past perfect and past perfect continuous

Day 3 of my Grammarly Christmas: past perfect and past perfect continuous | Teach them English

TIPS FOR WRITING

Writing Powerful Introductions When you write, what's the best way to begin? Many students start with a simple sentence, such as "I will write about my hometown", or they use no special introduction at all. Here are six ways to write better introductions. 1) Write about a problem Everybody has problems! Most of our energy each day is spent trying to solve problems. By starting your writing with a problem, you automatically hook your readers into searching for a solution. Your readers will start to think about how they might solve the problem or wonder what solution you have in mind. But be careful not to take too much time on the problem itself. This is an introduction, not the body of your writing. 2) Write about a story or start with a joke A very brief story or joke that illustrates your main idea can also hook the reader. Use clear details and vivid descriptions to appeal to your readers' senses and emotions. For example, if you want your readers to give up smoking, describe the painful effects of an elderly person who is unable to stop coughing, unable to breathe freely. If you are writing about an interesting place, describe what the readers would see, what they would hear, what they would taste, so that they can almost feel they are there. A joke, if it really fits the topic, can also make your readers more receptive to your ideas. Look at How to Tell Jokes for a simple way to remember jokes and stories. 3) Start with a question This is one of the easiest ways to begin writing. However, be careful not to use questions that are too simple. If everyone already knows the answer, they will not be interested in what you write next. Remember, you have to make them think! "Do you like to eat?" is not very interesting. However, "Have you ever spent more than $100 dollars on one meal?" will make your readers start dreaming! 4) Write a bold statement or use an interesting statistic If you begin with something like, "In the United States, fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce!", your readers will want to know your point of view on this topic. You can look up statistics on the Internet for just about any topic, so go to it! 5) Start with a quote from an important person This kind of introduction has two advantages. As with the other ways, it gets your readers to think about what you will say next. In addition, the words of important people have the ability to persuade many people. "If Bill Gates said it, it's probably true", many people will think. 6) Write about necessary background information This is not a very interesting way to begin, but sometimes it's necessary to help your readers before you begin. Some topics will be too difficult for readers to follow without some help, so you may have to provide basic information first. If possible, try to write about this information using one of the five opening techniques above! Write Perfect Paragraphs with the PREP Method P: Start with the main POINT of your paragraph The first sentence is usually called a "topic sentence". Simply state whatever the topic is. Try to start with an interesting sentences. Instead of saying "Joe is a teacher", say "Joe is one of the best English teachers in the history of the world!".  R: Give the REASON why you believe this Next, write why you think so. You might write, "Students need a kind teacher to guide them, so they always move in the right direction and don't waste time." You might also try to link this sentence to the next one, to help make a smoother "transition".  E: Give an EXAMPLE to support your belief Find an example, or maybe two. This will "paint a word picture" in your readers' minds, which they will remember long after they finish reading. "I never listened to English much before I heard of Teacher Joe, but now I listen to his jokes, sayings and dictations. Listening has helped me improve my speaking ability in English, and now I'm moving up to a better job." Sounds great, doesn't it?  P: Repeat your POINT one more time Your readers will often remember the last thing you write more than anything else. If you can, try to use different words to say the same thing. "Joe has helped tens of thousands of students learn to listen to English. He deserves the title of 'Super Teacher' more than anyone I have ever met." Finally, put it all together Joe is one of the best English teachers I have ever met. I think all students need a kind teacher to guide them, so they can always move in the right direction. I never listened to English much before I heard of Teacher Joe, but now I listen to his jokes, sayings and dictations. Listening has helped me improve my speaking ability in English, and now I'm moving up to a better job. Joe has helped tens of thousands of students learn English. He deserves the title of 'Super Teacher' . To Write Better English Sentences, Be Specific Sample Sentence One: a) "There is a man over there."  Many of my students write sentences like this while preparing for the IELTS writing test. Unfortunately, this sentence tells us nothing about the man or where he is. Here is a slightly improved sentence:  b) "A tall man is standing next to the car."  Depending on the situation, you could add many more details. For example:  c) "A tall man wearing a dark suit is standing with his arms folded next to an old, red taxi."  This sentence communicates much more to the reader and shows that you know how to really use English well.  Sample Sentence Two: a) "I was very tired."  First, you could add the reason for being tired:  b) "I am always tired after work."  Next, be more specific about how long you had to work:  c) "I always feel tired after working from 9 in the morning until 10 at night."  Isn't sentence "C" much better than sentence "A"? Remember, when you write, you are trying to communicate. These specific details are what communicate information to your reader.  Sample Sentence Three: a) "Can you come?"  Again, you can answer the basic questions "When" and "Where":  b) "Can you come to my office tomorow morning?"  Of course, you can be even more specific with the time:  c) "Can you come to my office tomorrow morning between 9:30 and 10 o'clock?"  And finally, you could add "Why":  d) "Can you come to my office tomorrow morning between 9:30 and 10 o'clock so that I can give you the information you wanted?"  Remember This! When you are writing, always remember to answer the basic questions in detail:  Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? How to Write Memorable Conclusions When people are given a list of things to memorize, researchers found that they best remember items at the beginning and end of the list. It is the same way when people read. If you have a strong conclusion, people are more likely to remember your main message. Here are some suggestions on how to write memorable conclusions. 1) Use a broad statement to summarize your main idea If you are writing about the environment, for example, you could end with a broad statement such as, "It's up to us to protect the environment because, after all, we only have one world". 2) End with a quotation If you are writing about dealing with stress, you could conclude this way: "Remember the old saying, 'all work and no play makes Teacher Joe a dull boy'". As this example shows, you can adapt the quotation to fit the situation. 3) Express your hopes for the future "My hope is that in ten years, we will no longer have to see newspaper stories about young children who cannot afford to get an education", would be a good way to end a paper on providing financial aid to poor families. 4) Use a question As with introductions, questions are a good way to burn an idea into your readers' brains. "If we can go to the moon, why can't we go to Mars, too?", will focus readers' attention on the reasons you wrote about in the body of your paper. 5) Call for action! This is one of the most common ways to conclude. Don't be shy about asking for some kind of response. "If you agree with me, then go out and volunteer" or "Take some time to analyze your diet to see how many calories you could easily do without", are two examples. Asking people to volunteer to help others or do something to help themselves is a powerful way to get them to think deeply about your suggestions. So, do you think you could apply any of the ideas above? Bookmark this page now, so the next time you have to write something, you can come back here and try one of these ideas!  Sample Compositions with Corrections from Learn English with Teacher Joe!

Oxford Dictionaries - Dictionary, Thesaurus, & Grammar

Oxford Dictionaries - Dictionary, Thesaurus, & Grammar

The site for the english language lovers

Reading Lessons

Reading

5minute reading comprehension tests

British Culture, British Customs and British Traditions

British Culture, British Customs and British Traditions

These sections are in advanced English and are only intended to be a guide, and should not be taken too seriously!
They all have a dictionary look up - double click on any word to get an instant definition and often you can listen to the pronunciation too. - See more at: http://www.learnenglish.de/britishculture.html#sthash.7R2AaIs2.dpuf

Jobs and work Vocabulary

Jobs and work Vocabulary - Learn English Vocabulary

INTERNET VOCABULARY

WH- WORDS

Kids Puzzles

Kids Pages - Puzzles

WORDS TO KNOW

PHRASAL VERBS party

Airport Vocabulary

Fun English learning site for students and teachers - The English Student

Describing people's ccharacters

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives: EnchantedLearning.com

WAYS TO SAY ' I AGREE "

Poets speak out for refugees

Poets speak out for refugees: 'No one leaves home, unless home is the mouth of a shark' | Books | The Guardian

“Home” by Warsan Shire

 

 

no one leaves home unless

home is the mouth of a shark

you only run for the border

when you see the whole city running as well



your neighbors running faster than you

breath bloody in their throats

the boy you went to school with

who kissed you dizzy behind the old tin factory

is holding a gun bigger than his body

you only leave home

when home won’t let you stay.


no one leaves home unless home chases you

fire under feet

hot blood in your belly

it’s not something you ever thought of doing

until the blade burnt threats into

your neck

and even then you carried the anthem under

your breath

only tearing up your passport in an airport toilets

sobbing as each mouthful of paper

made it clear that you wouldn’t be going back.


you have to understand,

that no one puts their children in a boat

unless the water is safer than the land

no one burns their palms

under trains

beneath carriages

no one spends days and nights in the stomach of a truck

feeding on newspaper unless the miles travelled

means something more than journey.

no one crawls under fences

no one wants to be beaten

pitied


no one chooses refugee camps

or strip searches where your

body is left aching

or prison,

because prison is safer

than a city of fire

and one prison guard

in the night

is better than a truckload

of men who look like your father

no one could take it

no one could stomach it

no one skin would be tough enough


the

go home blacks

refugees

dirty immigrants

asylum seekers

sucking our country dry

niggers with their hands out

they smell strange

savage

messed up their country and now they want

to mess ours up

how do the words

the dirty looks

roll off your backs

maybe because the blow is softer

than a limb torn off


or the words are more tender

than fourteen men between

your legs

or the insults are easier

to swallow

than rubble

than bone

than your child body

in pieces.

i want to go home,

but home is the mouth of a shark

home is the barrel of the gun

and no one would leave home

unless home chased you to the shore

unless home told you

to quicken your legs

leave your clothes behind

crawl through the desert

wade through the oceans

drown

save

be hunger

beg

forget pride

your survival is more important


no one leaves home until home is a sweaty voice in your ear

saying-

leave,

run away from me now

i dont know what i’ve become

but i know that anywhere

is safer than here

List of HALLOWEEN videos

List of HALLOWEEN videos - from Multimedia-English (learn real English) –[Multimedia-English]

 

different types of buildings

   


   

describing people

          

Halloween idioms

idioms | English with a Twist





What better way than to share with you 10 idioms with a Halloween theme! Halloween is associated with scary and spooky images like witches, black cats, blood, skeletons, ghosts, bats, weapons (knives, daggers) as well as less scary images like pumpkins and owls. Here's 10 idioms with some of these Halloween images.

Creepy Ghost Stories for Halloween Night!

Scary Halloween Stories: Creepy Ghost Stories for Halloween Night!

Ghost Stories

Ghost Stories - HowStuffWorks
Everyone knows that ghosts can be scary. But have you heard the story about the ghost who was tricked by children, or the ghost who haunted a man’s house just because he was looking for a place where he could sit down?
This collection of children’s ghost stories is the perfect way to introduce young readers to the fun of being scared silly.

Halloween Ghost Stories and Scary Tales

Halloween Ghost Stories and Scary Tales
 

Spooky Unique Ghost Stories and Folktales For Kids

Spooky Unique Ghost Stories and Folktales For Kids

Ghost stories can add fun and a bit of spookiness to your Halloween party, slumber party, and camping adventures. Ranging from slightly scary to absolutely bone chilling, there is a ghost story to fit any audience. Below is a collection of ghost story resources to read and share, these stories are sure to send chills down your spine.

PLAY TIME "Haunted house

Haunted house | LearnEnglish Kids | British Council

Halloween : 155 crafts for kids

Halloween : 155 crafts for kids

idioms

Jack and Sally Nightmare Before Christmas Coloring Pages

Jack and Sally Nightmare Before Christmas Coloring Pages, jack and sally coloring pages - American Home Supply

 

idiom of the day

 

EXPESSING OPINIONS

-FUL & -LESS

What is bobbing for apples?

What is bobbing for apples? - Ask History

 

knitting and other hobbies

collocations

   

FREE BOOKS for kids

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English Vocabulary - Halloween

The Haunted House

The EFL SMARTblog: Dave Allen – The Haunted House   You are going to

1. listen to a "ghost story" with some comprehension questions
2. read the text and match some vocabulary
3. look at the structure of the text and use it to
4. write a story

  

Dave Allen

The ghost story is told by Dave Allen
Dave Allen, was an Irish comedian who was very popular in Great Britain, Australia, and Canada.
Allen lost the top of his left index finger. Here he explains how it happened in a long story, ending with "something evil" attacking him in a dark and haunted cottage.