If my day had been less busy you would have read this blog earlier!

Hi guys.. SORRY this post is so late I have been crazily busy!

OK so here is the vocab from today...

And here is the grammar, the third conditional...

You can practice the third conditional here and here 

Remember: We have a test tomorrow! In the test will be...

Conditionals (first, second and third)

Adverbs

Vocabulary from the week

Happy studying everyone!

p.s. Remember Eddie Izzard from yesterday's lesson? If you have time check out this interview with him all about his amazing marathon challenge!

Eddie Izzard runs quickly and tells jokes wittily

Hi everyone,

Today we started by finding out how adventurous you are and correcting your 2nd conditional homework. Next we watched a clip of the marvellous Eddie Izzard on stage talking about language, we read an article about his sporting achievements, here's the vocab...

We had a very vocab heavy lesson today... here's some more...

Next we looked at different types of adverbs. Remember, an adverb describes a verb or and adjective...

Your homework is the worksheet which I gave u today. We will correct it together tomorrow!

Ps sorry this blog is a little disorganised... im blogging from my phone on the train... the wonders of modern technology!!!

See you tomorrow :-)

If you changed your mind would you change your tune?

Hi Everyone!

Today we began class by talking about change. We thought about different kinds of change - political, environmental, personal, career, image etc. We did a reading exercise, here is the new vocab...

We moved on to talk about conditionals and had a general review of the first and the second conditional. Here are the boards...

revise and practise here

Revise and practise here 

Try here for general first and second conditional revision.

I have given you a worksheet for homework. Remember only to complete the second page!

See you tomorrow!

Beyonce, The King of Spain and a Lovely Sandwich...

Hello Guys,

Today we began by revising uses of 'like'. I think everyone feels confident with this now, here's a challenge for you... can you write a sentence using ALL the different uses of like?

I really like it when you ask me if I'd like to go for dinner (like yesterday) because you look like Brad Pitt, we can eat at your house if you like - what's your cooking like?

After this we looked at a reading exercise about strange travelling experiences. Here is the vocabulary we covered...

After this we looked at articles. There are three options when deciding what to use before a noun.

Option 1 - definite article (The)

Option 2 - indefinite article (a / an)

Option 3 - zero article (no article)

It's very difficult to know which choice to make. Here are some of the rules...

If you would like some extra articles practice click here or here.

Remember: We have a test tomorrow. On the test will be...

Past perfect tense

Uses of 'like'

Articles

Vocabulary from the week

I like Australia, it's like New Zealand...We can visit, if you like...

Hi Everyone,

Sorry this is a late blog, I have been very busy today!

We began today's lesson by FINALLY finishing off the past perfect tense!! Remember your challenge... try and use the tense when you speak English at least once a day!

Next we did a reading exercise all about Dannii Minouge and her home country Australia. For those of you who don't know who Dannii Minouge is here is a taste of her in her glory years... I'm sure you'll agree, hers is an opinion to be taken seriously...

Here is some of the vocabulary which we covered...

We moved on to talk about the use of 'like'. We use like as both a verb and a preposition. Here are the boards...

Your homework is to make 2 sentences for each example. We will review this tomorrow. Have a great night!

(Aslan this is for you and everyone else who has had this song stuck in their head since our lesson!!)

Holidays from hell!

Hi Guys,

Today we spent A LOT of time consolidating the past perfect tense. Please take a look at yesterday's blog for board pictures and links to online exercises. For those of you that want some more try here and here.

For those of you that haven't finished the worksheet I gave you please finish it off tonight and we will go through the last exercise tomorrow as a class.

After break we had some interesting discussions about problems on holiday and talked about compensation and compensation culture. Here is the board...

Why not take a look at this video about British holidays from hell, it talks about some traditional British holiday destinations which have some big problems...!

I hadn't seen a giraffe before I visited Africa

Hello Everyone,

Today we begun class by talking about Africa and descriptive language. Here is some of the new vocabulary...

Next we looked at the past perfect tense...

Remember: If we want to show that actions in the past happened very quickly one after another we use the past simple (When I went back to Spain I realised...) (I went to his house and went into the kitchen and poured a cup of tea).

If you want some more practice (even though you have plenty with your homework!) click here and here.

After break we talked about describing a photograph. Remember the phrases which we learnt to help us...

I have asked you all to bring in a photo or select a photo from your phone and describe it to the class tomorrow morning. You must use some of the phrases we learnt. 

You also have a grammar worksheet to complete which we will correct together in class tomorrow.

Have a great night!

Homework - Restaurant Reviews

Hi Everyone,

For homework I have asked you to write a restaurant review. I also gave you some tips on how to write a review which I hope you will use! You can view the tips here. 

Here are the menus which you designed this week. You can either write a review for one of these restaurants or you can choose your own (or make it up!)

Restaurant one - Ana Tereza and Lumi's Restaurant

 Restaurant two - The 70s!

Restaurant three - The Food Lab

Restaurant four - The Green Tree

Remember that I asked you to try and include at least one food idiom... here they are...

Good luck with the homework guys, have a lovely weekend!

The food I cooked /t/ tasted /id/ and smelled /d/ bland

Good afternoon Class!

Today we began the lesson by looking at the pronunciation of 'ed' verbs (and adjectives). We learnt that by putting your hand on your throat and checking for a vibration you can figure out how to pronounce the word!

You can find some online exercises here 

Next we talked about describing food. We shared some different adjectives which describe taste, smell and texture.

You used this new vocabulary to create a menu for a restaurant in pairs. Don't forget to bring these menus with you tomorrow, we will use them in class. During class today we also did some individual feedback and discussed your progress. If you have any more questions on this subject them please speak to me at school, I am always happy to answer your questions!

Your test is tomorrow! On your test will be...

Modals of obligation (should, must, don't have to etc)

Present Perfect

/d /t/ /id/ 'ed' endings pronunciation

Vocabulary from the week 

Countable and uncountable nouns 

Happy studying everyone!

We have spent a lot of time on the present perfect today!

Good afternoon Class!

Today was really intense - WELL DONE for not going grammar crazy! We looked at all the different reasons for using the present perfect.

We began with: BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT LIFE EVENTS 

We listened to a song ('Have you ever been in love' by The Divine Comedy') and identified some of the verb 3s (past participles)

 OK, reason number 2: WITH UNFINISHED TIME WORDS.

Practice here

Reason 3: BECAUSE THE PAST AND THE PRESENT ARE CONNECTED - A PAST ACTION HAS A PRESENT RESULT.

Reason 4: TALKING ABOUT 'HOW LONG' WITH AN UNFINISHED ACTION. USUALLY WITH FOR AND SINCE.

Practice here

 Reason 5: WITH JUST, YET AND ALREADY

Practice here

Remember your intonation when using 'already' at the end of the sentence...you want to sound surprised! Copy me!

Your homework is the worksheet which I gave you in class. Remember only do exercise one on each side.

Although I love dogs I love to eat dog!

Hello Class,

Today our grammar focus was countable and uncountable nouns and the quantifiers which we use with them.
We began by identifying some objects as countable or uncountable such as...

a paper (countable)

sugar (uncountable)

perfume (uncountable)

paper (uncountable)

We looked at some nouns which can be both countable and uncountable...

These were some common errors you made during class... remember these!

We moved on to talk about strange things that people eat. We did a reading exercise and learnt these new words...

We discussed the most unusual foods you have ever eaten. The most unusual food I have ever eaten is chickens feet. They were so chewy and DISGUSTING! 

After break we talked about quantifiers and tried to put them into three categories... 

Countable, uncountable and both.

We used these quantifiers to make lots of sentences when we played this board game...

Can you make a sentence for every square??

Some of my favourites were...

Pirates have a great deal of rum

Hollywood films have too many violent scenes

Hannah doesn't have any money in her bank account!

For countable and uncountable noun revision click here and here.

For quantifiers revision click here and here.  

You SHOULD check the blog!!

Hello lovely students,

Today we talked about modal verbs of obligation. We began by looking at some class rules...

We talked about the difference in meaning between the modals and thought of some examples for things you must / mustn't / should / shouldn't / have to / don't have to 

a) In the army

b) When you meet your partner's parents for the first time

We talked about the very small difference between 'have to' and 'must' in some situations...

Have to = a rule someone else gives you 

Must = a rule you give yourself

We got some tips on how to be rich from a listening exercise...

They forgot 'you should marry someone very rich'!!

We talked about what a perfect English school should be like. You said...

The school should have free wifi, vending machine and a water fountain.

Students must speak English and do their homework.

Teachers shouldn't be late or use facebook in class.

The school must be free!! (But someone MUST pay my salary???!!)

For some more practice click here.

After break you designed your own English schools, 'The Londoner', 'Real English School' and 'The Deep End'. You discussed what your school would be like - Name, slogan, facilities, accommodation, social activities, location, price  etc. Then you presented your school to the class. You did brilliantly, well done!

Your homework is to design a comic strip using eight modals of obligation. It is due tomorrow, good luck!