2nd year - sentence transformation exercises

Hello to you all, I hope you're having a good break. I mentioned that I would post up some more sentence transformation exercises, as some of you seem to be having a little difficulty with that part of the exam. So here's just a quick post to leave you this link to some more exercises. (Remember though that there are also many similar exercises in your grammar books).

Remember that when you do these exercises you shouldn't become 'too attached' to the original sentence - mental elasticity is important when doing this type of exercise, in order to think of a nice alternative way to express the same idea.

Second year students, try doing these and bring them to class next week so that I can check them.

See you next week!

B1a - weekly update

Here are this week's main points. We have been looking at reported speech and indirect questions in class. We've also been working on some exercises from the grammar test. On Tuesday we did a 'mock reading comprehension' (from the January 2011 exam). We looked through the results together in class. Please remember that if any points are unclear, come to speak with me in office hours. We spoke about how best to approach the reading comprehension, but if that still isn't clear - tell me.

Over the break, please continue with your studies and revision. As well as reviewing what we've been doing so far, please also look at the units I've mentioned recently as well as units 37, 49, 51, 60, 62, 63 in your grammar books.

Remember that the chapters in your book dedicated to phrasal verbs (as we said from the 1st semester) should be studied on your own.

In the first week after the Easter break we'll be doing a 'mock grammar exam' on Tuesday (please remember that the first Tuesday after Easter our lesson will be in 'aula rossa' in the Faculty of Economics, not in our usual classroom). We'll also be looking at tag questions.

Continue doing reading/writing practice - if you have any work done, I'm happy to check through it for corrections.

B2c - weekly update

Here are this week's main points... We did a 'mock grammar test' in class (January 2011) and looked at the corrections together. Please look at the corrections and think about what you need to study/review before the exams arrive. Don't leave it until the last minute. If there are points that you find difficult/unclear and you would like clarifications - come to speak with me in office hours.

We also reviewed some modal verbs, looked at ways of making comparisons, beyond the simple 'comparatives and superlatives' (as usual, please study and do the exercises relating to this in your grammar books) and looked at one of the articles in your 'dispensa' to examine the use of articles.

Over the break, please review the grammar programme, look also at the handout of phrasal verbs which I posted on the blog yesterday. I'll be posting up some more exercises of sentence transformation, for those of you who feel you need more practice. Finally, here's an essay title that you can work on to put those comparatives and superlatives into action (please remember that before doing the essay you need to read the article 'Paris-on-Thames' from the 'dispensa').

"The grass is always greener on the other side" is a common English saying. Although Paris may seem attractive to the British, the article shows that in reality many people from Paris are choosing to live in London. Having read the article, what are some of the factors attracting the French to London? In your opinion could Londoners be attracted by aspects of life in Paris?

B2d - weekly update

This week, as well as other exercises, we did a mock listening test (May 2009) in class. As promised, yesterday afternoon I took the corrected mock tests to the secretary's office at CLA so that you can go to collect them and look through them.

I'll bring the corrections of the other exercise to our next lesson, after the break.

Remember the links to the BBC i-player etc. to continue your listening over the break.

C1a - weekly update

Some of the main points from this week...

We worked on some of the common errors that I've seen coming up in your written work. Please pay attention to these points, as they really should be avoided. If you're making mistakes choosing between the present perfect and the past simple, please review them. If things are unclear, please speak with me.

We also did a 'mock exam' of the grammar test in class and looked at the main problem points. Please don't leave revision until the last minute. Come to speak with me in office hours if there are things you need to clarify.

We also reviewed the conditionals again. As with all units, please study this unit some more at home, as conditionals often come up on the exam.

As you should have seen, I've also posted up a link to a list of phrasal verbs to study for the exam. It's shorter than the list in the book. We'll be looking at phrasals some more

After the Easter break we'll be looking at phrasal verbs and a few final points.

In preparation for our final few weeks of class, please look through units 14, 22, 33 and 35 in the grammar book. We'll be looking at phrasals and comparisons some more after the break. Please also continue with your revision of the programme of study for the exams. Read, write, do exercises, check them. If you do any written/comprehension/grammar work that you'd like to show me, as usual - no problem.

I'll also be posting up a pdf with some further practice exercises relating to sentence transformation, if you feel you need to practise this some more. Watch this space...

One important message - after the break the Monday lessons will be as normal, but the first Tuesday back, we will have a temporary room change. For that day only, our class will be in 'aula rossa' in the Economics Faculty.

2ND YEAR - Multi-word verbs (phrasals)

As mentioned in class, here is a shorter list of multi-word verbs (phrasals) than the very long list in the book. They should be studied as part of the materials to prepare for the exam period. Many of them should be quite familiar, we've seen some of them as examples in different power-points recently. We'll look at some of them a little more after the Easter break.

Click the above link to open the pdf.

Culture Call

It was good to see you again today for the weekly Culture Call group. As requested by group members, we spoke about 2012 and the end of the world! As requested by group members, next session the topic of discussion will be sexuality (- you are choosing some interesting themes!)

Please remember that the next Culture Call session will be after the short break. See you in a few weeks.

ALL - Corrected work

Thanks to those of you who have been e-mailing me your work. As you should know, I've been bringing your work to class, corrected by hand rather than replying to each e-mail (as it's easier to correct with a pen than correcting on the computer). If you haven't yet received your work, please let me know, as everything I received via e-mail recently should now have been collected in class.

If you're unable to collect your work in class for any reason, please let me know.

Bye for now.

2nd year - Phrasal verb handout

In C1a yesterday I said that I'll be posting up a handout with a list of phrasal verbs that it would be good to study for the 2nd year exam (which is shorter that the list in the book).

Unfortunately I'm having problems uploading documents today. As soon as I am able to upload again (hopefully tomorrow) I'll post up the link.

Speak soon!

ALL - 'office hours' next two weeks

Hi all. Just to let you know that next week I won't be holding 'ricevimento' (office hours). The following week if you wish to meet me it will be necessary to e-mail me to make an appointment. The week after (when lessons start up again) standard office hours will be in place.

Culture Call

It was good to see you again last week - there's a nice little group forming now. Next week, as suggested by you, we'll be speaking about 2012 ...and all things related! See you on Thursday at 12.00.

ALL - mock exams and real exams

As I mentioned in class last week, this coming week part of the work we’ll be doing in class will be ‘mock exams’ to prepare a little more for the upcoming 'real' exams. Please remember that we’ll be doing these mock exams in exam conditions, so blue or black ink only and no correction fluid.

The dates of the ‘real’ exams have now been published on the Faculty website – please remember that you must sign up for all exams before the deadline – if you don’t sign up on-line before the deadline, then Faculty regulations say that you cannot sit the exam. Don’t wait until the day before the deadline and then risk having computer problems, forgetting, etc. – sign up early.

If you haven't already done so, read all Faculty information (in the vademecum) regarding your exams with care.

Remember that you must bring your blue ‘libretto’ to the real exams, but not to our mock exams in class.

B1a - weekly update

Last week we did lots of work! The main points were a review of verbs in the active form, an introduction to verbs in the passive form, have/get something done, future perfect and future continuous. We also looked at various exercises from the grammar section of past exams.

Homework is to look at units 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 60 & 62 (over the next two weeks, and let me know if you have any problems).

As always, please do continue doing past exam papers (reading, writing, grammar) and let me see the work you’re doing. If there are any doubts or difficulties, let me know (e-mail, office hours, in class).

Next week we’ll be doing a ‘mock reading exam’ and a ‘mock grammar exam’ using past exam papers – and in exam conditions.

We’ll also be looking at reported speech and other points. Please bring ‘dispensa’ and grammar books to class.

B2c - weekly update

Last week we reviewed aspects of the reading comprehension, written composition and some grammar exercises from the 2^nd year exam. The grammar points we worked on were ‘fronting’ and the use of articles.

Please finish studying unit 28 as well as the necessary parts of units 23, 24, 25 and 26.

As always, please do continue doing past exam papers (reading, writing, grammar) and let me see the work you’re doing. If there are any doubts or difficulties, let me know (e-mail, office hours, in class).

Next week we’ll be doing a mock grammar test (in exam conditions) and working on phrasal verbs a little more, as well as reviewing modal verbs. Please bring grammar books and ‘dispensa’ to class.

B2d - weekly update

Last week we worked on a video from the Enjoy England website about Whitby. The Internet connection was a little slow in class, but below is the video for those of you wishing to see it all.

We also worked on a B2 listening about iPod applications for museums in London.

Next week we’ll be doing a mock listening test in class (in exam conditions) – this will be the final past listening exam that we will probably do this semester, so please try to come.

C1a - weekly update

Last week we did some work on the reading comprehension and written composition sections of the English exam, and did some exercises on tense reviews. We also looked at the use of –ing forms and infinitives.

As always, please do continue doing past exam papers (reading, writing, grammar) and let me see the work you’re doing. If there are any doubts or difficulties, let me know (e-mail, office hours, in class).

Please finish studying unit 12 and also unit 15 – let me know if there are any problems.

Next week we’ll be doing a mock grammar test (in exam conditions) and working on phrasal verbs as well as doing a review of some grammar points that need a little more attention (conditionals in particular). Please bring grammar books and ‘dispensa’ to class.

B2c - weekly update

This week we've been speaking about some articles that you've been reading in English newspapers, and about the referendum on nuclear power. We focused on various linking words that can be used in composition writing and units 8, 31 and 33 from your grammar books.

Please complete a past paper (reading, writing, grammar) for next week - I would like to see a completed exam from as many students as possible.

Please remember to read the article in your dispensa about the idea of the British 'stiff upper lip' and as well as other grammar points please study the necessary small sections of units 23, 24, 26 and 27 (as mentioned on the grammar programme) if you have not already done so.