.

WHAT THIS HANDOUT IS ABOUT

This handout explains the most common uses of three kinds of punctuation: semi-colons (;), colons (:), and dashes (—). After reading the handout, you will be better able to decide when to use these forms of punctuation in your own writing.

SEMI-COLONS

The semi-colon looks like a comma with a period above it, and this can be a good way to remember what it does. A semi-colon creates more separation between thoughts than a comma does but less than a period does. Here are the two most common uses of the semi-colon:

To help separate items in a list, when some of those items already contain commas. Let’s look at an example, as that is the easiest way to understand this use of the semi-colon. Suppose I want to list three items that I bought at the grocery store:

• apples
• grapes
• pears

In a sentence, I would separate these items with commas:

• I bought apples, grapes, and pears.

Now suppose that the three items I want to list are described in phrases that already contain some commas:

• shiny, ripe apples
• small, sweet, juicy grapes
• firm pears

If I use commas to separate these items, my sentence looks like this:

• I bought shiny, ripe apples, small, sweet, juicy grapes, and firm pears.

That middle part is a bit confusing—it doesn’t give the reader many visual cues about how many items are in the list, or about which words should be grouped together. Here is where the semi-colon can help. The commas between items can be “bumped up” a notch and turned into semi-colons, so that readers can easily tell how many items are in the list and which words go together:

• I bought shiny, ripe apples; small, sweet, juicy grapes; and firm pears.

To join two sentences. An independent clause is a group of words that can stand on its own (independently)—it is a complete sentence. Semi-colons can be used between two independent clauses. The semi-colon keeps the clauses somewhat separate, like a period would do, so we can easily tell which ideas belong to which clause. But it also suggests that there may be a close relationship between the two clauses—closer than you would expect if there were a period between them. Let’s look at a few examples. Here are a few fine independent clauses, standing on their own as complete sentences:

• I went to the grocery store today. I bought a ton of fruit. Apples, grapes, and pears were on sale.

Now—where could semi-colons fit in here? They could be used to join two (but not all three) of the independent clauses together. So either of these pairs of sentences would be o.k.:

• I went to the grocery store today; I bought a ton of fruit. Apples, grapes, and pears were all on sale.

OR

• I went to the grocery store today. I bought a ton of fruit; apples, grapes, and pears were all on sale.

I could NOT do this:

• I went to the grocery store today; I bought a ton of fruit; apples, grapes, and pears were all on sale.

But why I would want to use a semi-colon here, anyway? One reason might have to do with style: the three short sentences sound kind of choppy or abrupt. A stronger reason might be if I wanted to emphasize a relationship between two of the sentences. If I connect “I bought a ton of fruit” and “Apples, grapes, and pears were all on sale” more closely, readers may realize that the reason why I bought so much fruit is that there was a great sale on it.

COLONS

Colons follow independent clauses (clauses that could stand alone as sentences) and can be used to present an explanation, draw attention to something, or join ideas together.

Common uses of colons

To announce, introduce, or direct attention to a list, a noun or noun phrase, a quotation, or an example/explanation. You can use a colon to draw attention to many things in your writing. The categories listed below often overlap, so don’t worry too much about whether your intended use of the colon fits one category perfectly.

• Lists/series example: We covered many of the fundamentals in our writing class: grammar, punctuation, style, and voice.

• Noun/noun phrase example: My roommate gave me the things I needed most: companionship and quiet.

• Quotation example: Shakespeare said it best: “To thine own self be true.”

• Example/explanation example: Many graduate students discover that there is a dark side to academia: late nights, high stress, and a crippling addiction to caffeinated beverages.

To join sentences. You can use a colon to connect two sentences when the second sentence summarizes, sharpens, or explains the first. Both sentences should be complete, and their content should be very closely related. Note that if you use colons this way too often, it can break up the flow of your writing. So don’t go colon-crazy!

• Example: Life is like a puzzle: half the fun is in trying to work it out.

Class 13.11.14

Class 13.11.14

In this class we studied pages 71 & 72

Grammar:

Conditionals

Passives

Vocabulary:

Headlines - Phrasal nouns

Speaking: 
Should politics be taught in secondary schools?

In what areas is state intervention justified?

Grammar:

Passives & Impersonals.

Listening:

State intervention

Homework:

WB p.36 & 37 Ex 3, 5 & 6 (In Ex 6, Question 8b the word "There2 is missing at the beginning of the sentence.)

Vocabulary. Listening 7B Ex.5

Listening vocabulary U7B Ex.5

1)      To Intervene = to get involved. To ban = to prohibit.

2)      Rubbish = garbage / waste. To pile up = to accumulate. Land fill site = place where we store rubbish.

3)      To promote = to encourage. Partnership = relationship. Bias = prejudice / not objective

4)      To forsake = to give up

Mixed conditionals explained.

Mixed conditionals explained.

Mixed conditionals are called 'mixed' because they use two different conditionals.

Compare these sentences from SB p.68, 5c

1a If the kidnapper hadn’t licked that envelope, (Past = 3rd conditional) he wouldn’t be in prison now. (Present = 2nd conditional)

1b If the kidnapper hadn’t licked that envelope, (Past = 3rd conditional) he wouldn’t have gone to prison. (Past = 3rd conditional)

2a If they weren’t such good actors, (Present = 2nd conditional) most of them would probably have been found out much earlier. (Past = 3rd conditional)

2b If they hadn’t been such good actors, (Past = 3rd conditional) most of them would probably have been found out much earlier. (Past = 3rd conditional) 

The mixed conditonals are 2nd + 3rd, of course.

Class 11.11.14

Class 11.11.14

In this class we studied sections of pages 68 - 71 & WB p.34 Ex 3

Grammar:

Mixed contitionals 

Vocabulary:

Surveillance collocations

Reading:

'We'll be watching you'

Speaking: 
Tracking and tags - surveillance dis/advantages.

Review:

Mixed conditionals
Expressions with 'get'.

Homework:

WB p.34 Ex 1, 2 + 3.