IELTS: It’s all relative – relative clause practice

1st July 2020

As I continuously tell my students, being able to form complex sentences, and then say them fluently, is key to passing IELTS.

One way to make longer sentences, as well as introducing subordinate clauses, is to become a master of …

Relative Pronouns

Academic Calendar & Bulletin - AUW | AUW

This lady, who wants to work in Australia, is studying hard for her IELTS.

who For people: This is the man who sold me the fake Rolex !

which For things: We tried fish and chips which is delicious.

where For places: Let’s go to the shop where we saw the great bargains.

Whose Possessive: That’s the singer whose record we heard last night.

The Italian car, whose driver was young, won the race.

Young Tasmanian racing driver Alex Peroni on track for European ...

Exercises

We arrived at a nice beach ______ we could swim and lie in the sun.

A man ______ mobile phone was ringing did not know what to do.

The patient, ______ had a serious disease, was taken to hospital immediately.

Smithsfield is a small village ______ people live a quiet life.

The boy ____ sister is in my class was in the bank at that time.

I know a person ____ can speak seven languages.

We visited the church _____ is in the middle of the square.

It is a protected area of land _____ you can see a lot of interesting wildlife.

This dress is made of silk, _____ is a very expensive and delicate material.

A police officer, _____ car was parked at the next corner, stopped and arrested them.

Silent Era : Progressive Silent Film List

Go that extra mile – extra practice

IELTS, which can be very challenging, tends to be rather formulaic by which I mean it follows a pattern. Students can pretty much predict, with a fair degree of certainty, the type of subjects they will be expected to encounter.

With that in mind, try making complex sentences about these people:

Is this what the west is really like?' How it felt to leave China ...

Name: Ms Chen // Age: 19 // From: China // Lives: London // Studies: Business.

Ms Chen, who is studying Business in London, is 19 and originally from China.

Originally from China, Ms Chen, who is 19, is currently living in London, studying Business.

NOW … YOUR TURN

Meet The 42 Most Popular Men On JSwipe – The Forward

Name: Adam // Age: 24 // From: Israel // Lives: New York // Job: Writer for a magazine and blogger

Afbeeldingsresultaat voor t-ara boram kpop wiki

Name: Boran // Age: 34 // From: South Korea // Likes: drawing manga // Job: singer, rapper and dancer

Close Up Cool Young Black Guy Listening To Music With Headphones ...

Name: David // Age: 28 // From: Leicester, UK // Passion: Music // Plans: To live in LA and record a CD

Beginners’ English: ‘Have to’ or ‘must’ ?

1st July 2020

Two Asian College Girls Doing Stock Footage Video (100% Royalty ...

‘must’ or ‘have to’

‘have’ is a main verb, ‘must’ is a modal auxiliary verb

have can be followed by to + verb, and can be used in different tenses

e.g. I have to go home

He has to do his homework

I had to write two reports (past tense)

A lot of fear': Asian community a target of racism amid ... — We have to wear a face mask

‘must’ is an auxiliary verb so:

is followed by a main verb

is never used with ‘to’

I must exercise NOT I must to exercise

Why exercise is best medicine | The Guardian Nigeria News ... — They must keep fit, they must exercise

‘have to’

an obligation made by someone else

‘must’

an obligation made by yourself

I have to get a visa to enter China OR not allowed into China

New Entry-Exit Measures Issued for Foreigners Traveling to China ...

I must do more exercise [This is MY choice, not forced.]

Rapid rise in obesity in India: Facts and reasons - Education ... — I must do more exercise … I must do A LOT more exercise. I must stop eating pizza and pasta !

‘have to’

Sub + have to + infinite

POSITIVE: She has to try harder

NEGATIVE: He does not have to work tomorrow

QUESTION: Do you have to be so noisy ?

‘must’

Sub + must + base verb

I must sleep soon

You must go shopping

He must be nicer to his sister

Negative: Students must not (mustn’t) cheat in class

Question: Must we visit your family ?

Exercises: (answers at end of blog)

1. Yesterday I ________ finish my geography project.

must
mustn’t
had to

2. She will ________ wait in line like everyone else.

must
have to
has to

3. All employees ________ on time for work.

must be
mustn’t
have to

4. We ________ forget to take the chicken out of the freezer.

have to not
must
mustn’t

5. If you are under 13 you _____ to get your parents’ permission.

have
must
musn’t

6. Your daughter may ________ try on a few different sizes.

have to
had to
must

7. You _____ get here as soon as you can.

must
mustn’t
have to

8. Do you _____ work next weekend?

have to
must
mustn’t

9. Bicyclists _____ remember to signal when they turn.

mustn’t
must
has to

10. Angela, you _____ leave your clothes all over the floor like this.

mustn’t
must
have to

Not In My House! When You Can't Take the Mess in Your Teenager's Room

ANSWERS

1 had to // 2 had to // 3 must be // 4 mustn’t // 5 have // 6 have to // 7 must // 8 have to // 9 must // mustn’t //

Adult Class Level 2: Recent review – once in a blue moon

28th June 2020

Coffee ~ ologist | Jun ji hyun, Korean actresses, Asian beauty — How often do you drink coffee with a beautiful Korean actress ?

To review recent expressions

once in a blue moon / not as much as I use to / not as much as I’d like to / from time to time / now and then / occasionally / only in my dreams !

How often do you:

Watch foreign films ?

movie 2003] Lover's Concerto 연애소설 - k-dramas & movies - Soompi ...

See your boss smile ?

Play badminton ?

Rent Badminton Game in Lagos Nigeria - Fontt Enterprises

Hang out with friends ?

Cheerful asian young women sitting in cafe drinking coffee with ...

Go to the movies ?

Movie Theaters for Kids in the San Francisco Bay Area

Get a pay rise ?

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese: 6 Tips to Help You Get a Pay Raise

Linking words:

and / as well as / and also / along with

These link positives or negatives:

I like tea as well as coffee He plays football and also badminton

Big C is quite cheap and also has a great choice

but / however / having said that / on the other hand

These link positives to negatives / negatives to positives:

Jet Mart is convenient. Having said that, it is (it’s) extremely expensive.

Czech beer is not easy to find in Sai Gon, however it’s fantastic quality.

‘therefore’ is a conclusion word:

Bài Ca Thịt Nướng King BBQ Hari Won - YouTube

King BBQ is outstanding and has a magnificent salad bar. Mr Park is reasonable (so-so) quality, but more expensive. Therefore, we will eat at King BBQ in future.

Theme: coffee in Sai Gon

Beautiful young asian woman drinking coffee in the terrace of a ...

People Drink Coffee On Street At Old Quarter In Hanoi, Vietnam ...

There are so many choices in Sai Gon. Tran Nguyen has the best quality but is very expensive. On the other hand, Milano is incredibly cheap and very convenient however, many people smoke there. Highlands is really popular. Having said that, it is not cheap. Street coffee is extremely cheap but terrible quality !

Listening exercise:

http://esol.britishcouncil.org/content/learners/skills/listening/having-meal-restaurant

Mamma Mia - Italian Restaurant & Bar ở Quận Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội ...

Last Friday, I went out for dinner with Claire and Helen. Helen’s got a new job so we went out to celebrate. Claire booked a table for 7.30pm at her favourite Italian restaurant in town. When we arrived, the waiter showed us to our table, gave us some menus and took our drinks order. We were really hungry so we decided to have a starter and a main. We placed our order and chatted for a while. Our garlic bread soon arrived. We were hungry, so it disappeared very quickly! Next, the waiter brought our mains. He said, “Buon Appetito!”, which is Italian for ‘Enjoy your meal!’. Claire and Helen chose pasta and I had pizza. The food was delicious, but I couldn’t manage a dessert! Claire and Helen had some ice cream, but I just had a coffee. I can’t wait to go again!

Adult Speaking Class, Level 2: in order to improve

30th June 2020

Undergraduate Programs offered by Asian University for Women | AUW ...

New vocabulary for ‘great’

outstanding / magnificent / marvellous fantastic / brilliant / excellent

top marks / top of the class / first class / A1

idioms

I’m under the weather not feeling well

I’m down in the dumps unhappy, depressed

I’m over the Moon extremely happy

Turn over a new leaf to start again, try to be better

cook the books – cheating with accounts ! Making false numbers

Japanese Wives, Foreign Guys: 10 Shocking Things Foreign Men Found ... — They are very happy … they are ________________________

Man flu does exist as men suffer more from high temperatures when ... — He’s feeling __________________

Symptoms of Depression in Women: Types and Causes — She’s feeling ___________________

Enron — FBI — A man is arrested. He is alleged to have made false accounts, to have _________________

The schwa / ə /

most common sound

important words, nouns, adjectives, adverbs are stressed

linking words, pronouns, articles, prepositions, auxiliaries not stressed

unstressed words tend to be quicker and lower in volume. Vowel sound often ‘swallowed’

Example: How much is that laptop ? How muchis that laptop?

English can be described as soft and hard – a soft syllable followed by hard or vice versa.

To sound like a native-speaker, use your face, body and voice. With questions, your voice goes up on the last word.

Read following sentences:

Do you have a brother ? Do you havea brother ?

How often do you play badminton ?

What kind of music do you like ?

What time do you wake up?

These Women Badminton Players Are Making India Proud

Try saying these sentences:

When is your birthday ? // Today was so hot ! // I don’t like beer but I love wine.

I’m learning English in order to get a better job and have a brilliant future.

Main clause / infinite verb / subordinate clause

‘in order to’ links a main clause to a subordinate clause.

Verb will always be base form / infinite …

In the mornings, I drink coffee in order to wake up.

Happy beautiful asian woman smiling and drinking a cup of coffee ...

I don’t dance after 10 pm in order not to annoy my neighbour downstairs.

Happy Smiling Young Man Dancing at Home by dolgachov on Envato ...

NOW … YOUR TURN:

Why do you keep fit ? Play computer games ? Drink beer ? hang out with friends ? Buy your wife/husband presents ?

Why don’t you smoke ? Sing Karaoke ? Talk on your phone when riding your motorbike ?

Adult Speaking Class, Level 2: London – how do I get to … ?

29th June 2020

How do I get to … ?

London: Inside Buckingham Palace and Changing of the Guard ...

Asking and telling directions

Direction language

Expressions

Adverbs

Idioms

Look at the map.

How to get to Buckingham Palace | Royal Collection Trust | Lugares ...

You are standing outside the Palace, at the corner of Birdcage Walk. You want to get to (go to) Victoria Station.

Excuse me, how do I get to Victoria Station ?

Walk straight down Buckingham Palace Road. Walk across the street and you can’t miss it (you will see it easily).

You are outside the front door of Harrods and want to visit the Royal Albert Hall

Harrods' 10 Secrets - Luxury Shopping in London - Black Platinum Gold

Pin by Karin Evans on London | Buckingham palace, London, Hyde park

WELCOME TO LEYTONSTONE

Leytonstone is an area in east London, and was the birthplace of the film director Alfred Hitchcock, footballer David Beckham and singer Damon Albarn of the band Blur.

Damon Albarn unveils blue plaque at childhood home in Fillebrook ... — Damon Albarn showing where he lived in Leytonstone

File:Damon Albarn (Waltham Forest Heritage).jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Next, asking for local directions:

Sorry to bother (disturb) you, but I’m looking for a pub. Is there one near here ?

Yes, there is one quite close, ‘The Birkbeck Tavern’, maybe five or ten minutes’ walk away. Turn left until you come to Bridge Street. Turn left again, and keep walking, past the park, until you reach the bridge. Cross over, and Bob’s your uncle (there you are). It’s on the corner, you can’t miss it.

The Birkbeck Tavern, Leytonstone | Layers of London | Recording ...

NOW: A local map

You are in LISTER ROAD (at the bottom) and want to get to GROVE ROAD.

Take turns asking each other questions.

The red circle with a blue band is the symbol for an underground station, which we call ‘The Tube.’ Here is Leytonstone Tube:

Man charged over Leytonstone tube stabbing remanded - BBC News

Leytonstone | Central line : London Underground ( 1992 Tube Stock ...

Plan a day

What would you like to do, where would you like to visit ?

Things to consider:

Time / lunch / travelling around / a variety of activities

London video

Adult Speaking Class, Level 1: Sentence building

27th June 2020

With Jewish-Asian marriages on the rise, academic couple takes on ...

How was your day ?

Today, I was very successful at work because I got my salary as well as a bonus (extra money).

When do you get your salary ? When do you get paid ?

Salary = career, professional job – usually once a month

Paid – for a job, can be daily, weekly, monthly – low-income job

Building longer sentences:

I teach at public school which can be extremely tiring because there are many students who, I feel, do not want to learn. Having said that, there are also many wonderfully gifted students who make me feel happy.

Relative pronouns– who (person), which (thing), where (place).

Adverbs– add information – extremely, wonderfully

Opinions– I feel, I believe, in my opinion, from my point of view.

Turn and link – although, despite, however …

VOCABULARY

gifted – talented, skilled- natural talent

You have a gift for …. music, laughter (laugh – larf), accounting, singing

Noun there was laughter NOT there was laugh

For example – we had karaoke – there were many people singing; some were extraordinarily gifted while others were … not so talented ! There was a laugh of smiling and laughter.

Extraordinarily – very special

Now … Your Turn

Tell your neighbour or the class about your job

Where you work
The good things
Anything bad
How do you feel

Wages Are Unequal Between White and Black Men Even When Other ...

I went to the office where I work and I had a very busy day. However I think it’s good because I can finish my task. I was really excited and happy because today is the last day of the month so I got my salary and holiday bonus. I want to spend my salary for traveling or on clothes.

GRAMMAR

I can finish subject + modal verb (can, could, might) + main verb

I got my salary I was paid so we use past tense ‘got’.

I want to spent subject + helping verb (want, like, need) + infinite (to + verb)

A Shoe Shop The Souq Or Market In The Old Town In The City Of ...

The Heat of the Indo-Chinese Wok Master's Kitchen on a Very Busy ...

Today, I went to my company where I met everyone in the office. After, I worked with my customer, who is very pleasant, and we spoke about payment. Later, I went to the bank where I withdrew a little money from the company account. It was an ordinary day but interesting because today is payday !

The 30 Best Korean Movies of the 21st Century - Fort Worth Weekly — This Korean lady does NOT have an ordinary job !

Adult Speaking Class, Level 2: Adverbs and expressions

26th June 2020

Using adverbs of frequency

always / frequently / often / sometimes / occasionally / never

100 % / 85 – 90 % / 75 % / 30 – 50 % /15 – 20% / 0

How often do you:

Study English ? // Visit family ? // Eat western food ? // Drink beer at work ?

Japanese Family Vocabulary - My Family flashcards on Tinycards

Khmer Country Food: TURKISH Doner Kebab Street Food, in Phnom Penh ...

Beer before work: Why is it so normal in Germany to drink alcohol ...

Expressions

Nanci Griffith - Once In A Very Blue Moon (1984, Vinyl) | Discogs

Nanci Griffith ‘Once in a Very Blue Moon’ record

Once in a blue moon = very occasionally, almost never

Not as much as I’d like to

Not as much as I used to

From time to time / now and then = occasionally

Asking questions:

How often do you … ?

Do you often … ?

How often do you use Grabbike ?

I sometimes use Grabbike OR I use Grabbike sometimes

I + adverb + verb + noun OR I + verb + noun + adverb

Grabbike ? I use Grabbike once in a blue moon (almost never)

Tell me why you don’t use Grab:

I have my own motorbike

My wife takes me to work

I don’t trust them

I catch a bus

Cute drivers wish visitors 'don't judge low stars' for money to study

Visit family ?

I visit family once in a blue moon, because my hometown is very far away.

How often do you go dancing ?

I never go dancing because …

Study English ?

Eat western food ?

Drink beer at work ?

Do you often eat junk food ?

Become angry ?

Loose money ?

Twin Peaks - Coop's HELLO-O-O compilation - YouTube

New vocabulary:

exhausted = very tired

delighted = very happy

overwhelmed = too much of something (I was overwhelmed by the amount of work)

hazard / hazardous = danger/ dangerous

tickled pink = very happy (idiom) I’m tickled pink

fit as a fiddle = healthy

good to go ! = ready and wanting to do something.

Paris love-locks

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/witn/ep-150603

Paris Has a 'Love Lock' Problem | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine

Padlocks – a sign of everlasting love

Finally – describe these street scenes:

Moscow – it’s winter and it’s snowing heavily. It must be night time because the streetlights are on. There is nobody on the street, it is deserted (empty).

London, on the other hand, is in summer or maybe / possibly spring. The blue sky without a cloud looks very beautiful. There is also a famous red bus, a double-decker. We can also see the London Eye.

What Happens to Hong Kong Now? - The New York Times — Hong Kong

Hyderabad (Pakistan) - City in Pakistan - Thousand Wonders — Hyderabad, Pakistan

Beginners’ English: Introducing yourself

25th June 2020

Saying Hello To Students From Home Stock Image - Image of students ...

Happy Student Greeting A Friend Stock Photo - Image of beige ...

Introducing youself:

Hello, my name is Paul and I’m from London. I’m an English teacher, and I have been in Vietnam for about 2 years. My hobbies are reading books, watching films and listening to music. In Vietnam, I have been to Ha Noi and Hue and I really want to visit Hoi An and Halong Bay.

about: with time. I have been studying English for about 6 months.

really: adverbs I am happy / I am really happy – stronger and more interesting

continuous verbs: I like to read / I like reading / She likes to read

5 amazing Nigerian books to read while traveling - Jumia Food ...

She likes reading

East indian people watching movies Stock Photos - Page 1 : Masterfile

They like watching movies

She likes listening to music

Introduce yourself, and answer the questions:

Name

What is your hometown ?

How long have you lived in your town or city ?

What are your hobbies ?

Where do you want to visit ?

World heritage in Turkey: Historical areas of Istanbul with ... — Istanbul, Turkey

present perfect:

sub + have/has + verb 3 (past participle)

I have visited Ha Noi

She has eaten Thai food

We have seen Barcelona play football

COOK WITH ME | Easy Peasy Red Thai Curry Meal Prep - YouTube — She has eaten Thai food

Look out for plurals and 3^rd person verb endings

I like sports / he loves cooking /

I don’t like smoking / She doesn’t like smoking

I like playing computer games/ reading books/ watching films.

He likes playing football / going to the park / studying English

VIDEO: Turkish man proposes to his fiance in front of the Kaaba ...

Brooklyn, NY - Alphabet City Chess Match Photo Captures Moment Of ...

Beginners’ English: Sentence building

24th June 2020

A lesson is how to use an auxiliary (or helping) verb, and then make your answers longer by using simple adjectives.

Today, we use the verb ‘like’

A simple question is:

What do you like? Learn food vocabulary | English Lesson 11 - YouTube

I like ice cream or I like fruit

To make your sentences longer:

I like strawberry or chocolate ice cream.

I like all fruit. My favourites are apples and bananas.

Now … Your Turn

Ask your friend or tell me, What do you like ?

I like …

Match the answers with the pictures:

keeping fit

drinking beer

shoes

shopping

cakes

Now make your sentences longer:

I + like + verbing + noun

I like buying shoes / I like eating cakes /

I like ___________ beer / I like ________ shopping

Do you go alone or with friends ?

I like going shopping with my sister

I like drinking beer with my ______

I like keeping fit with my _________

I like eating cakes with my _____

Finally, tell we where you like to do these things ?

Look how long the sentences are now !

I like to drink beer with my friends in the beergarden.

I like to go shopping with my friend at the market.

I like to eat cakes with my _______ at the _________

I like to buy shoes with my _______ (where ?)

where can people buy shoes today ?

Market / shop / Mall / Online / Store

Adult Speaking Class, Level 3: Character development.

18th June 2020

Now it’s time to put the work of previous lesson together in order to come up with more rounded character descriptions.

You can tell me what people are wearing by using adjectives (what we think of the clothes, the size, colour, pattern, material, country of origin).

Additionally, you should have enough vocabulary to tell me what a person looks like (length, type and colour of hair), height, age, what they look like.

Furthermore, I expect you to remember some personality adjectives.

If we put all these together, we have some very detailed descriptions, as well as having the opportunity to use relative pronouns (who, where, which, whose) in order to develop sentence-building which is absolutely essential for IELTS students.

And so, without further ado:

Describing people

What do they look like ? What are they wearing ? What kind of person are they ?

As always, I’ll give you an example of what I want, then it’s your turn:

Billy Office manager 32

Works staff very hard. Never gives pay rises

Buys clothes and electronics. Never gives to charity

Becomes angry after beer. Member of a gym.

Not many close friends. Does not like kids

Billy, who is 32 and an office manager, is a very strict boss. He is very serious and also very mean because he doesn’t give his staff more money. Furthermore, he never gives money to charity so he is selfish.

Although he is only 32, he is almost bald. However, he has a neat beard and moustache. He has brown eyes, and he doesn’t like to smile. Billy stands with his arms across his chest, so he doesn’t look very happy.

He wears a bright and expensive cotton shirt with a white collar, but with red, white and blue stripes. Furthermore, he wears an extremely expensive watch.

In his free time, Billy goes to the gym, and also likes to drink beer. However, after too many beers, he can become aggressive. He is a loner, not having many close friends. He spends his money on himself, buying clothes and gadgets. He has no plans for a family as he doesn’t like children.

NOW … YOUR TURN:

Tell me about Ji-yeon and Kofi

Ji-yeon singer 24. Kind to her musicians. Shares money with band. Gives money to family. Performs free shows. Just drinks 1 beer. Uses Instagram & Twitter. Wants 2 children

Kofi civil engineer 37. Very professional. Buys his team lunch. Helps his brother study. Gives money to UNICEF.

Likes to dance and sing. Meets friends weekly.

Goes jogging and diets. Loves swimming. Loves all children.