Past Simple is used to talk about actions or situations in the past. It used to appear with time expressions like: yesterday, the last night, the last week, last year...
The structure is the following:
Statements: Sub+V(past)+ Compl. Negative: Sub+ DIDN'T +V (present) + Compl Questions: DID+ Sub + V (present) + Compl. For example: I ate an apple yestedary. But we have to identify IRREGULAR VERBS.The most important ones are:
The Past Continuous is used when we talk about something which was happening at a special time in the past. The structure is the following: Statements: Sub+ to be(past)+ gerund V+ Compl. Negative: Sub+ to be (Past,negative) + gerund V+Compl. Question: To be(past)+ Sub+ gerund V+ Compl ? For example: I was eating an apple. We can find these both tenses in the same sentence and there is a CLUEto identify where is each tense: "When" always appears with PAST SIMPLE and "While" always appears with PAST CONTINUOUS. EX: We were sittingat the breakfast table when the doorbell rang.
He meta lot of friendly people while he was workingin California.
And finally there you have some exercises to practise:
1) When they (leave) the museum, the sun (shine)
2) The students (play) cards when the teacher (come) in.
3) While the children (sleep), their parents (watch) TV.
4) It (start) to rain while she (water)the flowers in her garden.
5) When I (open) the door, it (rain)
6) While Henry (have) a drink at the bar, his wife (swim) in the sea.
7) He (hear) a loud bang while he (talk) to his friend.
8) While he (take) a shower, his dogs (eat) his steaks.
An important part on the learning of your English. Each week, we are going to practice this part with funny exercises.
Now, let's go to practice with a easy and entertaining exercise.
You can READ the following text and ANSWER the questions.
TEXT: ROBIN HOOD
Robin Hood is the archetypal English folk hero, an outlaw who, in modern versions of the legend, stole from the rich to give to the poor.
This redistributionist form of philosophy-in-action anticipates the work of writers such as Proudhon and Karl Marx by many hundreds of years. Although most noted for his material egalitarianism, in the stories he also pursues other types of equality and justice. However, as mentioned below, Robin Hood was not originally so generous.
The stories relating to Robin Hood are apocryphal, verging on the mythological. His first appearance in a manuscript is in William Langland's Piers Plowman (1377) in which Sloth, the lazy priest boasts "I ken (i.e. 'know') 'rimes of Robin Hood." Three years later the Scottish chronicler John Fordun wrote that, in ballads, "Robin Hood delights above all others".
Printed versions of Robin Hood ballads appear in the early 16th century — shortly after the advent of printing in England. In these ballads, Robin Hood is a yeoman which, by that time, meant an independent tradesman or farmer. It is only in the late 16th century that he becomes a nobleman, the Earl of Huntington, Robert of Locksley, or later still, Robert Fitz Ooth.
His romantic attachment to Maid Marian (or "Marion") (originally known as Mathilda) is also a product of this later period and probably has something to do with the French pastoral play of about 1280, the Jeu de Robin et Marion. Aside from the names there is no recognizable Robin Hood connection to the play.
The late 16th century is also the period when the Robin Hood story is moved back in time to the 1190s, when King Richard is away at the crusades. One of the original Robin Hood ballads refers to King Edward (Edward I, II, and III ruled England from 1272 to 1377). The idea of Robin Hood as a high-minded Saxon fighting Norman Lords originates in the 19th century, most notably in the part Robin Hood plays in Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe (1819), chapters 40 - 41, where the familiar modern Robin Hood—"King of Outlaws and prince of good fellows!" Richard the Lionheart calls him—makes his debut.
The folkloric Robin Hood was deprived of his lands by the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham and became an outlaw. The Sheriff does indeed appear in the early ballads (Robin kills and beheads him), but there is nothing as specific as this allegation. Robin's other enemies include the rich abbots of the Catholic Church and a bounty hunter named Guy of Gisbourne. Robin kills and beheads him as well. The early ballads contain nothing about giving to the poor, although Robin does make a large loan to an unfortunate knight.
In the ballads, the original "Merry Men" (though not called that) included: Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet (or Scathlock), Much the Miller's Son, and Little John — who was called "little" because he wasn't. Alan-a-Dale is a later invention in Robin Hood plays.
QUESTIONS:
1. Robin Hood appeared in print in the beginning of the 16th century.
True.
False.
We don't know.
2. The stories relating to Robin Hood are of questionable authenticity.
True.
False.
We don't know.
3. The folkloric Robin Hood was considered a criminal.
True.
False.
We don't know.
4. According to an early ballad, Robin Hood kills the Sheriff.
True.
False.
We don't know.
5. The legend of Robin Hood was associated to King Richard and the crusades.
Hello!! In this
section of the blog, I would try to explain some techniques of learning
vocabulary at the same time that the vocabulary as well. Vocabulary is a great
and ambiguous field in the English language because there are millions of words and the British themselves can´t know all of them.
This ambiguity may be seen in most of the words but I will focus on the verb get. The verb get
has a lot of meanings and variety of forms. Originally this verb means “obtener,
conseguir” but the meaning change depending on the word we put after the verb.
For example:
To
get + a break -> means “tener una
oportunidad” as we can see in this example:
-I play the
guitar at a pub on Thursdays but one day I hope I get my break.
Here, you could think that the meaning is similar to the prototype, but
pay attention to this one:
To get + a
move on -> means “darse prisa” as we can see in this example:
- Emily, get
a move on! We're going to be late for the ceremony! You can see how this meaning
is totally different from the first one or from the prototype. One example more:
To get +
hell -> “ aguantar una bronca” as we can see in this example:
-No! I won't get hell from mom and dad again for something you did!
These are only a few examples with the verb to get but there are others with other verbs in English language. These are known as phrasal verbs and the meaning of these verbs change depending on the word that appear after the main verb, and that is why they are difficult for non-native speakers of English. Pay attention!! It´s really important that you understand the context of the words that you want to learn, because is the best way to learn it. See you soon!!
Here in this entry of our blog we provide you an exercise to improve your listening. You will have to listen closely to this nice song performed by Sara Bareilles and fill the gaps of the lyrics
ARE YOU READY ?
ENJOY !
Something always brings me back to _____.
It never takes too _____.
No matter what I ____ or do I'll still ____ you here 'til the ______ I'm gone.
You hold me without ______.
You keep me ______ chains.
I never wanted ______ so much than to drown in your _____ and not feel your ____.
[CHORUS]
Set me ____, leave me ___. I don't want to _____ another moment into your _______.
Here I am and I ______ so tall, just the way I'm ________ to be.
But you're on to me and all ____ me.
You loved me 'cause I'm ______.
_____ I thought that I was strong.
But you touch me for a ___________ and all my fragile strength is _____.
[CHORUS]
I live here on my knees as I ____ to make you ____ that you're ________ I think I need here on
The _______.
But you're _______ friend nor foe though I can't seem to let you go.
The one ______ that I still _____ is that you're keeping me _____.
We are going to start from the very beginning of the basic grammar: present tense. Present simple is used to talk about daily routines and habits. It is very easy to detect because it appears normally with adverbs of frequency.
The structure is the following: Statements: Sub+ V +s/es (in case of 3rd person)+ Compl. Negative: Sub+ don't/ doesn't (in case of 3rd person) + Compl. Question: Do/ Does(in case of 3rd person)+ Sub+ V+ Compl ? For example: My friend Peter plays in a basketball team.
Present Continuous expresses the actions we are doing at the moment. It is also very easy because the sentence possibly includes the words: now, right now, at the moment The structure is the following: Statements: Sub+ to be+ gerund V+ Compl. Negative: Sub+ to be (negative) + gerund V+Compl. Question: To be+ Sub+ gerund V+ Compl ?
For example: My mum is having a shower right now. Here you have some exercises to practice. You have to choose if the following sentences must be in present simple or continuous.
He...................................(go) to the gym twice a week.
She ....................................(read) "The Great Gatsby" now.
We ..................................(eat) hamburguer just once a month.
..................your mother...................(work) as a secretary?
My little brother .........................(not know) how to write an email.
They .......................(have) French classes every Wednesday.
I ....................(not listen) to music at the moment.
..............the teacher ...................(shout) to him now?
He ......................(think) very often about that issue.
We hardly ever ....................(visit) my old teachers.
