Exercise on punctuation - Key

Insert the necessary punctuation marks in the following passage (capitals, commas, hyphens, stops, semi colons, colons, etc):

Professor Arnold Smith, who has spent a lifetime studying prehistoric remains, claims that the bones he unearthed in the Californian Desert last May are those of a man-like creature existing millions of years ago, probably at a time when the Pacific Ocean covered much more of the surface of this part of the American continent. Professor Smith is to give a talk on the subject on BBC television on Monday 4th April in the series "Where did you come from?" This is to be followed by a discussion with members of The Lost Atlantis Society, whose president, Colonel Arthur Stone, contends that California is in fact part of the legendary city, the remainder of which lies hidden under the sea. He is urging the USA government to conduct research into this theory but the project has not been received with much enthusiasm from scientists who say that, if Atlantis ever existed, it is far more likely to be found in the area known as The Bermuda Triangle. In the meantime Steven Hughes, Professor of Antediluvian History at Aberdeen University, has come up with the theory that Atlantis was in reality an area of land joining the east coast of Ireland to Britain and that many of the Scottish islands, notably the Hebrides, provide conclusive evidence that Atlanteans once lived in this area.


Other possibilities:
B.B.C. though this is not very common
Monday, 4th April
"Where Did You Come From?" or Where Did You Come From? italics
Please note that placing a final stop after the question mark is a mistake.

is, in fact, part
U.S.A. though this is not very common
theory, but the project
In the meantime,
was, in reality, an area
Britain, and that

About a Boy - guideline and task

VIDEO - ABOUT A BOY

 

• Think of different situations in which one person may tell another “I love you”. Could it ever be embarrassing?
• Think of the most unusual ways of meeting your date
• What would you think of a 38-year old man/woman who’s never had a job? Can  you imagine his/her daily routine?

 

Who says the following?

 

1. “Try to keep invisible … or else blend in with the crowd.”
2. “Once you open the door to one person, anyone can come in.”
3. “You’re sending him like a lamb to the slaughter.”
4. “You don’t beat around the bush, do you?”
5. “Marcus got a crush on somebody and so I did.”
6. “She got the wrong end of the stick.”
7. “They’ll crucify you.”
8. “I’m not sure it’s up to me.”
9. “He’ll get torn to shreds.”
10. “Don’t tell me you couldn’t murder a Big Mac.”

 

Write down all the verbs (ways of..) appearing between brackets in the subtitles

 

e.g.: blows___________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

 

 

Match the following words with the right character

blank – single mum – singleton – artist – intelligent – music therapist – pushy – shallow – stunningly attractive – a loser – caring – touched – self-centred – tactless – depressed

 

WILL                            MARCUS                            FIONA                            RACHEL

 

 

Complete the sentences with the prepositions/particles missing:

1. A hundred years ago you had to depend ….. other people.
2. I didn’t fit …. my old school.
3. You became …. comparison, wonderful.
4. I’m not sure this is working ….
5. Rainy days and Mondays always get me …..
6. I basically live ….. the royalties of that.
7. His mum is a little ….. colour sometimes.
8. It’s amazing how he takes ….. you.
9. Look where she ended ….
10. That’s the best I could come ….. ……
11. I’m not attracted …. you, you know?

 

Look up the following colloquial expressions:

 

to be barmy                                          to shag sbdy (taboo)                            I don’t buy this rubbish

sth pisses you off                            be stuck doing sth                            to figure sth out

to get dumped                                          to live off sth                                          we hit it off

to give sbdy a hard time              to screw things up                            not to give a shit about             

sod / sodding / bugger off / piss off                                          sth lurking at the back of your mind

 

 

Discuss:

 

No man is an island.

This story is about two boys.

It doesn’t pay to tell lies.

Families do more harm than good.

 

Writing:

Choose ONE of the following topics:

 

• You’ve been invited to write an article on the most interesting character in the film. Write you article, giving some details of that character and explaining why you find him / her especially interesting.
• You’ve been asked to write about any one of the statements under the section “Discuss” above, giving your opinion by making reference to the film.
• What do you think are the 2 (two) most surprising events in the film? Write about them, saying how these affect the development of the story.

 

Video watching and task

You're going to watch the movie: About a Boy - with Hugh Grant in it! It's available at Blockbuster,for sure. This is a good exercise to be done in small groups, an excuse to get together over a snack - not too many for sanitary reasons!!!

I want you to watch it with subtitles in English to be able to work with the guideline I'm uploading.
There's a writing task which you must send to me by email. Deadline: Friday 17th July.

Blithe Spirit - reading and vocabulary guide

BLITHE SPIRIT -  by Noel Coward

 

Think of the following as you read each act:

Act 1:

• What do we learn about Charles & his relationship with Ruth?
• What’s the main reason for inviting Mme Arcati over?
• What’s the outcome of the seánce?

 

Act 2

• Why is Mme Arcati invited again?
• Describe Ruth’s feelings.
• What do we learn about Charles and his relationship with Elvira?
• Comment on the different mishaps and accidents

 

Act 3

• Why does Mme Arcati appear once again?
• Comment on her findings
• How does the relationship between Elvira and Ruth develop through the story?

 

After reading the play, think of :

Setting / plot / theme / characters / genre / tone / structure

 

VOCABULARY:

 

As you read, highlight all vocabulary related to the Supernatural and look up the following words or phrases:

 

Act 1:

Page	Word/phrase
Title	Blithe
1	To make giant strides
2	To undermine / verbs with the prefix UNDER vs OVER
2	To take sb by surprise
3	Dead (adv) vs dead / deadly (adj)
3	To come in handy
6	To strain every nerve / to strain
9	As good as gold
10	Mark my words
10	To get the knack of
11	(not) to have the heart to do sth
12	To be staggered /staggering
17	To take sth to heart
19	To rack one’s brains
20	To change horses in midstream
20	Have it your own way
23	As fit as a fiddle
24	To put one’s back into sth
24	it serves sb right
24	As mad as a hatter
28	To drink sb under the table
28	To hell with…

 

              Act 2

Page	Word/phrase
33	Downright (adv)
35	Not to give a hoot
35	Once and for all
35	Into the bargain
36	To be on the rocks
39	Beastly
39	To goad sb into
40	Until one is blue in the face
41	To soothe
43	… my foot!
47	Mumbo-jumbo
48	To look on the bright side
49	To cut sb dead
49	Sb needs taking down a bit / a peg
49	To blow oneself out / to blow one’s own trumpet
49	A snake in the grass
59	High and dry
59	A flick of an eyelid

 

              Act 3

64	To throw up the sponge
64	To throw down the gauntlet
65	To pluck one’s heart
65	To be/get on one’s high horse
67	To rub it in
68	To go through the roof
69	Once and for all
72	Bored stiff / to bore sb stiff
74	To have a whale of a time
76	A red herring
78	As hungry as a hunter
79	To be barking up the wrong tree
81	To beat about the bush

 

Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward

Remember I asked you to get this play from the photocopier?
Well, you've got to have it read by the second class after our holiday break, i.e: August 19th
I've been searching the web for a downloadable version but didn't find any - if you do, pls let me know so we share it.

The next entry is a reading guideline with vocabulary work. This means I'd like you to look up the words, phrases, idioms with clear examples.

Grammar units

I'd like you to work on the units on modals - units 11 & 12 from Vince, as well as unit 28 on Spelling ansd Punctuation.

If you have any doubts, you can contact me by email or else, I think you can add a comment, let's check if this is possible - I'm not that sophisticated after all!!

PUNCTUATION

With regard to punctuation you should be working with the set you bought at the photocopier. In case you haven't, or if you'd like to have further information you can refer to the following links

http://www.grammarbook.com/english_rules.asp

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_overvw.html

http://englishplus.com/grammar/punccont.htm

Once you've covered this, I'd like you to try your hand at the exercise I'm also including. By the end of next week I'll be uploading the same text appropriately punctuated. It would be ideal if you did not use the computer spellcheck when doing this - at least it'd be more realistic!!

WELCOME

DearLANGUAGE 1 students,
I've created my own blog for use with you exclusively with the purpose of sending you the tasks you are expected to be doing over these weeks.