The English Planet: 2007

Monday, 4 June 2007

TIPS FOR SELECTIVIDAD

This is for my students of 2nd BACH.B, I.E.S. Mariana Pineda
Since you are not coming to class, first of all I would like to tell you that I have enjoyed giving you lessons, although I would have liked you to make more effort!
I wish you all GOOD LUCK next year and of course in the final exam!!

Here are some useful tips for Selectividad!!!
1. True/false exercise.
No te olvides de poner true or false. Y copia la evidencia del texto, intenta que sean frases completas:sujeto, verbo,...
Siempre es según el texto, por lo tanto si no te diera información no des tu opinión, la respuesta sería falsa.
2. In your own words.
Se trata de parafrasear la información, pero no puedes copiar literalmente del texto!! Otra técnica que puedes utilizar es cambiar el orden de las oraciones, cambiar palabras por sinónimos, usar el vocabulario del texto pero añadiendo o quitando adjetivos,...No seas demasiado escueto ya que el examinador quiere comprobar si sabes expresarte con fluidez, pero tampoco ds más información de la que da el texto.
3.Find the words in the text that mean...?
Seguramente alguna de las palabras subrayadas que no entiendes será alguna de las que te preguntan.
Como te suelen pedir un sinónimo, esto quiere decir que si la palabra del enunciado es un adjetivo, tendrás que buscar un adjetivo, si es un verbo en participio, la del texto será un verbo en participio,etc.
Otra pista es que si te piden dos palabras que estan een el mismo parrafo, estas apareceran en el orden en que te las piden!!!
4. Complete the following sentences.
La mayoría de las veces te van a pedir gramática: Condicionales, voz pasiva, reported speech, linkers, relative pronouns, verbal tenses, modal verbs, gerund or infinitive, prepositions....Repasa estos puntos gramaticales y recuerda que a veces no es necesario conocer el significado completo de la frase para responder!!
5. Writing.
Antes de empezar a escribir fijate en que tiempo verbal está el enunciado y respetalo!!
Si no se te ocurre nada de lo que escribir, piensa en preguntarte "when, where, who, what, how and why".
No inventes palabras, sólo utiliza aquellas que conoces.
No intentes hacer frases muy complicadas y largas. Es mejor hacer una sencilla y sin errores!
Antes de empezar a escribir, piensa en ideas. recuerda que la estructura, correcta organización de ideas por parrafos (Introducción, cuerpo y una buen conclusión), supone la mitad de la puntuación!
No escribas en español y luego traduzcas!
No cuentes constantemente las palabras, aproximadamente son diez palabras por línea!
No olvides repasar y buscar aquellos errores más comunes que todos cometemos!!

I hope this is useful to you, if you have doubts and you cannot come to class, leave a comment and I will try to answer you as soon as possible!!

Friday, 25 May 2007

KATHY'S PROBLEM PAGE

This task is for my students of 4th E.S.O., I.E.S. Mariana Pineda.

Imagine you are Kathy and give adive to those teengaers'problems.

KATHY'S PROBLEM PAGE!

Dear Kathy,

Please help me. I'm nearly seventeen, but everytime I go out at night I have to tell my parents where I'm going and who I will be with. Then my dad tells me what time i have to be home. Last saturday I was half an hour late and he went mad! What can I do?

Sharon

Try to understand your parents better. They worry about you and want to be sure that you're safe. Sit down with them. Maybe they will let you stay out later if you promise to phone them if you're going to be late.

Dear Kathy,

When I'm with my boyfriend, Bob, I always have a good time. We go to discos, films, and pop concerts together and when I?m with him I know I love him. The problem is that last week I met another boy, Jim. He's quieter than Bob but I can't stop thinking about him. Who do I love? Is it possible to love two people at the same time?

Mandy

2)
Dear kathy,
My mother and father are separated. My mother has a boyfriend and he moved into our house. The problem is that he abused of me once bgut I didn't say anything to my mum because she is very in love with him. What should I do?
Sarah

3)
Dear kathy,
My friend and I have saved a lot of money to go on holiday together. we have both worked hard for the money in our spare time and are both over sixteen. we want to have a hitch-hiking holiday together round Europe, but my parents say I can't go because it's too dangerous! My firend's parents are allowing her to go. What can I do to persuade my parents that I am old enough and responsible enough to look after myself now?
Carol