miércoles, 28 de octubre de 2009

ENGLISH UPDATE 2 - Bonus of Excellence

In a few days, we will have our next 2nd Monthly Worksheet Term. To encourage you to do well in it, we would like to let you know about our “Bonus of Excellence”.

It’s simple. Your efforts are rewarded.

If your score for the 2nd Worksheet Term is between 15 and 18 points, your final Term mark gets 1 additional point.

If your score for the 2nd Worksheet Term is between 19 and 20 points, your final Term mark gets 2 additional points.

Get ready! Take advantage of your skills: do your best!!!!

martes, 27 de octubre de 2009

ENGLISH UPDATE 1

The English teacher will be reviewing some of the subjects studied so far in class, as to make sure all students understand:

a) cognates (false and true)
b) infinitives/gerunds.

This update will be discussed with the "Delegados de Curso" to facilitate understanding and communication among us.

El profesor de inglés volverá a explicar algunos de los temas estudiados hasta el momento en clase, de modo que nuestros estudiantes dominen los siguientes temas:

a) cognados (verdaderos y falsos)
b) infinitivos / gerundios

Esta información será conversada con los "Delegados de los cursos", para que ellos expliquen a sus compañeros nuestros propósitos.

lunes, 26 de octubre de 2009

Infinitives and Gerunds

Infinitive

There are two forms of the infinitive.

We use:

The full infinitive (to + verb)
  • to express purpose. - Jessie went to the library to borrow a book.
  • after the verbs: want, would like, hope, decide, manage, plan, arrange, advise, choose, learn, offer, promise, refuse, expect, etc. - Betty offered to help me with my homework.
  • after be + adjective. - It's good to exercise.
  • after the adjectives: afraid, surprised, free, glad, happy, ready, sorry, please, etc. - Are you ready to begin?
  • after too and enough. - This coffee is sweet enough (for me) to drink.
The bare infinitive (without to)
  • after modal verbs (can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, must). - Shall we go now.
  • after the verbs let and make (in active voice). - My parents don't let me stay out late.
-ing form (gerund)
It is used:
  • after verbs which express preference: like, dislike, love, hate, enjoy, prefer, adore, etc. - Dan doesn't like dancing. He prefers listening to music.
  • after verbs which express beginning or end: begin, start, stop, finish, continue, etc. - They started going out together when they were eighteen.
  • after the verbs: avoid, forgive, imagine, remember, practice, suggest, mind, keep, etc. - Fay kept getting in the way.
  • with expressions: can't help, can't stand, it's no good, how/what about...?, look forward, etc. - I can't stand eating beans.
  • after prepositions: - He's thinking about parachuting lessons.
  • as a subject of a verb: Eating fish is something I like doing when I go to an island.
Note: after the verb stop we can have a full infinitive or an ing form (gerund), but the meaning is different. Sandra stopped to buy some bread on her way home.(= She stopped another action because she wanted to buy bread.) She stopped buying bread from that bakery. (= She never again bought bread from that bakery.)

Making suggestions
To make a suggestion, we can use:
  • can and could. - We can/could watch a video tonight if you like.
  • shall we...? - Shall we invite Mark and Pauline for dinner next Saturday?
  • expressions like: Let's..., How about...?, What about...? Why don't you...? - There's nothing to do here, Let's go for a walk.
Note: After How about...? and What about...? we use an -ing form (gerund) or a noun.

martes, 20 de octubre de 2009

Research 3 - Holistic medicine?

Hereby you will find enclosed the reading links for our next class.

Please read and understand the articles and be ready to respond to "objective" questions.

You are not obliged to print the articles. However, you are encouraged to make notes, conceptual maps, summaries... as to get familiar with the vocabulary and concepts found in them.

http://www.superstar.org.uk/massage/Holistic.html
Holistic definition

http://www.scribd.com/doc/21337063/A-Better-Definition-of-Holistic-Health

A better holistic definition