PRONUNCIATION ED IN REGULAR VERBS

Do you know how to pronounce the ending -ed of regular verbs. Have a look at this excellent lesson by Richard Vaughan.

IMAGES OF THE PAST

PRESENT SIMPLE EXERCISES

PRESENT SIMPLE: Repeated Actions

Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual. The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens. It can also be something a person often forgets or usually does not do.

Link on the photo and revise:

Practice now with the following exercises

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

Now fill the gaps as you listen the song "In the Ghetto" by Elvis Presley

PRONOUNCING THE -ED ENDING

There are rules, so it's useful to learn how to pronounce the Past and Past Participles of Regular verbs.

Briefly: Pronounce "id" after sounds T/D (starTed , deciDed)
            Pronounce "t" after sounds: P/CH/K/F/Z/S/SH (lauGHed, switCHed, ...)
            Pronounce "d" after: Vowels and B/G/DG/V/M/N/R/L/ ... (caLLed, satisfIed, ...)

• Listen and get good practice at this website.
• You can also see the rules at English Club, at the BBC website

Theory
Voiced or Voiceless?
Listen to some examples: 1, 2
Practice: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Exceptions: Theory and Practice

How do you pronounce the -ED used with Past Tense (Affirmative Regular) Vebs?
To get it right, go to THIS WEB and once there, press MENU and go to 4º ESO, INTERMEDIATE, THE ED SUFFIX.

It's very easy, just do it!

More practice: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Watch the video too:

WORLD TEACHERS' DAY_ 5TH OCTOBER

The slogan for World Teachers’ Day 2015 is “Empowering teachers, buildings sustainable societies”.

Over 100 countries express their teacher appreciation by observing World Teachers' Day. The efforts of many parents and teachers’ organizations have contributed to this widespread recognition. Every
year, public awareness campaigns are launched to highlight the contributions of the teaching profession.
On this day, teachers, and organizations worldwide mobilise to ensure that the needs of future generations are taken into consideration in this increasingly complex, multicultural and technological world.

According to UNESCO, World Teachers' Day represents a significant token of the awareness, understanding and teacher appreciation displayed for the vital contribution that these professionals make to education and development.

WORLD TEACHERS' DAY_ 5TH OCTOBER

On October 5, 1966, the Special Intergovernmental Conference on the Status of Teachers in Paris, France, was closed and the "Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers" was signed by representatives of UNESCO and International Labour Organization. On October 12, 1997, the 29th session of UNESCO's General Conference was opened. During this conference, on November 11, 1997, the "Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel" was adopted.

On October 5, 1994, the first World Teachers' Day was held. This event has been organized on the same date each year since then. However, local events may be on some other date close to October 5, so that they do not fall during fall (northern hemisphere) or spring (southern hemisphere) school vacations. In 2002, Canada Post issued a postage stamp to commemorate World Teachers' Day.

WELCOME AUTUMN!

Today (Sept. 22) marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall, also called the autumn equinox, in the Northern Hemisphere.

The autumn equinox occurs today at 4:44 p.m. EDT (20:44 UTC) when the sun is directly in line with Earth's celestial equator, or the equator projected onto the sky. Day and night last about equally long on Sunday, with about 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark. This same phenomenon occurs on the spring equinox, which will next occur on March 20.

The date of the fall equinox (and its spring counterpart) varies slightly each year, sometimes falling on the 23rd or 24th depending on the quirks of the calendar, along with Earth's slightly irregular orbit. Here are five surprising facts about fall and the autumn equinox.

From: Livescience.

PERSONAL PRONOUNS AND POSSESSIVES_ 2º ESO

POSSESSIVE   'S

This is PepeÉste es Pepe		This is Pepe's BarÉste es el Bar de Pepe

En inglés, el genitivo (relación de propiedad o posesión) se forma de dos maneras:

1. Mediante la preposición of, (de), que se usa normalmente cuando el poseedor no es una persona:

The window of the house (La ventana de la casa)

2. Cuando el poseedor es una persona, se emplea una forma particular, que se conoce como genitivo sajón (por su origen). Al nombre del poseedor, se añade un apóstrofo y una s ('s) y figura en la frase delante del nombre de la cosa poseída:

My brother's car (El coche de mi hermano)        John's dog (El perro de John)

También se emplea con nombres de animales, nombres de países, ciertas expresiones de tiempo, espacio, distancia, peso, etc..

The cat's ears (Las orejas del gato)        France's cities (las ciudades de Francia)
Yesterday's meeting (La reunión de ayer)    A mile's walk (Un paseo de una milla)

REGLAS DE LA 'S DEL GENITIVO SAJÓN 1.Cuando el poseedor es solo uno, el orden de la frase es:  Poseedor Apóstrofo + S La cosa poseída

Paul's heart (El corazón de Pablo)

Cuando el nombre termina en s, se añade otra s

Charles's bicycle (La bicicleta de Carlos)

2. Si los poseedores son varios, el orden de la frase es:

Los poseedores (plural) Apóstrofo La cosa poseída

My brothers' clock (El reloj de mis hermanos)

 

(Cuando el nombre en plural no termina en s se aplica la misma norma que para un solo poseedor):

The women's books (Los libros de las mujeres)

Cuando detallamos nombrando a los distintos poseedores, solamente el último refiere el genitivo:
That is John, Jim and Paul's flat (Ese es el piso de John, Jim y Paul)
¡Cuidado!. Fíjate en la diferencia:
John and Ann's cars  Los coches son de ambos
John's and Ann's cars  Cada uno tiene su propio coche
Combinado con of puede servir para distinguir el sentido de propiedad
A photo of Peter's (Una foto de Pedro, la foto es de su propiedad)
A photo of Peter (Una foto de Pedro, de su persona)

FROM MANSION DEL INGLÉS

Personal pronouns and possessives

Grammar and Vocabulary_ Starter Unit

MAYFLOWER

On 16 September 1620, the Mayflower sailed from Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. On board were 102 men, women and children and a small crew, a large group of whom were Puritans (who become known as the Pilgrim Fathers). Their hope was to reach the New World, where they could have religious freedom, and continue using their native language, culture, and customs. After 65 grueling days they dropped anchor off Cape Cod on 21st November, before landing on the coast of Massachusetts on 21st December 1620 at a spot now called Plymouth Rock, where they established their own government.

Why did the passengers feel they needed to leave England?

On the death of Queen Elizabeth 1st, James 1st became king and adopted a moderate Protestant faith as the one true religion for England and Scotland, all other religions were discouraged or barred.

Why are the Pilgrim Fathers important?

The Pilgrim Fathers were the first permanent European settlers in America and therefore are often said to be the founders of the United States.

REMEMBERING 9/11_ 14th ANNIVERSARY

The skies over Lower Manhattan lit up Thursday night with twin beams of blue light honoring the nearly 3,000 victims of the September 11 attacks, thus bringing to a close a somber 13th anniversary of the tragedy marked by tributes, name-reading ceremonies and moments of silence.

Along with the 'Tribute in Light' art installation honoring the dead, the newly completed skyscraper known as One World Trade Center shone brightly, towering over the city's scintillating skyline. 

On Thursday morning, as victims' relatives gathered at the World Trade Center site for the traditional name reading ceremony, in the nation's capital President Obama spoke solemnly outside the Pentagon, where 184 people lost their lives.

'It has now been 13 years,' Obama said. 'Thirteen years since the peace of an American morning was broken; thirteen years since nearly 3,000 beautiful people were taken from us; thirteen years of moments they would have shared with us; thirteen years of memories they would have made.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article

OUR LADY OF VICTORY_ 8th SEPTEMBER

Our Lady’s birthday is generally celebrated by the Catholic church on the 8th September and so this date has been adopted as an opportunity to honour the different images of Mary. In Malaga, people celebrate the feast day of the patron of the city, ‘Our Lady of Victory’.

As her name would suggest, the ‘Virgen de la Victoria’ is venerated due the the role she is believed to have played in various military victories.

The first was in 1571 at the battle of Lepanto, near Greece, when the Holy League (made up of Spain and the Papacy among others) fought the Ottoman Empire. Christians prayed the Rosary in St. Peter’s Square in Rome in the hope that Mary would intercede for them, winning them God’s help in keeping the Muslim Empire out of Western Europe. A miraculous victory was won.

In Malaga itself, a statue of Our Lady of Victory is thought to have been kept in Ferdinand’s chapel in the military encampment during the siege when Malaga was re-conquered by the Catholic King and Queen. In 1867, Pope Pius IX appointed this image of Mary as patron of the city.

Thus the 8th September is a local holiday. On the last Sunday in August, in preparation for the feast day, the image of the ‘Virgen de la Victoria’ is taken to Malaga cathedral where a novena (a particularly powerful way of praying the Rosary) is said in devotion to Our Lady. On Sunday there will be a procession much like those one sees during Semana Santa, during which the image is carried to the Santuario de la Victoria in the Plaza Santuario, near the Plaza de la Merced. 

GREAT FIRE OF LONDON

At one o'clock in the morning on 2 September 1666, Thomas Farriner was asleep over his bakehouse in Pudding Lane, in the City of London, when a servant rushed in to wake him. The bedroom was full of smoke and the staircase was already in flames. He and his wife and daughter , with the servant, escaped through a small window and watched the blaze spread to his neighbours timber houses. The Great Fire of London had begun. What started as a small small fire raged for four days as an enormous fire, destroying two thirds of the City: 13,200 houses, 430 streets and 89 churches. The fire could be seen from forty miles round the capital. 

How do we know so much about the Fire of London?

The reason why we know so many details about the fire is that two men who were alive at that time kept diaries in which they described the dramatic events. The names of these two people were Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn.

Fire Prevention

To prevent such a disaster happening again King Charles ll commanded that all new houses in London should be of stone and brick not wood. Christopher Wren constructed St Paul's Cathedral (between 1675 and 1711) as well as many churches.

 Monument

Not long after the fire a momument, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, was erected between 1671 and 1677, as the City's memorial to the Great Fire in 1666.

MALAGA FAIR (SPAIN) 15th - 22nd AUGUST

On the Friday of the third half of August, Malaga celebrates a fiesta to commemorate the towns conquest by the Catholic King and Queen.

The ‘Feria’ (Fair) is a popular celebration lasting 8  days involving the whole town, whatever age: children, young and not so young people participate, and even all the foreigners feel ‘at home’. The showy flamenco suits, the sound of "malagueñas" and "verdiales" (the folclore dances of this province) and Malaga’s cool wine flood the streets with bursting merriment during all these vibrating days of the so-called Fair of Southern Europe.

The Fair of Malaga link here starts with an impressing light and sound spectacle of 30 minutes’ fireworks that are synchronized with classical music and let the thousands of people who are waiting in the Central Park and the harbour know that the Fair is being inaugurated. The next day (Saturday) and the following nine days, Malaga – downtown is celebrating fiesta with shows on all its squares, fiestas and music in all its streets. You can see hundreds of people in their typically Andalusian outfit, brightening the streets with color and contributing to the spectacular sight to the visitor who will feel like being among friends and invited to actively join the ‘fiesta’.

You can also admire the horse parades where jockeys present spectacular Andalusian horses showing elegant steps. At night, an amply organised bus transport system takes you to the fair in the outskirts, called "El Real de la Feria".

In one of the more tha 200 ‘casetas’– dance halls you can have a glass of Malaga wine while you listen and watch a ‘Malagueña’ or ‘Sevillana’ folclore dance of this region, and if you are up to it join the dance. You can enjoy first class shows for free in the official town hall – ‘caseta oficial’, and later go on one of the numerous roundabouts in the ‘Devil’s Street’ (calle del diablo). During all these days you have two main points of entertainment: in the morning and during the day downtown, and at night on the Fair, both events where all visitors no matter whether from here or not is invited to wine and beautiful dances.

If you find some time to sleep, take the chance, for the fiesta is to be continued....

FIRST MAN ON THE MOON

On 21 July 1969, American Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon. Eagle landing craft. As he put his left foot down first Armstrong declared: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." He described the surface as being like powdered charcoal and the landing craft left a crater about a foot deep.

Take off

On 16 July 1969, the Saturn V rocket launched Apollo 11 into the sky from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

The Crew

Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, Michael Collins

The Lunar Module

To land on the moon, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin used a lunar module nicknamed Eagle. When they landed Neil sent the following message back to Earth

"Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."

NELSON MANDELA

Nelson Mandela was born on 18 July 1918. He served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Mandela was not afraid to challenge things that were wrong and he suffered for his beliefs.

Unfair system

Mandela grew up in South Africa under system of segregation called Apartheid. Non-white people couldn't use libraries, beaches, parks and toilets that were reserved for white people. Black people and people of mixed race could not go to school with white people or play on sport teams with them. All the rules of the country were made by white Africans.

Sent to prison for his beliefs

Nelson Mandela dedicated his life to the struggle for racial equality in South Africa. He spent 27 years in prison for opposing the South African system of segregation.

South Africa today

Today, thanks to the self-sacrifice of Nelson Mandela, apartheid has been outlawed. Everyone in South Africa now has an equal opportunity at home and at work to live comfortable, productive lives. Nelson Mandela is one of the world's true freedom fighters, and his life and personal triumphs will be remembered for many years.

VIRGIN OF CARMEN_ 16TH JULY

The Virgin of Carmen is the patron saint and protector of fishermen and sailors. Religious Virgins are hugely popular in Andalucia (Spain); they are normally handcrafted from wood and porcelain and spend 99.9 per cent of the year at the local church. Most are dusted down and placed on flower-decked thrones at Easter-time when they are lovingly and solemnly borne through the streets. The Virgen del Carmen, however, has her own special day.

On the evening of July 16, in the fishing villages and towns up and down the Coast, her much-loved effigy is not only paraded through the streets but also taken for a spin round the bay on a flower-adorned boat, accompanied by a flotilla of "jábegas" (fishing boats). Brass bands play, crowds cheer, rockets shoot off and fireworks fill the late dusk sky.

Celebrations vary slightly from town to town. In Málaga, for example, the procession takes place not only on July 16, but on the following Sunday. A recent Malagueñan tradition, started in 1981, shows the Virgen del Carmen embracing all lovers of the sea - including scuba divers. That year, the City scuba diving club placed an image of their patron at the bottom of the sea and since then divers have paid their underwater homage annually.

The festival is especially important in the fishing villages of neighbouring Rincon de la Victoria and La Cala, both of which have the Virgen del Carmen as their town patron.

To understand why the Virgen del Carmen should be held so dear to the inhabitants of towns such as Estepona, Velez Malaga, Torremolinos and Rincon de la Victoria, we need to go back to the Old Testament. Downshifting in his old age, the prophet Elias retreated to a cave in Mount Carmelo near Haife (Israel). Many centuries later, hermits following in Elijah's footsteps asked for the protection of the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmelo - the Virgin of Carmen. Stella Maris, as she was also known, was soon adopted by mariners and fishermen everywhere as their patron.

Although long overtaken by tourism, many Costa towns still retain fishing communities and a strong attachment to "la Reina de los Mares" (the Queen of the Seas). It was once believed - perhaps in the days before water-purifying plants! - that the Virgin cleared up the waters with her presence and that only after July 16 would the sea be fit for swimming in.

                                             

ST. SWITHIN'S DAY - 15 JULY

St. Swithin's Day is 15 July, a day on which people watch the weather for tradition says that whatever the weather is like on St. Swithin's Day, it will continue so for the next forty days.

There is a weather-rhyme is well known throughout the British Isles since Elizabethan times.

'St. Swithin's day if thou dost rain

For forty days it will remain
St. Swithin's day if thou be fair
For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.'

dost = does

thou = you
nae mair = no more.

Who was St. Swithin?

St. Swithin (or more properly, Swithun) was a Saxon Bishop of Winchester. He was born in the kingdom of Wessex and educated in its capital, Winchester. He was famous for charitable gifts and building churches.

Why do people watch the weather on St. Swithin's day?

A legend says that as the Bishop lay on his deathbed, he asked to be buried out of doors, where he would be trodden on and rained on. For nine years, his wishes were followed, but then, the monks of Winchester attempted to remove his remains to a splendid shrine inside the cathedral on 15 July 971. According to legend there was a heavy rain storm either during the ceremony or on its anniversary.

This led to the old wives' tale (folklore) that if it rains on St Swithin's Day (July 15th), it will rain for the next 40 days in succession, and a fine 15th July will be followed by 40 days of fine weather.

However, according to the Met Office, this old wives' tale is nothing other than a myth. It has been put to the test on 55 occasions*, when it has been wet on St Swithin's Day and 40 days of rain did not follow

* source: the book entitled 'Red Sky At Night'

What symbols are associated with St. Swithins?

The emblems of St. Swithin refer to the legend of the forty days' rain (raindrops) and the apples from the trees he planted.

Apples and St. Swithuns

"St Swithin is christening the apples" Brand, Popular Antiquities, 1813, i, 342

There is an old saying when it rains on St. Swithin's Day, it is the Saint christening the apples.

Apple growers ask St. Swithin for his blessing each year because they believe:

•Rain on St. Swithin's day 'blesses and christens the apples'.

•No apple should picked or eaten before July 15th.

•Apples still growing at St Swithin's day will ripen fully.