This blog has been designed to provide information about the activities held at the social studies bilingual sections in CPI Tino Grandío (Guntín,Spain). The English language and Social Studies teachers have elaborated most of the resources you can see but our "auxiliares de conversa" also have their own page and posts. Therefore everyone is invited to have a look .
Showing posts with label sentences. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sentences. Show all posts

Friday, November 9, 2018

Relative sentences

RELATIVE PRONOUNS
  • who → when we talk about people
  • which → when we talk about things
  • whose → instead of his/her or their
  • We also use that for who/which.
  • where → when we speak about places
  • when → when we speak about a period of time






OMISSION OF THE RELATIVE PRONOUN
We leave out the relative pronoun (who/which/that) if it is not the subject in the sentence.
  • That is the book I like.
If there is a verb after the relative pronoun who/which/that, do not leave out the relative pronoun.
  • He is the teacher who spoke to us yesterday morning.
Examples with the relative pronoun who
1st part of the sentence2nd part of the sentence
Thisisthe boywhowasat the party yesterday.
SubjectVerbRestSubjectVerbRest
who is subject in the sentence, do not leave it out.
1st part of the sentencePronoun2nd part of the sentence
Thisisthe boywhoImetat the party yesterday.
Thisisthe boycan be left outImetat the party yesterday.
SubjectVerbRest
SubjectVerbRest
who is not subject in the sentence, it can be left out.

Examples with the relative pronoun which/that

1stpart of the sentence2nd part of the sentence
Thisisthe bikewhichwasin the shop window.
SubjectVerbRestSubjectVerbRest
which is subject in the sentence, do not leave it out.
1st part of the sentencePronoun2nd part of the sentence
Thisisthe bikewhichIboughtyesterday.
Thisisthe bikecan be left outIboughtyesterday.
SubjectVerbRest
SubjectVerbRest
which is not subject in the sentence, it can be left out.

TYPES OF RELATIVE CLAUSES

http://4thgradeela.weebly.com/uploads/2/0/7/7/20771340/5289752_orig.jpg
To understand the distinctions between that and which it is necessary to understand defining (restrictive) and non-defining (non-restrictive) clauses.
Learning these distinctions is one technical aspect of grammar that every user of English should understand, because it is at the root of an assortment of grammatical errors.

NON DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

A non-defining, or non-restrictive, clause is one that can be regarded as parenthetical:

  • My house, which has a blue door, needs painting.
The italicized words are effectively an aside and could be deleted. The real point of the sentence is that the house needs painting; the blue door is incidental.
Use commas to set off non-defining elements, which contribute to, but do not determine, the meaning of the sentence. These elements may be clauses (groups of words that contain a subject and a verb) or phrases (groups of words that do not contain both a subject and a verb).

DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

A defining, restrictive, clause is one that is essential to the sense of the sentence.

  • My house that has a blue door needs painting.
Here the blue door is a defining characteristic, it helps to distinguish that house from my other houses.
Defining clauses or phrases are not separated off with commas. A restrictive clause or phrase is essential to the meaning of the sentence; it defines the word it modifies by ›restricting‹ its meaning. Eliminating a restrictive element from a sentence changes its meaning dramatically.

EXERCISES

Monday, October 8, 2018

and / but / or


How to link two positive, negative or mixed ideas:

I have got a book and a notebook. (+and+)

I haven’t got a book or a notebook. (-or-)

I have got a book but I haven’t got a notebook. (+but-)

I haven’t got a book but I have got a notebook. (-but+)

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Passive sentences

WHAT IS A PASSIVE STRUCTURE?
Active sentences usually focus on who did the action:
  • My sister broke the window.
Whereas passive sentences usually focus on who or what suffered the effects of the action:
  • The window was broken.
On most occassions the agent (who did the action) is not mentioned but, if relevant, it can be mentioned after the preposition by.
  • The window was broken by my sister.
  • Don Quixote was written by Cervantes.
HOW IS IT MADE?
Passive structures have these elements:
  1. the passive subject (my sister)
  2. verb be in the right tense (the same tense that would be used in the corresponding active structure)
  3. the past participle of the lexical verb
  4. only if necessary, the agent (by + ______)
CHANGING ACTIVE SENTENCES  INTO THE PASSIVE
  1. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject in the passive structure
  2. verb be in the same tense as the active verb in the active structure
  3. past participle of the main verb
  4. the subjet of the active sentence becames the object in the passive structure (by + agent)
    • Peter builds a house. -> A house is built by Peter.
    • They were cooking dinner when we arrived. -> Dinner was being cooked when we arrived.
    • I will finish it tomorrow. -> It will be finished tomorrow.
PASSIVE SENTENCES WITH TWO SUBJECTS (ONLY ESO-4)
Some active sentences have both a direct and an indirect object. In English both can be the subject in a passive structure. The indirect object is introduced by to in the passive sentence.
  • ACTIVE: My sister asked me a question.
  • PASSIVE 1: A question was asked to me.
  • PASSIVE 2: I was asked a question.
  • ACTIVE. The teacher explained the exercise to the students.
  • PASSIVE 1: The exercise was explained to the students.
  • PASSIVE 2: The studens were explained the exercise.
EXERCISES

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Reported Speech

GENERAL RULES FOR REPORTED SPEECH
  • Tenses change from present to past (if we are talking about what somebody said in the past):
    • “I am 15.” ⇨ He said he was 15.
    • “We have a problem.”⇨ They said they had a problem.
    • “I can swim.” ⇨ She said that she could swim.
    • “She comes by bus.” ⇨ He said that she came by bus.
    • “Your sister doesn’t like pizza.” ⇨ She said that my sister didn’t like pizza.
    • “You are looking through the window.” ⇨ He said that I was looking through the window.
    • “They will probably fail.” ⇨ She said that they would probably fail.
    • “My mother saw a mouse.” ⇨ She said that her mother had seen a mouse.
  • Personal pronouns change (if somebody is telling
    what somebody else has said before):
    • “I am 15.” ⇨ He said he was 15.
    • “My mother saw a mouse.” ⇨ She said that her mother had seen a mouse.
    • “We saw you at the cinema.” ⇨ They said that they had seen me at the cinema.
  • Place and time complements have to be adapted to the new context:
    • He came here.” ⇨ They said that he had gone there. 
    • “It’s raining today” ⇨ Jake said that it was raining then / yesterday.
    • “I saw you last week.” ⇨ She said that she had seen me the week before.
STATEMENTS

  • Tell and say are common reporting verbs. (Tell is used before an indirect object.):
    • She said that she liked pizza.
    • My mother told me to go with her.
    • Everyone said that the lesson was very difficult.
    • He told his friends about my illness.

  • Other verbs can be used: know, promise, insist, warn...
  • That can be omitted after say:
    • She said that she liked pizza. ⇨She said she liked pizza.
    • They knew that he liked her. ⇨They knew she liked her.
QUESTIONS

  • Typical reporting verbs are: ask, wonder, want to know.
    • He wanted to know the opening times of the museum.
    • She wondered how old my mother was.
  • Subject always comes before the verb:
    • She asked me how old I was.
  • If the question is answered with yes or no, if should be introduced before the indirect question:
    • My sister asked if you wanted to come with us.
    • I wondered if she was watching the programme on TV.
  • If the questions cannot be answered with yes or no, and usually begins with how / when / what / where  / who / how old... you keep this element in the reported speech and don't add if:
    • He asked me "What is your name? " ⇒ He asked me what my name was.
    • My mother asked me: "What time did you arrive?" ⇒ My mother asked me what time I had arrived.
    • Gina asked: "When will you come tomorrow?" ⇒ Gina asked when I would come / go the following day.
  • We use ask / tell + object + (not) + to + infinitive to say what people want(ed) us to do:
  • “Please, open the window.” ⇨ She asked us to open the window.
  • “Tidy your room.” ⇨ My father told me to tidy my room.
  • “Don’t smoke here.” ⇨ My aunt asked me not to smoke in her car.

Passive sentences


Friday, February 2, 2018

Passive sentences

WHAT IS A PASSIVE STRUCTURE?
Active sentences usually focus on who did the action:
  • My sister broke the window.
Whereas passive sentences usually focus on who or what suffered the effects of the action:
  • The window was broken.
On most occassions the agent (who did the action) is not mentioned but, if relevant, it can be mentioned after the preposition by.
  • The window was broken by my sister.
  • Don Quixote was written by Cervantes.
HOW IS IT MADE?
Passive structures have these elements:
  1. the passive subject (my sister)
  2. verb be in the right tense (the same tense that would be used in the corresponding active structure)
  3. the past participle of the lexical verb
  4. only if necessary, the agent (by + ______)
CHANGING ACTIVE SENTENCES  INTO THE PASSIVE
  1. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject in the passive structure
  2. verb be in the same tense as the active verb in the active structure
  3. past participle of the main verb
  4. the subjet of the active sentence becames the object in the passive structure (by + agent)
    • Peter builds a house. -> A house is built by Peter.
    • They were cooking dinner when we arrived. -> Dinner was being cooked when we arrived.
    • I will finish it tomorrow. -> It will be finished tomorrow.

PASSIVE SENTENCES WITH TWO SUBJECTS (ONLY ESO-4)
Some active sentences have both a direct and an indirect object. In English both can be the subject in a passive structure. The indirect object is introduced by to in the passive sentence.
  • ACTIVE: My sister asked me a question.
  • PASSIVE 1: A question was asked to me.
  • PASSIVE 2: I was asked a question.
  • ACTIVE. The teacher explained the exercise to the students.
  • PASSIVE 1: The exercise was explained to the students.
  • PASSIVE 2: The studens were explained the exercise.
EXERCISES

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Relative clauses

RELATIVE PRONOUNS:

  • who → when we talk about people
  • which → when we talk about things
  • whose → instead of his/her or their
  • We also use that for who/which.


OMISSION OF THE RELATIVE PRONOUN
We leave out the relative pronoun (who/which/that) if it is not the subject in the sentence.
  • That is the book I like.
If there is a verb after the relative pronoun who/which/that, do not leave out the relative pronoun.
  • He is the teacher who spoke to us yesterday morning.
Examples with the relative pronoun who
1st part of the sentence2nd part of the sentence
Thisisthe boywhowasat the party yesterday.
SubjectVerbRestSubjectVerbRest
who is subject in the sentence, do not leave it out.
1st part of the sentencePronoun2nd part of the sentence
Thisisthe boywhoImetat the party yesterday.
Thisisthe boycan be left outImetat the party yesterday.
SubjectVerbRestSubjectVerbRest
who is not subject in the sentence, it can be left out.

Examples with the relative pronoun which/that

1stpart of the sentence2nd part of the sentence
Thisisthe bikewhichwasin the shop window.
SubjectVerbRestSubjectVerbRest
which is subject in the sentence, do not leave it out.
1st part of the sentencePronoun2nd part of the sentence
Thisisthe bikewhichIboughtyesterday.
Thisisthe bikecan be left outIboughtyesterday.
SubjectVerbRestSubjectVerbRest
which is not subject in the sentence, it can be left out.

TYPES OF RELATIVE CLAUSES

http://4thgradeela.weebly.com/uploads/2/0/7/7/20771340/5289752_orig.jpg
To understand the distinctions between that and which it is necessary to understand defining (restrictive) and non-defining (non-restrictive) clauses.
Learning these distinctions is one technical aspect of grammar that every user of English should understand, because it is at the root of an assortment of grammatical errors.

NON DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

A non-defining, or non-restrictive, clause is one that can be regarded as parenthetical:

  • My house, which has a blue door, needs painting.
The italicized words are effectively an aside and could be deleted. The real point of the sentence is that the house needs painting; the blue door is incidental.
Use commas to set off non-defining elements, which contribute to, but do not determine, the meaning of the sentence. These elements may be clauses (groups of words that contain a subject and a verb) or phrases (groups of words that do not contain both a subject and a verb).

DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

A defining, restrictive, clause is one that is essential to the sense of the sentence.

  • My house that has a blue door needs painting.
Here the blue door is a defining characteristic, it helps to distinguish that house from my other houses.
Defining clauses or phrases are not separated off with commas. A restrictive clause or phrase is essential to the meaning of the sentence; it defines the word it modifies by ›restricting‹ its meaning. Eliminating a restrictive element from a sentence changes its meaning dramatically.

EXERCISES