Coronavirus explained

Winds of change

Listen and read the lyrics. What is the song about?

I follow the Moskva
And down to Gorky Park
Listening to the wind of change

An August summer night
Soldiers passing by
Listening to the wind of change

The world is closing in
And did you ever think
That we could be so close, like brothers

The future's in the air
I can feel it everywhere
Blowing with the wind of change

Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the children of tomorrow dream away
In the wind of change

Walking down the street
And distant memories
Are buried in the past forever

I follow the Moskva
And down to Gorky Park
Listening to the wind of change

Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the children of tomorrow share their dreams
With you and me

Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the children of tomorrow dream away
In the wind of change

The wind of change blows straight
Into the face of time
Like a storm wind that will ring
The freedom bell for peace of mind
Let your balalaika sing
What my guitar wants to say

Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the children of tomorrow share their dreams
With you and me

Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the children of tomorrow dream away
In the wind of change

Greta Thunberg's speech at the UN

Differences between Christmas in Britain and in the USA

Project Explore Competition

If you want to take part in this competition by Oxford University Press, you should finish the tale by creating your very own comic strip!


And then, in groups of 2-6 students you must create a 6-panel comic strip – you can either draw it, create it digitally, or even use photographs. Have a look at this sample entry to get inspiration!

If you are an artist, try drawing the comic yourself, but you can always use a digital application like Stripgenerator to make a 6-panel comic strip.

Prizes:
Each student in the winning group will receive a set of Oxford University Press stationery, an Oxford University Press dictionary of their choice, and two Oxford Graded readers of their choice. Their teacher will receive a set of Oxford University Press stationery, an Oxford University Press dictionary of their choice, a copy of the Project Explore poster game, three Oxford University Press Professional Development titles of their choice, and ten Oxford Graded readers of their choice.

There will also be three runner-up groups. Each student in these groups will receive a set of Oxford University Press stationery, and an Oxford Graded Reader of their choice. Their teachers will each receive a set of Oxford University Press stationery, a Project Explore poster game, an Oxford University Press Professional Development Title of their choice, and five Oxford Graded Readers of their choice.

One Hundred Million Crabs

Physical description in English

Physical description in English from Ana Arias Castro

Physical description vocabulary from Ana Arias Castro

Describing people from Ana Arias Castro

Earth Day Doodle

Watch this video (without or with subtitles) and try to answer the following questions:

SOME QUESTIONS:

• Can you say something about Jane Goodall's childhood?
• How did Jane feel one day at Gombe National Park?
• What is her message to all of us?

Environment

SOME QUESTIONS:

• Do you think this idea is feasible? Why?
• What will the most important problems be?
• Can you think of any other good ideas to keep our environment cleaner?

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.

Eso 3 passives from Ana Arias Castro

Revision of passive sentences from Ana Arias Castro

EXERCISES

• Exercise 1 (www.isabelperez.com)
• Exercise 2 (www.isabelperez.com)
• Exercise 3 (www.isabelperez.com)
• Exercises 4 (www.englisch-hilfen.de)
• Exercise 5 (www.itslj.org)
• Exercise 5 (http://a4esl.org)
• Exercise 6 passives in the present simple (Perfect English)
• Exercise 7 Passives in the past simple (Perfect English)
• Exercise 8 passives in the present perfect (Perfect English)
• Exercise 9 passives in the future simple (Perfect English)
• Exercise 10 mixed passive tenses (Perfect English)
• Exercise 11 passives with two objects (Perfect English) ONLY 4ºESO STUDENTS
• Exercise 12 (English Current)
• Passives (easier exercises)
• Passives (more difficult exercises)
• Hot Potatoes ESO-3
• Hot Potatoes ESO-4
• Passives Game (1 or 2 players)
• ESL library-correct verb form 
• Digital Campus-conversion exercise 
• ESL Lounge: active to passive exercise 

Christmas day in the First World War

Videos about conditional sentences

1st and 2nd type conditional sentences



All types (1st, 2nd and 3rd type)

Conditional sentences in English

ZERO TYPE CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

MEANING& USE

The zero conditional is used to make statements about the real world, and often refers to general truths, such as scientific facts. In these sentences, the time is the present or always and the situation is real and possible.

• If you heat water, it boils.
• Water boils if you heat it.
• When you heat ice, it melts.
• Ice melts when you heat it.
• If it snows, the grass gets white.
• The grass gets white if it snows.
• When it rains, the grass gets wet.
• The grass gets wet when it rains.

FORM

We can make a zero conditional sentence with two present simple verbs (one in the 'if clause' and one in the 'main clause'):

If/when/unless + present simple, .... present simple.

EXERCISES

• Perfect English

1ST TYPE CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

MEANING & USE
The first conditional is also called the "real" conditional because it is used for real, or possible, situations. These situations take place if a certain condition is met.

In the first conditional we can salso use unless, which means "if... not". In other words, "... unless he hurries up" could also be written, "... if he doesn't hurry up."

1st type conditional sentence

• If it rains, we will stay at home.
• He will arrive late unless he hurries up.
• Sophie will buy a new car, if she gets her raise.

FORM
The first conditional is formed by the use of the present simple in the if clause followed by a comma and a future simple verb (will + infinitive) in the result clause. You can also put the result clause first without using a comma between the clauses.

• If he finishes on time, we will go to the movies.

OR

• We will go to the movies if he finishes on time.

EXERCISES

• exercise 1- Ego4you
• exercise 2- Ego4you
• exercise 3- Englisch Hilfen: statements
• exercise 4- Englisch Hilfen: negatives
• exercise 5- Englisch Hilfen: mixed
• exercise 6- Englisch Hilfen: mixed-two blanks
• exercise 7- ESL Partyland
• exercise 8- Isabel Pérez matching exercise
• exercise 9- English Exercises
• exercise 10- First English
• exercise 11- English Grammar
• exercise 12: Perfect English

This sheet contains a summary of first, second and third type conditional sentences.

2nd TYPE CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

MEANING

2nd type conditional sentence

The second conditional is used to talk about situations or actions in the present or future which are not likely to happen or are imaginary, hypothetical or impossible.

• If I were a rich woman, I would travel around the world. I think it is very unlikely that I will be rich. However, in this unlikely condition, I will travel around the world.
• If I weren't / wasn't watching TV now, I would be playing tennis. I am watching TV, but I am imagining an alternative activity I would be doing if I wasn't watching TV
• If you had a bigger dog, your house would be protected. You don't have a big dog, but I am imagining how protected you would be if you had one.
• If I were an alien, I would be able to travel around the universe. It is impossible for me to be an alien. However, I am imagining what I would do in this situation.
• We would go to Paris this summer if we passed all our subjects. That is our plan but, unfortunatelly,  we know we are not going to pass all our subjects.

FORM

If + past simple + conditional (would)

Conditional (would) + if + past simple

Verb be is usually were for all subjects; was (1st & 3rd person) is colloquial.

SONGS

If I were a rich man (Fiddler in the Roof-movie)

If today was your last day (Nickleback)

If I were a boy (Beyonce)

EXERCISES

- from Isabel Pérez

- Englisch-hilfen.de 1

- Englisch-hilfen.de 2

- Englisch-hilfen.de 3

- Englisch-hilfen.de 4

- Englisch-hilfen.de 5
- Perfect English Grammar

- Malted ESO-4 unit 7 (Gwineth and the Wizard)

FIRST AND SECOND TYPE CONDITIONALS

• Exercise 1: unit 5 in your text book
• Exercise 2: write the correct verb forms (1st & 2nd type conditionals)
• Exercise 3: Englisch Hilfen
• Exercise 4: Englisch Hilfen
• Exercise 5: Ego4you
• Exercise 6: Ego4you
• Exercise 7: Ego4you-with auxiliary verbs
• Exercise 8. First English
• Exercise 9: English for you
• Exercise 10: ESL lounge
• Exercise 11: Edu GE
• Exercise 12: Speak Speak
• Exercise 13: English exercises
• Exercise 14: English Area

3RD TYPE CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

MEANING

The first conditional and second conditionals tell us about the future. With the third conditional we refer to the past. We speak about a condition in the past that did not happen. That is why there is no possibility for this condition. The third conditional is also like a dream, but with no possibility of the dream coming true.

• If I had travelled to Italy I would have visited Luca. But I have not travelled to Italy and, therefore, I have not visited Luca.
• If you had got a good mark, would you have complained to the teacher? but your mark was bad, so we don't know for sure what you would have done.
• What would you have done if it had snowed last weekend? but it didn't snow.
• I wouldn't have called if I had known that she wasn't home. but I knew so I called

FORM

If + past perfect  // would have + past participle

Past participle // if + past perfect

EXERCISES

• Englisch Hilfen: statements 1
• Englisch Hilfen: negatives 1
• Englisch Hilfen: mixed
• Englisch Hilfen: mixed with negations
• Englisch Hilfen: easy conditionals
• Englisch Hilfen: medium conditionals

SONGS:

 

ALL TYPES OF CONDITIONALS

• All types- Englisch Hilfen
• All types 2 - Englisch Hilfen
• All types - Speak Speak
• All types - Speak Speak 2
• All types - First English
• All types - E-grammar

Bac 1 conditional sentences from Ana Arias Castro

New Year's Day

The New Year is widely celebrated in countries that share our calendar and, thus, start the New Year on the 1st of January every year.

In English-speaking countries most people sing "Auld Lang Syne" as the new year begins. This poem was composed by Scottish poet Robert Burns and was made popular by Scottish immigrants in Canada.

In the USA probably the most famous tradition is the dropping of the New Year ball in Times Square, New York City, at 11:59 P.M. Thousands of people watch the ball make its one-minute descent, arriving exactly at midnight. The tradition first began in 1907. 

There are other common traditions all over the world:

New Year's Resolutions: It is believed that the Babylonians were the first to make New Year's resolutions, and people all over the world have been breaking them ever since. The early Christians believed the first day of the new year should be spent reflecting on past mistakes and resolving to improve oneself in the new year.

Fireworks: Noisemaking and fireworks on New Year's eve is believed to have originated in ancient times, when noise and fire were thought to dispel evil spirits and bring good luck. The Chinese are credited with inventing fireworks and use them to spectacular effect in their New Year's celebrations.

Read More:

• About traditions in many different countries
• Infoplease

Ed Sheeran's "Perfect"

1. Listen to the song. What have you understood?
1. What type of song is it? Love? Absence? A poem?
2. Some vocabulary before you listen a second time:
1. follow one's lead: follow someone
2. the someone: the person
3. to give up: to leave, to quit, to abandon
4. to own: to have
5. barefoot: with no shoes, with nothing on one's feet
6. to look a mess: to look horrible
7. to whisper: to speak in a low voice
8. underneath: under
9. to share: to have the same
10. of our own: our
11. against all odds: in spite of all likelihood against one; even if it didn't seem probable
12. to deserve: to be worthy of
13. to have faith in something: to believe something
3. Listen again and try to answer these questions:
1. What do we know about their past?
2. What do we know about their future?

LYRICS:

I found a love for me

Darling, just dive right in and follow my lead

Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet

Oh, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me

'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love

Not knowing what it was

I will not give you up this time

But darling, just kiss me slow

Your heart is all I own

And in your eyes you're holding mine

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark

With you between my arms

Barefoot on the grass

Listening to our favourite song

When you said you looked a mess

I whispered underneath my breath

But you heard it,

Darling, you look perfect tonight

Well, I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know

She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I'll share her home

I found a love to carry more than just my secrets

To carry love, to carry children of our own

We are still kids but we're so in love

Fighting against all odds

I know we'll be alright this time

Darling, just hold my hand

Be my girl, I'll be your man

I see my future in your eyes

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark

With you between my arms

Barefoot on the grass

Listening to our favourite song

When I saw you in that dress

Looking so beautiful

I don't deserve this

Darling, you look perfect tonight

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark

With you between my arms

Barefoot on the grass

Listening to our favourite song

I have faith in what I see

Now I know I have met an angel in person

And she looks perfect

I don't deserve this

You look perfect tonight

British and American money

Some vocabulary about money:

This presentation by Taylor shows the different coins and bills used in the USA:

Moneymaterials from Ana Arias Castro

And this other video and presentation will tell you about British money:

British currency from Ludivina

"This is Halloween" light show

More about physical description

The Big Bang Theory theme song - key

BEFORE LISTENING: Write the past tense of these infinitives:

• be X 4: was / were
• begin X 2: began
• build X 2: built
• develop: developed
• die: died
• freeze: froze
• meet: met
• set: set
• stand: stood
• start X 3: started
• try: tried

WHILE LISTENING: Complete the lyrics with the missing past tense forms you have written down before:

Our whole universe was in a hot dense state,

Then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started. Wait...

The Earth began to cool,

The autotrophs began to drool,

Neanderthals developed tools,

We built a wall (we built the pyramids),

Math, science, history, unraveling the mystery,

That all started with the big bang (bang)!

"Since the dawn of man" is really not that long,

As every galaxy was formed in less time than it takes to sing this song.

A fraction of a second and the elements were made.

The bipeds stood up straight,

The dinosaurs all met their fate,

They tried to leap but they were late

And they all died (they froze their asses off)

The oceans and Pangaea

See ya wouldn't wanna be ya

Set in motion by the same big bang!

It all started with the big bang!

AFTER LISTENING: Now listen to the song again and check.

How to write an essay in English

Here you are some advice to help you write your essays for EFL classes:

Eso 3 how to write an essay from Ana Arias Castro

and you can choose your topics from this list

Essay topics eso 3 from Ana Arias Castro