CONNECTORS AND SEQUENCERS

When we speak or write we have two options. We can use the formula  sentence + sentence + sentence + sentence + ..... which doesn't sound too natural

          I like Sundays.
          I don't work on Sundays.
          I wake up at 8.30.
          I get up at 10.00.
          I have a big breakfast.
          I sometimes read the newspaper.
          I sometimes work in the garden.
          I go out for a walk.
          I have lunch with my family.
          We watch TV.
          We talk. 
          We don't work.
          We don't study.

Or we can link the sentences and the discourse using CONNECTORS (and, or, but, because) and SEQUENCERS (then, before/after breakfast, ...) which sounds a lot more natural, don't you think so?

I like Sundays because I don't work. I wake up at 8.30 but I get up at 10.00 and I have a big breakfast. Then I sometimes read the newspaper or work in the garden. Before lunch I go out for a walk. Then I have lunch with my family. After lunch we watch TV and talk. We don't work or study.

Now time for you to practise!!!!!

Exercise

Write a composition about your daily routine and send it to your teacher!!

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THE MYSTERY OF OKINAWA

In Okinawa people live a very long time. They are hardly ever ill. Many people live to be 100 – more people than in other parts of the world. Why? What is their secret?
 
Read the text while you listen to it. Then record yourself and compare your recording with the original. This will improve your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills!!

A healthy diet



The Okinawans eat vegetables, fruit, fish, soya, and rice. They usually have seven portions of fruit and vegetables a day. People don’t usually drink much alcohol or smoke. They don’t eat much meat or fast food.

Exercise



Physical activity is very important for the people of Okinawa. Martial arts, walking, traditional dancing, and gardening are very popular with people of all ages.

Low stress



In many countries people have healthy diets and do exercise. But the unusual thing about the people in Okinawa is that they are not stressed. They are relaxed and take their time. Buses are hardly ever on time, and people often arrive an hour late for meetings. Every evening hundreds of people, young and old, go to the beach to watch the beautiful sunset. People often meditate to relax.

Always active



Another important thing is that people often work until they are 80 – sometimes until 90! In the Okinawan dialect there is no word for ‘retired’. They are busy and active all their lives. Old people don’t stay at home – they go out and meet friends.

When journalists ask people ‘What is the secret of your long life?’, they answer ‘We are happy, we are always positive, and we are never in a hurry.’


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CHORES AND ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY

First click here to learn the vocabulary. Then practise chores and adverbs of frequency with this book. Click here to open the book in a new bigger window.
It only works on PCs and some smart devices, sorry!

ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY

We not always say just what we do but we also say how often we do things and that's when we use 'adverbs of frequency'. The most used frequency adverbs are always, usually, often, sometimes, hardly ever (or seldom) and never.

Example: I usually go to the cinema

Remember that they are placed immediately before the verb:

Example: She often plays tennis.

But they come after the verb to be:

Example: They are never happy with the results.

This graphic will help you learn their degree of frequency:

And now you can practise. Good luck!!!!

Exercise 1 
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Exercise 6

TIME AND DAILY ROUTINES

This book will help you practise the times and daily routines. With audio too!! If you want to open it in a new bigger window, click here
NOTE: Be careful when you write, watch your spelling and don't use contractions, if you use contractions or the spelling is wrong (for example, not using capital letters at the beginning of a sentence) you will get it wrong.
Also, it only works on computers and some mobile devices, sorry!

AT, IN, ON

 When we say 'when' we not only say the watch time but also we refer to:

• parts of the day (morning, afternoon, everning)
• specific time in the day (lunch, dinner)
• day of the week (Monday, Tuesday, ...)
• month of the year (January, February, March...)
• the year (2010, 1984, 1715...)
• the season (spring, summer, autumn, winter)
• specific periods of time (Christmas, Easter, weekend) .... 

 Three prepositions are used: AT, IN and ON . Do you remember when to use them? Practise with these exercises!

Exercise 1 (Choose the correct answer)
Exercise 2 (Write in, at, on, to complete the sentences)
Exercise 3 (Drag each word to the correct group)
Exercise 4 (Complete the sentences with the correct preposition)
Exercise 5 (Choose the right answer)
Exercise 6 (Which is the right preposition to complete the sentence?)





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LORRAINE'S ROUTINE

Professor Parker, a stress expert from the University of London, looks at Lorraine's typical day and tries to help…

Lorraine, a single mother, works as a guide at the National Gallery in London and she lives with her son George, aged 9.



6.30
I get up and I make George’s sandwiches. Then I do some housework. Then I wake up George and make his breakfast. I’m always in a hurry and I don’t have time for breakfast at home.

8.00
We cycle to school because the bus is expensive. Then I cycle six miles to work.

9.00
I have a sandwich for breakfast in the canteen, and then I start work. My first tour is usually at 9.30. I like my job but I don’t earn much money and I stand all day.

5.00
I finish work and I go to pick up George at 5.30. We go shopping.

6.30
I cook dinner and help George with his homework. After dinner I do more housework or answer e-mails. I don’t go out in the evening because a babysitter is very expensive.

9.00
George goes to bed and I read him a story. Then I go to bed – I’m really tired!

Professor Parker’s advice:
Have breakfast with your son. Do all the housework in the evening. Don’t cycle, get the bus. It’s important to see other people. Invite a friend for a drink once a week.
______________
*6 miles = 9.8 kilometres
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WE ARE FAMILY

Learn more vocabulary related to the family with this video.

THIS IS MY FAMILY

Let's practise the vocabulary you learned in class.
 

exercise 1 ( put the letters in the correct order)

exercise 2 ( reading comprehension)

exercise 3 ( complete the sentences)

exercise 4 ( listen to Monojo and put the letters in the right order to form the word he says)

exercise 5 ( memory game, listen to the words to make pairs)

exercise 6 ( crossword)

exercise 7 ( wordsearch)

THE POSSESSIVE

When we want to show that something belongs to somebody, we usually add an apostrophe + s ('s) to a singular noun and an apostrophe (') to a plural noun, for example:

•    the student's book (one student)
•    the students' book (two or more students)

Proper Nouns (Names)

We very often use possessive 's with names:
•    This is Mary's car.
•    Where is Ram's telephone?
•    Is this Anthony's pen?
•    I like Alice's hair.

When a name ends in s, we usually treat it like any other singular noun, and add 's:
•    This is Charles's chair.

Irregular Plurals
Some nouns have irregular plural forms without s (man → men). To show possession, we usually add 's to the plural form of these nouns:
singular noun          plural noun
my child's dog           my children's dog
the man's work         the men's work
the mouse's cage       the mice's cage
a person's clothes      people's clothes

Let's practise the possessive.

exercise 1 (Choose the correct word) 

exercise 2 (Put the words in the correct order) 

exercise 3 (Make correct sentences)

exercise 4 (choose the correct word)

exercise 5 ( click on the words in the correct order)