MARRY / DIVORCE/ BREAK UP AND THE LIKE: DO YOU KNOW HOW TO USE THESE WORDS CORRECTLY?

30 REPORTING VERBS: COMMON PATTERNS

ACCUSE	SOMEONE OF DOING STH	HE ACCUSED ME OF LYING.
ADVISE	SOMEONE TO DO STH DOING SOMETHING	HE ADVISED HER TO LEAVE THE COMPANY/SHE ADVISED WAITING UNTIL TOMORROW.
ADMIT	THAT + CLAUSE DOING SOMETHING	THEY ADMITTED THAT THEY HAD MADE A MISTAKE./THEY ADMITTED MAKING A MISTAKE.
AGREE	TO DO SOMETHING THAT +CLAUSE	WE AGREED NOT TO TELL ANYONE WHAT HAD HAPPENED/I AGREE THAT HE SHOULD BE INVITED.
ALLOW	SOMEONE TO DO STH	THEY DIDN’T ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN MY DECISION
APOLOGISE	FOR DOING SOMETHING	I APOLOGISED FOR BEING LATE.
ASK	SOMEONE TO DO STH SOMEONE WH WORD+ TO DO SOMETHING	I ASKED MY BOSS TO LEAVE EALIER./I ASKED MY BOSS IF/ WHETHER I COULD LEAVE EALIER.
BLAME	SOMEONE FOR DOING SOMETHING	HE BLAMED ME FOR MISSING THE PLANE
CLAIM	(THAT) + CLAUSE TO SOMETHING STH	THE COMPANY CLAIMS THAT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE POLLUTION./HE CLAIMS TO BE MICHAEL./HE CLAIMED THE ENGLISH THRONE.
CONGRATULATE	SOMEONE ON DOING STH	I CONGRATULATED SUSAN ON PASSING HER EXAM
DECIDE	TO DO SOMETHING	WE DECIDED TO GO TO THE BEACH.
ENCOURAGE	SOMEONE TO DO STH	MY TEACHER ENCOURAGED ME TO TAKE THE EXAM.
EXPLAIN	(THAT) + CLAUSE SOMETHING TO SOMEONE  WH-WORD + TO DO STH	SHE EXPLAINED THAT SHE WOULD BE MOVING TO ANOTHER CITY. THE DOCTOR EXPLAINED THE RISKS TO ME BEFORE THE OPERATION./HE EXPLAINED HOW TO FIX THE CAR.
DISCOURAGE	SOMEONE FROM DOING SOMETHING	WE WERE DISCOURAGED FROM SMOKING.
FORGIVE	SOMEONE FOR DOING STH	SHE FORGAVE ME FOR GETTING HER NAME WRONG
INVITE	SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING	SHE INVITED ME TO STAY IN HER HOUSE FOR ONE WEEK.
LET	SOMEONE DO SOMETHING	HER MOTHER DIND’T LET HER COME WITH US.
OFFER	TO DO SOMETHING SOMEONE SOMETHING SOMETHING TO SOMEONE	MY MOTHER OFFERED TO TAKE US TO SCHOOL/HE OFFERED ME A DRINK /THE POLICE OFFERED A REQARD TO ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRIME.
ORDER	SOMETHING SOMEONE TO DO STH	I ORDERED SOME PASTA/THEY ORDERED HIM TO LEAVE THE ROOM.
PERSUADE	SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING	HE IS TRYING TO PERSUADE POLITICIANS TO INVEST IN THE PROJECT.
PROMISE	TO DO SOMETHING (THAT) + CLAUSE SOMEONE (THAT) SOMEONE SOMETHING  SOMETHING TO SOMEONE	THE GOVERNMENT PROMISED TO REDUCE TAXES./HE PROMISED THAT HE WOULD CALL HER./SHE PROMISED ME A NEW CAR./SHE PROMISED A NEW CAR TO ME.
REMIND	SOMEONE TO DO STH SOMEONE (THAT) + CLAUSE REMIND SOMEONE OF/ABOUT STH SOMEONE + WH WORD + TO DO SOMETHING	HE REMINDED ME TO LOCK THE DOOR./I CALLED MY STUDENTS AND REMINDED THEM THAT THE LESSON HAD BEEN CANCELLED. SHE REMINDED ME ABOUT MY APPOINTMENT./MY NOTES REMINDED ME WHAT TO SAY.
RECOMMEND	(THAT) + CLAUSE DOING SOMETHING	WE RECOMMEND THAT THE WINE SHOULD BE CONSUMED WITHIN 6 MONTHS./I RECOMMEND GETTING MORE EXERCISE.
REFUSE	SOMETHING TO DO SOMETHING	SHE REFUSED MY OFFER ON COLD MORNINGS MY CAR REFUSES TO START.
SAY	(THAT) + CLAUSE SAY SOMETHING TO SOMEONE	THE DOCTORS SAID THAT HE WOULD TAKE A FEW WEEKS TO RECOVER./HE SAID NICE WORDS TO HIM.
SUGGEST	(THAT) + CLAUSE DOING SOMETHING	I SUGGESTED THAT WE SHOULD GO TO THE CINEMA./I SUGGESTED GOING TO THE CINEMA.
TELL	SOMEONE TO DO STH SOMEONE (THAT) + CLAUSE SOMEONE (WH WORD) + TO DO SOMETHING	HE TOLD ME TO GO HOME./ SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE HAD BEEN ILL./HE TOLD ME HOW TO GET TO THE LIBRARY.
THREATEN	TO DO SOMETHING SOMEONE WITH STH	THEY THREATEN TO KILL HIM UNLESS HE PAID THE MONEY HE THREATENED HIM WITH A GUN
WARN	SOMEONE TO DO STH SOMEONE (THAT) + CLAUSE WARN SOMEONE OF STH	MY SISTER WARNED ME NOT TO TALK TO STRANGERS./SHE WARNED THEM THAT THERE WOULD BE AN EXTRA PERSON FOR DINNER/WE WERE WARNED OF THE FOG

'GOING TO' BOARD GAME

This activity is for elementary/ low-intermediate students (A1/ A2 STUDENTS) and is about using “going to” to express future plans, intentions and predictions based on evidence.

MATERIAL : The teacher will need one copy of the board game and counters for each group. 

Game rules:

1)Put the students into groups of three or four. Give each group a board, a dice and counters. 

2)When the student lands on a picture, he/she has to make a ‘going to’ sentence based on the evidence shown. If the student can’t make a correct sentence, he/she has to move to back to his/her previous square.

3)When the student lands on a blue square, he/she has to talk about the topic as fully as possible. (Remind your students to use going to). If the student can’t say anything, he/she has to move back to his/her previous square.

4)When the student lands on a question mark, he/she has to ask another student a question with ‘going to’. If the student can’t  ask the question correctly, he/she has to move back to his/her previous square.

5) When the student lands on a red square, firstly, he/she has to answer the question. Secondly, he/she has to choose another student, who is expected to continue the conversation by asking a follow- up question. If the first student can’t answer the questions, he/she has to go back to his/her previous square. 

6) The student who reaches the finish line first is the winner. 

GIVING ADVICE AND MAKING SUGGESTIONS

Sometimes other people don't know what to do and they ask us for some advice. So, giving advice (or making recommendations) is very useful for learners of English.There are several ways to do it and each uses a different structure. The choice is yours. 

Let’s take for example the situation in which someone wants to study in an English speaking country, but doesn’t know which one to choose.

Here are some ways which we can use to give advice or make recommendations:

1)Use a modal verb, such as SHOULD/ OUGHT TO, or an equivalent expression, as for example, HAD BETTER. 

You should go to England. London is a very cosmopolitan city and there are lots of foreign students there. 

You ought to travel to…

You’d better go to Canada. The people there can speak both English and French.

2) Use imperatives. In this case, don't forget to sound polite by using the right intonation.

Consider…, 

Take my advice, …

Try + verb ING…

3) Put yourself in the person’s situation 

 If I were you, I’d go to Australia. It is a great place to study.

4) Use the verbs SUGGEST AND RECOMMEND. Note that they have different structures.

SUGGEST + ING-  I suggest visiting…

SUGGEST THAT- I suggest that you visit…

RECOMMEND + ING I recommend traveling to…

RECOMMEND THAT- I recommend that you go to the USA.

5) Use tentative questions, such as:

WHY DON’T YOU…? Why don’t you choose Scotland? The landscape is superb.

HOW ABOUT…? e.g How about coming to Ireland?

WHAT ABOUT…? 

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF…? Have you ever thought of visiting Malta? 

I hope that you have learnt how to give advice in English. so, next time someone asks you for advice, put the expressions into practice, ok?

FOR PORTUGUESE SPEAKERS ONLY

Se você é falante de português, chamo atenção para algumas regrinhas:

A)Note que os modais ‘SHOULD' e OUGHT TO são basicamente a mesma coisa, mas 'ought' vem seguido do infinitivo “TO”.

B)Os verbos SUGGEST E RECOMMEND em inglês têm uma estrutura um pouco diferente do português, pois não podemos dizer “Fulano me sugeriu… Assim, o correto é dizer: Ele sugeriu que (=He suggested travelling to… /  He suggest that I should travel to…)

C)As expressões HOW ABOUT/ WHAT ABOUT significam “Que tal?” e vêm seguidas de VERB+ ING. O mesmo não ocorre com “WHY DON’T YOU”.

WOULD

10 WAYS TO EXPRESS POLITENESS IN ENGLISH

"É A SUA PRAIA?" VÁRIAS MANEIRAS DE EXPRESSAR GOSTOS EM INGLÊS

I-     Expressing Likes 

                         

I absolutely love… ( ="Eu amo de paixão") e.g I absolutely 

love eating pizza

I quite like... e. g I quite like reading books.

I like … very much/ a lot.

I'm crazy about… (=Eu sou louco por...) e.g I’m crazy about my girlfriend

I’m mad about…e.g I’m mad about football

I enjoy… E. g. I enjoy studying English

I’m keen on… = ‘to be keen on’ significa interessar-se por… e.g I’m quite keen on gardening

I’m fond of= I’m quite fond of painting and drawing.

to be a fan of= I’m a big fan of football.

appeal=  achar a ideia atraente … appeals to me. E. g Dancing appeals to me

to be into= E.g What kind of music are you into?

I dig = (gíria/ inglês coloquial) E.g I dig rock and roll music. How about you?

‘cup of tea’. = Expressão idiomática que expressa preferência. É como dizer em português ‘É a minha praia’ E.g. Going to museums is my cup of tea.

‘to have a soft spot’ = Expressão idiomática que significa “ter uma queda”. I’ve always had a soft spot for chocolate. 

II-Expressing dislikes ( Verb+ ING)       

  I don’t like…

  I dislike...

  I hate…

  I can’t bear…= ( Eu não tolero/ suporto) I can’t bear studying maths

  I can’t stand…= ( Eu não tolero/ suporto). Em inglês, não dizemos “I don’t support"

  I detest...

  I loathe...

III-If you neither like nor dislike something:

I don't mind + Verb+ ing

"It's all the same to me.”

… is ok for me.

                                                                                                                                                        

Portuguese Interference

Note that" very much" & " a lot" always come after the things you like. (Subject+ Verb+ Object+ Adverb)

E.g

"I like chocolate very much/a lot. NOT" I like very much/a lot chocolate."

Activities

Level: A2/ B1

Material:

    1      Flashcards to illustrate the things you have chosen to talk about food, sport, TV, books, school subjects, famous people).

    3      Flashcards of a happy smiling face and an unhappy face.

    4      Encourage students to ask questions such as: What do you think of? What’s your opinion on?

Example Questions

1.        What kind of books do you like? Who's your favourite writer?

2.        What sort of music are you into? Who's your favourite singer?

3.        What do you think of sport?

4.        Do you like going to the cinema? What kind of films do you enjoy? Who is your favorite actor/director?

5.        What's your favourite food and restaurant? Is there any kind of food you have a soft spot for?

6.        Are you keen on watching TV? What programmes are you fond of?

7.        Can you name some singers or groups that you dislike.

8.        What dou you think of Politics?

9.        What’s your option on/about learning foreing languages?

10.     What do you feel about Modern Art?