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Showing posts from April, 2017

Young People & Humour

THE GIFTS OF YOUTH vigour, imagination, creativity adventure, innovation, talent, ambition, enthusiasm audacity, rebellious, old-fashioned, intolerant, strong-headed, thoughtless, severe, bossy, careless, immature, untidy, disobedient, undemocratic, obstinate, adventurous, mean, nosy, authoritarian. HUMOUR humour, a joke, humorous, an impression, to make fun of someone, to kid, silly, witty, joy, anger, gaiety, despair, delight, depression, loneliness, sadness, frustration, cheerfulness, merriment, worry, vivacity, calm, satisfaction, enthusiasm, fear, optimism, jubilation.   Exercise : Which words can you associate more with GIFT and which can you associate with                       HUMOUR? amusement, fun, expertise, skill, genius, joking, faculty, entertainment, power, talent, aptness, kidding, pleasantry, competence, light-heartedness, laughter   GIFT HUMOUR ........................

Collocations

" Collocation refers to how words go together or form fixed relationships." (English Grammar Today in Cambridge Dictionary). "The combination of words formed when two or more words are often used together in a way that sounds correct: The phrase "a hard frost" is a collocation." (Cambridge English Dictionary) adult illiteracy adult literacy boarding school brain drain civic education common good communication technology critical thinking cultural diversity developed countries developing countries digital camera educational system equal opportunity equal rights formal education gender gap general assembly generation gap have access have fun health care high priority higher education human rights informal education information technology international organizations local community look forward make a mistake/mistakes mobile phone natural disaster non-formal education non...

Expressing Addition and Concession

Expressions of Addition : in addition, moreover, also, as well as, along with, not only..but… also Expressions of Concessions : although, however, yet, despite, inspite of.   Examples Moroccan rural women need education as well as health care. Lobna's book is about gender and cultural dimensions of globalisation. Moreover , it addresses the production and use of women's magazine.   Some Moroccan women are illiterate. However , they benefit from pictures in magazines.   Inspite of being illiterate, some women use the magazine's pictures as resources for dressmaking.

Expressing Regret

We express regret using the following structures I wish / if only + subject + had + past participle Past Wish meaning I wish I had revised my lessons If only I had revised my lessons I failed in the exam because I didn't revise my lessons.

The Argumentative essay

The Argumentative essay Brain Drain: For or Against? At first glance, brain drain seems like a big loss. A considerable number of young people are leaving the country. It looks like the country is losing a lot of educated workforce. However, it seems a big advantage that talented minds are able to leave the country and pursue their dreams elsewhere. The first argument I would like to mention is that individual talents would get the chance to grow in a favourable environment. They would get support and have more opportunities to flourish. This would help talents grow and not be wasted. Here is a simple example: a very clever friend of mine received a medal in the national Maths Olympics and graduated from university with the best marks. For a while he unsuccessfully tried to get a job. Finally, he decided to go abroad. Now he has  a good job and lives happily in France . Another argument in favour of brain drain is that talented brains would like to ensure their own future an...

Writing: The Formal Letter

The Formal Letter Susan Wakefield 33, Oxford street ,                 the sender's address London. September 1, 2007              the date             The daily 3333 E. Main Suite 16        the recipient's address Tucson , Arizona 85712         Dear Editor ,                        the formal salutation I was so interested in your article about road accidents in yesterday's issue of your newspaper and I would like to share my sad story with the readers. ( introduction ) When I was only eight years old, my mother was severely injured in a car accident on the highway. Luckily, she survived, but man...

Conditional type III

Conditional type III We use conditional type 3 to express conditions in the past that did not happen. We often use it to express criticism or regret using: would have, could have, should have. If + subject + had + past participle ..... + subject +  would/should/could + have + past participle ..... Conditional Meaning If I had revised my lessons, I would have succeeded If I had revised my lessons I wouldn't have failed I didn't revise my lessons and as a result I didn't succeed Exercise: use the conditional with the following sentences A - Kamal crashed his car, because he felt asleep while driving. - If he...............................asleep while driving, he.....................................his car. B - We couldn't go to the concert, because we didn't have enough money. - If we ..........................enough  money, we .......................to the concert. C - I lost my j...

Present Wish and Past Wish

Present Wish and Past Wish PRESENT WISH We use present wish to express hopes for things we want to change at present situations , but these things are impossible to change . I wish/if only + subject + simple past Present Wish Meaning I Wish I were a millionaire If only I were a millionaire I don't have a million dollars. I am not a millionaire. I can't be a millionaire. PAST WISH We use a past wish to express regret. I wish / if only + subject + had + past participle Past Wish Meaning I wish I had revised my lessons If only I had revised my lessons I failed in the exam because I didn't revise my lessons.

Reported Speech

Reported Speech We use the reported speech when we want to describe a conversation that took place in the past Table (1)   Changes in tenses Direct speech Reported speech (indirect speech) She said, “I study German. ” She said she studied German. He said, “I am studying grammar now . ” He said he was studying grammar then . They said, “we saw an interesting film yesterday ." They said they had seen an interesting film the day before . She said, “I have read two books this month .” She said she had read two books that month. He said, “ I will / may / can / must participate in the competition. ” He said he would / might / could / had to/ participate in the competition. Table (2) Changes in tenses Direct speech Indirect speech Present simple Past simple Present continuous Past continuous ...