Learning tip: How to write well

Browsing the Net, I've come across a fantastic site where you can find  really useful advice on How to write well. I strongly recommend it! 
Here are some examples of what you can find on it:
Grammar correction quiz:There are 10 mistakes in This text, try to correct them.
Read about collocations and do the quiz.

File 1C "We are family"

Vocabulary:
Click here and revise the words you need to talk about your relatives.
Watch this video and learn how we talk about family members.
Do this quiz to check how many words you know & this Reading practice
More practice:  Family members; Mix & match
Family members listening quiz (Read the instructions before you start)


Grammar:
Future tenses
All future forms 1
All future forms 2 

File 1B `If you really want to win, cheat´

Vocabulary:
How many sports can you name in English?

• Click here and check if you pronounce them correctly.
• Do this sports crossword and this crossword puzzle for sports fans (more challenging).
• Flash Hangman Game.
• Do this sports quiz, this football quiz and this sporty phrasal verbs quiz
• Match some words used to talk about tennis with their definitions

Reading & Listening

• Maradona and the 'Hand of God'
• Top 10 Sports Cheating Scandals
• ' Why does she go to the gym' (listen, do the listening quiz, then read the transcript and take note of useful vocabulary).

Learn how to pronounce `-ed´ correctly!!!

Last week we were revising the pronunciation of regular past and past participle verb forms, so here are some links to help you learn and practise the rules.


I strongly recommend you listen to this clear explanation of the rules .
You can also watch this great video lesson.Don't forget to click on the links you can find below the video, they're really helpful too.

Now it's your turn to check if you've learnt the rules.

1. Do these online exercices.
2. Listen and repeat. 
3. Common irregular verb forms: Watch this video, listen and repeat.
4. Past simple or past perfect?

Learning tip:
 Keep in mind that learning rules is useless if you don't put them into practice. You  won't be able to speak English fluently and accurately unless you use what you learn whenever you have the chance.

Past tenses

This week we're starting to learn and revise past tenses. I hope you find the links below useful. 


Click here and listen to how common irregular English verbs are pronounced. Then do this crossword and this one.


Click here to watch a video showing how to pronounce regular simple past and past participle forms. Now check if you have problems spelling -ed forms here and here
Here you can find plenty of exercises if you need more practice.


We're going to start  with:
Past perfect: Use and form.
Past perfect: online exercise.

Extra listening & writing: "My daily routine"

Click here, watch the video and do the exercises below.


What about your daily routine? Click on "comments" and write down what you usually do on weekdays. (5-10 lines)

File 1A: "Food: fuel or pleasure?"

• Vocabulary: 

Food & drink: Vocabulary exercises (Great to improve your vocabulary on the topic)

Meat and fish. Food crossword . Online quiz: Food containers 

Learn how to describe some dishes: Look at the pictures and read the descriptions
.
Food quiz. Food and flavours. Food preparation & cooking

• Grammar:

Simple Present: Form, uses & examples

Present continuous: Form, uses, verbs not normally used in the continuous forms...
What are state verbs? Examples & Quiz
Present simple vs Present continuous 1
Present simple vs Present continuous 2
Present simple vs Present continuous 3
Quantifiers quiz

• Listening:

What's your favourite food? (Do the Slide quiz, then click here to listen again reading  the script)
Food and fitness (Do the Slide quiz, then click here to listen again reading  the script) 
How to make a decent "cuppa" tea. (Watch the video and do the listening quiz)

Welcome

This blog is a tool you can use to improve your language and self-learning skills outside the classroom.
On the right column you can find useful links to online dictonaries , websites where you can find extra grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, listening, reading, writing and speaking activities as well as other interesting sites. I'll try to add some more links soon.
As listening is one of the hardest skills for you, I've thought you'd like to have some advice to improve your listening skills. So, Click here to read and listen to some "listening tips".