Tag: Thay Paul

Young Learners, Level 4. Using adverbs correctly, elegantly, sensationally

15th March 2023

The young boys are playing roughly.

Last week, you changed these adjectives to adverbs.

beautiful // calm // careful // easy // good // happy // honest // polite // quick

angry // bad // careless // greedy // lazy // loud // nervous // rough // selfish // stupid

dangerous // fast // furious // mysterious // rare // serious // slow

You now have a word bank of adverbs. Let’s start to use them … correctly.

We’ll keep it really simple, ça va ? 

Remember – never start with a pronoun (he, she, it, they etc). Say what the subject is then what they are doing, then HOW they are doing the verb – use an adverb.

1) The tall man is hiding …

a) easily b) mysteriously c) greedily

2) The Korean girl is looking at her friend …

a) well b) calmly c) angrily

3) The talented musician plays his guitar …

a) very well b) nervously c) politely

4) The man in the white T-shirt eats …

a) greedily b) carefully c) honestly

5) The funny man rides the bus …

a) seriously b) dangerously c) beautifully

Now … your turn

Write sentences about these photos. Top Cats, I expect amazing adjectives, perfect grammar and creative thinking.

Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.

Young learners, level 4: using adjectives, adverbs and your imagination.

9th March 2023

You have learnt many adjectives, practised grammar in present and past tenses, and begun to form adverbs. Now it’s time to bring it all back home.

First, lets change some adjectives to adverbs. Are you ready ?

beautiful // calm // careful // easy // good // happy // honest // polite // quick

angry // bad // careless // greedy // lazy // loud // nervous // rough // selfish // stupid

dangerous // fast // furious // mysterious // rare // serious // slow

I will show you some photos and I want you to write a short piece using adjectives, adverbs and some creative thinking.

Please, Thay Paul, give us an example.

OK, look at the above photo. What adjectives describe the subject ?

The lady is: Asian / beautiful / cute / healthy / intelligent / kind / popular / young

She has: long, black, wavy hair.

She wears a (an) light blue / comfortable / expensive / fashionable dress.

Where is she and what is she doing ?

She is at work, in a bright / clean / modern office. Maybe she is at home in her quiet / new apartment.

She is working on a (an) expensive / fast / new laptop. Her work is difficult / easy / important.

How does she work ?

She is smiling, so maybe she works quickly, or happily or well. Maybe she has finished and can now relax.

So what’s the story ? Let’s use present tense (verb 1).

A beautiful, young, Asian lady is working happily on her new laptop. She has finished her difficult, English homework so she feels fantastic.

How many adjectives did I use ?

Where did I put the adverb ? After the verb ‘work’. Here I used the continuous form (verb + ing). So, put the adverb after a verb (Verb 1, Verb 2 or verb + ing).

Now … your turn

Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.

Thank you, my Top Cats.

5th March 2023

What a fantastic week – two gifts from two gifted students.

First up, an incredible piece of art from Top Cat Ruby who is around ten years old. I shall certainly have this framed.

Next, a gift from a student I no longer teach but whose classroom is near to mine (so they can hear the music I play loudly). Teachers absolutely need throat pastels, and I’m always telling my students to avoid sugar so I was over the moon with this gift from Class Captain Mina.

Thank you Top Cat Ruby, thank you Captain Mina … and not forgetting my irreplaceable TA Ms Huong, and her present:

However, Ms Huong probably gave me these to shut me up ! Regardless, thank you all so much.

Young Learners, Level 4: adverbs of manner

28th February 2023

Take a look at the man in the photo. He is very happy – can you think why ? Maybe he is watching football and his team, Mexico, scored. He is shouting.

How is he shouting ? Happily ? Quietly ? Loudly ?

those three words are adverbs of manner – that just means how someone does something.

In our picture the man shouts loudly.

We take the adjective loud and add -ly

Let’s make that into a better sentence.

Are you ready Top Cats ?

I want three adjectives, a verb and then an adverb of manner. Also, give me a reason

Ça va ?

EXAMPLE: The handsome, young, Mexican man is shouting loudly because his team scored a goal.

Lets build a library of adverbs. Take these adjectives and make them adverbs. Be careful with words that end in ‘y’.

beautiful // calm // careful // easy // good // happy // honest // polite // quick

angry // bad // careless // greedy // lazy // loud // nervous // rough // selfish // stupid

dangerous // fast // furious // mysterious // rare // serious // slow

Now … time to create some brilliant sentences

The young lady is from Korea – what is the adjective ? What is she doing, where is she, and how does she feel ? Let’s move on

I don’t think this man is very happy. What do you think ?

To whom is she speaking ? Does she want us to be noisy ? Is the phone call a secret ?

The Japanese band Tricot. They play guitar so …

Do you think riding a motorbike like this is a great idea ? Be careful, Keanu.

If he did this in MY class, what would I do ?

Bye bye – see you next week.

Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.

Gods of Ancient Egypt

23rd February 2023

A revised blog, aimed at younger learners. The original blog may be accessed here: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2022/05/12/young-learners-ancient-egyptian-gods/

An activity where you have to listen, read and collect information. Also you will learn about different cultures and legends.

Today we are going to learn about some of the gods of ancient Egypt. First, where is Egypt ?

Egypt is in Africa. The adjective is Egyptian.

What ancient buildings can you see in Egypt ?

The Pyramids: the largest one was built about 2,500 BC (about 4,500 years ago).

The creature in front is called the Sphinx. What kind of animal is the Sphinx ?

The Sphinx has the face of a woman, the body of a lion and the wings of a bird (maybe a falcon or eagle).

Animals were very important. What animals can you see in this picture ?

We are going to focus on four Gods:

Thoth // Bastet // Ra // Anubis

Vocabulary

Pharaoh / ibis / jackal / Nile River / beak

Pyramids

Sphinx

Tomb

Funeral mask of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. He lived 1341 – 1323 BC

Hieroglyphs

Write your name (English or Viet) using hieroglyphs.

Look at your handout and follow the instructions. You have to identify the four Gods and colour them.

The British Council ‘LearnEnglishKids’ page has some excellent resources and free print-outs.

Now, some music for ambience:

Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.

Burt Bacharach R.I.P.

16th February 2023

On February 8th we lost another music legend, the composer Burt Bacharach.

Bacharach’s music is often categorised as ‘Easy Listening’, yet the use of Jazz-style chords, and classically-influenced arrangements elevate his songs, making him one of the highest regarded song-writers of the late Twentieth Century.

His influence is ubiquitous; film soundtracks, adverts … even Oasis used his photo on their debut LP in 1994 (it can be seen in the bottom left).

I have musician friends who play all types of styles; they would all give their eye-teeth to write a Burt Bacharach song.

I’ll end this tribute with a link to two of my favourites.

Goodbye Burt … thanks for the music.

Burt Bacharach 12th May 1928 – 8th February 2023

Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.

A Valentine’s blog for people who don’t get Valentines.

14th February 2023

Charlie Kaufman from the film ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ (2004).

Today’s blog is dedicated to people who “feel like crap.” Join the club.

Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.

Young Learners, Levels 3 & 4: putting words into practice.

7th February 2023

We learnt some new adjectives before Tet Holiday; now let’s use them. First, what are the words ?

tr

lu

f

f

d

c

b

lo

te

Let’s have some new words, too.

furious // intelligent // genius // calm // peaceful //

Answers

traditional // lucky // fun // funny

delicious // beautiful // colourful

loud // terrible //

Now, time to use the words

At Tet, Daddy sings karaoke. The music is very l____ and t______ and Mummy was f_______ .

At Tet, I visit my grandparents. They gave me l_____ money, and we all had f___ .

Mummy makes a lot of tr________, d________ food.

Many families walk at Tet holiday. The women wear the tr_______ dress called an a__ d____ . The dress is very c_______ and they look b________ .

My uncle comes to visit. He is a doctor, so he is very i___________ . However, he tells jokes and is f______ .

Our class captain is called Lily. She is very i______ so she is a Top Cat. She tells the boys to be quiet when they are l_____ . Lily shouts at t_____ students.

Now … let’s test your grammar.

Change these sentences from present tense (verb 1) to the past tense (verb 2).

EXAMPLE: I (go) to visit my best friend.

I went to visit my best friend.

My family (visit) my grandparents and we (eat) a lot of d_______ food.

My Mummy and my aunts (wear) the tr_______ ao dai. They all (look) so b________ .

Daddy (have) his friends to our house. They (sing) songs for many hours. I (think) it (is) t________ .

Wit my l___ money, I (buy) some c_______ and b_____ flowers for my Mummy. She was so happy, she (cry).

My brother is very in_____________ , he (read) books every day. My sister (play) video games. They had a lot of f___ at Tet.

Last night I (see) a very f____ film, I (laugh) so much. This morning I (go) to school but I (forget) my books. My teacher (is) fu______ .

Top Cats … time for creative writing

Write a short story about your Tet Holiday. Use new adjectives and the past tense (Verb 2).

At Tet I …

Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.