20200719 - Unit 3 - Travel and Adventure - Quick Overview (Vocab + Useful Language)

USEFUL LANGUAGE

- Paraphrasing and summarising

What happens next? Or, to put it another way, when will Solar Wind 2 be published?
All things considered, I think my first and last radio interview ...
And basically, in a nutshell, a group of explorers ...
... populated by people, that is to say, aliens!
I was planning a trip but, well, to cut a long story short, I had to cancel it.
So, in other words, it all just came from your imagination then.
What I meant by that was you are not allowed to give any dates yet?

- Inversions after negative or restrictive adverbials

None
Not a penny would they give to charity.
Not one bite did he eat.
Not a single person did I meet while there.
Never / Not any more
At no time did we think the project would fail.
Never before have I felt so angry.
No longer can we go on like this.
Not in a thousand years will I visit your mum again.
Not in a month of Sundays would I want to go to the cinema with you.
Not once did they offer to help.
Never again will I say another word at work meetings.
Too much / (not) enough
Too often do we see people struggling to make ends meet.
Too long have we been waiting for a presidential election.
Immediately / Only just
No sooner had one game finished than another began.
Barely had we got over the flu when then Covid-19 pandemic started.
Hardly had the memo been out than the management changed track.
Scarcely had we had time to meet than we were separated again.
One place / time / person, etc.
Only in the capital did we feel truly at home.
Only in the summer was it possible to open the windows.
Only with you was I ever my true self.
Only after / at a certain time
Not until his return did we appreciate how much had we missed him.
Only when the music stopped did people start to go home.
Then and only then did the people feel safe again.
Addition
Not only is she young, she is inexperienced!
Unusual
Rarely do you find someone like that.
Seldom do we stop to appreciate nature in its full glory.
Impossible / Prohibited
Under no circumstances are you allowed to laugh at me.
On no account can you bring food from outside.
No way can I forget what my eyes saw that day.
Unexpected
Little did she know she was going to run for president later in her life.
Little did I know what awaited me at the other side of that door.


VOCABULARY

- Wealth ad poverty

hardship
impoverished
affluent
prosperity
make ends meet
well off
disposable income
deprived
live within one's means
destitute

- Landscape features

dense
untouched
swamp
meadow
wooded
rocky
the mouth of a cave
rugged
sheer
cliff face
arid
sand dune
canopy
tropical paradise
pristine
marsh
moorland
sand dunes
dense undergrowth
bog

20200714 - Linking Words / Phrases - Taken from the Appendix of Virginia Evans's Successful Writing

Personal Opinion
In my opinion, In my view, To my mind, To my way of thinking, I am convinced that, It strikes me that, Is is my firm belief that, I am inclined to believe that, It seems to me that, As far as I am concerned, I think that the economic recession of the previous decade was foreseeable.

To list advantages and disadvantages
One advantage of, Another advantage of, One other advantage of, A further advantage of, The main advantage of, The greatest advantage of, The first advantage of of riding a motorcycle in a big city is that of not getting caught up in traffic.
 
One disadvantage of, Another disadvantage of, One other disadvantage of, A further disadvantage of, The main disadvantage of, The greatest disadvantage of, The first disadvantage of driving a car in a large metropolis is that of finding parking.

To list points
Firstly, First of all, In the first place, Secondly, Thirdly, Finally, To start with, To begin with, we have to address the inadequacies within the education system before we can tackle unemployment fully.

To list points in a specific sequence
Beginning
First, To start with, To begin with, First of all, the Home Secretary will make a introductory speech.
Continuing
Secondly, After this / that, Afterwards, Then, Next, the Prime Minister will speak.
Concluding
Finally, Lastly, Last but not least, the Chancellor of the Exchequer will announce the new budget.

To add more points to the same topic
What is more, Furthermore, Apart from this / that, In addition (to this), Moreover, Besides (this), ... not to mention the fact that your choice of career is a fundamental decision which will influence the rest of your life.
Not only is your choice of career a fundamental decision, but it is also one that will influence the rest of your life.
Your choice of career  is both a fundamental decision and something that will influence the rest of your life.

To refer to other sources
With reference to, According to the latest scientific research, the use of mobile phones can be damaging to one's health in the long run.

To express cause
The man was acquitted of the crime because, owing to the fact that, due to the fact that, on the grounds that, since, as there wasn't any substantial evidence.
In view of, Because of, Owing to the lack of substantial evidence the man was acquitted of the crime.
There was a lack of substantial evidence; for this reason the man was acquitted.
Seeing that there was a lack of substantial evidence, the man was acquitted.
The man is to be retired now that some new evidence has come to light.

To express effect
There was a sudden deluge; thus, therefore, so, consequently, as a result, as a consequence,  he sprinted home.

To express purpose
Due to the storm, the pilot decided to turn back, so that the flight would not be jeopardised.
Due to the storm, the pilot decided to turn back, so as to / in order to avoid putting the flight in danger.
Due to the storm, the pilot decided to turn back,  in case the flight was jeopardised.
They purchased the old mansion with the purpose of / with the intention of converting it into a luxury hotel.

To emphasise a topic
Indeed, Naturally, Clearly, Obviously, Of course, Needless to say, the scheme was bound to fail due to insufficient funds.


To express reality
It is a fact that, In effect, In fact, As a matter of fact, The fact of the matter is (that), Actually, In practice, Indeed, smoking over a long period of time will seriously increase the risk of lung cancer.

To express the difference between appearance and reality
Initially, At first, the proposal was viewed with suspicion, but after much deliberation it was finally accepted.

To give examples
For instance, For example, by establishing day-care centres across the country, working mothers can be encouraged to resume their careers.
By providing incentives such as, like day-care centres, working mothers are encouraged to resume their careers.
If working mothers are to resume their careers then the provision of incentives, particularly, in particular, especially day-care centres is essential.

To make general statements
As a (general) rule, By and large, Generally, In general, On the whole, countries nearer the equator have warmer climates.

To make partially correct statements
Up to a point, To a certain extent / degree, To some extent / degree, In a sense, In a way, To a limited extent, this is true but computers will always need human input.

To express limit of knowledge
To the best of my knowledge, As far as I know, Canary Wharf is the tallest building in London.

To state other people's opinion
It is popularly believed that, People often claim that, It is often alleged that, Some people argue that, Many argue that, Most people feel that, Some people point out that wealth will bring happiness.
Contrary to people's belief, wealth does not necessarily bring happiness.

To make contrasting points
It is a well-known fact that living in the city is harmful to one'e health yet, however, nevertheless, bu, even so, still, nonetheless, a lot of people move to the city every year in search of a better future.
Although, Even though, Regardless of the fact that, In spite of the fact that, Despite the fact that, While it is a well-known fact that living in the in the city is harmful to one's health, more and more people move to the city every year in search of a better future.

To express balance (the other side of the argument)
Opponents of using animals in experiments argue, claim, believe that alternative methods of testing can always be used.
While it is true that genetic engineering holds the key to solving many of the world's serious problems, in fact it should be viewed with caution.
The fact that a great number of university graduates cannot find employment contradicts the belief / idea that a university education is the key to a successful career.

Negative addition
Neither smoking nor consuming too much alcohol are considered healthy.
Smoking is not considered healthy; nor, neither is consuming too much alcohol.
Smoking is not considered healthy and consuming too much alcohol isn't, either.

To express exception
He had collected every edition of the magazine apart from, but, except (for) one.

To clarify / rephrase
In other words, That is to say, To put it in another way, if you drive more carefully you are less likely to have an accident.

To express similarity
Brushing your teeth daily is fundamental for good oral hygiene; similarly, likewise, in the same way, not eating food containing too much sugar in between means also promotes a good oral hygiene.

To give an alternative
We could use (either) a chainsaw or an axe.
We could use an axe. On the other hand, Alternatively, a chainsaw would be simpler and faster.

To express condition
His father promised to buy him a car on the condition that, provided (that), providing (that), only if, as long as he passed his exams.
In the event of a fire alarm, In the event that, If a fire alarm should ring, please leave the building by the nearest fire exit quickly and quietly.
Take a map in case you get lost.
Do you happen to know whether (or not) this is the most direct route?
You should call her, otherwise, or (else) she will get worried.

To express the consequence of a condition
The price of underground tickets is due to increase once again; consequently, then, so, in which case, I will start taking the bus.
I'm hoping to get paid today; if so, I'll be going out tonight, if not, otherwise, it'll be another night in front of the TV.

To express comparison
My best friend is as intelligent as, more intelligent than, twice as intelligent as, less intelligent than me.

To conclude
Finally, Lastly, All in all, Taking everything into account / consideration, On the whole, All things considered, In conclusion, On balance, For the above mentioned reasons, Therefore I feel that, To sum up, it is unlikely that there will be peace in all the countries of the world concurrently.

Time
Press the button when, whenever, before, until, till, after the light comes on.
There have been no earthquakes since July last year.
He saw her as he was leaving the shop. He saw her while he was waiting.
I never see him now that his hours have changed.

Relatives
It was those people over there who / that did it.
That's the witness whose testimony will be heard later today.
That is the judge who / that will adjudicate your claim.
That's the law court where you will be tried.
That's the woman who / whom / that I think was responsible.

Reference
I am writing to advise you of a meeting regarding, concerning the upcoming award ceremony.
I am writing with respect / regard / reference to, in regard / reference to your recently published article.

Summarising
In short, Briefly, To put it briefly, his performance on stage was simply fantastic!

 

20200708 - Unit 2 - Going to extremes - Quick Overview (Vocab + Useful Language)

USEFUL LANGUAGE

- Giving advice

Isn't it about time you asked him to leave
There is a lot to be said for being upfront about it
Have you thought about the possibility of ...
It might be in your interest to invest some of that money ...
You might want to have a think about abandoning your studies
Don't get so wound up about money
You might as well ...

- Reports; Linking: contrast and concession

- Offering alternatives
however
on the other hand
alternatively
- Opposing
on the contrary
- Comparing
however
on the other hand
by (way of) comparison
although
unlike
in contrast to
when compared to
- Conceding
however
nevertheless
regardless (of)
although
even though
for all that
despite
in spite of


VOCABULARY

- Sounds and Noise

anechoic
gurgling
whining
deafening
roar
whisper
decibels
hammered
thump
eerie

- Social Interaction (multi-word verbs)

fitting in
come accross
cut off
slipped out
related to
bombarded with
go on about
run down
bring out the best
hold back

- Verbs of movement

soaring
whizzing
rolling
zooming
plunging
hurtling
whooshing
whirling
crawling
marching
leaping
drifting
creeping
limping
staggering
rushing
strolling
sliding

- Weird Extreme Sports

zip-lining
indoor skydiving
zorning
volcano-boarding
base jumping

Type T = Thrill seekers

20200703 - Unit 1 - Language - Quick Overview (Vocab + Useful Language)

USEFUL LANGUAGE

- Expressing yourself in an inexact way

give or take
stuff like that
whatsisname
whatsername
thingy
words to that effect
some bits and pieces
something along those lines
somewhere in the region

- Expressing opinions

that's nonsense
you are missing the point
there is no way
that simply isn't true
that's easy to say but
how can you possibly say that?
that's a load of rubbish
that doesn't make sense

I'm in two minds about that
I've got mixed feelings about that

you are spot on
that makes a lot of sense
you've hit the nail in the head
I would go along with that

I agree up to a point
it's true that ... but ...
you've got a point, but ...
On the other hand, I do feel ...


VOCABULARY

- Learning languages

pick up
brush up
grasp
rusty
have an ear for
attain a level
struggle with
hold a conversation

- Describing changes

lasting
barely perceptible
hugely significant
entirely unnoticed
noticeable
steady shift
on the increase
subtle
ongoing
a rapid rise
gradually giving way
on the way out
taking hold
grown substantially

20200701 - Possible Themes for the C1 Exam

Book Units:

Level C1.1
- Personality & Work
- Learning Languages. Autobiographies
- Personal Relationships, Historical Films
- Human Sounds, Spoilers
- Multitasking. Money Matters
- Stress and Technology
- Quiz Questions & Design
- Health and Medicine. Travelling
- Animals & Food

Level C1.2
- Languages
- Going to Extremes
- Travel and Adventure
- Consciousness
- Fairness
- Perspectives
- Connections
- Body and Health
- Cities
- Occasions



Circular 1 2020 Annex IV (C1)

Themes:

Os temas sobre os que se basearán as distintas tarefas da proba de certificación de nivel avanzado C1 serán os descritos no currículo vixente para as escolas oficiais de idiomas (Decreto 81/2018, do 19 de xullo, anexo I). Cubrirase a maior variedade de temas posible e evitarase repetir temas nas diferentes tarefas:

- Alimentación
- Bens e servizos
- Ciencia e tecnoloxía
- Compras e actividades comerciais
- Cultura e actividades artísticas
- Economía e industria
- Educación e actividades académicas
- Goberno, política e sociedade
- Identidade personal
- Información e medios de comunicación
- Lecer e tempo libre
- Relacións persoais e sociais
- Relixión e filosofía
- Saúde, coidados físicos e atención sanitaria
- Traballo e actividades profesionais
- Viaxes e estancias no estranxeiro
- Vivenda, fogar e contorna
- Xeografía, natureza e medio rural

20200504

REAL CONDITIONALS

ZERO CONDITIONAL
IF + PRESENT –> PRESENT

If I break my leg, I always go to the doctor.
If I want a snack, I have one.



FIRST CONDITIONAL
IF + PRESENT -> WILL

If I break my leg, I will go to the doctor.
She'll recover quickly if her temperature goes down.




UNREAL CONDITIONALS


SECOND CONDITIONAL
IF + PAST -> WOULD

If I were to break my leg, I would go to the doctor.
If I were a rich man, I wouldn't have to work.
If it wasn't raining, I would go out somewhere.
If it was my choice, we would go to the spa.



THIRD CONDITIONAL
IF + PAST PERFECT -> WOULD + PERFECT

Had I broken my leg, I would have gone to the doctor.
If he had been driving any faster, the car would have gone off the road.
If she hadn't lost her passport, Megan wouldn't have missed her plane.
Megan wouldn't have missed her plane if she hadn't lost her passport.




HYPOTHETICAL

MIXED
mixing Second and Third
IF + PAST -> WOULD + PERFECT
IF + PAST PERFECT -> WOULD

If I knew what you wanted, I would have done it ages ago.
If I had been allowed to study in France, I would speak French much more fluently.
I would speak French more fluently if I had been allowed to study in France.





20200413


Cleft Sentences


Mariah Carey - (All I want for Xmas is) you

Spice Girls - I'll tell u (what I want), what I really really want

All I have to remember is to use some cleft sentences now and then.


20200227

The crux of the matter

20200124

(from Successful Writing by Virginia Evans)

Opinion Essays

An opinion essay is a formal piece of writing. It requires your opinion on a topic. That opinion must be stated clearly.

Plan/Outline

Introduction
Paragraph 1 : It should state the subject and your opinion.

Main Body
Several paragraphs :  Each presenting a separate reasoned viewpoint. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence summarising what the paragraph is about. Also include a paragraph with an opposing viewpoint and why you think it is not a convincing argument.

Conclusion
Final Paragraph : Restate your opinion (using different words)


Do:
- Use a formal, impersonal style.
- Introduction stated the topic clearly.
- Use clear topic sentences to introduce the subject of each paragraph.
- Write well developed paragraphs giving reasons and examples.
- Use linking words and phrases.
- Use generalisations (e.g. most developed countries)
- Use quotations if possible.
- Give examples if possible.


Don't:
- Don't use short forms or informal colloquial language.
- Don't use very emotional language.
- Don't use unclear or irrelevant topic sentences.
- Don't use over-generalisation.
- Don't give personal examples.
- Don't use cliched expressions.



Some useful vocabulary:

In my opinion ...
It is my (firm) belief/opinion/view/conviction (that) ...
I (firmly) believe ...
I am (not) convinced that ...
It seems/appears to me that ...
As far as I am concerned ...
It strikes me that ...
I (definitely) feel/think that ...
I am inclined to believe ...