FCE: Listening, part 2

FCE: Listening, part 2

African ivory up in smoke

Present perfect passives

PRACTICE  QUIZ  

Simple passives

QUIZ

Continuous passives

Continuous passives quiz 

Have something done

QUIZ

Problem pronunciation

What is the word most mispronounced /the most troublesome in English?

Happy Halloween

 

Click on the picture, listen and answer the following questions about Halloween.

Is Halloween a festival in many countries?
What words or things do  you associate with Halloween?
What is trick or treat? Is it something you've ever done?
What else do people do on Halloween?
What is a Jack-o-lantern?
What other things are associated with Halloween?
Halloween was originated in .......
Over the years it's all chopped and changed a lot.  Halloween is supposed to be a time when people who are dead can .....................
People during these days like to .......................
What percentage of people in Britain believe in ghosts?

To, for, so that

To talk about purpose, or the reason why we do things, we can use for + verb-ing, we can use the infinitive with to, and we can use so that + subject + verb.

Noun or pronoun

'for' + verb-ing

I'm bringing some pots and pans...for cooking

Action or event

Infinitive with 'to'

We've got some water...to make tea

Action or event

'so that' + subject + verb

I'm taking some extra blankets...so that we don't get cold

Pets and owners 'become more alike over time'

  Saturday 08 October 2011 The Telegraph

Telegraph.co.ukPets and their owners are just like married couples and they get more alike over time, a psychologist has claimed.

Prof Richard Wiseman, of the University of Hertfordshire, asked almost 2,500 people to complete online questionnaires about their characters and those of their pets.
But he also discovered that the longer an animal had been with their owner, the more likely they were to have picked up their characteristics.

Prof Wiseman said: "For years owners have insisted their pets have a unique personality.
"Not only does this work suggest they might be right, it also reveals people's pets are a reflection of themselves."
Almost half of the respondents to his survey were cat owners, while 31 per cent had dogs, seven per cent fish, six per cent birds and six per cent reptiles.
Prof Wiseman found about 20 per cent of pet owners rated their own personality and that of their animals in similar terms.

But for those who had owned their animal for seven years or more, the chance of them rating their pet's traits as broadly comparable to their own increased to about 40 per cent. Prof Wiseman said: "Similarity promotes liking in humans. Research has shown couples that are like each other stay together longer.
"Extending this to the animal kingdom, I think it is likely someone who is fun and playful is more likely to go for a dog, for example.
"It's like with married couples. They grow to look like each other and to have similar personalities. It's possible we are seeing a similar effect."
Prof Wiseman's study also revealed owners of certain pets appear to share similar personalities.
Fish owners were apparently the most contented, with 37 per cent strongly agreeing that they were happy, compared with 24 per cent of people with cats and 22 per cent of those who had dogs agreeing.
Four out of 10 people with dogs believed they were fun-loving, compared to just two per cent of reptile owners.
Those with cats came out as the most dependable, but also the most emotionally sensitive, while those who kept reptiles were the most independent.
Prof Wiseman is continuing his research and asking pet owners to visit the web address www.petpersonality.co.uk.

Matts explains why his family has a special relationship with dogs.

Catherine Brown, Pet Sitter

Catherine Brown runs a business called 'Happy Hounds and Cooler Cats' which is a dog walking and pet care business. In other words, she is a pet sitter and believes you have to be an animal lover to be good at this kind of job.

You can find out more about the language below.

Marion talks about her pets.

Speaking: Functional Language

Functional Language

Speaking language Learning

SPEAKING LANGUAGE LEARNING

To....., for ..... and so that...... (purpose)

• We use to ... to say why somebody does something (= the purpose of an action)"Why are you going out? "  "To post a letter".
• We use to .... to say why something exists (its purpose):
• The president has a team of bodyguards to protect him.
• We use to ...... to say what can be done or must be done with something.It's difficult to find a place to park in the centre.(= a place where you can park)Have you got much work to do? (= work that you must do)
• Also money/time/chance/opportunity/energy/courage etc. to (do something)   I need a few days to think about your proposal.

For...... and to....
For + noun                                      to + verb
Let's go to the pool for a swim.      I'm going to Spain to learn Spanish.

You can use for -ing or to.... to talk about the general purpose of something, or what it is generally used for:
Do you use this brush for washing the dishes?  (or ... to wash the dishes?)

So that
We use so that (not to....) especially
When the purpose is negative  (so that.... won't/wouldn't)
I hurried so that I wouldn't be late. (=because I didn't want to be late)
Leave early so that you won't (or don't) miss the train.

With can and could (so that ... can/could):
She's learning English so that she can study in Canada.
We moved to London so that we could see our friends more often.

Explanation taken from English Grammar in Use  ed.Cambridge
 You can do some exercises on This site

Lucinda talks about the many pets in her life.

Begin exercise

Show script

Parts of the car

Click on the picture to learn some car parts

Talk about your experiences of car journeys.
Have you ever...  got really lost in a car?
                               run out of petrol?
                               had a puncture?
                               broken down?
                               missed something important because of traffic problems?
                               been stopped in a car by the police?
                              stopped to pick up a hitch-hiker?
When? Where were you going? What did you do? What happened in the end?

Grammar file 1

■Lesson B past tenses: simple, continuous, perfect (1)


■Lesson B past tenses: simple, continuous, perfect (2)

Jobs mourned in China

7 October 2011

In China fans of Apple have been reacting to the death of the company's co-founder Steve Jobs.

I'd prefer to/I'd rather/ I'd rather you didn't

 would prefer + infinitive

After it's time / would prefer we use the infinitive:
Examples:
A: It's time to get the dinner ready.
B: I'd prefer to go to a restaurant for a change, wouldn't you?

A: It's time to clear out the spare room. Your parents are coming next month.
B: I'm too tired just now. I'd prefer to do it at the weekend.

A: Isn't it about time to pack up and go home?
B: I'd prefer to stay just a bit longer. The beach is so nice today, isn't it?

Would rather + infinitive without to
After would rather we use the infinitive without to:
Examples:

A: It's time to cut the grass.
B: I'm at a great bit in my book. I'd rather do it later.

A: It's time to go now.
B: Can't we stay a bit longer? I'd rather get a later train.

A: Come on, it's time to do the dishes.
B: I'd rather leave them till the morning. Let's just go to bed and forget about them.

would rather + past tense
We can use a past tense after it's time or would rather but it has a present meaning:
Examples:

A: Do you mind if I smoke?
B: I'd rather you didn't.

A: Can I go round to Bobby's after school tomorrow?
B: I'd rather you came straight home actually. Remember your grandma's coming to visit.

A: Where are we going this summer?
B: I don't know yet. I guess it's time we were planning our holidays.