Time Clauses

Hello boys and girls!

Today, we are going to have a look at 'time clauses'. Time clauses in English are sentences introduced by a conjunction such as: before, after, as soon as, until when, whenever, while or some other time expression. Even though these sentences are about future activities, we do not use a future tense in these sentences. Have a look at the following two examples:

• My sister will come to Madrid and she will take me to the theatre. 

•  My sister will take me to the theatre when she comes to Madrid. 

 In the first sentence, we have two future actions related to each other. In the second sentence the clause after 'when' is a time clause and even though the activity will take place in the future,  the tense used is present simple.

There are many other examples of time clauses. Have a look at the following examples where the first sentence is made of two sentences with will and the second sentence is made of a sentence with will and a future time clause.

• The holidays will finish and the teacher will publish the results vs The teacher will publish the results as soon as the the holidays finish
• Don´t start the exam. First I will explain what you need to do vs Don't start the exam until I explain what to do. 
•  I'll have a quick lunch and I will leave for work vs I'll have a quick lunch before I leave for work. 
• Your father will arrive and then we will have dinner vs We will have dinner when your father arrives 

Well, I really hope this post helps you understand better time clauses and when / how to use them... I will write another one before you know it!

Kate´s Speech

Hello followers!

The Baftas (British Academy of Film and Television Awards) were given last Sunday in London. All of those readers who are a bit keen on cinema will probably know that the Baftas are the most important awards held just before the Oscars and that many of the successful films at the Baftas will also achieve the same result at the event celebrated at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. However, I am not going to write about the winners of the night but about one of most spontaneous sincere speeches given by the Bafta winner to best supporting actress: Kate Winslet. Not only she is one of my two favourite actresses (Hillary Swank holds the honor of sharing the title with her), but she is also a humble generous woman as you can work out by her words to the press that night. Kate in her purest style... Enjoy! 

Let´s now have a look at some of Kate´s sentences and their meaning:

If I was happy to settle for the fat girl parts. To settle for (v): To be satisfied with.
Every young woman who has ever been put down by a teacher or a friend or even a parent. Put down (v): To humiliate or embarrass. Make someone feel insulted or ridiculous.

And I kept on going and I overcame all of my fears. Keep on going (v): Continue uninterrupted Overcome (v): To defeat
That´s what I felt that I had to really dig deep and do. Dig deep (idiom): Summon strength

And The Goya goes to... Tim Robbins

It´s almost been five days and I have finally come to terms with what happened last Saturday at the Goyas. Penelope Cruz looked beautiful and all guests were smartly dressed. The show was long and not brilliant but everything was going apparently well at the time.  However, Mr Rovira who was hosting the show, did not play so smart that night. In the middle of the ceremony and when everyone seemed to be enjoying the ceremony, he decided to have a little chat with one of the two international guests in the room: Mr Tim Robbins. I can not tell if the speech had been prepared beforehand or not but in either case, Dani Rovira´s English was appaling. He did not start it right by greeting Mr Robbins with a 'Good Night' , as if he were leaving the show to go to bed. Then, he continued by constructing some half complete sentences, leaving words untranslated and translating others that did not need translation. Finally, as if all that had not been enough, Mr Rovira ended his speech by comitting one of the most common and striking mistakes that many Spanish learners of English do when speaking in English: 'Are you agree?'.  Seriously, Mr Rovira? Was it that difficult to end the speech by asking Mr Robbins: 'Do you agree?'. He would probably haven't but at least you would have ended your English Speech with dignity. I really liked Dani Rovira as a comedian (and I still do) but if you ask my opinion about his English, I was far from impressed.
Here you have the video in case you have not seen it yet. Priceless!

Glossary: 

• To come to terms with (v. expr): to become resigned or accustomed. 

Example: I did not like the fact that my sister had a boyfriend much older than her but I have finally come to terms with it.

• Appaling (Adj): Shocking, horrifying.  

Example: My friend's behaviour was appalling. I had never seen someone being so rude in my whole life!

• Striking (adj): Noticeable. 

Example: The fact that everybody signed the petition was very striking. I think they were quite right in their claims.

It´s raining idioms!

'It´s raining cats and dogs' Really? is it raining cats and dogs? No, of course not! it´s only an idiom. As you probably know by now, an idiom is a popular expression that does not look familiar since the words do not give any clues about its meaning.  

• 'It´s raining cats and dogs' is not connected to animals at all. It just means that it is raining very heavily. Example: We can´t go for a walk. It´s raining cats and dogs! 

Did you find it funny? Do you want to know some more idioms with the word 'rain' in it? Well, today is your lucky day! Keep on reading and enjoy...

• 'Never rains but it pours' is also a very popular expression with the word rain but unlike the one before, it does not have anything to do with weather. This expression means that when something bad happens, something else bad will happen that will make the situation even worse. Example: Mary lost her wallet and that same afternoon, she was mugged and her handbag was stolen. Never rain but it pours! 

•  'Come rain or shine' is a more positive expression than the previous one. It just simply means regardless of circumstances. So, if someone does something 'come rain or shine' will do it no matter what the circumstances are. Example: My sister and me argue every day come rain or shine. 

• 'As right as rain' is also a positive idiom. If someone is 'as right as rain' he feels perfectly well. It is often used as a way of offering reassurance (comfort) to someone. Example: My mother is back after three days in hospital and I´m glad to say that she feels as right as rain.

•  'Save for a rainy day'. This idioms is about money or at least, mainly about money. It means to save something for a time when it might be needed. Example: That money is what Claire had been saving for a rainy day. 

• 'Take a rain check' on something. Its meaning is to postpone something. It is normally used in informal English as an alternative to the phrasal verb: 'put off'. Example: I may have a meeting tomorrow evening so I may have to take a rain check on our dinner date. 

• 'Rain on someone else´s parade'. This idioms is very explicit. Its meaning is quite obvious. It means to ruin someone else´s happiness. Example: Everytime I got a B in an exam, my brother always comes with an A in one of his. He keeps on raining on my parade.

Did you enjoy it? Well, I hope you did. This is all for now but remember: I will be back 'come rain or shine'! Have a good week!

Our Time, our time down here.

Good morning readers! 

Yesterday, I went to see 'The Goonies', again! 
Even though I had seen it a few months before at the cinema and I have seen it innumerable times at home,  I still enjoyed it. 'The Goonies' is one of those films that I never get tired of watching. I love the story, the characters, the puns (1), the end... but what I love the most is the idea that the film portrays of chasing your dreams. 
 Mikey, the main character is persistent and stubborn and it is thanks to him that their dreams finally come true. I do not want to be a spoiler in case there is anybody there who still has not watched The Goonies (really?), so I will say no more. I just want to leave you my favourite scene of the whole film: Mikey´s speech. This scene takes place when the group of friends are about to give up on their dreams and hopes and Mikey´s speech makes them think again and change their minds (2). I really hope you enjoy it... 

Now, let´s have a look at the dialogue: 

• Mikey: Don´t you realize? The next time you will see sky it will be over another town, the next time you take a test, it will be in some other school. Our parents, they want the best stuff (3) for us. But right now they´ve gotta (4) do what´s right for them because it´s their time. Their time, up there. Down here it´s our time. It´s our time, down here. That´s all over the second we ride up (5) Troy´s bucket. 

Glossary: 

• (1) puns (n): humorous use of a word or a phrase so as to emphasize or suggest its different meanings or applications. 
• (2) to change one´s mind (id): to change one´s opinion or intention. 
• (3) stuff (n): material objects or items of some kind not specified. 
• (4) gotta (v): contraction of got to in informal, rapid and conversational speech. 
• (5) ride up (ph. v): to move up from the proper place or position. 

I hope you have enjoyed it! And... if you have not seen 'The Goonies' yet, what are you waiting for? Get hold of one copy and do it. You have the whole weekend to enjoy it! 
Bye!

Adverbials, where do they go?

Hello folks! First of all...

Welcome to my new group of Intermediate 2 and to my two new groups of Intermediate 1. I also teach a group of Basic 1 but this blog and its contents may be a bit difficult for them just yet,  I´m afraid. Everything will come at the right time.

Right, this post is about adverbials and their position in the sentences. This may be quite complex since we have many different types of adverbials and they go in different positions. For example, "unfortunately" does not go in the same place that "really", does it?
Ex: *I unfortunately don´t have much time left - I really don´t have much time left 
As you probably noticed, the first sentence in the example above is wrong and the second sentence is right. So, what´s the right order? Let´s have a look at the different types of adverbials we have and where they go in the sentence:

•  Adverbs of Comment. 

They give the speaker´s or the writer´s OPINION about something. They are subjective views about something that is being discussed. They usually go at the beginning of the sentence. 
Examples: Eventually, your mother will give you permission to go out. Obviously my sister is less clever than I am.

• Adverbs of Degree. 

They describe HOW MUCH something is done or TO WHAT EXTENT something is done. They may go before the main verb. 
Example: I have almost finished!
However: If...
They modify an adjective, they go before the adjective. Example: My students are incredibly happy with their results.
- A lot and much often go after the verb. Examples: I have been working a lot in the project. I guess you don´t like much the idea. 

• Adverbs of Frequency. 

They are related to HOW OFTEN something happens. They go before the main verb. However, if the verb we use is the verb to be, they go after this verb (since verb to be is an auxiliar itself) 
Examples: I never take my laptop to school. I have always believed in ghosts. Your sister is hardly ever late for dinner.

• Adverbs of Manner. 

They describe the WAY of doing something. How someone does something. They usually go after the verb. 
Examples: My mother drives very slowly. All my students have been studying for the exam very intensively.

• Adverbs of Time and Place. 

They say WHEN or WHEN something happened, will happen.  They usually go at the end of the sentence. 
Examples: The new car will arrive at the airport in half an hour. She hasn´t lived here for 5 years. When we have both adverbials of time and place, place adverbials generally go before time adverbials.

All other adverbs like "just", "even", or "probably" usually go before the main verb and after verb to be. Examples: I have just come back from the office. The time is probably wrong. I hadn´t even started yet! 

Complicated? No worries, here I leave you with a summary chart that I have prepared regarding this topic:

 

Beginning of Sentence	Before Adjective	Before Main Verb (And after To Be)	After Main Verb	End of Sentence
COMMENT	DEGREE (if they modify an adjective)	DEGREE	MANNER	TIME AND PLACE  (PLACE before TIME)
		FREQUENCY	* A LOT * MUCH
		OTHER ADVERBS (Just, even, Probably)
Luckily, I have enough money to buy a house.	My son was incredibly satisfied when he won the prize.	·  We almost run out of time ·  They normally go home for lunch ·  You probably think I am stupid!	·  Everyone in this class is working very hard. ·  When I am tired I shout a lot. ·  I don´t drink much water	The letters arrived at the post office on time.

And that´s all about adverbs and adverbials. I hope this is really useful (adverb of degree) for you and you have a lovely end of the week. The weekend will arrive very shortly (adverb of manner). Obviously (adverb of comment) I will be back next week! 

Cheers!

New Year Resolutions

Hello folks!

A few days after the start of the New Year and I am sure many of you are already trying new activities or new attitudes for 2016. These are popularly known as: "New Year Resolutions". Let´s have a look at some of the most popular New Year resolutions and learn some useful vocabulary or expressions along the way... :-)
According to the TIME magazine, the top New Year broken Resolutions are:

• Eat healthier and diet, lose weight and get fit. 

This is one of the most common New Year's resolutions. It's time to eat healthy. After the Christmas holidays when we have eaten way too much calorie loaded food, it's only natural that we want to lose weight and get fit. We promise to swap eggs and bagels for granola and oatmeal breakfasts; eat lean, protein-rich salads (nonfat dressing on the side, please) and fruit for lunch; cook fish and brown rice for dinner and serve it up with a side of spinach. It all sounds so good and possible on Jan. 2. The problem is that most people take this resolution too far by forcing themselves onto restricting diets they can't possibly keep. As the saying goes, try everything in moderation, including moderation. Eat healthy, but allow yourself a treat now and then. Otherwise, it won't be long before this resolution falls by the weight-side. Each January, fitness clubs offer different deals and promotions to those who want to make good on their resolutions. To those who are regulars at the health clubs, the crowded classes and treadmill lines make the new year a horrible time. Luckily for gym rats, research says that 60% of gym memberships go unused and attendance is usually back to normal by mid-February.

• Quit smoking and drinking.  

Smoking yellows your teeth, infiltrates all your clothing, irritates the people around you and charms only those in an ever dwindling crowd of fellow smokers. So what better time than the New Year? Only an estimated 15% of people who try to quit manage to stay cigarette-free six months later. Think it over during your next cigarette break.
Regarding drinking, after the morning of Jan. 1, it's not surprising you probably wish you drank less. The question is whether that resolve will last for the other 364 days of the year. Drinking less is undoubtedly good for you: it's better for your health, your wallet and probably your reputation. Then why do we keep on boozing? Folk more learned than we may point to modern science for definitive answers, but we prefer those Greco-Roman ancients who proclaimed "In vino veritas" — "In wine [and whiskey, vodka, gin and beer], there is truth." They said it, not us. 

• Learn something new, like a language. 

You've been meaning to learn Chinese. You'd love to play the piano. How great would it be to really know how to cook? Deciding to learn something new is exciting: the world is full of fascinating facts, skills and talents. And the process of discovering them, not just the end result, is enjoyable and rewarding. At least, for a while. Soon you remember there's a reason you haven't learned all this yet. Chinese is too difficult. Piano takes too much practice. Ordering out is just so much easier than cooking. You'll do it ... when you have more time.

• Get out of debt and save money 

After a particularly trying financial year (and the always budget-unfriendly month of December), consumers might call for a halt to spending and vow to manage their debt more effectively. The sad fact about this resolution is that many people will have difficulty accomplishing it, and not through any fault of their own. Financial planners advise making specific budget-friendly rules, rather than pronouncing overarching and often unattainable goals. Only allow yourself to eat one dinner out a week. Take a sack lunch to work most days. Vow to shop around for a new auto, home insurance and credit cards with lower interest rates and free balance transfers. Can you spare an extra $50 or even $20 a month to put toward paying off your student loans?
 If you're lucky enough to make it out of debt, the goal then becomes tucking some money away for retirement or a rainy day. And, while flipping through your favorite magazine, repeat the mantra, "I will save money this year, I will save money this year." But, ooh, look at that new Marc Jacobs bag, and I really could use a Kindle for all those subway commutes. Oh, and what about a new wardrobe for spring? Hmm. Maybe I'll save money next year.

• Spend more time with family 

Everyone's busy these days, it's true. But blood is thicker than water, and the beginning of the year is an ideal time to reconnect with family that you haven't seen in a while. Great idea, right? Then February arrives, reality sets in, and you realize that the reason you didn't see cousin Jim more often is because he really isn't that interesting at all. Or that plan to spend more time with the kids? Well, it turns out that work doesn't magically disappear with the dawning of a new year, and you're at the office more than ever. It's a hard promise to keep — no matter how sincere the desire is.

• Travel to new places 

A new year and a new world of opportunities to explore — and places, too. Travel of some sort is on almost everyone's agenda, and some of the first things we tend to think of in a new year are those exotic destinations we'd hope to seek out.  In the aftermath of the Great Recession, budgets are tight and staycations are in. Besides, not traveling spares all the headache of planning, applying perhaps for a visa, fretting over, getting scammed in some foreign locale and getting someone to tend to your plants and puppy. There's a reason why travel and travail sound so similar.

• Volunteer 

It may be a new year, but there are still old problems in the world. To start out on the right foot, you may resolve to lend a helping hand. You can help build a house, care for an animal, distribute food to the hungry, tutor a student. Volunteering could be the resolution that keeps on giving — to yourself and to others.
But even the most compassionate among us can fall back on our commitments. Finding time all too often proves harder than finding money, and many would-be volunteers will probably end up writing checks instead. You might want to rephrase this resolution to include the broader "help others."

1. To allow yourself a treat: to allow yourself to do something enjoyable that it may not be too good for you.  
2. Dwindling (adj): becoming smaller and smaller. 
3. Boozing (v): drinking alcoholic drinks.  
4. Overarching (adj): Something that overshadows the rest  
5. To tuck away (ph.v): to store in a place sifficult to find.
6.  Aftermath (n): situation that results from or follows an event. 
7. Staycations (n): A vacation or holiday that is spent at one´s home enjoying all that home and one´s home environment have to offer. 
8. To fret over (ph.v): to feel worried or anxious about something 
9. To get scammed (v): to be cheated by means of an illegal way to get money. 
10. To start out on the right foot (id): to start by doing things in a way likely to suceed. 
11. To fall back on (ph.v): to retreat, withdraw, draw back from an earlier position.

* adapted from TIME magazine, Sunday January 1st, 2012. 

So, what do you think of these resolutions? Any of them sounds familiar to you? I really hope so... they do to me!

Happy New Year!