The passive voice

This will be the last grammar point at last! As always, and for the last time, I leave you with the slides to revise, print, and whatever necessary.

Just one remark: remember that although the passive voice is quite frequent in English (more than in Catalan or Spanish), overusing it can lead to unnatural language. So, make sure you use it when it makes sense and is appropriate.

Passive voice from Míriam

• The passive voice in Intermediate Language Practice.
• Exercises on passive voice.

Reported speech

So we're almost finished! One of the last things we need to have a look at, though, is the use of reported or indirect speech, you know, when we repeat someone else's words using our own, not the original sentence (that would be called direct speech, which normally appears in dialogues).

Here you have the slides to revise everything, and also some photocopies with exercises and keys.

Reported speech definitive from Míriam

• Changes in reported speech.
• Reported speech in Intermediate Language Practice.
• Another activity with keys.

And a commercial in which you can see reported speech into practice. You might recognize the ad, and even though it is in Spanish, subtitles are in English, for you to compare!

Verb patterns: gerund or infinitive?

This unit's grammar point is verb patterns. That is to say, when do we use the gerund, or the infinitive? Can we say "I certainly like to work out puzzles"? Or is "I certainly like working out puzzles" the only good option? Actually, both are correct, but we'll work on this, practising, playing, and on your own account, studying.

To start with, here I post the slides, so revise them again on your own, and don't forget to complete the activities at the end.

Gerunds and infinitives from Míriam

Expressing ability, possibility, permission and deduction

Hello there!

This post is going to focus on the modal verbs can, could and the structure be able to when they express the functions in the title above: ability, possibility, permission and deduction.

Although you've got some of the necessary theory on your class books, I wanted to share with you the slides in which you'll find it more clearly.

 

Modal verbs 6B: can, could, be able to from Míriam

Moreover, you can do further practice with these activities with answers.

Speculation and regrets

Hi! Today we worked on the past modals of speculation and regret. Next you'll find the slides.

Past modals of deduction, speculation and regret from Míriam

Also, make sure you spend some time this Easter covering this extra on modal verbs, from the book Intermediate Language Practice. EDITED: some of you let me know that the keys were missing, so I'm just adding them here. Sorry about that, by the way!

But have fun, rest and enjoy too! See you in two weeks time!

Expressing obligation, advice, lack of obligation and prohibition

This unit we must deal with the ways of expressing obligation and necesssity, advice, lack of obligation or necessity and prohibition. For this, we'll revise modal verbs and have to, need to and needn't (remember that not all of them are modal verbs!), so in order to have all the information about them, check the slides and do the activities. Modal verbs

Modal verbs from Míriam

Modal verbs Sentence correction

Practise the present perfect continuous

Hi! As I told, I'm working to bring you interactive activities so you can practise at home quickly and easily, because you need no paper nor pen, and they are corrected after you've finished each one.

Tell me how you feel about this new application. Have fun!


Present Perfect Continuous Present Perfect Continuous Present Perfect Continuous Present Perfect Continuous 5 Present Perfect Continuous 6

Prepositions of place and movement

Today I'll share some material with you. First, the list of the prepositions of place and movement, with explanation, examples and pictures illustrating them.

In the second place, I made a selection of videos from YouTube that you can watch at your own choice. They're very humble, but they can help you remember the prepositions thanks to the images. The first one is a more traditional lesson, with the teacher explaining and pictures. The second video is more like a story and you can read the examples every time they use a preposition. Finally, the last one is longer but I recommend you to watch it from minute 2.37 to 5.45.





To practise all this on your own, go to the new section Online exercises for further practice.

Talking about past experiences (past simple, continuous and used to)

Hi there!

What a beautiful thing childhood is, isn't it? To talk about it, you'll need to use past verb tenses, such as the past simple, continous and used to.

I'll give you four different things. First, the document with the rules of these different tenses: Past tenses.

Secondly, the rules on how to pronounce -ed endings for regular verbs in their past simple form: Pronunciation of -ed endings.

Thirdly, here's the wheel for revising the irregular past forms of some verbs of the MacMillan Dictionary: Irregular verbs wheel game.

And finally, also the document with some examples of used to applied to childhood memories: I used to believe.

Do you feel like leaving a comment about something you used to believe when you were children? I used to believe that TV cartoons were drawn the same day that were on TV! So the cartoonists did an amazing job ;)

Expressing possession

Do you already know how to express possession, right? In this post, I'm bringing you the material used in class with the rules, and some extra information and activities for further practice.

• Expressing possession: rules and examples
• British Council possessives. On this link you can revise the possessive nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and questions. There's a little bit of grammar and some questions to practise.
• Revise your knowledge of possessive pronouns and adjectives here.
• This interactive webpage has quizzes to practise: possessive 's, pronouns in separate sentences, pronouns within a text and more exercises on these links (exercise 1, exercise 2, exercise 3).

Remember: practise makes perfect!