Unit 4 - The Right Job - Extra Links

Here are some extra links for Unit 4 - The Right Job

Vocabulary

Jobs - A fabulous list with useful vocabulary and expressions.

Jobs and occupations - Just click on the drop-down menu above the list to see what activities you can do with this vocabulary.

Jobs: vocabulary and expressions - This vocabulary list comes with seven exercises, just click on the links at the top of the page.


Listening

Bad Jobs - Monica and Todd talk about some of the bad jobs they have had before. Script available.

Job centre game - Read the instructions and enjoy! Script available.


Reading

Applying for a Job (matching exercise) - Which position is best for the people in the exercise?

Basic Cover Letter Example Template - Have a look at the elements a basic cover letter should include.

Grammar

Past Simple - (also called Simple Past) General information. You also have tests at the bottom of the page.

Past Continuous - (also called Past Progressive) More information and tests at the bottom of the page.

Past Simple vs Past Continuous - Great information and exercises.

Functions

Basic Job Interview Questions - Here you will find examples of typical job interview questions, as well as sample answers (just click on the links).

Conversation Questions: Job Interview - Many examples.

Time Markers - Short exercise to practice expressions such as "immediately", "before" and "now".

Activity 2 - Task 1 - Error Correction Exercise 1

Hello, everyone! In this post, you’ll find some comments on Activity 2, Task 2: your wiki profiles. You’ll also find a new optional (but VERY useful!) exercise.

Overall, I have to say that I’m very happy with your work on the wiki profiles. Most of you chose to do your own personal profile, but some of you decided to make up characters, and both options turned out really well. Congratulations on your hard work!

EXCELLENT EXPRESSIONS

The following are some selected sentences from the different wiki profiles you created. All of these sentences contain excellent use of the language, plus some very good expressions! Great job! Please have a look because I’m sure everyone will find something useful here.

I’m agnostic, but I know different religions. I like learning about any topic I find interesting.

I studied primary teaching at Universidad de Valencia and now I work at a nursery school in Moixent.

I like polite and intelligent people who can talk to me about any topic.

 Do you think it is possible to travel with children?

As a student I had a few odd jobs to earn some money for my expenses

Three years ago I got married with a Catalan guy, he is the reason why I live in Sant Cugat.

5 adjectives that describe you: Sensible, nonconformist, open-minded, sociable, foul-mouthed.

I have two children about 17 and 14 years old, both boys. They are teenagers, so they are at a delicate age... but right now, I think I will survive!

Something I can’t stand: People who make a decision about what type of person you are before they get to know you.

ERROR CORRECTION

In this section, you will find some sentences that contain errors. This will be your first error correction exercise. Have a look at the example. I’ve marked the parts of the sentence which contain errors. Then, I’ve written the corrected version of the sentence and given a reason why the original was incorrect. Can you give it a try?

Please send your error correction exercise to the class forum called “Exercises.” I will post a message on the Notice Board about this.

0. Have you participed in one running race?

CORRECTION:   Have you [ever] participated in a race?

REASON: In the original sentence, the verb was incorrect. //

In the original, the student wrote “one race.” The use of “one” in English is a bit unnatural, since “one” is used specifically to refer to the number “one.” It is used to draw attention (per cridar l’atenció de que només és UN, no dos ni tres, només un, ja que la paraula és una número). Because it is used to draw attention, it sounds strange in this sentence. The most natural way to say “una cursa” in English is simply “a race.” The word “a” is an article, and it is used with singular nouns. //

I decided to eliminate “running.” It isn’t necessary. //

Finally, when asking about things that people have done in their lives (life experience), you can also use the word “ever”: have you ever… (+verb) = alguna vegada has…

So that was my example correction! Can you correct the other sentences? This is an optional activity, but I highly recommend it because you will see some common mistakes students make in B.1 level—and you’ll have the chance to correct them! This time I’ll help you and I’ll mark the errors in red!

I recommend you follow these steps:

1) Highlight the sentences and copy them.

2) Paste the sentences in a Word document.

3) Make your corrections in the Word document.

4) When finished, copy all your work and paste it in a message for the Exercises forum.

1. I also really like to travel and now we are planning a travel to Thailand.

CORRECTION:

REASON:

2. I educate childrens from 6-11 years old.

CORRECTION:

REASON:

3. Languages: spanish, catalan, french and italian.

CORRECTION:

REASON:

4. I have a very good couple called Cristina, she is the mother of my two beautiful daughters.

CORRECTION:

REASON:

5. In the actually I return to live with my parents and my sisters. 

CORRECTION:

REASON:

6. Finally I came back to Barcelona in 2007 for living near my family in my hometown.

CORRECTION:

REASON:

7. I'm not religious but I agree with the differents religions. 

CORRECTION:

REASON:

8. There I met my wife, but 2 years after get married we divorced we want different things in ours life.

CORRECTION:

REASON:

9. Now, I'm working like a medical researcher.

CORRECTION:

REASON:

10. I like psychology books because are useful in my life.

CORRECTION:

REASON:

Unit 3 - Travelling the Globe - Extra Links

Here are some links for extra information on the main topics in Unit 3 - Travelling the Globe.

Part 1 (this part will help you complete Task 1 of Activity 3)

Travel vocabulary

Travel word groups

Useful travel expressions

Transport and travel

Travel vocabulary quiz (with answers)

BBC The Flatmates - Travel (Listen to the conversation, then click on "Language Point" for vocabulary. After reading the vocabulary, click on "Quiz",)

At the hotel - Vocabulary

Hotel conversation activity




Part 2 (this part will help you complete Task 2 of Activity 3)

Comparing

Comparative adjectives (click on the link at the bottom to see "Use of Comparative Adjectives".)

Superlative adjectives (click on the link at the bottom to see "Use of Superlative Adjectives".)

Forming comparative and superlative adjectives

Comparative and superlative quiz


Giving advice

Modals for advice

All modal verbs Here you will see modal verbs for different situations.

Modals for advice - With tests


Asking Questions

How to ask questions - Video

Word order in questions - Here you'll see that the column on the right is in Russian. You can just ignore that and look at the column on the left, in English. ;-)

General Comments - Activity 1 - Task 2

Hello everybody! In this post I will give you some general feedback on the work you did for Activity 1, Task 2 (the LANGblog task). You can listen to a short recording about this post.

First of all, I would like to congratulate everyone who completed this task because you all did a marvelous job! However, I have to reiterate that it's very important NOT TO READ on LANGblog, because we need speaking practice, not reading practice.

Still, you all did a wonderful job suggesting restaurants, and I'm extremely happy to announce that I only heard the infamous (and incorrect) expression "I am agree" once in all the recordings.

Now, let's move on to the comments:

PRONUNCIATION

Here you have a list with some of the most mispronounced words in this activity. I strongly suggest you take a few minutes to look up these words in the fabulous online pronunciation dictionary www.howjsay.com. You can listen to the words as much as you like, and you can practice repeating them!

Cuisine

Contemporary

Idea

Theatre

Dinner - diner

Grilled

Crocodile – not “crocodrile” > Don't add an extra "R"!

Spacious

Hi

Waiter

Pasta – not “paste” > Be careful with the word "paste" because we use it to talk about glue!

Convince

Comfortable

Tasty

Variety > This word sounds like "society".

GOOD

In this section, you'll find a selection of some very good sentences and expressions used by YOU, the students!

Sorry, but I will vote for another option.

I like Italian cuisine, but I prefer other options.

…a bloody steak.

I went to La Huerta a few years ago and I remember we ate…

I think it’s not a good idea to have dinner there together because it’s too far for most of us.

CORRECTIONS

And now we've reached the corrections section! Here is a selection of sentences that aren't 100% correct. Let me give you some comments:

1. …we can go to the Delta de l’Ebre and make cycling around the field rice. > There are two things wrong here: "make cycling" and "field rice."

- make cycling > the verb "make" isn't correct. In English, we go cycling.

- field rice > the word order here isn't correct. In English, the adjective goes before the noun ( for example: a blue car, a big house, a fat dog...). Here, the word "rice" is defining the type of field, so it's almost acting as an adjective. Therefore, we should say rice field.

> Final sentence: ...we can go to the Delta de l'Ebre and go cycling around the rice fields. (I added an "s".)

2. I prefer dinner outside Barcelona because can visit other place.

- The verb "can" is missing the subject: we can.

- The word "other" introduces a plural, not a singular: other places.

> Final sentence: I prefer dinner outside Barcelona because we can visit other places.

3. Your review for the restaurant Teresa Carles it’s very complete.

- The error here is that the student has used a double subject. The subject of the verb "is" = "your review". However, the student says "it is." The word "it" is extra (it is repeating the subject) so it shouldn't be in the sentence.

> Final sentence: Your review for the restaurant Teresa Carles is very complete.

> For more information on repeating (double) subjects, check out this website:

http://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/repeating-subjects

4. You don’t worry because price it isn’t expensive.

- Here, the student wants to use an imperative. However, when we make imperatives, we don't use the subject: Don't worry because... (without "you"). For more information about imperatives: http://www.engvid.com/imperatives-give-commands-directions/

- Here, the student also used double subjects ("price it isn't expensive".)

> Final sentence: Don't worry because the price isn't expensive. (See that I also added "the" because it's necessary.)

5. After check all options, I think yours is the best choice.

- If we use a verb after the word "after", the verb needs to go in the gerund form (-ing).

> Final sentence: After checking all options, I think yours is the best choice.

- The same happens if you put a verb after the word "before": Before checking all options...

6. Desserts are incredible. You’ll enjoy with them, especially if you are sweet tooth.

- The structure at the beginning of the sentence isn't correct. You enjoy something. You enjoy something with someone. For example: I enjoy skiing. I enjoy skiing with my sister. You don't enjoy with something. So here the student is talking about desserts: You'll enjoy them = You'll enjoy the desserts.

- People aren't sweet tooth. People have a sweet tooth.

> Final sentence: Desserts are incredible. You'll enjoy them, especially if you have a sweet tooth.

7. I want to say you that the recommendation seems so good.

- After the verb "say" we don't immediately put the person. We say something to someone.

- To correct this sentence, we have two options:

> I want to say to you that the recommendation seems so good.

> I want to tell you that the recommendation seems so good.

- For more information about say and tell, have a look at this link: http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/cw-say-tell.htm

8. If you have lucky and the day is sunny like today…

- The word "lucky" is an adjective, so you can't say you "have lucky."

- To correct this sentence, you have two options:

> If you are lucky and the day is sunny like today... (The verb "be" + adjective.)

> If you have luck and the day is sunny like today... (This sentence uses the noun: "luck.")