martes, 28 de abril de 2015

006 - The Passive Voice

006 - The Passive Voice

Active and Passive Voice

An active sentence like I drank two cups of coffee has the subject first (the person or thing that does the verb), followed by the verb, and finally the object (the person or thing that the action happens to).

So, in this example, the subject is 'I', the verb is 'drank' and the object is 'two cups of coffee'.

But, we don't always need to make sentences this way. We might want to put the object first, or perhaps we don't want to say who did something. This can happen for lots of reasons (see the explanation further down the page). In this case, we can use a passive, which puts the object first:

Two cups of coffee were drunk (we can add 'by me' if we want, but it isn't necessary).

How to make the Passive in English

We make the passive by putting the verb 'to be' into whatever tense we need and then adding the past participle. For regular verbs, we make the past participle by adding 'ed' to the infinitive. So play becomes played. Click here to learn about irregular verbs.

Tense	Active	Passive
present simple	I make a cake.	A cake is made (by me).
present continuous	I am making a cake.	A cake is being made (by me).
past simple	I made a cake.	A cake was made (by me).
past continuous	I was making a cake.	A cake was being made(by me).
present perfect	I have made a cake.	A cake has been made (by me).
pres. perf. continuous	I have been making a cake.	A cake has been being made (by me).
past perfect	I had made a cake.	A cake had been made(by me).
future simple	I will make a cake.	A cake will be made (by me).
future perfect	I will have madea cake.	A cake will have been made (by me).

When should we use the Passive?

When we want to change the focus of the sentence:
- The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci. (We are more interested in the painting than the artist in this sentence)

When who or what causes the action is unknown or unimportant or obvious or 'people in general':
- He was arrested (obvious agent, the police).
- My bike has been stolen (unknown agent).
- The road is being repaired (unimportant agent).
- The form can be obtained from the post office (people in general).

In factual or scientific writing:
- The chemical is placed in a test tube and the data entered into the computer.

In formal writing instead of using someone/ people/ they (these can be used in speaking or informal writing):
- The brochure will be finished next month.
In order to put the new information at the end of the sentence to improve style:
- Three books are used regularly in the class. The books were written by Dr. Bell. ('Dr. Bell wrote the books' sound clumsy)

When the subject is very long:
- I was surprised by how well the students did in the test. (More natural than: 'how well the students did in the test surprised me')

Taken from: http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/passive.html

Video Material

Smrt English Explanation - Passive Voice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rlvWoNNrcs (Part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ6bSNimM0o (Part 2)

Anglo Link Detailed Explanation of Passive Voice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxbQ2U3Uuv0

Famous Series Scenes with Passive Voice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzeI93MszMk

Exercises for Practice
- Present Simple Exercise
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/passive-exercise-1.html
http://www.kico4u.de/english/uebungen/passiv/simplepresein.htm
http://www.esl-lounge.com/student/grammar/3g20-passive-active-exercise.php
http://www.ang.pl/cwiczenia/927

- Past Simple Exercise
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/passive-exercise-2.html
http://www.ang.pl/cwiczenia/928
https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive/exercises?simple-past
http://first-english.org/english_learning/english_active_passive/31_active_passive_simple_past_exercises.htm

- Present Perfect Exercise
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/passive-exercise-3.html

- Organize or Match the Sentences
http://www.english-grammar-lessons.com/passive/exercise2.swf
http://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-2/exercise-english-28628.php

- Complete the Sentence
http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/single/passive_r.htm
http://suz.digitaleschulebayern.de/english/grammar/passive5.htm

- Transform into Passive or Active
http://learningapps.org/123565
http://suz.digitaleschulebayern.de/english/grammar/passive2.htm
http://suz.digitaleschulebayern.de/english/grammar/passive3.htm
http://suz.digitaleschulebayern.de/english/grammar/passive4.htm
http://www.english-4u.de/passive_ex1.htm

Games for Passive Voice
Passive Voice with Famous People
http://www.eslgamesplus.com/passive-voice-past-passive-esl-grammar-sentence-activity-fun-game-online/

Shootout
http://www.eslgamesworld.com/members/games/grammar/football/passive%20voice/passive%20voice.html

Basketball Game
http://www.eslgamesworld.com/members/games/grammar/basketball/active%20vs.%20passive%20voice/active%20vs.%20passive%20voice.html

Writing Assessment

Introduce the students to the activity with this video:
http://money.howstuffworks.com/54-how-money-is-made-video.htm

Ask the following questions
Where do dollars come from?
How much money is made in the US?
How is money printed?
What is a master engraver?
What is a money plate?
What is the process money goes through to be elaborated?
What are two ways money is protected from counterfeiting?

Write a four paragraph essay where you explain how something is made. In the first paragraph, give an introduction to the product and industry you are talking about giving details of its importance. Then, describe the process of how something is made describing the materials needed for the product, the elaboration of the product and how it is distributed to the masses.

Note: The essay could be a critique on a product, an attempt to sell the product or a project/idea you would like to elaborate.

Key Ideas: Keep in mind the use of the Passive Voice throughout the description.

domingo, 19 de abril de 2015

005 - Comparatives and Superlatives

005 - Comparatives and Superlatives

Comparatives
Comparative Structures: one thing or person is more than another thing or person

We can say that something is more than another thing by using a comparative adjective with 'than'.

France is bigger than Scotland.
Luke is taller than Lucy.
Your book is more interesting than my book.

We can make the comparison stronger by using 'far' or 'much' or 'a lot' before the adjective. We can make it less strong by using 'a little' or 'a bit'.

Canada is far bigger than Scotland.
Your book is much more interesting than my book.
Amanda is a lot younger than Julie.
This exercise is a little more difficult than that exercise.

We can say that one thing or person is less than another thing by using 'less ... than':

Scotland is less big than France.
Lucy is less tall than Luke.
My book is less interesting than your book.

To show something is changing, we can use 'comparative and comparative' or 'more and more adjective'.

That child is getting taller and taller.
The climate is getting hotter and hotter.
This city is becoming more and more crowded.

Comparative structures: things or people that are the same

First, we can use 'as ... as' with a normal adjective (not a comparative) to say two things are the same:

John is as tall as Luke (= they are the same height).
The red shirt is as expensive as the blue shirt (= they are the same price).

We can use 'not as ... as' to say that two things are not the same.

Lucy is not as tall as Helena (= Helena is taller than Lucy).
Paris is not as big as London (= London is bigger than Paris).

Superlatives

We use a superlative to say that a thing or person is the most of a group. When we use a superlative adjective ('the tallest student') before the noun, we generally use it with 'the'. This is because there's only one (or one group) of the thing we are talking about. There is one student who is the tallest in the class, and because it's clear to the listener which one we mean, we usually use 'the':

She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen.
It's the best café in London.
John and Lisa are the most intelligent students here.
This bowl is the biggest one.

Remember, we don't use 'the' when there is a possessive:

He's my best student.
That's our most important goal.

It's possible to drop 'the' when the adjective is used later in the sentence, rather than directly before the noun. We can choose either 'the' or 'no article', with no change in meaning:

She is (the) most beautiful.
This café is (the) best.
John and Lisa are (the) most intelligent.
This bowl is (the) biggest.

This is not possible when the adjective comes directly before the noun:

~~He is fastest swimmer.~~

Taken from: http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/comparatives.html

Video Material for Comparatives and Superlatives.

English with Sound and Light, Comparatives Usage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrxTrvrCohE (Part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8lX5I5sTPQ (Part 2)

Explanation of Comparatives and Superlatives with a song background.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UESYzGogazQ

Examples with countries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pwwrF0UBQQ

Examples and spelling rules of comparatives.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fQb7_KUs3A

Visual Examples of Comparatives
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCLrYbmPvis

Comparatives and Superlative in Songs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T7EDVC-Byk

Comparatives in Interviews
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLE5yPZa_Ow

Reading Material (Spanish)
http://www.curso-ingles.com/gramatica-inglesa/compar.php

Silent video that works as a presentation for Superlatives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9-jWTQq_7M

Reading Material for Comparatives

Simple Explanation of Comparatives
http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/adjectivecomp.html

Formation of Comparative Adjectives
https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/adjectives-comparative-form.htm

Explanation in Spanish
http://www.curso-ingles.com/gramatica-inglesa/compar.php

A very complete list of Comparatives
http://www.curso-ingles.com/gramatica-inglesa/compar-lista.php

Exercises for Comparatives and Superlatives

Very simple matching exercises
http://www.agendaweb.org/exercises/grammar/comparison/comparison-multiple-1
http://www.agendaweb.org/exercises/grammar/comparison/comparison-match

Complete Sentences
http://www.hshc.de/unterricht/comparison/comparison2.htm (Comparative)
http://suz.digitaleschulebayern.de/english/grammar/comp1.htm
http://www.agendaweb.org/exercises/grammar/comparison/comparison-write-2
http://www.agendaweb.org/exercises/grammar/comparison/comparison-write-3
http://www.english-4u.de/comparison_ex3.htm
http://www.adelescorner.org/grammar/comparatives/superlatives.html (Superlative)
http://jerome.boulinguez.free.fr/english/file/hotpotatoes/superlatives3.htm
http://www.adelescorner.org/grammar/comparatives/superlatives2.html
http://www.funkyenglish.com/page/quiz-superlatives

True or False Exercises on Comparatives
http://s.mound.free.fr/skyblues67/comparing/trig&family1.htm (Comparative)
http://www.hshc.de/unterricht/comparison/comparison.htm
http://www.agendaweb.org/exercises/grammar/comparison/superlatives-1 (Superlative)

Use the right comparative or superlative.
http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=2070 (Comparatives)
http://www.eflnet.com/grammar/supadj.php (Superlative)

Using more and most.
http://first-english.org/english_learning/english_year_2/comparison_adjectives/30_comparison_of_adjectives_more_most.htm

Games for Comparatives and Superlatives

Boardgame that uses animals as a topic for comparative and superlative adjectives.
http://www.eslgamesplus.com/comparatives-and-superlatives-zoo-animals-vocabulary-grammar-esl-interactive-board-game/

A game where the students must choose between comparatives and superlatives correctly.
http://www.eslgamesplus.com/comparatives-superlatives-wild-zoo-animals-vocabulary-grammar-interactive-monkey-fun-activity/

Compare different animals using the right adjective form.
http://gamestolearnenglish.com/compare/

Hangman and choosing the words in the right order.
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/grammar-games/comparatives-and-superlatives

Advanced games where students must read a text and use the right form of the adjective.
http://www.marks-english-school.com/games/basketball.html

jueves, 16 de abril de 2015

004 - Past Modals

004 - Past Modals

Using Past Modals to describe regrets, express guilt, say how events could have turned different and to talk about speculation.

Video Material
Advisability in the Past
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is58Xw4JSv4

Making Speculations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FOuxPICcQo

Reading Material

Past Modals
http://www.espressoenglish.net/past-modals-should-have-could-have-would-have/

Past Modals reference tables
http://www.eslgold.com/grammar/past_modals.html
http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-lesson-modals-present-past.php

Modal Deductions in Past
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/grammar-reference/modals-deduction-past

Oral Assessment Prompt
Search for one unsolved mistery and bring it to the class. Get in a pair or group of three. Prepare a roleplay where one of you is a reporter researching the mistery brought to class and the other members are a panel of experts trying to come up with the best explanations for them. The reporter concentrates in asking specific questions about the mistery and the panel come up with different answers to reply.

The reporter should ask at least four questions for each mistery to each expert. Also, the reporter should make comments of his/her own.

Example of possible questions by the reporter:
Topic: The Egyptian Pyramids
How could the egyptian have built the pyramids with ancient tools?
When must the emperor have decided to make pyramids?
How could an ancient civilization have developed such tecnology.

Example of possible answers by the experts:
Topic: The Egyptian Pyramids
They might have had a lot of ingenuity since they could have used geometry as an asset...
The emperors were obssessed with power and showing greatness, so they could have done the pyramids pretending to attempt immortality...
Well, old civilizations existed for thousands of years and had the time and resources to develop certain specific technology. It is not difficult to say that they might have studied the subjects of pyramids for years before ever attempting building them...

martes, 14 de abril de 2015

003 - Past Simple

Listen to the conversation between Hana and Daniel and answer the questions. Answer using complete sentences.

1) What did Daniel do in Taiwan?

2) Who did he go with?

3) How was the local food in Taiwan?

4) How long did he go for?

5) Why did he go to Taiwan?

Assessment on Writing
Write a paragraph describing your favorite holiday vacations. Follow the questions to cover up the information and if there are some details you don't remember, just invent them.
1) What was your favorite holiday vacation in your life?
2) Where did you go on that vacation?
3) Who did you go with?
4) How did you travel to that destination?
5) How long was the trip to get there?
6) Where did you stay?
7) What did you do in that vacation? (Include 3 activities)
8) What did you eat and drink?
9) What was the best moment?
10) What was the worst moment?

Example:
My favorite holiday vacation was when I was 12 during Christmas. I went to Merida, a very beautiful mountainous city. I was with my dad, mom, brother, aunt, uncle and some cousins. We traveled in a car caravan of three. It took about 6 hours there, we stopped in different places to rest on the road. We stayed in a big family hotel called Magdalena. We hiked to the Pico Bolivar, visited the local zoo and tried different restaurants. We ate a lot of typical food, grilled meat, and drank hot chocolate. The best moment was when we visited the mountains because the view was amazing. The worst moment was when my brother and I got fever, called "Fiebre del Páramo", and had to go back to the hotel.

Assessment on Speaking: Prepare a presentation about an artist that you like and describe their story. Since we are working on past forms, the artist has to be a deceased one to avoid time use confusion. The presentation is going to be divided in 5 parts.

1) Introduce the artist.
Say who the artist is, why he/she is famous and why do you like him/her.
Example: Michael Jackson was the King of Pop. He was a very famous singer and dancer. I like this artist because I really like his music.

2) First Steps
Talk about his/her origins.
Example: Michael Jackson was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1958. His mother was Katherin Jackson and his dad was Joe Jackson. He lived in a small house with his three sisters and six brothers.

3) Artistic Career
Talk about his/her career.
Example: Michael Jackson career started in the child band called "The Jackson 5". They sang and danced pop song and had many hit songs. After the band split up, Michael Jackson began a solo career where he hand numerous great songs. During the 80s and 90s, he was seen as the King of Pop for his many successful videos, performances and for having record sales in different albums.

4) Historic Events
Talk about his/her best hits, movies, songs, moments, shows or actions.
Example: Michael Jackson's biggest hit was Thriller. Thriller was one of the most expensive and elaborated videos of its era, but also one of the most popular.The album where this single was released sold millions of copy.

5) Dead
Talk about his/her dead.
Michael Jackson died in June 2009. He died due to the misused of certain drugs by his personal doctor. His dead was a very sad event in the history of music and thousands of people went to his funeral. Nowadays, MJ is remember as a Pop Legend and an idol.

sábado, 11 de abril de 2015

002 - The Weather (Kids Lesson)

Prezi Presentation on the World Weather
https://prezi.com/ae0qodfmjov_/the-world-weather/

Games
The Weather Maze
http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/es/fun-games/weather-maze

How's the weather?
http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/es/fun-games/whats-the-weather

Hangman: Weather Words
http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/es/word-games/hangman/weather

The Weather Transformer
http://pbskids.org/catinthehat/games/weather-transformer.html

Pirate Boardgame: Weather Vocabulary
http://www.eslgamesplus.com/weather-vocabulary-esl-interactive-board-game/

Activities

Weather Forecast
https://f6c7z5k9.map2.ssl.hwcdn.net/wuploads/preview_new/full_29652_weather_forecasts_1.jpg

viernes, 10 de abril de 2015

Compilation Index

001 - Working on Conditionals
http://mrsilvadigital.blogspot.com/2015/04/001-working-on-conditionals.html

002 - The Weather (Kids Lesson)
http://mrsilvadigital.blogspot.com/2015/04/002-weather-kids-lesson.html

003 - Past Simple
http://mrsilvadigital.blogspot.com/2015/04/003-past-simple.html

004 - Past Modals
http://mrsilvadigital.blogspot.com/2015/04/004-advisability-in-past.html

005 - Comparatives and Superlatives
http://www.mrsilvadigital.blogspot.com/2015/04/005-comparatives-and-superlatives.html

006 - The Passive Voice
http://www.mrsilvadigital.blogspot.com/2015/04/006-passive-voice.html

001 - Working on Conditionals

Working on Conditionals Compilation

Disclaimer: This is a compilation of digital materials found on the net made for being used in English class as extracurricular study material and nothing else. All sources are indicated.

Conditional Sentences are also known as Conditional Clauses or If Clauses. They are used to express that the action in the main clause (without if) can only take place if a certain condition (in the clause with if) is fulfilled. There are three types of Conditional Sentences.

Source Material: https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences

The Zero Conditional

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

If + present simple, .... present simple.

This conditional is used when the result will always happen. So, if water reaches 100 degrees, it always boils. It's a fact. I'm talking in general, not about one particular situation. The result of the 'if clause' is always the main cluase.

The 'if' in this conditional can usually be replaced by 'when' without changing the meaning.

For example: If water reaches 100 degrees, it boils. (It is always true, there can't be a different result sometimes). If I eat peanuts, I am sick. (This is true only for me, maybe, not for everyone, but it's still true that I'm sick every time I eat peanuts)

Here are some more examples:

If people eat too much, they get fat.
If you touch a fire, you get burned.
People die if they don't eat.
You get water if you mix hydrogen and oxygen.
Snakes bite if they are scared
If babies are hungry, they cry

The first conditional has the present simple after 'if', then the future simple in the other clause:

if + present simple, ... will + infinitive
...will + infinitive if + present simple

The First Conditional

The first conditional has the present simple after 'if', then the future simplein the other clause:

if + present simple, ... will + infinitive

It's used to talk about things which might happen in the future. Of course, we can't know what will happen in the future, but this describes possible things, which could easily come true.

If it rains, I won't go to the park.
If I study today, I'll go to the party tonight.
If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes.
She'll be late if the train is delayed.
She'll miss the bus if she doesn't leave soon.
If I see her, I'll tell her.

The Second Conditional

The second conditional uses the past simple after if, then 'would' and the infinitive:

if + past simple, ...would + infinitive

(We can use 'were' instead of 'was' with 'I' and 'he/she/it'. This is mostly done in formal writing).

It has two uses.

First, we can use it to talk about things in the future that are probably not going to be true. Maybe I'm imagining some dream for example.

If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house.(I probably won't win the lottery)
If I met the Queen of England, I would say hello.
She would travel all over the world if she were rich.
She would pass the exam if she ever studied.(She never studies, so this won't happen)

Second, we can use it to talk about something in the present which is impossible, because it's not true. Is that clear? Have a look at the examples:

If I had his number, I would call him. (I don't have his number now, so it's impossible for me to call him).
If I were you, I wouldn't go out with that man.

The Third Conditional

We make the third conditional by using the past perfect after 'if' and then 'would have' and the past participle in the second part of the sentence:

if + past perfect, ...would + have + past participle

It talks about the past. It's used to describe a situation that didn't happen, and to imagine the result of this situation.

If she had studied, she would have passed the exam (but, really we know she didn't study and so she didn't pass)
If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick (but I did eat a lot, and so I did feel sick).
If we had taken a taxi, we wouldn't have missed the plane
She wouldn't have been tired if she had gone to bed earlier
She would have become a teacher if she had gone to university
He would have been on time for the interview if he had left the house at nine

Source Material: http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/

Video Material

First Conditional
First Conditional Extra Explanation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ifCM8kJFKI
Wall Street Tutor

First Conditional Examples
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSDxMaC0QYc
Hercules Scenes

First Conditional Song Examples
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC8hSPY9YPY

Second Conditional
Second Conditional Extra Explanation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEwcIsTKBU4

Second Conditional Extra Explanation and Examples
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry3xEVEiF-0
LOiEnglish

What would do if you....?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOSNTqHHXPA

Second Conditional Examples
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJF9Gb3dGbc
Big Bang Theory

Second Conditional in Songs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq2l4hpSZpo

Third Conditional

Teacher Diane's Explanation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuUkuORtfE0

Marcnet Explanation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsOTuLOfPQc

Once upon a time third conditional examples
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnONBkEQUU0

Benjamin Button conditional examples
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZj1Yeb-tVg

Third Conditional Examples in Songs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlIEwi9e7mQ

Practice Material

Games

The Conditional Rally
http://www.eslgamesplus.com/conditionals-review-rally/
Fling the teacher
http://eslgamesworld.com/members/games/grammar/fling%20the%20teacher/conditionals/conditionals%20practice.html
Who wants to be a conditional billionaire
http://eslgamesworld.com/members/games/ClassroomGames/Billionaire/Conditionals%20Billionaire%20Game/index.html

Assessment on Conditionals

First Conditional: Create a business that sells its products on a website. Design the logo, the brand, products to be sold and other details and create a presentation to be shown on the classroom screen. Explain how will you call your company, what will it sell, the clients you are trying to reach and end with a phrasing describing why people will buy things using conditionals.

Example: If you love pizza, you should come to...

If you have a lot of money, you will enjoy these...

If you cannot find a place to buy books, you might find it...

Second Conditional: You are going to be presented with 5 possible unreal situations, pick one of them and then describe how they would change your life and what you would do different in that context. Describe the situation with your opinions and second conditionals.

Situations: How would your life change if you...

... became incredibly rich for winning a lotto ticket?

... obtained superpowers from a meteorite? (Pick a power)

... were sent to study to an unexpected country? (Pick a country)

... became a personality celebrity from a viral video?

... obtained a seat of power in the government? (Pick the post)

Third Conditional: Choose one of the situations presented and then describe how the world would have changed if those events had happened. Write at least an essay of 120 words and rememeber to write an introduction, body and conclusion.

- What would have happened if the Nazis had won World War 2?
- What would have happened if electricity hadn't beend discovered?
- What would have happened if South American countries hadn't achieve independence?
- What would have happened if Cuban missile crisis had started a nuclear war?
- What would have happened if Pangea had still existed?

Listening Assessment for Third Conditional: You've got to find what you love.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMnDVGGpGiC-PtCyMh0Ftqd3COMX4garWdHNMiYe_n9-VV0VnuFFv-68SC7qVC82ggPTeU5u_tRiafKcKcZFnVbmTAq8QJ8k08sDyBuOQgNIRa6N5Ma5WuEFuatsKtK_ppSF2FGlgIVre/s1600/steve+jobs.jpg