MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christmas Bells


I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The Carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
'There is no peace on earth,' I said;
'For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!'

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
'God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!'


by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Modal verbs - answers

4A - Modal verbs - exercises

ANSWERS:

1-
a) B
b) A
c) A
d) B
e) C
f) C

2-
must stay
mustn't go
needn't stay
mustn't do
must drink
needn't eat
must take

3-
a) may be
b) must have left
c) can't / must go
d) A: Can you
B: can / must be
e) needn't

4-
a) prohibition
b) necessity
c) deduction
d) necessity
e) deduction

5-
a) Deduction in the past.
b) The action wasn't necessary, but it was done nevertheless.
c) The action was not necessary and not done.
d) Request (polite form).
e) A successful completed action in the past.
f) The action was not completed.

See you :)

Party -4A (Saturday)

Folks, our party is coming.

It will be on December 5th. Don't forget our SECRET FRIEND!!!

Thainá (salgado) - qualquer coisa legal
Raphael L. (doce) - qualquer coisa, menos agenda; se for Havaianas (amarelo forte ou verde claro - nº 43/44)
Heron (refri) - ????
Gabriel (refri) - Havaianas (azul escuro ou amarelo claro - nº 41/42)
Raphael G. (refri) - Havaianas (preto - nº 39/40) ou CD (Aerosmith ou Californication [Red Hot])
Juliana (salgado) - qualquer coisa legal. Se for Havaianas (verde ou amarelo -nº 35/36)
Camila (salgado) - qualquer coisa legal
Victor (doce ou salgado) - CD Agnaldo Rayol (50 anos de carreira) ou Jogo UNO.

P.S.: Don't forget your books! We are going to correct some exercises.

See you :)

DVD - Winners (4A)

Folks, I'm going to post the names of the winners:

DVD Scooby Doo 2 - Mayara Sabino (Friday)
DVD The Simpsons Halloween - Marcelly Lira (Friday)

Next Friday I give you the DVDs.

Congratulations!!!

See you ;)

Halloween Party

Folks, I'll post below "our food":

4A - Friday (10/30/09)

Vinícius - salgado
Rayssa - salgado
Cassio - salgado
Victor - salgado
Marcelly - refrigerante (2L)
Leonardo - refrigerante (2L)
Gabriel - refrigerante (2L)
Gabriele - slagado
Mayara - ???
Teacher - doces

P.S.: (???) = SALGADO OU REFRIGERANTE (2L)


*****************

4A - Saturday (10/31/09)

Thainá - salgado
Raphael G. - refrigerante (2L)
Juliana - salgado
Raphael L. - salgado
Heron - ???
Gabriel - ???
Camilla - ???
Teacher: doces

P.S.: (???) = SALGADO OU REFRIGERANTE (2L)

Do not forget your fantasies!!!

You can also wear black, purple, white and orange clothes.

*See you :)

Speech 4A (Sat)

SPEECH 4A- SATURDAY (10/24/09)

Code - grade (0-60)

2907 - 49
1306 - 56
7209 - 46
1471 - 54

* See you ;)

Speech 4A (Fri)

SPEECH 4A - Friday (10/23/09)

Code - grade (0-60)

1918 - 46
2205 - 39
2618 - 17
1130 - 60
2317 - 42
2904 - 19
1820 - 60
3007 - 33

*See you ;)

5A (Articles)

**ARTICLES**

Here are some basic rules.

1) A/an (indefinite articles)

Use a/an to refer to a singular countable noun which is indefinite - either we don´t know which one, or it doesn't matter which one.

E.g.: They live in a cozy apartment.
I'm watching a good movie.

Use a/an to describe what sth or sb is:

E.g.: He's a dentist.
She's an actress.
That's an instrument for opening letters.

2) The (definite article)

Use "the" before a singular or plural noun, when both the speaker and the listener know about what is being referred to.

E.g.: The book I'm reading is about fairy tales.
The woman whom I saw is old.

We also use "the" with certain public places and before a noun if it's the onlly one.

E.g.: The Earth.
The Atlantic Ocean.
I have never gone to the theater.
I need to go to the bank.

With some geographical areas, "the" is used:

seas - the Mediterranean
rivers - the Mississippi
mountain groups - the Alps
deserts - the Sahara

3) Zero Article

Use no article with plural and uncountable nouns when talking about things in general.
Compare:

a) Money is good. (general)
Do not forget to put the money in your wallet. (specific)

b) Love is a beautiful feeling.
The love I had for you is over.

We have no article with streets, roads and squares:

E.g.: Oxford Street
Calixta Road
Leicester Square

Other nouns which take no article are:

lakes - Lake Superior
countries - Spain, China, Brazil
continents - Asia, Europe

**ATTENTION: The United States.

Some types of noun take no article when referred to generally:

games - football, soccer, chess
academic subjects - medicine, chemistry, English
abstract nouns - freedom, friendship
meals - breakfast, lunch, dinner

See you :)

**EE-V NEWS**

Dear students,

Now, I'm going to post a new topic, EE-V NEWS (Easier English-Victor News),i.e., news for you.
I intend to talk about the classes, your performance, your grades and teacher-student development through this new topic.

From now on, all of you will have a PASSWORD (4 numbers), so I can be more specific regarding those subjects.

Ok, let's talk about it next week.

Have a nice week!

P.S.: Do not forget to make your speeches or commercials! Take a look at the topic "Speech" (on the right column). Good luck.

See you :)

Review (4A)- Answers

MID TEST REVIEW 4A - answers

1-

a) The letter was written by John.
b) The mail has been delivered by him.
c) Our exercises are corrected by Fred at home.
d) Those books should be bought by him.
e) {Are some flowers going to be sent to her by you?
{Is she going to be sent some flowers by you?
f) What will the students be given by her?

2-

a) had left
b) eat
c) would pass
d) are fighting
e) will be
f) were having
g) were

3-

a) do
b)make
c) made
d) do
e) do

4-

a) such
b) so
c) such a
d) so
e) so

5-

(e)
(j)
(a)
(i)
(b)
(c)
(h)
(g)
(d)
(f)

Good luck!!!!

Prepare yourself to the exams!

See you :)

Passive Voice (4A)

PASSIVE VOICE (4A)

**ANSWERS**

1-

a) A
b) P
c) P
d) A
e) P

2-

a) This show is listened by millions of people.
b) A new factory is being built in this town by them.
c) A new director will be chosen soon.
d) I was stopped by a policeman when I was going back home.
e) Many accidents are caused by careless driving.
f) That letter was signed by him before his trip.
g) Passengers are being checked in to Boston.
h) Were the flowers sent to her?
i) Will the exercises be done tomorrow?
j) The problem can be solved.
k) The meeting had to be postponed because of illness.
l) The football match shouldn't have been played in such bad weather.
m) Service is included in the bill.
n) The date of the meeting has been changed.

3-

a) Someone must cut the grass immediately.
b) Einstein formulated the theory of relativity.
c) Somebody was using the computer when the lights went off.
d) Oxford published these books in December.
e) Thomas Edinson invented the incandescent lamp.

LIKE - expressions (LD 1)

**EXPRESSIONS WITH LIKE**

(Leadership 1)

The expression “like” can express different meanings: verb, preposition and conjunction.

a) When we want to talk about our preferences, we use “like” as a verb:

EG: I like to play soccer.

I like that movie!

b) When we want to express similarity, we use “like” as a preposition, but after the verbs look, seem, feel, taste and sound.

EG: Pillar looks like her mother.

It seems like you’re doing the right thing.

c) When we want to express comparison, we use “like” as a preposition too.

EG: He talks like a child.

There are many means of transportation in this city like* bus, taxi, train.

* Notice that in this case, the preposition “like” can be substitute by “such as”, and the meaning continues the same.

d) When we want to express in the same manner as or as if, we use “like” as a conjunction:

EG: Neither Jane nor Larry draw cartoons like he did.

We sing like those famous singers.

*Pay attention not to confuse letters C and D.

Letter C – After the preposition “like”, we have a noun (or an article (a/an)+ noun).

EG: He talks like a child. (article + noun)

There are many means of transportation in this city like bus, taxi, train. (nouns).

Letter D – After the conjunction “like”, we have a pronoun.

EG: Neither Jane nor Larry draw cartoons like he did. (he = personal pronoun).

We sing like those famous singers. (those = demonstrative pronoun).

If you have more doubts, tell me, ok?!

See you :)

WELCOME STUDENTS

Well, we are back to work hard!

Let's have fun, talk, laugh, play and study English! ;)

People, if you have any doubts about the subject (grammar, pronunciation, writing, reading) tell me, ok?!

I'll always be here to help you. Bear it in your minds, even though you're not my students anymore.

Oh, don't forget that you have some exercises to be done. However, if you have doubts, send me an e-mail or a scrap (orkut).

E-mail: victormazzoleni@hotmail.com
Orkut: Victor Gil

Welcome to MY CLASS and have a nice week.

See you ;)

Dictionary Online

Dictionary

**DICTIONARY ONLINE**

It's full of vocabulary, idiomatic expressions and examples. The link is presented below:

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

See you!

4A - Speech

SPEECH ---4A---


Suggestion of Speech themes (4A)

Films
Soap operas
The origin of Internet
Euthanasia
Healthy food
Countries - English as an official language
Countries - English as a second language
Culture
Religion(s)
Environment
Hormones
A topic from History studies
Bestsellers - why a book becomes a best seller
The importance of sound tracks
TV Series
(Famous) Person’s biography
Extra Terrestrial (E.T.)
Vampires
Kissing X dating
The media’s advances
The development of technology
How to mend a broken heart
Horoscope
Science
The power of cartoons
How to improve your self-esteem
Violence
1st and/or 2nd World Wars
A career
Means of communication
Global Warming
Special dates
The problems of surgery
Barriers of knowledge
The new American president

P.S.: If you want, you can create themes, but tell me before.

*Others:

The difference

*** Dates:

10/23/2009 (Friday)
10/24/2009 (Saturday)


** If you have more suggestions, tell me during the class.

** Recommendations:

A) When choosing a theme, you must be creative. It’s a criterion of evaluation.
B) You must never read! It’s spontaneous, but you can study and/or memorize it at home!
C) Respect your classmates’ presentation. Do not talk or laugh during it.
D) Make up (at least) 3 questions to check the students’ comprehension.
E) Do not speak Portuguese during your presentation. Remember that your teacher is paying attention to it.
F) If you have doubts (during the presentation), you can take a look at your draft or ask for help.
G) Attention to your pronunciation and grammar usage.
H) You can count on your teacher’s help. But bring your draft until one week before the presentation.
I) Visual aids can also help you!
J) Never repeat a theme. Don’t be lazy!
K) The most important thing: relax and act naturally!

4A - Passive Voice

Grammar topic: PASSIVE VOICE -----(4A) ----

When can we use the Passive Voice?

** Sometimes the passive voice is the best choice. Here are some examples:

A) To emphasize an object.

E.g.: 60 votes are required to pass the bill.

It emphasizes the number of votes required.
Although, the active form ("The bill requires 60 votes to pass.") would emphasize "the bill".

B) To emphasize an unknown subject.

E.g.: Her purse was stolen.

We don't know who stole her purse.

*** Let's work!!!***

Exercise 1

Make the sentences passive:

a) Anyone can plant a tree.
b) Shakespeare wrote "Romeo and Juliet".
c) Somebody is painting the door.
d) You might see dolphins here.
e) The waiter brought Fred a big steak.
f) Ann has not sent me a text message.
g) The teacher told us a joke.
h) Have you seen your older sister recently?

See you! :)

4A - Future

Grammar topic: FUTURE ---------4A--------

Study the following examples:

"I'll repair my bicycle tomorrow."
(WILL = simple future)

** We use "will" when we decide to do sth at the time of speaking. The speaker has not decided before.

"I'm going to repair my bicycle tomorrow."
(TO BE GOING TO = immediate future)

** We use "going to" when we have already decided to do sth.

SPECIAL NOTES:

-- WILL--

** We also use "will" when we want to talk about:

A) FUTURITY (simple future expression):

"Our teacher will be absent next week."

B) PREDICTION:

"We will probably have to wait for the next bus."

C) DECISION:

"Someone is knocking at the door. I'll get it!"

D) PROMISE:

"Don't worry. I'll help you revise your test."

E) REQUEST:

"Will you open the window, please?"

F) REFUSAL:

"Jessie won't shut up and let me speak."

-- GOING TO--

** We also use "going to" when we want to talk about:

A) PLANS, INTENTIONS:

" I'm going to buy a new computer."

B) PREDICTION BASED ON EVIDENCE:

" That driver has lost control of the car! He's going to crash!"

-*- Most of the times, "to be going to" can be replaced by " to intend to".

E.g.: I intend to buy a new computer.

*From: Books: English Grammar in use (Cambridge University);
Insight (Richmond).

LD 1

Let's read!

*** The 8O's***

80's Heavy Metal Music

In the mid to late 80's Heavy Metal became the popular music genre. Artists such as Van Halen, Poison, Motley Crue, Cinderella, Quiet Riot and Guns and Roses got extensive 1980's radio airplay. "Hair Metal Bands", as they are affectionately called, scored top charting hits with the "power ballad" song formula. Nothing represents the decadence of the 80s more than the heavy metal bands signed from the LA Strip during that time. The song lyrics mostly embodied the "Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll" mentality of the 80's.

80's Movies

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas produced one blockbuster film after another in the 80's. Speilberg contributed Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and the Back to the Future (1985) trilogy. Lucas' films included The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983).

The 80's also became the decade of the movie sequel. Most films that were major box office hits were made into sequels. Examples are the Indiana Jones movies, the three Back to the Future films, the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street horror series and of course the Star Wars follow-up blockbusters.

Non-natural disasters

In 1984 the Bhopal disaster resulted from a toxic MIC gas leak at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, killing 3,000 immediately and ultimately claiming 15,000-20,000 lives.

On Sept. 1, 1983, the Soviet shootdown of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 carrying 269 people including a sitting U.S. congressman, Larry McDonald.

Japan Air Lines Flight 123 carrying 524 people crashed on August 12, 1985 while on a flight from Tokyo to Osaka killing 520 of the people on board. This was the worst ever single-plane crash.

In 1986, the Challenger disaster, the NASA Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates after launch, killing all of the crew onboard. This is the first disaster involving the destruction of a NASA space shuttle. A faulty o-ring was the cause of the accident.

In 1986 the Chernobyl disaster, a large-scale nuclear meltdown in the Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, spread a large amount of radioactive material across Europe, killing 47 people, dooming countless others to future radiation-related cancer, and causing the displacement of 300,000 people.

In 1989 the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Alaska. Although not among the largest oil spills, its remote and sensitive location made it one of the most devastating ecological disasters ever.

*From: 1) http://www.project80s.com/television/80s-television.php

2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980s#Wars_and_Conflicts

5A (Conv./comp.)

***TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING SKILLS***

General Considerations For An Effective Composition:

There is no single way to write an effective composition. Once you have chosen a topic to write on, your success will depend upon a number of considerations.

A) Your knowledge of the topic;
B) Your own personality, background, and sensitivity;
C) Your purpose and the worth behind the main ideas you wish to communicate;
D) Your ability to express yourself with clarity, accuracy, vigor, individuality, and originality.

Four Standards For A Successful Composition:

There are four standards according to which a composition may be termed successful.

1) Organization--Is the composition well planned and the thought developed so that the controlling idea is made clear?

2) Substance (worth)—Are the ideas original, logical, interesting, and convincing enough to hold the reader’s attention?

3) Style—Is the approach appropriate to the thought?

4) Mechanics—To what degree is the writer able to spell correctly, to punctuate, and to use acceptable standards of grammar?

Three Stages of Writing:

In general, the process of writing a composition divides itself into three stages.

1) Choosing a topic; gathering and sifting materials; planning the organization and development of the composition in the outline so that it has unity.

2) Writing the composition by following the outline.

3)Rereading and REVISING the composition to make it more expressive, vivid, and clear and to check for grammatical and rhetorical correctness.

* From: http://www.ci.maryville.tn.us/mhs/studyskills/CompGuide/goodcomp.htm

We're on vacation!!!

Parabéns a todos pelo desempenho neste período!

Adorei dar aulas para vocês, mas, como manda o regulamento do curso, não estaremos juntos no próximo período (2009/II). :(

Bom, espero que eu tenha agradado alguns de vocês, e principalmente, que tenham aprendido algo comigo ao longo deste período.

Estou muito orgulhoso de TODOS. Observei uma melhora significativa (pronúncia, gramática, redação, interação) desde que eu entrei na sala no primeiro dia de aula.

Quase me esqueci do mais importante: os BOLETINS serão entregues a partir do dia 20/07/09 (segunda-feira) na recepção do curso.

Qualquer dúvida, me procurem (e-mail ou scrap - orkut).

Para as férias, gostaria que vocês praticassem mais o Inglês, assistindo a filmes (áudio e legenda em inglês), ouvindo músicas, jogando (games in English), estudando (rsrs), e o mais importante, se divertindo.

Lembrem-se: Nunca se sintam envergonhados por não terem domínio sobre o idioma. Perguntem sempre, tirem suas dúvidas e exijam dos professores, pois vocês "PAGAM PARA ISSO!"

Caso tenham algum problema em relação ao curso, podem me dizer, pois afinal, eu estudei lá.

Estarei sempre torcendo por vocês, mesmo às vezes tendo que "dançar conforme a música".

Acreditem mais em si mesmos.

Have a nice vacation!

Victor.

See you :)

P.S.1: Aguardem, pois surpresas virão! ;)

P.S.2: Why am I writing in Portuguese???

ANSWERS - VERB TENSE

****3B and 4A***

1) Verb tense exercises:

ANSWERS:

a) Present perfect
b) conditional (would)
c) simple present
d) simple present
e) simple past
f) modal verb (can – negative = cannot)
g) simple present
h) simple future (will)
i) past perfect
j) present perfect
k) simple past
l) present continuous
m) modal verb (must)
n) future with ‘be going to’
o) simple present
p) past continuous
q) simple present
r) simple past
s) present perfect
t) simple present
u) present perfect
v) conditional (would)
w) modal verb (shall)
x) present perfect
y) simple past
z) past perfect

If you have doubts, send me an e-mail or a scrap (orkut).

E-mail: victormazzoleni@hotmail.com

See you ;)

SO 1

***REVIEW***

1) Put the sentences in the interrogative (I) and negative (N) forms:

a) The thief jumped the wall.
(I)- Did the thief jump the wall?
(N)- The thief didn't jump the wall.

b) He plays soccer everyday.
(I)- Does he play soccer everyday?
(N)- He doesn't play soccer everyday.

c) I'm working on a new project at this moment.
(I)- Am I working on a new project at this moment?
(N)- I'm not working on a new project at this moment.

d) They can bake a cake.
(I)- Can they bake a cake?
(N)-They can't bake a cake.

e) Paul lives in New York.
(I)- Does Paul live in New York?
(N)-Paul doesn't live in New York.

f) Sheyla usually gets up at 6:30 in the morning.
(I)- Does she usually get up at 6:30 in the morning?
(N)- She doesn't get up at 6:30 in the morning.

g) We loved that rmantic movie!
(I)- Did we love that romantic movie?
(N)-We didn't love that romantic movie.

h) Elvis is a dentist.
(I)- Is Elvis a dentist?
(N)-Elvis isn't a dentist.

i) Luiza arrived late at school today.
(I)- Did we arrive late at school today?
(N)-We didn't arrive late at school today.

j) There is some bread in the oven.
(I)- Is there any bread in the oven?
(N)-There isn't any bread in the oven.

k) He prefers watching horror movies.
(I)- Does he prefer watching horror movies?
(N)-He doesn't prefer watching horror movies.

l) It eats its food every morning.
(I)- Does it eat its food every morning?
(N)- It doesn't eat its food every morning.

m) You washed the dishes last week.
(I)- Did you wash the dishes last week?
(N)-You didn't wash the dishes last week.

n) They are running after the dog.
(I)- Are they running after the dog?
(N)-They aren't running after the dog.

o) He would like a cup of coffee.
(I)- Would he like a cup of coffee?
(N)- He wouldn't like a cup of coffee.

SO1

**SPEAK OUT 1**

Present Continuous Tense:

*Structure: Verb “TO BE” (am/is/are) + MAIN VERB (-ING)

It’s used to say that an action is happening at the moment of speaking.

Eg: You are playing the guitar now. (AFF.)

You aren’t playing the guitar now. (NEG.)

Are you playing the guitar now? (INT.)

*Questions:

1) What are you doing now?

I’m watching TV.

2) What is she doing?

She’s studying Math.

Simple Present Tense:

Auxiliaries: DO/DOES

*Pronouns: I, You, We and They (aux. DO)

Eg: They go to the club every weekend. (AFF.)

They don’t go to the club every weekend. (NEG.)

Do they go to the club every weekend? (INT.)

3^rd person singular (aux. DOES)

He works hard every week. (AFF.)

He doesn’t work hard every week. (NEG.)

Does he work hard every week? (INT.)

*Some other examples:

She goes to school everyday.

He likes playing soccer.

Bianca usually carries an umbrella.

Paul never washes the dishes.

She cries a lot.

He always studies for his tests.

*Questions:

1) Do you study French?

Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.

2) Where does he study?

He studies at YES!

3) Do you eat some chocolate or not?

I eat some chocolate. / I don’t eat chocolate.

4) What does she do on Sunday evening?

She cooks.

;)

Dictionary

**DICTIONARY ONLINE**

It's full of vocabulary, idiomatic expressions and examples. The link is presented below:

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

See you!

SPEECH - 4A

SPEECH ---4A---


Suggestion of Speech themes (4A)

Films
Soap operas
The origin of Internet (Rodrigo - SAT)
Euthanasia
Healthy food
Countries - English as an official language
Countries - English as a second language
Culture
Religion(s)
Environment
Hormones (Leonardo - SAT)
A topic from History studies
Bestsellers - why a book becomes a best seller
The importance of sound tracks (Camila C. - SAT)
TV Series (Monique - SAT)
(Famous) Person’s biography (Emanuelle - SAT)
Extra Terrestrial (E.T.)
Vampires (Juliana - SAT)
Kissing X dating (Shalana - SAT)
The media’s advances
The development of technology
How to mend a broken heart
Horoscope (Elisa - SAT)
Science
The power of cartoons
How to improve your self-esteem
Violence
1st and/or 2nd World Wars
A career
Means of communication
Global Warming
Special dates (Diego - TUE/THR)
The problems of surgery
Barriers of knowledge
The new American president (Camila Mello - SAT)

*Others:

The difference (Lilian - SAT)

*** Dates:

05/14/2009 (Thrusday)
05/16/2009 (Saturday)


** If you have more suggestions, tell me during the class.

** Recommendations:

A) When choosing a theme, you must be creative. It’s a criterion of evaluation.
B) You must never read! It’s spontaneous, but you can study and/or memorize it at home!
C) Respect your classmates’ presentation. Do not talk or laugh during it.
D) Make up (at least) 3 questions to check the students’ comprehension.
E) Do not speak Portuguese during your presentation. Remember that your teacher is paying attention to it.
F) If you have doubts (during the presentation), you can take a look at your draft or ask for help.
G) Attention to your pronunciation and grammar usage.
H) You can count on your teacher’s help. But bring your draft until one week before the presentation.
I) Visual aids can also help you!
J) Never repeat a theme. Don’t be lazy!
K) The most important thing: relax and act naturally!

Grammar topic: POSSESSIVE CASE ('S) ------- 3B-----

*Study the following examples:

- The Joan's book is interesting.
(human beings - singular)

- The dog's paws are brown.
(animals - singular)

- The girls' dolls are dirty.
(plural - ends in "s")

- The women's toilet is out of order.
(plural - doesn't end in "s")

- The pages of the book.
(no possessive form - two objects)

- John and Peter's father is working now.
(one father - John and Peter are brothers)

- John's and Peter's fathers are working now.
(two fathers - they aren't brothers)

- It's Luis' wallet.
.........or...........
- It's Luis's wallet.
(the name ends in "s", so you can use " ' " or " 's").

3B and 4A

*************** TECHNIQUES TO WRITE BETTER ***************

(3B an 4A)

General Considerations For An Effective Composition:

There is no single way to write an effective composition. Once you have chosen a topic to write on, your success will depend upon a number of considerations.

A) Your knowledge of the topic;
B) Your own personality, background, and sensitivity;
C) Your purpose and the worth behind the main ideas you wish to communicate;
D) Your ability to express yourself with clarity, accuracy, vigor, individuality, and originality.

Four Standards For A Successful Composition:

There are four standards according to which a composition may be termed successful.

1) Organization--Is the composition well planned and the thought developed so that the controlling idea is made clear?

2) Substance (worth)—Are the ideas original, logical, interesting, and convincing enough to hold the reader’s attention?

3) Style—Is the approach appropriate to the thought?

4) Mechanics—To what degree is the writer able to spell correctly, to punctuate, and to use acceptable standards of grammar?

Three Stages of Writing:

In general, the process of writing a composition divides itself into three stages.

1) Choosing a topic; gathering and sifting materials; planning the organization and development of the composition in the outline so that it has unity.

2) Writing the composition by following the outline.

3)Rereading and REVISING the composition to make it more expressive, vivid, and clear and to check for grammatical and rhetorical correctness.

* From: http://www.ci.maryville.tn.us/mhs/studyskills/CompGuide/goodcomp.htm

SPEAK OUT 1 students

1st Grammar topic: The verb "to be" ----------------- SO 1 ----------------------

You can study by your Grammar guide: Glimpse into Grammar (the small book).

--- Verb "to be" (ser ou estar)

Personal ................................ Contracted form
Pronouns

I ................ am ...................................... I'm
You ............ are (sing.) .........................You're
He .............. is ....................................... He's
She ............ is ....................................... She's
It ............... is (objects and animals) .. It's
We ............ are ..................................... We're
You .......... are (plural) ....................... You're
They ........ are ..................................... They're

* Interrogative form:

Am I?
Are you?
Is he?
Is she?
Is it?
Are we?
Are you?
Are they?

Here, the verb "to be" comes before the pronoun.

* Negative form:

Normal .................................. Contracted

I am not ................................. I'm not
You are not ............................ You aren't
He is not ................................. He isn't
She is not ............................... She isn't
It is not .................................. It isn't
We are not ............................. We aren't
You are not ............................ You aren't
They are not .......................... They aren't

** A/An - Indefinite Articles

They are only used in singular forms.

E.g.: Peter is a teacher. (consonant sound)

She is an actress. (vowel sound)

a uniform (2 sounds - "iu")

an hour (no sound)

3B students

1st Grammar topic: Comparatives and Superlatives ----------------3B------------------


I) We use (-er) for the comparative of short adjectives and adverbs:

Cheap/cheaper hard/harder large/larger thin/thinner

- This jacket is too small. I need a larger size.
- Ann works harder than most of her friends.

* When the adjectives finish in letter “y”, we remove it and add (- ier):

Lucky/luckier funny/funnier easy/easier

- The exam was easier than we expected.

II) We use (more …) for other two-syllables adjectives and longer adjectives:

More modern more serious more expensive more comfortable

- More expensive hotels are usually more comfortable than cheaper ones.

* We also use (more…) for adverbs which end in (-ly):

More slowly more seriously more quietly more carefully

- Could you speak more slowly, please?

* We also say more often:

- I don’t play tennis much now. I used to play more often.

** But we say earlier (not “more early”):
- You should go to bed earlier.

Adj. ---------- Comp.------------- Super.
GOOD -------- BETTER ----------- (the) BEST
BAD ----------WORSE ----------- (the) WORST


**NOTE: The comparative words more (+) and less (-):

- I smoke more than I used to.
- We’ve got less time than I though.

III) When we want to talk about EQUALITY (as + adjective + as):
- This house is as good as mine.
- A tiger is as dangerous as a lion.

IV) When we want to talk about INEQUALITY (as/so + adjective + as):
- John is not as fat as you.
- Paul is not so thin as him.

V) When we want to talk about INFERIORITY (the least);
- My friend says that he is eating the least delicious dish: salad.


Exercise 1


Complete with the best adjective:

a) The house is …………………………. (comfortable) than the flat.
b) This is ……………………………….. (interesting) book I have ever read.
c) That film is ………………………….. (comic) than the other one.
d) I’ve spent ……………………………. (happy) day of my life.
e) Her illness was ………………………. (serious) today than yesterday.
f) Those guys are the …………………… (tall) I’ve seen in all my life.
g) A bird is …………………………….. (small) than a monkey.

-- Next week I'll post the answers.