Dictation: NATIVE SPEAKERS

The mark of writers or speakers fluent in English is the way they effortlessly do away with words that, although mandated by formal grammar, only slow down the delivery of their ideas. Foreign users of English, on the other hand, often stick to grammar rules, leaving no grammatical gaps in their sentences that might betray their less than perfect proficiency in the language. As might be expected, of course, this desire to treat syntax and semantics with mathematical precision achieves the exact opposite. It results in stiff, unidiomatic English that clearly identifies the users as non-native ones trying very hard not to be perceived as such.

Translation: The Written Word

La scrittura di ogni persona è diversa, personale e solo sua. I testi scritti con la biro o con la penna stanno attraversando una grave crisi. La firma elettronica al posto di quella vera e l’e-mail invece delle lettere scritte a mano, fanno abbandonare un po’ alla volta la scrittura. La calligrafia è invece uno strumento importantissimo perché descrive anche il carattere di chi scrive. Un tempo nella scuola italiana la bella scrittura era una vera materia scolastica e bisognava esercitarsi molto. Gli alunni dovevano riempire pagine e pagine dei loro quaderni con le lettere dell’alfabeto. In alcuni paese europei le maestre frequentano di nuovo corsi di bella scrittura. Per fortuna anche in Italia si ricomincia a insegnare ai bambini a scrivere bene. Scrivere bene significa, secondo gli esperti, imparare anche leggere più velocemente. Pur essendo nell’era del computer, di Internet e dei CD-Rom, almeno a scuola la scrittura a mano non rischia di sparire. Prima di usare il computer gli alunni devono ancora oggi lavorare molto con penne e matite.

Paraphrasing

The original passage:

Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes. Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed. (1976): 46-47.

A legitimate paraphrase:

In research papers students often quote excessively, failing to keep quoted material down to a desirable level. Since the problem usually originates during note taking, it is essential to minimize the material recorded verbatim (Lester 46-47).

An acceptable summary:

Students should take just a few notes in direct quotation from sources to help minimize the amount of quoted material in a research paper (Lester 46-47).

A plagiarized version:

Students often use too many direct quotations when they take notes, resulting in too many of them in the final research paper. In fact, probably only about 10% of the final copy should consist of directly quoted material. So it is important to limit the amount of source material copied while taking notes.

Paraphrasing Exercise

Directions: On a separate piece of paper, write a paraphrase of the following passage. Try not to look back at the original passage.


1. While the Sears Tower is arguably the greatest achievement in skyscraper engineering so far, it's unlikely that architects and engineers have abandoned the quest for the world's tallest building. The question is: Just how high can a building go? Structural engineer William LeMessurier has designed a skyscraper nearly one-half mile high, twice as tall as the Sears Tower. And architect Robert Sobel claims that existing technology could produce a 500-story building. From Ron Bachman, "Reaching for the Sky." Dial (May 1990): 15.

Phrasal verbs

When something slips your mind, you forget.

To bound down e.g. the stairs = to half run, half jump

He opened them in a frenzy = He tore them open very quickly, almost frantically.

Open (something) up – to open a locked door, container or building

Scrunch (something) up – to press or squeeze into a smaller shape.

Fall upon – to move quickly downwards

(something) Dawn on (somebody) – you realise for the first time

Causative Passives

1.I had my house painted in spring
She has her hair cut in that hairdressers
He gets his dry cleaning done in that shop (informal)

2.She had her shop broken into
He got his bicycle stolen
(for unpleasant events)


3.The electricity bill needs paying/needs to be paid
Need + gerund/passive infinitive

4.It is thought to be . . .
They were discovered to have . . .
(to distance the speaker/writer from what is said)

Followed by:
Present infinitive (to do, to be doing, to be done)
Or,
Present perfect infinitive (to have done, to have been
doing, to have been done)

Modals: deduction & possibility

They must be brothers. They look so similar. = a deduction, we are sure it is true.

She can’t be on a diet. She’s eaten all the cake.= a deduction, we are sure it is untrue.

May, might, could = we are unsure. It’s a possibility.
e.g. He might be his brother, but they are not alike.
She could be French or Spanish, but she’s not Italian.

You could have warned me! = I am annoyed – stress the modal.

I must have been a good mother. All the children turned out OK. = deductions about past situations

It can’t have been easy living without a washing machine!

Why isn’t he at the party? He might have been tired.

She might be a good boss, but she doesn’t know how to manage people.= contrasting ideas
=
Although she’s a good boss, she doesn’t know how to manage people.


I might as well go to the park. There’s nothing else to do.= there is nothing to lose by this action.

Fronting

(a)It was an amazing holiday
(b)What an amazing holiday it was

Fronting = placing an object, complement or clause at the start of the sentence to give emphasis.

Examples:

It was really cold
Really cold it was.

It’s a horrible place
What a horrible place it is. (what for nouns)

You are tall
How tall you are! (how for adjectives)

I have no idea how she manages to work at night
How she manages to work at night I have no idea.

We sometimes front to make things:
1) sound more interesting e.g. beautiful it was.
2) show annoyance or surprise e.g. why he’s always late, I’ve no idea, or, why on earth he’s always late, I’ve no idea.

Some types of fronting involve inversion of the subject and verb:

Paul’s wife was waiting at the airport
Waiting at the airport was Paul’s wife.

The invoice for November is attached
Attached is the invoice for November.

Although she was upset, she did the presentation
Upset as/though she was, she did the presentation.




How she puts up with him I just don’t know

Why they decided to buy me a walking stick I couldn’t tell you.

Cleft Sentences

David ate the last piece of cake.
It was David who ate the last piece of cake.
Cleft Sentences = add emphasis to a noun, person, time phrase or clause

1) A thing: It is/was … that …
e.g. It was the candle that caused the fire.

2) A person: It is/was … who …
e.g. It was Martin who sang the best.

3) Reasons: It is/was because …
e.g. It is because of the strike that the lessons are cancelled.

4) Time: (only) when, while, not until + verb clause
e.g. It was only when I had to pay for the coffee that I realised that I had left my wallet at home.

It was while I was paying that the thief snatched my bag.

It is not until you do the test that you realise you need to study more.

What … is/was ….. (= frequent in conversation)

1) nouns, noun phrases, gerunds
e.g. What I can’t stand about the flat is the tiny kitchen.
What we liked most on holiday was not having to get up early.

2) Actions
e.g. what happened was (that) I missed my train and was late for the appointment.

3) embedded questions
e.g. what I’d like to know is how you can go out every night and not be tired the next day.

Stress the piece of information being emphasized.

BBC Music Chart, Top of the pops

Podcast: BBC World Service, Business Daily

Culture: Bonfire Night

On November 5th British people remember the spectacular attempt to blow up the Houses of
Parliament by celebrating ‘Bonfire Night’. All over Britain there are firework displays and bonfires
with models of Guy Fawkes which are burned on the fire. It’s normally quite cold on Bonfire
Night so people wear warm clothes, hats, scarves and gloves to spend the evening outside.
Traditional Bonfire Night food is jacket potatoes and toffee apples. This year is the 400th
anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot and there are special events being held in London to
remember the events of 1605.

In November 1605 a group of men decided to make a plot to blow up the Houses of
Parliament in London. The men were angry about the way the Catholic people were being
treated in England. At this time the King of England was James the first. The plot is known as
the ‘Gunpowder Plot’ and the leader of the plot was called Guy Fawkes. The men put 36 barrels
of gunpowder in the Houses of Parliament and they waited for the King to open Parliament. Guy
Fawkes was the man who was going to light the gunpowder and cause the explosion. However,
police found the gunpowder before it could be exploded and they caught all the men involved in
the plot. The men were tortured and killed.

Story: Modern day Princess and the Pea

Modern day Princess and the Pea

Once there was a businessman who lived in a wealthy city. When he had reached the proper age his mother the owner's company decided the time was right to find a bride. The businessman however was determined not to marry just any girl, and decided that only a "real" woman (no plastic surgeries) would do for his future wife. Therefore he set off to travel through all the world to find her, and although he searched in all the cities and met lots of women it didn’t quite go right. There were many women, but how was he to know whether they were real? There was something not quite right about them all. Eventually he came home again unsatisfied and unhappy, because he wanted to have a real woman so much.
Then one night a terrible storm blew in. The rain poured down and the lightning was so bright that it lit up the house as though it were daytime and the thunder was so loud that it set all the house dogs to howling. In the middle of the storm there was a knocking at the house door. The businessman’s father went to open it, and who should be there but a girl claiming to be a true woman. She was a terrible sight with her hair all over the place and her clothes soaked through, but she was invited in to stay for the night.
The businessman’s mother didn’t believe for a minute that she was a real woman and so she decided to test the young girl's claim. Without saying a word to anyone she went into the guest bedroom, took all the bedding off the bed, and laid a single pea on the bottom; then she took twenty mattresses and piled them on top of the pea, and then she laid twenty eiderdown quilts on top of the mattresses. On this the woman had to sleep all night. The next morning when the girl woke up, the businessman’s mother asked how she had slept.
"Oh, very poorly!" she said. "I scarcely closed my eyes all night. Heaven only knows what was in the bed, but I was lying on something hard, and now I am black and blue all over my body. It's horrible!"
They could see she was a real woman without a single plastic surgery because only a true woman could have such delicate skin as to feel a pea through twenty mattresses and twenty more quilts.
So the businessman decided to marry her immediately, because he knew he had found a real woman.

Eric Ramirez Rodriguez

Culture: Hallowe'en

Hallowe'en

The origins of the name
The festival of Hallowe'en has its roots in Celtic and Roman traditions. Over 2,000 years ago the Celts in Britain, Ireland and parts of France celebrated Samhain to mark the beginning of winter. When the Romans invaded, they merged this with Feralia, their celebration of the passing of the dead. As Christianity spread, the Church tried to replace these pagan feasts with official Church holy days. One of these was November 1. It was called All Saints Day, or "All Hallows", and October 31 was known as "All Hallows' Eve", and then Hallowe'en.

Hallowe'en traditions
In the past there was a tradition called "souling". Poor people went around houses asking for food. In exchange, they promised to say prayers for the dead. People no longer go souling, but the habit has been transformed into a modern Hallowe'en game for children in America, who dress up as ghosts, witches and monsters and go around people's houses, asking for sweets. This game is called “Trick or Treat’.

Witches
Hallowe'en wouldn't be fun without witches. Witches have always been part of popular folklore. Shakespeare's play "Macbeth" opens with three witches. A witch was someone - usually a woman - who had special powers and had dealings with the devil. The American town, Salem, in the state of Massachusetts, is famous for the "witchcraft trials", which took place there in 1692.

Pumpkins
The pumpkin has become a symbol of Hallowe'en. People empty a pumpkin, cut a face into the side, and put a candle inside to make a lamp. It's known as a Jack O' Lantern, from an Irish legend about a man called Jack, who made a deal with the devil.

Animals
Black cats, frogs, mice and spiders are just some of the animals associated with Hallowe'en. Generally, the more unpleasant the animal, the stronger the Hallowe'en connection. Nocturnal animals like bats are particular favourites, and if, as is the case with vampire bats, they like drinking blood, they are high on the Hallowe'en list.

Translation: Laughter

Laughter, The Best Medicine

Tutti gli esseri umani ridono: a qualsiasi latitudine, a qualsiasi età. E quasi sempre delle stesse cose. Fin dai due mesi di vita la risata è uno dei mezzi che più usiamo per esprimere i nostri sentimenti e comunicare. Ridere è infatti soprattutto un fenomeno sociale, di gruppo, capace, a volte, di diventare più contagioso del raffreddore. Qualche anno fa un comico francese, Henri Salvador, faceva sbellicare dalle risa sulle poltrone milioni di spettatori televisivi semplicemente ridono sullo schermo per cinque minuti di fila.
Ma nonostante la sua diffusione e importanza, sui meccanismi del ridere la scienza conosceva fino a pochi anni fa ancora molto poco. Se quello che avviene nel corpo mentre si ride è ormai abbastanza chiaro, più difficile è stato definire quali sono le cause esterne che possono provocare il riso.

All human beings laugh: at whatever level, at whatever age, and nearly always at the same things. From two months old the laugh is one of the most common ways to express/show our emotions and communicate. In fact laughing is, above all, a social phenomenon and sometimes, in a group, can become more contagious than a cold. Some years ago, Henri Salvador, a French comedian, used to make viewers split their sides laughing simply by laughing on screen for five whole minutes.
But even though its diffusion is important, until a few years ago, science/the scientific world knew very little about its mechanisms. If what occurs in the body while you laugh is clear, it has been more difficult to define what the external causes that can provoke/trigger laughter are.

Translation: videoclip selection

Ormai era l'unica occasione rimasta per scrivere una vera lettera su un foglio di carta, da mettere in una busta bianca e affrancare: la lettera di presentazione, spedita, insieme al curriculum, da chi si candidava per un lavoro. Ma ora anche questo metodo probabilmente farà la stessa fine della cartolina delle vacanze e del biglietto di auguri. Le aziende usano sempre più una nuova forma di selezione, il videoclip, che è lettera, curriculum e colloquio tutto in uno. Non solo permette ai datori di lavoro di vedere la persona e sentirne la voce, ma di capire anche molte altre cose. Quindi il mercato del lavoro si sta adattando alle nuove tecnologie, no? I giovani di oggi sono abituati a vedersi sullo schermo, caricano su YouTube filmati girati in casa per puro divertimento, vengono ripresi col cellulare. Ma è giusto pretendere che tutti diventino piccoli attori? La selezione del personale di un'azienda non rischia così di assomigliare ai casting per i reality show?



It was virtually/almost the only remaining opportunity/chance to write a real letter on a piece of paper, put it in a white envelope and put a stamp on it: the cover letter, sent, together with a CV, by job applicants. But now even this method will probably go/end up the same way as postcards and greetings cards. Companies are (increasingly) using a new form of selection more and more, the videoclip, which is a letter, CV and interview all in one. This not only allows employers to see the person and hear their voice, but also understand a lot of other things. So is the workforce/job market adapting to the new technology? Young people today are used to seeing uploaded YouTube films on the screen, made at home for pure enjoyment and recaptured by mobile phone. But is it right to expect everyone to become little actors? Doesn’t the company selection process risk resembling/looking like casting for a reality show?

Summary: Knowing how to argue

Knowing how to argue is a useful skill. We use it on ourselves in order to arrive at decisions; we use it with others as we discuss business strategies or policy changes on committees, as members of the local PTA, a law office, an environmental action group; we use it as fundraisers for a cause, like saving whales, we use it in applying for foundation grants and in drafting a letter to the editor of our hometown paper. We use it when we discuss child abuse, toxic waste, tax cuts, pothole repair, working mothers, and university investment policies. Our ability to express opinions persuasively—to present our views systematically as arguments—will allow us to make some difference in public life. If we lack the necessary skills, we are condemned to sit on the sidelines. Instead of doing the moving, we will be among the moved; more persuasive voices will convince us of what we must do.

Vocabulary
PTA = Parent Teachers Association
Fundraisers = charity workers (collecting money for a cause e.g. save the children fund)
Hometown paper = local newspaper
Pothole = holes in the road where the tarmac has come away (because of e.g. rain)


Topic Sentence: Knowing how to argue is a useful skill.

Choose the main points from the passage in the selection of sentences/phrases below.

1. “We must use it on ourselves in order to arrive at decisions”

2. “members of the local PTA”

3. “we use it with others”

4. “drafting a letter to the editor of our hometown paper”

5. “Our ability . . . will allow us to make some difference in public life”

6. “we are condemned to sit on the sidelines”

7. “saving whales”



In addition to the topic sentence, numbers 1, 3, and 5 represent the more important points in this paragraph.


Sample Summary

The ability to argue is valuable because we use it for so many reasons: both to make choices for ourselves and to persuade others. Without this ability to argue we lose our power to affect change.

Dictation: Stress

STRESS
Stress is a disease of our times. Life has never been faster and jobs have never been more demanding than they are today. People have to perform more and more work under increasingly difficult conditions so that the number of people suffering from stress and related illnesses is constantly rising. As the condition is more widely recognised, however, there should be fewer comments such as: "He's had a nervous breakdown," or "Can't take the pressure!". This is because more people are aware that stress is a natural reaction to problems from either the outside world or the inner world of physical organs. A certain amount of stress helps us to cope, it's the excess that can lead to illness or depression and needs to be avoided.

Dictation: Adolescence

ADOLESCENCE
The way in which we understand adolescence has been changing slowly over the last few years. To some extent this has happened as a result of social changes in the west, many of which have had a direct effect on young people and drawn attention to this particular group within society. Equally important, however, is the fact that new and valuable research is being carried out. These advances have led to a more realistic, as well as more sophisticated, view of the teenage years, a time of our lives which psychologists now consider crucial to later development.

Passive Forms

Active to Passive:

1)We are going to launch our new product in July
Our new product is going to be launched in July

2)The managers are making a decision
A decision is being made by the managers

3)People can now do their shopping online
Shopping can now be done online

4)You have to put out your cigarette before you go in a public place
Your cigarette has to be put out before you go in a public place

5)Teachers make students do homework
Students are made to do homework by their teachers


Use of Passive:

1)To create an impersonal style.
2)To focus on the action or object of the action rather than on the agent (performer).
3)To give new information at the end, rather than beginning of sentence (‘given/new’ rule).

‘Given/new’ rule:
e.g. On the left, you can see a portrait of Elizabeth Cook

a)her husband painted it
b)it was painted by her husband

Tag Questions

Tag questions

Falling intonation = checking information
Rising intonation = to ask a real question, unsure, requests

Positive statement, negative tag
Negative statement, positive tag

Exceptions:

1)I’m: use tag aren’t I?
(however, I’m not: use am I?)

2)Negative words e.g. hardly ever, never, nothing, rarely etc. use positive tag

3)Nobody, somebody, everybody: use pronoun they in tag

4)Use will/can or would/could after positive imperatives e.g. open the door, will you?
Also, negative imperatives, use will you? e.g. don’t forget, will you?

5)Let’s: use shall e.g. let’s go to the concert, shall we?

6)Use same way tags to express interest, surprise, anger or concern e.g. so you want to leave the company, do you?

Comparative & Superlative Forms

Comparatives

1)with countable nouns = more/fewer e.g. there are fewer cars in the country.
2)with uncountable nouns = more/less e.g. there is less grass in the city.



Modifying words:

(quite) a bit, a little, much, slightly, (quite) a lot, far

e.g. there is quite a lot of pollution in the city



The + comparative, the + comparative
(= shows that one thing is the result of another)

The more you study, the more you learn
The more I go to that bar, the less I like it

Superlatives

1)with countable nouns = the most/the fewest e.g. this room has the fewest chairs.
2)with uncountable nouns = the most/the least e.g. this company has the least profit.

Modifying words:

By far, easily, far and away

She’s easily the best student
It’s far and away the most beautiful country
It’s by far the most difficult question



As + adjective/adverb + as

e.g. I’m as good as him

The same as
e.g. they look the same as each other

The same + noun + as
e.g. It’s the same book as we used last year


Not such + adj/uncountable nouns/plural nouns
Not such a + adj/singular countable nouns

e.g. It isn’t such cold weather as yesterday.
It isn’t such a cold day as yesterday.

Like + pronouns/nouns/gerunds

e.g. He’s just like his father
It’s like going to the cinema when we watch a dvd at your house.


As + verb phrases

e.g. We studied verbs, as we did last year.

Phrasal Verbs: dispensa page 44 & 45

PHRASAL VERBS

Translate the following sentences with one or two phrasal verbs, using the verbs in brackets


1. All'inizio gli sponsor sembravano entusiasti, ma all'ultimo minuto si sono ritirati dall'accordo, (back * *)
2. Nessun altro può decidere - dipende solo da te. (be * *)
3. I primi casi di influenza A sono scoppiati in Messico nel 2008. (break *)
4. L'era vittoriana provocò grandi cambiamenti sociali, (bring *)
5. Mi sono imbattuto in un vecchio amico l'altro giorno, (bump *)
6. È scoppiata in lacrime quando ha sentito la notizia, (burst *)
7. Questo lavoro richiede notevole abilità, (call *)
8. Era sconvolto quando ha saputo di aver perso il lavoro, ma poi si è calmato, (find*; calm *)
9. Tu vai avanti con le pulizie in casa - al giardino ci penso io. (carry * *; see *)
10. Dovrai correre se vuoi raggiungerli! (catch * *)
11. Le dispiace ripassare la relazione per vedere se ho dimenticato niente? (check *,miss *)
12. Si, potete fare la festa qui in casa - basta che mettiate in ordine dopo! (clear *)
13. Era stata una splendida giornata di sole, ma il ciclo si annuvolò proprio al
momento del barbecue! (cloud *)
14. Abbiamo trovato un sacco di foto vecchie mentre sgombravamo la casa dello zio
(come *; clear *)
15. Potete passare dopo cena a bere qualcosa se volete, (come *)
16. Dovrai trovare una scusa molto più convincente se vuoi essere perdonato! (come* *)
17. È una lavastoviglie veramente ecologica che ti permette di ridurre il consumo di energia e di acqua (cut * *)
18. L'abitudine di mandare le cartoline dai luoghi di villeggiatura sta scomparendo,(die *)
19. La nonna si appisola sempre davanti alla TV. (doze/nod *)
20. Avendo dovuto passare un mese in ospedale è rimasto indietro con gli studi, (fall*)
21. Non me la sento di rispondere a queste domande, (feel * *)
22. Quando hai saputo che si sono lasciati? (find *; break *)
23. Ha rubato in diverse case, ma l'ha sempre fatta franca, (get * *)
24. Come fate a vivere con un reddito così basso?" "Beh - in qualche modo ce la
facciamo" (get *)
25. Come si fa a riprendersi da uno shock del genere? (get *)
26. Sono sempre più preoccupato: ormai mio marito fa fuori due pacchetti di
sigarette al giorno, (get *)
27. Distribuivano campioni di crema antirughe davanti al supermercato. (give *)
28. Con il passare del tempo, si è infastidita sempre di più del suo atteggiamento,(go*)
29. Ha avuto i suoi difetti, ma Margaret Thatcher passerà alla storia per quello che ha fatto negli anni '80. (go * *)
30. Lui continua a fissarmi - mi da terribilmente fastidio! (keep *)
31. Chi baderà al gatto mentre sono in ospedale? (look *)
32. Mi sto davvero pregustando il concerto di Capodanno a Vienna! (look * *)
33. Lui ammira tantissimo il professore che l'ha aiutato a laurearsi in architettura,(look * *)
34. Mi puoi ospitare stasera? Sono disposto a dormire sul divano! (put *)
35. Non sono più disposto a tollerare questo modo di parlare! (put * *)
36. Abbiamo finito la farina! Allora niente crèpes stasera! (run * *)
37. Da chi hai preso? Dalla mamma o dal papa? (take *)
38. Le cose avrebbero potuto finire diversamente se lui avesse confessato prima,
(turn*)
39. Al colloquio di lavoro si sono presentati solamente in tre. (turn *)
40. Non riesco a calcolare quanto ti devo! (work *)

Translation - Perchance to dream

2) . . . Perchance To Dream

Passiamo sei anni della nostra vita a sognare: circa 50 mila ore. La nostra mente può fare tre cose: pensare, dormire un sonno profondo e appunto sognare. Gli uomini hanno sempre pensato che sognare fosse un bene. Per molte religioni il sogno è importante per capire cosa succederà nel futuro. Per alcuni popoli invece ha effetti pericolosi: i Masai in Kenya credono che non si deve svegliare una persona che sogna, perché il suo spirito potrebbe non tornare nel corpo. La forza del sogno sta nella sua somiglianza con la realtà: quando dormiamo e sogniamo, spesso pensiamo di essere svegli. Sognare è necessario e tutti i sogni hanno un loro significato. Molti psichiatri ancora oggi li considerano importante per capire la vite interiore di una persona.

We spend six years of our life dreaming: about 50 thousand hours. Our minds can do three things: think, sleep deeply and dream. Man has always thought that dreaming were a good thing. A lot of religions maintain/think that dreams are important for understanding what will happen in the future. On the other hand, some people believe they can have negative effects: The Masai in Kenya think that you shouldn’t wake a dreaming person because their spirit might not be able to return to their body. The strength of dreams lie in their similarities with reality: when we sleep and when we dream, we often think we are awake. Dreaming is necessary and every dream has its own meaning. A lot of psychiatrists today regard them as important for understanding a person’s inner being/self.

The Continuous Aspect

The Continuous Aspect

Continuous forms can:

1) emphasise that an action lasts for some time
e.g. we were waiting for ages!

2) emphasise that an action is repeated
e.g. I rang you this morning
I was ringing you all morning!

3) describe an action that is in progress at a particular time
e.g. He was just having breakfast when the postman came

4) describe a situation which is temporary
e.g. They’d been staying at their sister’s house for a few days.

Compare the following pairs of sentences:

I’ve cut my finger
I’ve been cutting firewood

She’s visited her relatives in Canada
She’s been visiting her relatives in Canada

We’ll have dinner at eight
We’ll be having dinner at eight

Solution:

I’ve cut my finger (= action lasts a moment only)
I’ve been cutting firewood (= action lasts some time)

She’s visited her relatives in Canada (= one visit)
She’s been visiting her relatives in Canada (= she’s visited several people)

We’ll have dinner at eight (= the meal will begin then)
We’ll be having dinner at eight (= the meal will be in progress)

Phrasal verbs - Grammatical form

Phrasal Verbs

Lexical verb + adverb/prep

1)Intransitive e.g. come to (recover consciousness).

2)Transitive inseparable e.g. look into (investigate). Must take an object after verb.

3)Transitive separable e.g. Put off (postpone). Object goes: between verb & particle, or, after verb (not pronoun).

4)Three-part e.g. put up with (endure). Always transitive & inseparable.

Need to think about:

- transitivity
- separability
- idiomatic meaning
- style i.e. slang
- multiple meanings

Future forms

Futures

What are these future forms and when do we use them?

The film starts at 20.00

I’m meeting my boss in 10 minutes

I’m going to stay in and read a book this evening

Are you cold? I’ll close the window

By 18.15 we’ll have finished the lesson

At 14.00 tomorrow, we’ll be doing the lesson



The film starts at 20.00: present simple (timetabled or scheduled events)

I’m meeting my boss in 10 minutes: present continuous (arrangements)

I’m going to stay in and read a book this evening: going to (intentions, plans and predictions)

Are you cold? I’ll close the window: will (spontaneous decisions, facts, predictions)

By 18.15 we’ll have finished the lesson: future perfect (actions which will be completed at a future time)

At 14.00 tomorrow, we’ll be doing the lesson: future continuous (actions in progress at a certain time)

Dictation: The English Language

Dictation (23.10.09)

1. THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
English has changed so greatly that a speaker of 1300 would not have understood the English of 1500 nor that of today. Changes of every sort have taken place in sounds, distribution and grammar. Although the pronunciation has changed greatly since the 15th century, the spelling has altered very little over the same period. As a result, English spelling is not a reliable guide to the pronunciation of the language. Many common modern words are derived from the lexicon of the earliest English, from words acquired with Latin Christianity and those from Nordic settlers. French words were introduced shortly before the Norman Conquest and the
influence of classical languages that began with the Renaissance has continued ever since.

Translation: Brain Power

Translation: Brain Power (23.10.09)
page 42

Il corpo umano è una macchina meravigliosa che riesce a compiere contemporaneamente tante funzioni, tutte perfettamente coordinate e controllate. Ogni giorno anche il nostro cervello svolge diverse funzioni: riceve le informazioni che provengono dall'esterno, le analizza, associa le idee in modo da creare storie fantasiose, controlla la temperatura del nostro corpo, e molto altro ancora. Se però diciamo "usa il cervello!" intendiamo dire di esercitare con attenzione almeno una - forse la più importante - di queste funzioni: il pensiero. Non tutti sembrano farlo. Basti pensare al numero di incidenti stradali dovuti ad eccesso di velocità o alle vittime di chi guida sotto l'effetto di alcol o droga. Il problema poi è anche economico. Gli incidenti stradali costano miliardi di euro ogni anno, eppure si investe sempre meno in sicurezza. I rischi maggiori si corrono in città, dove oggigiorno anche salire su un autobus può costare la vita.

The human body is a wonderful machine that is capable of performing many functions at once, all of them perfectly coordinated and controlled. Every day our brain also performs several functions: it receives information from the outside, it analyzes it, it associates ideas so as to invent fanciful stories, it controls the temperature of our body, and many other things besides. But if we say “use your brain!” we mean to perform carefully at least one – perhaps the most important one! – of these functions: thinking. Not everybody seems to do so/this. Think of the number of road accidents due to excessive speed or the victims of those who drive under the effect(s)/influence of alcohol or drugs. The problem then becomes an economic one too. Road accidents cost billions of euros every year, still/and yet governments invest less and less in safety. The highest risks are run in cities where nowadays even getting on a bus can cost you your life.

Music and the Net - Translation

17 – MUSIC AND THE NET p36
Una volta si registravano le canzoni preferite dalla radio sulle cassette, ora invece le canzoni vengono scaricate da siti Internet e masterizzate su CD. Dove sta la differenza e perché l’industria discografica sta facendo di tutto per impedire ai consumatore di rubare la musica in questa maniera? Quando nei primi anni Ottanta è stato inventato il “walkman”, copiare canzoni su cassetta è diventata parte integrante della cultura giovanile, pratica che non è cambiata molto quando sono arrivati i CD. Con la nuova tecnologia, tuttavia, la copia ottenuta è perfetta, a differenza delle cassette, che sono sempre inferiore dal punto di vista qualitativo. Da una parte i consumatori sono stufi di spendere cifre alte per la musica che ora possono procurarsi gratis, dall’altra i discografici stanno cercando trucchi sempre più sofisticati per arrestare la pirateria che ora non è solo musicale ma anche cinematografica. Qualcosa dovrà cambiare, ma chi vincerà?

Favourite songs used to be recorded from the radio onto cassettes. Now, instead, songs are downloaded from internet sites and recorded onto CD. What is the difference and why is the record industry doing its best to prevent consumers from stealing music in this way? When the “walkman” was invented, in the early eighties, copying songs onto cassette became an integral part of youth culture, a practice that did not change much with the arrival of CDs. Yet, with the new technology a perfect copy can be obtained, different from cassettes that have always been lower quality. On one side, consumers are fed up of spending a fortune on music that they can now get for free, on the other side, record labels are always looking for more sophisticated ways to stop pirating, not only music, but also film/cinematography. Something has to change, but who will win?

Summary - Height

Original Passage I:
Height connotes status in many parts of the world. Executive offices are usually on the top floors; the underlings work below. Even being tall can help a person succeed. Studies have shown that employers are more willing to hire men over 6 feet tall than shorter men with the same credentials. Studies of real-world executives and graduates have shown that taller men make more money. In one study, every extra inch of height brought in an extra $1,300 a year. But being too big can be a disadvantage. A tall, brawny football player complained that people found him intimidating off the field and assumed he "had the brains of a Twinkie."

Let’s first identify the main points in the original passage.

Unreal Past 08/10/09

Unreal Past for hypothetical or imaginary situations in the present:

e.g. It’s raining now, if it wasn’t raining we could eat outside

Is it raining?
Can we eat outside?
Can we change the fact that it’s raining?

e.g. I live in Italy, if I lived in U.S, I would speak English everyday

e.g. If I were you, I’d stop smoking

Wish sentences:

e.g. I wish I could speak Spanish

Can I speak Spanish?
Do I want to speak Spanish?

Wish & would (n’t):
(to express annoyance)

e.g. I wish people wouldn’t be so rude!

I wish she would hurry up!

Compare:

I wish you’d be more positive (= possibility of change)

I wish you were taller (= no possibility of change)

Translation - Being a parent

Translation

Fare genitori è sempre stato un mestiere difficile, ma in questi ultimi anni lo è diventato molto di più. Oggi, poche madri possono permettersi di rimanere a casa per fare la mamma a tempo pieno, e anche quando riescono a dedicare del tempo ai figli, devono competere con la televisione, i videogiochi e altre attrattive tecnologiche che non favoriscono la creazione di buoni rapporti in famiglia. È vero che i padri sono più coinvolti adesso di una volta, ma in generale entrambi i genitori passano poco tempo con i figli e si sentono in colpa. Per quanto riguarda la disciplina, quasi nessuno adotta più i metodi permissivi degli anni settanta, ma picchiare i bambini è considerato un gesto quasi criminale. Cosa fare, quindi, quando tua figlia di tre anni si rifiuta di vestirsi? Come reagire al figlio che va male a scuola? Una cosa è certa: i genitori hanno un’enorme influenza sullo sviluppo dei figli e dovrebbero fare di tutto per crescerli nel mondo più equilibrato possibile.


Being a parent has always been a difficult job, but over the last few years it’s become much more so. Nowadays, few mothers are able to stay at home full time and even when they manage to dedicate some time to their children, they have to compete with the television, videogames and other technological attractions that/which do not help in the creation of good family relations. It is true that fathers are more involved now than in the past, but generally, both parents feel guilty about not spending enough time/spending little time with their children. In terms of discipline, hardly anyone adopts/ uses the permissive methods of the seventies anymore, but hitting children is considered to be almost criminal. So, what do you do when your three year old daughter refuses to get dressed? How do you react when your son does badly at school? One thing is certain, parents have an enormous influence on the development of their children and should do their utmost/best to bring them up in the most balanced environment as possible

Free writing - 1st Year

Planning your writing

1)Read the question
2)Brainstorm ideas
3)Decide how many ideas to include (e.g. 2 advantages, 2 disadvantages)
4)Decide how many paragraphs (about 4)
5)Organise your ideas into paragraphs (for main part of essay)

Introduction: What the topic is
What you are going to say on the topic

Main Part: Your ideas/the main points e.g. a paragraph on advantages of…, a paragraph on disadvantages of….. You could give reasons for these ideas, examples.

Conclusion: an outline/summary of the main points (what you have written)

Linkers

Linking expressions:

1.ordering points: to sum up, previously, in addition, in the first place

2.reason: on account of, owing to, in view of the fact that,

3.contrast: whereas, on the other hand, and yet,

4.conditional: unless, even if, provided that,

5.result: consequently, therefore, subsequently, as a result,

Confusing words

What are the differences in meaning between the following group
of words:

1.bring,take,carry,fetch
2. earn, gain, win, beat
3.let,allow,permit,enable
4.miss,lack,lose,waste
5.sorry,afraid,apologise,excuse
6.travel,trip,journey,tour voyage
7.actually,currently
8.comfortable,convenient
9.manifestation,demonstration
10.physicist, physician
11.pretend, expect
12.realize, create
13.receipt, recipe
14.sensible, sensitive, over sensitive, a psychic
15.serious, professional
16.smoking, a dinner jacket/tuxedo
17.camping, a campsite
18.sympathetic

1.bring,take,carry,fetch

Bring=coming towards the speaker
Take=going away from speaker
Carry=transport in arms/hands
Capacity of some machines e.g. The lift carries up to 10 people
Fetch=Get

2. earn, gain, win, beat

Earn=to acquire e.g. money, respect, a reputation
Gain=to acquire e.g. Experience, time, capital
Win=used with objects
Beat=used with people

3.let,allow,permit,enable

Let, allow, permit=to give permission
Enable=to facilitate

4.miss,lack,lose,waste

Miss=fail to see, catch or attend something
Lack=someone or something hasn’t got something e.g. He lacks concentration
To be lacking in something
Lose=don’t have anymore
Waste=to use or consume unnecessarily e.g. Energy, paper, time, money, food


5.sorry,afraid,apologise,excuse

Sorry=to apologize for something
Apologize=more formal
Afraid=when we have to say something to someone that they may not like
Excuse (me)=to apologize for disturbing or interrupting someone

6.travel,trip,journey,tour, voyage

Travel=go from one place to another (verb, adjective or noun)
Trip=a noun, time away from home e.g. day trip, work trip
Journey=most often used as a noun, only the ‘travel’ time
Voyage=usually a long journey, especially by sea
Tour=a journey including one or more destinations (verb or noun)

1.Actually= really, in reality
Currently= at the moment

2.comfortable= allows one to relax
Convenient=situated nearby, suitable

2a.cheap=low cost

3.manifestation=giving a clear example
Demonstration=public gathering to express opinion

4.physicist=somebody who studies/does physics
Physician= a doctor

5.pretend=fake, claim
Expect=aspire to something

6.realize=to begin to understand
Create=make, develop

7.receipt=proof of purchase
Recipe=how to cook something

8.sensible=reasonable, practical
Sensitive=to understand situations and feelings of others
Over sensitive=easily offended
A psychic=person with special ability to read your mind/the future

9.serious=not humorous
professional=to follow the correct conduct in a situation

10.sympathetic=understanding somebody’s situation

11.Smoking=the act of smoking
A dinner jacket/tuxedo=elegant jacket

12.Camping=the act of camping
A campsite=place where you go camping

Summary Task - Arguing answers

Topic Sentence: Knowing how to argue is a useful skill.

For this exercise, you’ll have to choose the main points. Choose the main points from the passage in the selection of sentences/phrases below.

1. “We must use it on ourselves in order to arrive at decisions”

2. “members of the local PTA”

3. “we use it with others”

4. “drafting a letter to the editor of our hometown paper”

5. “Our ability . . . will allow us to make some difference in public life”

6. “we are condemned to sit on the sidelines”

7. “saving whales”

Once you’ve identified the main points in the passage you can check your answers here. Your next step will be to draft a summary based on the main points that you’ve chosen.


Exercise I: Choose the Main Points (Answers)

In addition to the topic sentence, numbers 1, 3, and 5 represent the more important points in this paragraph.

Exercise II: Sample Summary

The ability to argue is valuable because we use it for so many reasons: both to make choices for ourselves and to persuade others. Without this ability to argue we lose our power to affect change.