HOLY WEEK IN SEVILLE

To those of YOU who have heard about SEVILLE, my town, but YOU've never come here...

Seville is very well-known because of its HOLY WEEK. In my town, there are many brotherhoods which represent most passages of Jesus' Passion.

During the Holy Week, processions organised by Hermandades and cofradías are devote brotherhoods to Christ. Wearing long dark robes and tall pointed hoods, nobody can guess the identity of these sinners ("nazarenos" in Spanish)who ask for forgiveness.

Each brotherhood represents a different passage from Jesus' Passion in their floats ("pasos" in Spanish); they also have their own colours, Jesus and Virgin Mary's images; in the processions, all the sinners or "nazarenos" carry candles lightning the way; there are music bands behind the floats; there are many other significant rituals and details that I'm sure you'll see them in these videos. I hope you'll understand our culture, tradition as well as our particular way of celebrating the HOLY WEEK.

Twilight, Perfect Reading Exercise

Hi, Guys!,

Can I ask you to watch and read this video? From my point of view, it's one the best reading exercise!!! since, while you're listening to Bella's Lullaby, you can read some quotations taken from the novel Twilight. I hope you'll like it!!! It's amazing, isn't it?

Teaching English: How to Write an Essay

Hi, Guys!,

Surprisingly, (I'm being a bit ironic, hahaha), I found a teacher talking about how to write an Essay, and he mentions something like.... an Introduction, Body and Conclusion, ... what is he dealing with? Do you have an idea? hahahaha... Please, watch this video, it may help you!

Big Muzzy Teaches English to Children

Hi, Guys!,

When I was a child, I loved watching Muzzy, I love repeating what Muzzy said. Because of that, I encourage you to listen and watch these basic lessons.

VoCaBuLaRy GaMe

Hi, Guys!,

This is video of Jennifer Klein playing Kate Garnett's vocabulary game for the first time. She selected words related to a tree study for her 3rd grade student but the game can be created for any subject. Let's see the Game!

PASSIVE (4) Secondary and Upper-Secondary

Hi, Guys!,

Can you distinguish between the Active and Passive voice in English? Yes? ok, let me ask you to do the following activities... Here, you have to decide to write the sentences given in Active or Passive.

Write sentences in the active or passive. Use the correct tense.
1. Boys and girls / teach separately / in the past
Boy and girls were taught separately in the past.
2. Reports / usually send / to parents by post
Reports are usually sent to parents by post.
3. The Prime Minister / attend / my school from 1965-1972
The Prime Minister attended my school from 1965 to 1972.
4. The teacher / mark / the exams / at the moment
The teacher is marking the exams at the moment.
5. Football / must not play / near the Music Room at any time
Football mustn't be played near the Music Room at any time.
6. Lucy / always get / excellent marks in English
Lucy always gets excellent marks in English.
7. Changes to the educational system / announce / yesterday
Changes to educational system were announced yesterday.
8. Mobile phones / not allow / in school after next week
Mobile phones hadn't been allowed in school after next week.

Write sentences in the active or passive. Use the correct tense.
1. My new computer / steal / last week
My new computer was stolen last week.
2. Students / require / to attend all lectures
Students are required to attend all lectures.
3. The college gates / lock / every night at midnight
The college gates are locked every night at midnight.
4. The principal / announce / plans for a new library / yesterday
The principal announced plans for a new library yesterday.
5. Sandra / interview / by the examiner at the moment
Sandra is being interviewed by the examiner at the moment.
6. This novel / write / in the last century
This novel was written in the last century.
7. John / revise for / his French exam at the moment
John is revising for his French exam at the moment.

GREASE!!!! You're The One That I Want [ HQ + subtitle]

Hi, Guys!,

Have you ever seen this famous movie? or have you ever danced this well-known song You're The one That I Want? Well, as I told you, I've been looking for these songs and dances of this film to help with the party at the end of this academic year. I hope you'll like this film!!!, but I was wondering ... are you ready to sing and dance??? Let's see...

Passive (3) for Secondary and Upper-Secondary students

Hi, Guys!,

Please, pay attention to the following picture, here you can find an example of passive with two objects! Take a look!

1. My parents and teachers should have given me more freedom.
I should have been given more freedom by my parents and teachers.
2. They allowed me to be more independent.
I was allowed to be more independent.
3. Many people send us a lot of postcards on holidays.
We are sent a lot of postcards on holidays.
4. The thief will kill all the policemen in the factory.
All the policemen will be killed by the thief in the factory.
5. We must treat our listeners with more respect.
Our listeners must be treated with more respect.
6. I’m interviewing a famous actor now.
A famous actor is being interviewied now.
7. He shouldn’t have insulted Mrs Hind.
Mrs Hind shouldn't have been insulted.
8. They interrupted her programme immediately.
Her programme was interrupted immediately.
9. They are always singing all the Beatles’ songs.
All the Beatles' songs are always being sung.
10. The painters painted all the walls very quickly.
All the walls are painted very quickly.
11. The company hadn’t paid us our salary.
We hadn't been paid our salary by the company.
12. I couldn’t spell my own surname when I was five.
My own surname couldn't be spelt when I was five.
13. All the students can speak English and French at school.
English and French can be spoken by all the students at school.
14. We are looking for antiques.
Antiques are being looked for.
15. Alfred Hitchcock directed that film many years ago.
That film was directed by Alfred Hitchcock many years ago.
16. People are destroying large areas of forest everyday.
Large areas of forest are being destroyed everyday.
17. Somebody has bought the land next to our house.
The land next to our house has been bought.
18. Someone had already reported the accident before I phoned.
The accident had already been reported before I phoned.
19. I hope they will have completed all the marking by tomorrow.
I hope all the marking will have been completed by tomorrow.
20. People are using the tennis court, so we couldn’t play.
The tennis court is being used, so we couldnpt play.
21. He introduced me to Andy García in Los Angeles last year.
I was introduced Andy García in Los Angles last year.

Passive sentences for Secondary and Upper-Secondary students

Hi, Guys!,

As I told you in class, here you can find many sentences to transform them into Passive. Don't forget to check your answers below, ok?

If you need to review how to transform these sentences, you can see the following webpage: http://www.english-zone.com/verbs/pssvchrt.html

P A S S I V E (1 OBJECT)

1. Someone has chosen a winner in the fancy dress competition.
A winner has been chosen in the fancy dress competition.
2. My teacher is always telling funny stories.
Funny stories are always being told by my teacher.
3. They didn’t visit their family last Saturday.
Their family wasn't / weren't visited last Saturday.
4. Somebody may hide the keys.
The keys may be hidden.
5. Karen is looking for her keys.
Her keys are being looked by Karen.
6. Finally, Karen has found her keys.
Finally, her keys have been found by Karen.
7. My mother didn’t buy strawberries.
Strawberries weren't bought by my mother.
8. The children are eating some bars of chocolates.
Some bars of chocolate are being eaten by the children.
9. The suspicious man didn’t burn the house.
The house wasn't burnt / burned by the suspicious man.
10. Picasso didn’t paint The Gioconda.
The Gioconda wasn't painted by Picasso.
11. Leonardo da Vinci painted the Gioconda or the Mona Lisa.
The Gioconda or the Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci.
12. Parents and children fly kites in the fields outside.
Kites are flown by parents and children in the fields outside.
13. In 1653, Pizarro discovered chocolate in America.
Chocolate was discovered by Pizarro in America in 1653.
14. Later, somebody invented bars and drinks of chocolate.
Bars and drinks of chocolate were invented later.
15. Someday, Henry will make a cake.

A cake will be made by Henry

16. My brother hasn’t locked the door.
The door hasn't been locked by my brother.
17. The machines can clean all the floor.
All the floor can be cleaned by the machines.
18. They mustn’t wash the dishes.
The machines mustn't be washed.
19. He is sweeping the kitchen now.
The kitchen is being swept now.
20. The mechanics have repaired my car.
My car has been repaired by the mechanics.
21. You can add salt to the salad.
Salt can be added to the salad.
22. You must stir the soup.
The soup must be stirred.
23. The inventor was checking the machines.
The machines were being checked.
24. They won’t paint the walls of their house.
The walls of their house won't be painted.
25. The students must finish all these sentences.

All these sentences must be finished by the students.

Films : Bridget Jones' Diary

Hi, Guys!,

Many times in class, I encourage you to watch your favourite films in English as a fantastic way to improve your listening skill. That's why I want to release some scenes of this comedy, I read this book at university many years ago and I had a very good time reading it, and then... this film! I hope you'll enjoy and understand these scenes!!!

Learning English Vocabulary thanks to Jennifer

Hi, Guys!,

Let's listen to another Jennifer's lesson, we are going to learn vocabulary and idioms and sayings that mean "easy". For example:

"I can do it with my eyes closed (that means I do it many times)".

Vocabulary "outdoors"

Hi, Guys!,

Thanks to Jennifer's lessons, we can learn English vocabulary! For example:

* (to) come out of a difficult situation = (to) be out of the woods

* a talent for gardening or make plants growing up = (to) have a grren thumb

* a life of easy and comfort = (no) bed of roses

RP British Accent

Hi, Guys!,

I'm here again!!! Today, I want you to pay attention to this great Phonetics Lesson, it may help you to improve your pronunciation, ok? you can listen to many useful examples in British accent.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Hi, Guys!,

By means of "youtube", we can see the typical famous Saint Patrick's parade in Dublin which takes place every 17th March!

Saint Patrick's Day (VOCABULARY)

Hi, Guys!,

Thanks to Jennifer's lesson, we can learn more vocabulary related to Saint Patrick's Day. Moreover, if you listen to this video, you can practise and improve your listening skill, ok?

SAINT PATRICK'S DAY

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17th , his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years. On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast—on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

WHO WAS SAINT PATRICK?

It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D. Although his father was a Christian deacon, it has been suggested that he probably took on the role because of tax incentives and there is no evidence that Patrick came from a particularly religious family. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. (There is some dispute over where this captivity took place. Although many believe he was taken to live in Mount Slemish in County Antrim, it is more likely that he was held in County Mayo near Killala.)

During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.)

SHAKIRA singing GIPSY (with lyrics)

Hi, Guys!,

Those days, I'm too busy, so I have no time to write or release a new article. Nevertheless, I can share with all of you "GIPSY" sung in English by SHAKIRA. You can understand this song thanks to its lyrics below. Have a nice weekend!

MUSICALS!!! The Phantom of the Opera

Hi, Guys!,

Have you ever seen a Musical? Well, if your answer is "no", I encourage you to go and see one of this fantastic performance as soon as possible. I'm sure you'll have a great time, the musicals are always amazing and worthwhile!!! All the people who perform the musicals are incredibly good actors and singers. Besides, you must pay attention to the stage,decor, lightning ... Even more, people like being well-dressed to Broadway musicals. If you go to a Broadway musical, you must buy the tickets in advance at the box office or at the Tickets office in Times Square. You may get a 20% discount at Tickets office.

http://www.youtube.com/thephantomoftheopera

This is one of my favourite song "Angel of Music",
it's more wonderful when you listen to this live.

Conditionals (4)

Hi, Guys!,

If you need to practise more ... (I'm being ironic.... hahaha). Anyway, there is more than one possible answer, ok? Good LUCK!!!


CONDITIONALS. Rewrite the following sentences without altering their meaning.
1. If you aren’t on a diet, try the cheesecake. (unless)
Unless you are on a diet, try the cheesecake.

2. Danny wants to lose some weight, but he doesn’t have any will power. (if)
If Danny doesn't have any will power, he won't lose any weight.

3. Sue didn’t mention the tennis game so I didn’t turn up to watch. (if)
If Sue had mentioned the tennis game, I would have turned to watch it.

4. In my opinion, you should drink low-fat milk. (if)
If I were / was you, I would drink low-fat milk.

5. You should have a medical check-up when starting a diet. (if)
If I started on a diet, I'd have a medical check-up when starting a diet.

6. I didn’t buy any vegetables so I couldn’t make a salad. (if)
I would have made a salad if I had bought some vegetables.

7. Paul won’t swim in the pool because there is no lifeguard. (if)
If there is a lifeguard, Paul'll swim in the pool.

8. Peter gets angry with people who don’t take him seriously. (unless)
Peter won't get angry with people unless they take him seriously.

Relative Clauses (4)

Hi, Guys!,

This morning, we didn't have enough time to correct all these sentences. So, now you can find the answers here. There may be another possible answer. If the Relative Pronoun appears between brackets, that means we can omit it.

Join the sentences using a Relative Pronoun. Omit it when it is possible.

1. That’s the man. I found his jacket yesterday.
That's the man whose jacket I found yesterday.
2. Here’s the pen. You lost it yesterday.

Here's the pen (which / that) you lost yesterday.
3. Those are the tourists. Their luggage arrived late.
Those are the tourists whose luggage arrived late.
4. They played music at the disco. It was awful. The music…
The music (which / that) they played at the disco was awful.
5. That’s the car. He bought it from Richard.
That's the car (which / that) he bought from Richard.
6. We saw Tom at he cinema. He has got married. Tom ….
Tom, who we saw at the cinema, has got married.
7. I loved the song. They sang it yesterday.
I loved the song (which / that) they sang yesterday.
8. You want to visit a place. It is near here. The place ….
The place (which / that) you want to visit is near here.
9. I visited the Liverpool. We used to live there. I visited ….
I visited Liverpool, where we used to live.
10. The Great Fire of London destroyed a large part of the city. It broke out in 1666.
The Great Fire of London, which broke out in 1666, destroyed a large part of the city.
11. Julius Caesar was a great general. He was also a writer.
Julius Caesar, who was a great general, was also a writer.
12. Who is the girl? You were smiling at her.

Who is the girl (who / that) you were smiling at?

Questions and Answers (3)

Hi, Guys!,

Once again, you can find more exercises related to Questions and Answers in English.

Ready, steady, go!!!!!

Write questions for the following answers. Pay attention to the words in bold and italics. Then, you can check your answers looking at the key answers in blue colour.

1. Mike gets up early because he goes to school by bus.

Why does Mike get up early?

2. Mary drinks a cup of coffee everyday.

What does Mary drink everyday?

3. We have breakfast at 7.30.

What time do you have for breakfast?

4. The children broke the window glass yesterday.

Who broke the window glass?

5. There were more than 500 people in the concert.

How many people were there in the concert?

6. Last year, I went to Paris with my friends.

Who did you go to Paris with?

7. We are doing our homework now.

What are you doing now?

8. Yes, we've been to London.

Have you ever been to London?

9. Henry and Tom are going to travel to New York next month.

Where are henry and Tom going to travel next month?

10. I used to train volleyball twice a week.

How often did you use to train volleyball?

American Cookies ....mnmnmn!!!

American Cookies or Chocolate Chip Cookies, delicious!!!!!!!!!!

(In this picture, you can see cookies made by Valme)

Ingridients:

1. 3 / 4 cup unsalted butter

2. room temperature 1 cup brown sugar

3. 1 / 4 cup white sugar

4. 1 egg

5. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6. 2 cups all-purpose flour

7. 2 teaspoons cornstarch

8. use 1 teaspoon baking soda

9. 1 / 2 teaspoon salt

10. 1 bar of chocolate in pieces

How to do the American Cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Beat together butter and sugars until smooth. What they call the baker to white. I use the palette of the KitchenAid.

3. Add egg and vanilla until well incorporated.

4. Add flour, baking soda and salt. When combined add the chocolate.

5. Place by spoonfuls on a baking sheet about 8 to 10 minutes.

6. You'd better eat the Chocolate chips freshly. Now you can invite your friends and eat them!!!!