Shopping Online

Have you ever bought anything on the internet?

Online shopping is becoming more and more common in the UK and in Weekender, we hear BBC business reporter Russell Padmore explain where else internet shopping is popular and what kinds of things people like to buy on the internet. And people in the UK tell us what they really think about buying online. Before you listen to the programme, read these comprehension questions. Try to answer them as you listen.

1: Can you name one of the 'developed' countries mentioned in the programme?

2: Can you give an example of something people prefer not to buy on the internet?

3: What worries people about internet shopping?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1549_weekender_extra/page40.shtml
September 2006

Christmas shops

If you walk into many London shops at the moment, you might find it difficult to believe that Christmas is still many weeks away. In this programme, with the help of a market researcher, we find out why Christmas seems to be getting earlier and earlier.

Listen to London Life October 2005
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1128_london_life/page56.shtml

Vocabulary from the programme
Christmas has become too commercialized it's too concerned with making money
to hold out to wait for as long as possible to get what you want
consumers people who buy things
retailers people/firms who sell things
a buyers' market a situation where consumers have more power than retailers
to rail against something to protest against something
to be rushed off your feet to be very busy
nerve-wracking difficult and stressful
it's convenient it doesn't cause too many problems, it's simple

How to buy on EBay

How to buy on EBay: VideoJug presents a simple guide to buying items on EBay. From registering on the website itself, to completing the sale, this video helps you through it all when buying on EBay.

Step 1:
Register
Before you can begin bidding in eBay auctions, you have to choose a user name and register your contact details and e-mail address. If you use an internet based e-mail address such as Hotmail, you will have to verify your identity using a credit or debit card. Your personal information will be kept confidential by eBay, as stated in their user agreement, which you must agree to register. Use the instructions in the e-mail eBay sends you after you agree to complete your registration.

Step 2:
Searching eBay
Items for sale on eBay are put into categories, listed down the left-hand side of the site. Clicking on one of these categories brings up a series of sub-categories. If you see the sub-category that you are looking for, clicking on it will bring up all the items currently for sale within it. Alternatively, if you know exactly the name of the item you are looking for, you can use the search box at the top of the page. Enter your search and eBay will bring up every item listed that includes your keywords.

Step 3:
Advanced searches
The sheer volume of items for sale at any one time means that you may have to narrow down your initial search results. Clicking onto the advanced search page gives many more search options, including searching by time left on sale, price, location of the item and type of payment accepted. These options also appear on the left-hand side of the screen when searching within a sub-category.

Step 4:
Researching an item
Clicking on an item will bring you to its individual auction page. All the information about the item is contained on this page. Check carefully details such as current price, the description the seller has written about the item's condition and features, postage costs and payment options the seller accepts. There is also an option to e-mail the seller if you have a question about the item not answered on the auction page.

Step 5:
Researching the seller
The number next to a seller's username is the percentage of feedback he has received that is positive. Clicking on the number will show you the total feedback received, and the comments left about the seller by his buyers. This will help you to get an idea of how trustworthy a particular seller is before buying.

Step 6:
Placing a bid
Clicking on the 'place bid' button will take you to the bidding screen. This screen will tell you the current item price and the next bid price. Enter the maximum price you would be willing to pay, and eBay will automatically bid up to that price, if another buyer bids against you. eBay will e-mail you if you have been outbid. Remember that when you bid for an item, you are entering into a contract with the seller to buy if you win the auction.

Step 7:
Buy it now
Some items will be being sold using eBay's 'buy it now' option. This means a seller is willing to accept a fixed price for an item, and first come, first served. You can pay for a buy it now item instantly through Paypal, or use any other payment option accepted by the seller.

Step 8:
Paying
If you are paying via Paypal, click the 'pay now' button located on the item listing page or on the confirmation e-mail sent to your e-mail address. If you are paying another way, the e-mail will include contact details for the seller.

Step 9:
Completing the sale
When you receive the item, make sure it fits the item description. If you are pleased with the item, leave positive feedback about your seller through your my eBay page. The seller will also leave feedback about you as a buyer. Leaving feedback is an important part of the sales process, as you will be helping other buyers make decisions, just like their feedback helped you. If you have a complaint about the item, try and contact the seller to reach a solution. If this fails, you can report the seller to eBay, who will consider what action, if any, to take.
To find out how to sell on eBay, please check out our other eBay films.

Fire Drill/Fire Practice

An interview to Tracy Chapman

On how her early success has shaped her long career.

Tracy Chapman was just 24 when she became a worldwide star after performing at Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday concert in London in 1988. Her eponymous debut album earned three Grammy Awards, and became the most successful album by a female artist in UK chart history. Hits such as 'Fast Car', 'Talkin' Bout A Revolution' and 'Baby Can I Hold You' became firmly lodged in our collective memory. But despite releasing seven more well-received albums she never regained the same level of success. But all this could be about to change with a new album, Our Bright Future, and a European tour. She talks to Jane about her life, music and politics, and performs some tracks for Woman’s Hour.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/01/2008_46_mon.shtml

A review of a film

Paragraph 1: Introduction/Title/ of film/overall impression
Paragraph 2: Plot summary
Paragraph 3: Opinion in detail: acting, direction, music
Paragraph 4: Conclusion/recommendation

Sample review: (from CAE Result . Oxford)
Pirates of the Caribbean is a highly enjoyable action/adventure film. It is a gripping action movie that contains adventure, horror and comedy.

Pirate captain Barbosa and his crew of skeletons are in search of the gold coin that will release them from a curse. When they kidnap the local governor’s daughter (Keira knightly), courageous Will, played by the gorgeous Ornaldo Bloom , sets out to rescue her, assisted by Jack Sparrow, whose ship has been stolen by Barbosa.

The acting in Pirates is superb throughout, with all the actors turning in enthusiastic performances, but Johny Depp is outstanding as the sly, rather crazy Sparrow.

The film would make for a great evening’s entertainment. Pirates is a superb family film with something for everyone.

Cosmetic/plastic surgery

How acceptable is it?

The number of cosmetic surgery procedures in Britain has risen by at least 50 per cent in the past year.

Around 75,000 of these procedures are carried out annually, many by surgeons who lack specialist qualifications, and at an estimated cost of £225 million.

The Government is today launching plans to regulate the industry. But does the wider and open use of 'nips and tucks' for women and men, make it acceptable, or should we be concerned about this worship of youth and glamour?

Martha talks to psychotherapist, Susie Orbach, and Zoe Williams

nip and tuck: plastic surgery to remove wrinkles and other signs of aging from your face; an incision is made near the hair line and skin is pulled back and excess tissue is excised; "some actresses have more than one face lift" [syn: face lift]

Listening exercise:
Listen to the six first minutes, note down the main ideas mention in the conversation and later ckeck with the summary-script if you were right.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/2005_04_fri_03.shtml

One of my Christmas presents this year was a box-set of nip/ tuck, the American Drama about plastic surgery, perhaps it was not such a subtle hint , but I found every all sort of entertainment watching grues and bits of operations behind my fingers generally. But I guess it’s reflexion of the current obsession with cosmetic surgery.

The number of procedures in Britain has risen by 50o% in the last year and there are growing concerns about the standard of care. Today the government is announcing tough new controls over the industry.

A report by the Health Care commission, which regulates private medicine, estimates that fewer than half of the surgeons working in the field have the relevant specialist qualifications.
Earlier I spoke to Lord W. the Health Minister

We are concerned about:
a. Are all the facilities where this is done appropriately licensed?
b. Are all the people who are carrying out the procedure s appropriately qualified?
c. Is the public well informed enough about whether the places and the people who are undertaking work on their bodies are faithful purpose?
Are there at the moment doctors carrying out procedures who aren’t properly qualified in cosmetic surgery?
The great majority of people who are carrying out cosmetic surgery are on the specialist register or have a specialist qualification in this area
We have not evidence that unqualified in the sense that they are not registered doctors are doing this work
But there’s a small proportion 60/70 out of nearly 800 who are practising in this area who are not in the specialist register………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
They are dealing with the situation. They want to make this more secure given that it’s a rapidly expanding area of activity.
There’s particular concern about non-surgical procedures, we read in newspapers gruesome stories about botox parties.
I agree with you that there are rather gruesome stories that certainly wouldn’t be my cup of tea as a way to spend my time
And we want to ensure that these people only have these procedures with competent people and on licensed premises which are licensed by the Independent Health Care commission.
What seems to be happening is that the government and the regulation are unable to keep pace with the speed which this industry is growing.
…………………………………………………………. Not the same level of supervition……………..
I admit that there’s been a bit of free-lancing here and there and less supervision.
(Martha talks to psychotherapist, Susie Orbach, and journalist, Zoe Williams.)
Sisie, this huge rise in cosmetic surgery seem to become more and more socially acceptable is that something that concerns you?
Why is the number of women drawn into cosmetic surgery increasing?
Susie Orbach : absolutely I think we are fascinated with the programmes we first imported from the United States and we almost look at them like an anthropologist trying to discover another culture another country but they work on us at a certain level, but in a big global study of beauty I participated in:
Women are saying they are affected by the visual images in the world around them and are undermining their own sense of their own physical attractiveness and that they are drawn to plastic surgery because they don’t quite fit in with what they see, so there is a direct relationship between what we see on the billboards or on TV.
Is there a crisis of self-esteem?
People should be a bit tougher with themselves really, I mean we’ve got part of maturity is understanding that there is physical perfection just as there is kind of intellectual magnificence and you might not actually reach it. It’s accepting that some exists and just because you don’t fi t into it doesn’t mean that the whole world is undone.
I think female beauty and male beauty actually have been praise and loaded and depicted and iconographiesed ............................................

It goes on for another 7 minutes…………………………………

Note: Nip/Tuck is an American television medical drama series created by Ryan Murphy for FX Networks. The show follows the lives of two plastic surgeons, Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Christian Troy (Julian McMahon).

Obama pledges urgent and sweeping measures to prop up US economy

Barack Obama has promised urgent action to tackle the US job crisis through the biggest infrastructure spending programme since the 1950s.
Speaking in his weekly internet address, and after figures showed the US economy shed 533,000 jobs last month, the US president-elect promised "action now" to get Americans back into work.
"We will create millions of jobs by making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s," he said.
Obama gave more details of a recovery plan to save or create at least 2.5m jobs, and said that states that did not spend the money fast would be penalised. "We'll set a simple rule - use it or lose it," he said. But he claimed he would not simply throw money at the problem.
"We'll measure progress by the reforms we make and the results we achieve - by the jobs we create, by the energy we save, by whether America is more competitive in the world."
His jobs promise came as new figures showed that more than 300,000 people have already applied for posts in his White House team.
The vast majority of applicants will be disappointed – there are likely to be only around 3,300 jobs in the incoming administration when Obama takes over from George Bush on January 20.
In his address, Obama promised "the most sweeping effort to modernise and upgrade school buildings that this country has ever seen".
Obama, who was urged by Democratic members of Congress to "be more assertive than he has been" over plans to help America's beleaguered car industry yesterday, said the nation felt "rising unease and frustration" as the total number of jobs lost in the recession reached almost 2m.
"We need to act with the urgency this moment demands to save or create at least two- and-a-half million jobs so that the nearly two million Americans who've lost them know that they have a future," he said.
Obama also set out plans to increase access to broadband internet connections in schools, libraries and hospitals.
"It is unacceptable that the United States ranks 15th in the world in broadband adoption," he said.
He added: "Every child should have the chance to get online."

Talking about learning a foreign language

Discussion 1:
Compare and contrast these photographs, saying which you think is a better way of learning English.

Discussion 2: What might help you to improve your English? Talk to other students and decide which of the following activities are the most important, why, and in what order.

Reading books
Reading newspapers and magazines
Using dictionaries
Practising writing
Speaking to other students
Watching TV programmes and films without being dubbed.
Having a good teacher
Doing homework (grammar, vocabulary etc..)
Listening to songs
Using Internet
Using the language at work
Going to the country where the language is spoken

Useful language:

Giving opinions
I just think the best way ..........................
In my opinion, ...................................
I have my doubts whether/about ................
I just don't think that .........................
I've always thought that.......................
................. is an important factor for me
Personally, I haven't the faintest idea about/whether .....
I'd just like to say ........

Asking for the opinion of others
What/ How about you?
What's your opinion?
what do you think?
don't you think..........?

Agreement
So do I
Neither do I
That's true
I agree .............
I couldn't agree more
I think so

Saying you aren't sure
Hmm.. I'd have to think about it.
Well, I'm in two minds about it really.
I can't make up my mind.

Disagreement
Yes, but what about?
but, don't you agree that....?
Actually, I think ..................
I see what you mean but I'm not at all sure/convinced that ...........
Yes, but i don't think that......
True, but I'm afraid I disagree (with) .....
Perhaps, but I can't help thinking that......
I see your point but that's not the way I see it.

What defines who a person is?

Discussion: What defines who a person is? Order the following from the most to the least important.

Clothes race work nationality gender family food hobbies language beliefs

Useful language:

Why don’t we start with the least important? That might make it a bit easier
That’s a good idea/good idea yeah
So what do we think is the least important then? Why don’t you start?
Well, you know, for me it’s definitely .......................I mean.. well...... I just don’t think that ............ has anything to do with a person’s identity at all?
How about .......................then?

It’s a bit more complicated than that though. For many people ...............
Yeah, that’s a good point / that’s exactly the point
I know what you mean.
I still feel that ........................... is more important.
What about ..........................

-ing form

'- ING' FORM
the gerund
This looks exactly the same as a present participle, and for this reason it is now common to call both forms 'the -ing form'. However it is useful to understand the difference between the two. The gerund always has the same function as a noun (although it looks like a verb), so it can be used:
a. as the subject of the sentence:
Eating people is wrong.
Hunting elephants is dangerous.
Flying makes me nervous.
b. as the complement of the verb 'to be':
One of his duties is attending meetings.
The hardest thing about learning English is understanding the gerund.
One of life's pleasures is having breakfast in bed.
c. after prepositions. The gerund must be used when a verb comes after a preposition:
Can you sneeze without opening your mouth?
She is good at painting.
They're keen on windsurfing.
She avoided him by walking on the opposite side of the road.
We arrived in Madrid after driving all night.
My father decided against postponing his trip to Hungary.
This is also true of certain expressions ending in a preposition, e.g. in spite of, there's no point in..:
There's no point in waiting.
In spite of missing the train, we arrived on time.
d. after a number of 'phrasal verbs' which are composed of a verb + preposition/adverb
Example:to look forward to, to give up, to be for/against, to take to, to put off, to keep on:
I look forward to hearing from you soon. (at the end of a letter)
When are you going to give up smoking?
She always puts off going to the dentist.
He kept on asking for money.
NOTE: There are some phrasal verbs and other expressions that include the word 'to' as a preposition, not as part of a to-infinitive: - to look forward to, to take to, to be accustomed to, to be used to. It is important to recognise that 'to' is a preposition in these cases, as it must be followed by a gerund:
We are looking forward to seeing you.
I am used to waiting for buses.
She didn't really take to studying English.
It is possible to check whether 'to’ is a preposition or part of a to-infinitive: if you can put a noun or the pronoun 'it' after it, then it is a preposition and must be followed by a gerund:
I am accustomed to it (the cold).
I am accustomed to being cold.
e. in compound nouns
Example:
a driving lesson, a swimming pool, bird-watching, train-spotting
It is clear that the meaning is that of a noun, not of a continuous verb.
Example:
the pool is not swimming, it is a pool for swimming in.
f. after the expressions:
can't help, can't stand, it's no use/good, and the adjective worth:
The elephant couldn't help falling in love with the mouse.
I can't stand being stuck in traffic jams.
It's no use/good trying to escape.
It might be worth phoning the station to check the time of the train.

Verbs followed by the gerund or infinitive

GERUND OR INFINITIVE?
A. Verbs where there is little or no difference in meaning:
allow attempt begin bother cease continue deserve fear* hate* intend* like love
neglect omit permit prefer* recommend* start
Notes:
1. Allow is used in these two patterns:
a. Allow + object + to-infinitive:Her parents allowed her to go to the party.
b. Allow + gerund:Her parents don't allow smoking in the house.

2. Deserve + gerund is not very common, but is mainly used with passive constructions or where there is a passive meaning:
a. Your proposals deserve being considered in detail.
b. These ideas deserve discussing. (= to be discussed).

3. The verbs hate, love, like, prefer are usually followed by a gerund when the meaning is general, and by a to-infinitive when they refer to a particular time or situation.
You must always use the to-infinitive with the expressions 'would love to', 'would hate to', etc.
Compare:
I hate to tell you, but Uncle Jim is coming this weekend.
I hate looking after elderly relatives!
I love dancing.
I would love to dance with you.

B:Verbs where there is a clear difference in meaning:
Verbs marked with an asterisk* can also be followed by a that-clause.
come forget* go on mean* regret* remember* stop try
NOTES:
Come:
Come + gerund is like other verbs of movement followed by the gerund, and means that the subject is doing something as they move:
She came running across the field.
Come + to-infinitive means that something happens or develops, perhaps outside the subject's control:
At first I thought he was crazy, but I've come to appreciate his sense of humour.
How did you come to be outside the wrong house?
This word has come to mean something quite different.

Forget, regret and remember:
When these verbs are followed by a gerund, the gerund refers to an action that happened earlier:
I remember locking the door (= I remember now, I locked the door earlier)
He regretted speaking so rudely. (= he regretted at some time in the past, he had spoken rudely at some earlier time in the past.)
Forget is frequently used with 'never' in the simple future form:
I'll never forget meeting the Queen.
When these verbs are followed by a to-infinitive, the infinitive refers to an action happening at the same time, or later:
I remembered to lock the door (= I thought about it, then I did it.)
Don't forget to buy some eggs! (= Please think about it and then do it.)
We regret to announce the late arrival of the 12.45 from Paddington. (= We feel sorry before we tell you this bad news.)
Go on:
Go on + gerund means to continue with an action:
He went on speaking for two hours.
I can't go on working like this - I'm exhausted.
Go on + to-infinitive means to do the next action, which is often the next stage in a process:
After introducing her proposal, she went on to explain the benefits for the company.
John Smith worked in local government for five years, then went on to become a Member of Parliament.
Mean:
Mean + gerund expresses what the result of an action will be, or what will be necessary:
If you take that job in London it will mean travelling for two hours every day.
We could take the ferry to France, but that will mean spending a night in a hotel.
Mean + to-infinitive expresses an intention or a plan:
Did you mean to dial this number?
I mean to finish this job by the end of the week!
Sorry - I didn't mean to hurt you.
Stop:
Stop + gerund means to finish an action in progress:
I stopped working for them because the wages were so low.Stop tickling me!
Stop + to-infinitive means to interrupt an activity in order to do something else, so the infinitive is used to express a purpose:
I stopped to have lunch. (= I was working, or travelling, and I interrupted what I was doing in order to eat.)
It's difficult to concentrate on what you are doing if you have to stop to answer the phone every five minutes.
Try:
Try + gerund means to experiment with an action that might be a solution to your problem.
If you have problems sleeping, you could try doing some yoga before you go to bed, or you could try drinking some warm milk.
'I can't get in touch with Carl.' 'Have you tried e-mailing him?'
Try + to-infinitive means to make an effort to do something. It may be something very difficult or even impossible:
The surgeons tried to save his life but he died on the operating table.
We'll try to phone at 6 o'clock, but it might be hard to find a public telephone.
Elephants and mice have to try to live together in harmony.

Dictionaries on line

http://dictionary.reference.com/
It shows IPA Pronunciation and you can hear words


http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/default.asp?dict=a

What shall we do tonight?

Useful language

So what do you feel like doing tonight?
Well, I’d quite like to ……………….. (e.g. see a film ) or, I don’t know, see if there’s any good ……………………………………………. ( e.g. bands around), if you’re into …………………….. ( e.g. bands).
Yes, that’s an idea. What kind of………………….. music do you like, then?
Oh, all sorts, really, a lot of………………………… ( e.g. pop) and I quite like………………………….. (e.g. blues and jazz )and ……………
Oh, really? I’m more into ……………………………(dance music) myself, so maybe ……………..
Well, If you’d rather, we could always ……………………………(go and see a film). I really like …………………….. films/things and I also like ……………………. (e.g. action movies, you know, car chases, guns, bombs, anything that’s fast and exciting).
Oh, right. To be honest with you, I’m not really that keen on ………………………..( e.g. violent films)
Oh come on, must be something we can do!
Let me think. Well I suppose we could always ………………………………… (e.g. go clubbing)/ so what about ………………………………… (going clubbing) then.
Ok, why not? Do you…………………….. (go) much yourself?
No, not all that often, actually. A couple of times a year, I guess.
Me too now, but I used to go a lot more when ……………………………. ( I was younger). The thing is, staying out dancing all night and then having to go to work first thing in the morning. I’m getting a bit too old for it now.
Oh, well, that’s off the menu, then! So what shall we do then?
Well, let’s give ………………………. (clubbing) a go.

CINEMA

Changeling Clint Eastwood's daring and empathetic period drama with Angelina Jolie is a tough watch but also rewarding and inspiring

Body of Lies
Sir Ridley Scott's CIA drama unites DiCaprio and Crowe, but to little dramatic effect

Quantum of Solace
Marc Forster’s slightly disappointing, furiously-paced addition to the 007 franchise

MUSIC
Antonio Forcione/Dado
Jazz, Latin & Improv
Pizza Express Jazz Club, W1
Italian acoustic guitar virtuoso Forcione – one time sidekick of Phil Collins, Van Morrison and Jools Holland –...

Julian Joseph
Jazz, Latin & Improv
FRonnie Scott's, W1
Joseph is arguably the finest pianist of his generation a brilliant, dynamic presence whose talents span everything...

Simple Minds + Deacon Blue
Wembley Arena, HA9
Celebrating their thirtieth anniversary, Jim Kerr and co will perform 1982's massive-selling 'New Gold Dream' in its ...

Restaurants

Princi

Cafes, Soho
Alan Yau teams with Italian bakery
Madsen
Scandinavian, South Kensington
Danish cooking in west London

Garufa

More restaurant than parilla, a kick away from the Arsenal stadium is London's latest homage to the Argentinian steakhouse

PUBS

The Punch Bowl
Bars & Pubs, Mayfair
Madonna's pub. Sort of.

Buddha Bar
Bars & Pubs, Embankment
Popular Parisian bar on the Embankment

Faith Hill This Kiss

verb,object + infinitive

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/107_gramchallenge45/

Credit Crunch

August 2008

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1630_144_6min_backup/page23.shtml

Comparing pictures. Life in the city

Task: Compare and contrast these situations, saying what aspects of citylife are shown and what they have to tell us about life in the city today.

OK, well I'm going to describe the park . The first photograph shows a summer's day in a city park in..... well I'm not sure.... but I think it could be London ... or , well, perhaps it's Hyde Park.

Anyway, there are people taking advantage of the glorious weather and doing some sort of exercise. It might be a Sunday morning because there are a lot of people.

The other photograph is similar- there are also a lot of people, but this time it's people on the move in, well, must be London ....... I think it's Waterloo Station, probably the rush hour. I think it is probably the rush hour. I get the impression that the people are hurring to get the tube, . train or bus from work. It's hard to tell what time of year it is but whereas in the first photograph I described it is definitely summer, here something makes me think it's autumn or winter, though I suppose it could just be a rather grey and miserable summer's day.

So, While one photograph shows people in the city taking a few moments of leisure, the other shows people getting to or from work. I think they both tell us important things about life in modern cities.

What I mean is that cities are places people come to spend their leisure time, shopping or going to the cinema or theatres or, as in the photograph, just enjoying a city park. At the same time, people come to work, and because of that transport takes on a very important role.

In the park you can even forget for a while that you're even in a city...... the traffic noise is just a distant hum.... but in a situation like the second photograph the noise and smell of the traffic would be very noticeable...... so that's another difference between the two scenes..... relative peace and quiet in the first one, and the noise in the other.

The zero infinitive

The zero infinitive is used:
a. after most auxiliaries (e.g. must, can, should, may, might)
b. after verbs of perception, (e.g. see, hear, feel) with the pattern verb + object + zero infinitive
c. after the verbs 'make' and 'let', with the pattern make/let + object + zero infinitive
d. after the expression 'had better'
e. after the expression 'would rather' when referring to the speaker's own actions
Examples:
After auxiliaries:
She can't speak to you.
He should give her some money.
Shall I talk to him?
Would you like a cup of coffee?
I might stay another night in the hotel.
They must leave before 10.00 a.m.

After verbs of perception:
He saw her fall from the cliff.
We heard them close the door.
They saw us walk toward the lake.
She felt the spider crawl up her leg.

After the verbs 'make' and 'let':
Her parents let her stay out late.
Let's go to the cinema tonight.
You made me love you.
Don't make me study that boring grammar book!

NOTICE that the 'to-infinitive' is used when 'make' is in the passive voice:
I am made to sweep the floor every day.
She was made to eat fish even though she hated it.

After 'had better':
We had better take some warm clothing.She had better ask him not to come.You'd better not smile at a crocodile!We had better reserve a room in the hotel.You'd better give me your address.They had better work harder on their grammar!

After 'would rather':

I would rather visit Rome.
She would rather live in Italy.
Would you rather eat steak or fish?
He would rather work in a bank.
I'd rather be a forest than a tree.

Other forms of the infinitive

OTHER FORMS
The perfect infinitive
The continuous infinitive
The perfect continuous infinitive
The passive infinitive

NOTE: as with the present infinitive, there are situations where the to is omitted, e.g. after most modal auxiliaries.

The perfect infinitive:
to have + past participle, e.g. to have broken, to have seen, to have saved.
This form is most commonly found in Type 3 conditional sentences, using the conditional perfect, e.g. If I had known you were coming I would have baked a cake.

Examples:
Someone must have broken the window and climbed in.
I would like to have seen the Taj Mahal when I was in India.
He pretended to have seen the film.
If I'd seen the ball I would have caught it.

The continuous infinitive:
to be + present participle, e.g.to be swimming, to be joking, to be waiting

Examples:
I'd really like to be swimming in a nice cool pool right now.
You must be joking!
I happened to be waiting for the bus when the accident happened.

The perfect continuous infinitive:
to have been + present participle

Examples:
to have been cryingto have been waitingto have been painting
The woman seemed to have been crying.
You must have been waiting for hours!
He pretended to have been painting all day.

The passive infinitive:
to be + past participle, e.g. to be given, to be shut, to be opened

Examples:
I am expecting to be given a pay-rise next month.
These doors should be shut.
This window ought to be opened.

THE TO-INFINITIVE

The most common uses of the infinitive are:

To indicate the purpose or intention of an action (where the 'to' has the same meaning as 'in order to' or 'so as to'):
She's gone to collect her pay cheque.
The three bears went into the forest to find firewood.

As the subject of the sentence:
To be or not to be, that is the question.
To know her is to love her.(Note: this is more common in written English than spoken)

With nouns or pronouns, to indicate what something can be used for, or what is to be done with it:
Would you like something to drink?
I haven't anything to wear.
The children need a garden to play in.

After adjectives in these patterns:
It is + adjective +to-infinitive It is good to talk
It is + adjective + infinitive + for someone + to-infinitive. It is hard for elephants to see mice
It is + adjective + infintive + of someone + to-infinitive. It is unkind of her to say that.
After an adjective + noun when a comment or judgement is being made:

It was a stupid place to park the car.
This is the right thing to do.
It was an astonishing way to behave.

With too and enough in these patterns:
too much/many (+ noun) + to-infinitive There's too much sugar to put in this bowl. I had too many books to carry.
too + adjective + to-infinitive This soup is too hot to eat.She was too tired to work.
too + adverb + to-infinitive He arrived too late to see the actors.
enough (+ noun) + to-infinitive I've had enough (food) to eat.
adjective + enough + to-infinitive She's old enough to make up her own mind.
not enough (+noun) + to-infinitive There isn't enough snow to ski on.
not + adjective + enough + to-infinitive You're not old enough to have grand-children!

INFINITIVE AFTER QUESTION WORDS

These verbs: ask, decide, explain, forget, know, show, tell, understand, can be followed by a question word such as where, how, what, who, when or 'whether' + the 'to-infinitive'.

Examples:
She asked me how to use the washing machine.
Do you understand what to do?
Tell me when to press the button.
I've forgotten where to put this little screw.
I can't decide whether to wear the red dress or the black one.

The question word Why is followed by the zero infinitive in suggestions:

Examples:
Why wait until tomorrow?
Why not ask him now?
Why walk when we can go in the car?
Why not buy a new bed for your bedroom?
Why leave before the end of the game?
Why not spend a week in Beirut and a week in Baghdad?

NEGATIVE INFINITIVE
To form the negative infinitive, place not before the to- or zero infinitive:e.g. not to worry:
It's hard not to worry about exams.

Examples:
I decided not to go to London.
He asked me not to be late.
Elephants ought not to marry mice.
You'd better not smile at the crocodile.
I'd rather not eat meat.

EXAMPLES OF VERBS NORMALLY FOLLOWED BY THE INFINITIVE

We've chosen John to represent the company at the conference.
The elephant didn't mean to tread on the mouse.
We expect you to do your best in the exam.
Do you want to go to the beach?
Do you want me to go with you to the beach?
You are requested to be quiet in this library.


He claimed to be an expert.
I managed to reach the top of the hill.
I know you're only pretending to love me!
Don't pretend that you know the answer.
She failed to explain the problem clearly.
The customs man demanded to search our luggage.
I can't afford to go out tonight.


The professor challenged his students to argue with his theory.
This law empowers the government to charge more taxes.
You can't force me to do something I don't agree with.
You are obliged to drive on the left in England.
I invited the new student to have dinner with me.
What inspired you to write this poem?
The elephant told the mouse to climb up his tail.

Rightous Kill Premiere

Quantum of Solace

Daniel Craig. James Bond

Daniel Craig
I’m incredibly pleased with the way obviously Casino Royal came out and the response it had and now I’m very pleased with the result of this, the hard work that everybody put in and what we set out to do which was, sort of, to continue the story, finish it off, make sure that you kind of secure with these characters, make it a kind of dramatic piece but also make it a great action movie.
We had a cut off when we had to finish, so there was no downtime, there was no time, you know,
I couldn’t pick up injuries and if I did I had to work through them, you know.
As hard as it was at times, it’s you know on the screen and that’s all we can hope for.

Have you become more preparatorial about the role now that you’ve invested so much blood, sweat and tears in it.

The very early movies had a huge final.
Changed the face of movies in the sixties they went on location they presented a style that was adopted in movie making since then and that you know I just feel precious about, I feel ,kind of ,I feel that it needs, we need to continue that I would like people to look at these movies in a few years time and go on these are good movies. I mean at a very basic level

How has the impact of being Bond affected aspects of your work in terms of how people treat you, the kind of scripts you get and your relationship with other actors.

Well hopefully people kind of think they know I’m just normal you know, there’s no kind of influence there.
I’m just, I’m looking , the thing is that if there were a deal of really good scripts then it would be easy but there aren’t , there’s actually, there are few and far between and I’ve got to go our and look for them, and coach other people to look for them for me so in that respect nothing has change, but it has, you know,it’s definitely, it’s open a few doors for me I can’t deny that.

Weekend Movie Preview

No Country For Old Men, Burn after Reading, Righteous Kill, The Women

B

Green Day: Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

I walk a lonely road

The only one that I have ever known

Don't know where it goes

But it's home to me and I walk alone

I walk this empty street

On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Where the city sleeps

and I'm the only one and I walk alone

I walk aloneI walk aloneI walk aloneI walk a...

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me

My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating

Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me

'Til then I walk aloneAh-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ah,Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah

I'm walking down the line

That divides me somewhere in my mind

On the border line

Of the edge and where I walk alone

Read between the lines

What's fucked up and everything's alright

Check my vital signs

To know I'm still alive and I walk alone

I walk aloneI walk aloneI walk aloneI walk a...

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me

My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating

Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me'

Til then I walk aloneAh-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ahAh-ah, Ah-ahI walk aloneI walk a...

I walk this empty street

On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Where the city sleepsAnd I'm the only one and I walk a...

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me

My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating

Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me'Til then I walk alone...

Angelina Jolie and Clint Eastwood

The Exchange

Clint Eastwood "Weather you win something or not its not the point of it. The point of it is, you come and present the film and you see what the response is what you think is totally out your hands. I’ve been the president of the jury before and there’s 12/13 other people and they all have their ideas and likes."

Angelina Jolie: "It’s certainly so much of it. It’s being a mother an imagining if this was happening to me my pain and my frustration, but I did have to find something else because as I said I couldn’t respond the way of course I would respond today.
This is personal but it’s true. I lost my mother a few months before the film and to me she’s very much like my mother.
My mother was very passive in many ways and very sweet in many ways but when it came to her children she was a lion but as a woman almost very shy with her voice.
I was like anybody would be in this film. I was nervous the first day.
He’s really just a great leader not just because he’s the director he’s decisive and dedicated to getting the story about, but every single member of the crew he respects and gives them his time everybody brings their best and can’t ask more. I’ve never seen a director commence so much respect not because he’s Clint Eastwood but because he’s so gracious and thoughtful and connected to every single person so it was a pleasure and I’m sure every single person of the crew would say the same.

Talking about films

Have you seen any good film lately/recently?
What type/kind/sort of film is it? It’s kind of comedy film ,horror film ,romantic comedy, science fiction film, action film , adventure film, slapstick comedy, a blockbuster, psychological thriller, crime (gangster) film, drama, epic/historical film, musical/dance film, war film, Western, “Biopic"', detective-mystery film, disaster film, fantasy film, film noir, supernatural film, thriller

What did you think of it? /Is it any good? /is it worth seeing?
It lived up to / didn’t live up to my expectations.

It's a blockbuster/a huge film, an art-house film.
It involves much bloodshed and violence, (gory)
It is amusing, entertaining
It's extravagant, exceeds the normal bounds.
It's explicit,shown in realistic detail
It stirs feelings and emotions (moving, touching)
It's disturbing distressing, upsetting (harrowing)
It's gripping, engrossing,captivating
It's excessively sentimental (soppy)
It's really uplifting
It's extremely funny (hilarious, nearly wet myself)
It's slow-moving.It's an action-packed story.

The ending is forseeable, predictable,expected.
I was in floods of tears at the end.

What’s it about? It’s basically about ....................

Where is it set? It’s set in ..............................
Where was it shot? It was shot/filmed in............................

Is it base on any famous book /novel? It’s based on a novel by .............................

Has it won any prizes? It’s won/received/had.................... Oscar nominations

It was a hit in the ........................... festival.

Who’s in it? .........................plays the lead.
Who’s it directed by? ................................
Did it have a happy ending? No, I was in tears at the end.

The plot is far-fetched/intriguing/ predictable.
The final scenes are thrilling/spine-chilling/ spectacular.
The script is witty/natural/awkward.
The acting is wooden/ uninspired/unconvincing.
The lead actor /actress gives a tremendous/ mediocre/fantastic performance. The special effects are amazing/ stunning/disappointing.

I liked/didn’t like the score/cinematography
I liked the scene where he..........

DESCRIBING THE PLOT (The present simple tense is the verb form used to describe
events).

Asking for information(language course)

Writing - Letter-Writing - Transactional Letters
Purpose: Asking for information

Kind of language:
FormalOutline:
· Beginning (greetings): Start with Dear Ms, or Dear Mr, (you know who to address; end with Yours sincerely) or start with Dear Sir/Madam, (you don't know who to address; end with Yours faithfully).

Useful language: I am writing to enquire about...
· First paragraph: start by saying WHY YOU'RE WRITING
· Second paragraph: Asking for information. You can repeat this paragraph many times. Useful language: I would be grateful if you could send me...
· Closing comments: Extra request (asking for a brochure if it's possible, …) and additional information that you thing the person who will receive the letter could be interested in.
· Saying thank you
· Ending: Yours sincerely or Yours faithfully

Useful Language
-I am writing in response to your advertisement in DATE's edition of NAME OF PAPER concerning possible work with/in ... -I would be grateful if you could send me a copy of your summer brochure. -I am writing to enquire whether you could let me have some information about your apartments. -I would like to know more about the type of accommodation that you can provide


Sample Letter in about 160 words

Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to ask for information about your language courses. I am especially interested in a two-week intensive course. I have been studying English for three years at a state-run language school in Madrid (Common European Framework B1 level). However, I would like to improve my oral skills.

I have looked at your website but there is no detailed information about dates and prices for your intensive summer courses. Which are the courses you will be offering in July and August? I would also like to know if you have multi-cultural groups, preferably with non-Spanish-speaking students.

Finally, my partner plans to visit me while I am there, for a couple of days. We would prefer to stay at the same place. Would that be possible?

I would be grateful if you could send me this information to my e-mail address or to the address below.

Thank you for your time. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,

Taking a gap year. Collaborative task

Welcome to gap-year.com
Thinking of taking a gap- or time out to do something different?
Any time you take time out from the normal pattern of your life to do something completely different, that’s a gap-.
So what are you looking for? Adventure and taking a gap-year from education? Or are you considering a career break? Perhaps you fall into the category of mature traveller or early retiree and you’re looking for purposeful travel, new experiences and sharing your skills as a volunteer.

TASK: Imagine you are going to take a Gap Year. Read the following information about different Gap year choices. Which one would you rather choose?

Discuss - what you might learn- problems you might encounter- Decide which situation would provide the most worthwhile learning experience.

Volunteer Work
Choose from our volunteer work opportunities all over the world you'll know that you are doing something really wonderful and worthwhile! Our volunteer work opportunities include community volunteering; make a difference in developing countries, conservation volunteering; help with wildlife conservation or environmental conservation and wildlife volunteering; get involved in research & rescue of endangered animals.

Volunteer teaching Paid teaching If it’s the career you’re after or you just fancy yourself writing on a chalkboard, the opportunity to teach abroad is a great experience for a gap trip. The English language is a valuable commodity in the less developed world. Use something that comes naturally to you to help others out!Receive a salary with paid teaching or help deprived communities that can't afford to pay by volunteer teaching.

Adventure Travel Intrepid adventure travel tours & packages from 2 weeks up to a year! Exciting adventure travel to suit everyone. Our adventure travel tours involve travelling to remote areas for adventure activities & projects
Common adventure travel packages include trekking, rafting and more recently sports adventure. Our main aim with adventure travel is to provide a real travel experience that's exciting, rewarding & different

Paid Work Abroad If you want to see the world, but need to finance your trip as you go then these are the perfect paid work programmes for you!
Paid work abroad can get you money to fund your trip and might even let you stay away longer. Paid work will give you fantastic work experience and is a great way to meet people - locals and fellow travellers alike...

Further discussion

- How might parents feel about their children spending their gap year abroad?

- Do you agree that experience is the best teacher? Why? Why not?

- Do you think that young people have a lot of opportunities nowadays?

Expressions with a future meaning

be TO + INFINITIVE

This form refers to an obligation to do something at a time later than now. It is similar to 'must', but there is a suggestion that something has been arranged or organized for us. It is not normally used in spoken English, but might be found in spy stories,
e.g. "You are to leave this room at once, and you are to travel by train to London. In London you are to pick up your ticket from Mr Smith, and you are to fly to your destination alone. When you arrive, you are to meet our agent, Mr X, who will give you further information. You are to destroy this message now."

To talk about official, formal arrangements, e.g in a radio commentary.
“ The prince is to meet everyone concerned with the charity.

2. be due to+ the infinitive (expect to happen at a particular time)
The ceremony is due to start at 9 a.m.

3. For events that will happen very soon.
Be about to + infinitive e.g. She looks as if she’s (just) about to burst into tears.
Be on the point/verge of +-ing/noun The talks were on the point/verge of collapsing/collapse

4. to talk about probability
Be likely/unlikely to + infinitive/ expect (somebody/something) to+ infinitive
The country is likely to get poorer next year/We expect the country to get poorer

5. To talk about certainty
Be bound/sure to + infinitive Don’t lie to him. He’s bound/sure to find out.

Future perfect/future perfect continuous

FUTURE PERFECT

The future perfect refers to a completed action in the future. When we use this tense we are projecting ourselves forward into the future and looking back at an action that will be completed some time later than now.It is often used with a time expression using by + a point in future time.
Examples:
a. I'll have been here for six months on June 23rd.
b. By the time you read this I'll have left.
c. You will have finished your work by this time next week.

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Like the future perfect simple, this form is used to project ourselves forward in time and to look back. It refers to events or actions in a time between now and some future time, that may be unfinished.
a. I will have been waiting here for three hours by six o'clock.
b. By 2001 I will have been living here for sixteen years.
c. By the time I finish this course, I will have been learning English for twenty years.
d. Next year I will have been working here for four years.

Simple future function

The simple future is used:

a. to predict a future event: It will rain tomorrow.
b. (with I/we) to express a spontaneous decision: I'll pay for the tickets by credit card.
c. to express willingness: I'll do the washing-up. He'll carry your bag for you.
d. (in the negative form) to express unwillingness: The baby won't eat his soup. I won't leave until I've seen the manager!
e. (with I in the interrogative form) to make an offer: Shall I open the window?
f. (with we in the interrogative form) to make a suggestion: Shall we go to the cinema tonight?
g. (with I in the interrogative form) to ask for advice or instructions: What shall I tell the boss about this money?
h. (with you) to give orders: You will do exactly as I say.
i. (with you) to give an invitation: Will you come to the dance with me?Will you marry me?

NOTE: In modern English will is preferred to shall.

Shall is mainly used with I and we to make an offer or suggestion (see examples (e) and (f) above, or to ask for advice (example (g) above).With the other persons (you, he, she, they) shall is only used in literary or poetic situations, e.g.

"With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, She shall have music wherever she goes."

Britain's oldest couple

Gap Year/Career break

Thinking of taking a gap- or time out to do something different?

Any time you take time out from the normal pattern of your life to do something completely different, that’s a gap-.So what are you looking for? Adventure and taking a gap-year from education? Or are you considering a career break? Perhaps you fall into the category of mature traveller or early retiree and you’re looking for purposeful travel, new experiences and sharing your skills as a volunteer.

American elections 2008

McCain: 'The end of a long journey'Nov. 4: John McCain concedes the presidency of the United States to Barack Obama and recognizes the significance of this election for African-Americans, saying, “we’ve come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation's reputation.”

McCain: Thank you. Thank you, my friends. Thank you for coming here on this beautiful Arizona evening.
My friends, we have -- we have come to the end of a long journey. The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly.
A little while ago, I had the honor of calling Sen. Barack Obama to congratulate him. To congratulate him on being elected the next president of the country that we both love.
In a contest as long and difficult as this campaign has been, his success alone commands my respect for his ability and perseverance. But that he managed to do so by inspiring the hopes of so many millions of Americans who had once wrongly believed that they had little at stake or little influence in the election of an American president is something I deeply admire and commend him for achieving.
This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight.
I've always believed that America offers opportunities to all who have the industry and will to seize it. Sen. Obama believes that, too.

But we both recognize that, though we have come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation's reputation and denied some Americans the full blessings of American citizenship, the memory of them still had the power to wound.
A century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt's invitation of Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House was taken as an outrage in many quarters.
America today is a world away from the cruel and frightful bigotry of that time. There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United States.
Let there be no reason now for any American to fail to cherish their citizenship in this, the greatest nation on Earth.
Sen. Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country. I applaud him for it, and offer him my sincere sympathy that his beloved grandmother did not live to see this day. Though our faith assures us she is at rest in the presence of her creator and so very proud of the good man she helped raise.
Sen. Obama and I have had and argued our differences, and he has prevailed. No doubt many of those differences remain.
These are difficult times for our country. And I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.
I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited.
Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. And please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that.
It is natural. It's natural, tonight, to feel some disappointment. But tomorrow, we must move beyond it and work together to get our country moving again.
We fought -- we fought as hard as we could. And though we fell short, the failure is mine, not yours.
I am so deeply grateful to all of you for the great honor of your support and for all you have done for me. I wish the outcome had been different, my friends.
The road was a difficult one from the outset, but your support and friendship never wavered. I cannot adequately express how deeply indebted I am to you.
I'm especially grateful to my wife, Cindy, my children, my dear mother and all my family, and to the many old and dear friends who have stood by my side through the many ups and downs of this long campaign.
I have always been a fortunate man, and never more so for the love and encouragement you have given me.
You know, campaigns are often harder on a candidate's family than on the candidate, and that's been true in this campaign.
All I can offer in compensation is my love and gratitude and the promise of more peaceful years ahead.
I am also -- I am also, of course, very thankful to Gov. Sarah Palin, one of the best campaigners I've ever seen, and an impressive new voice in our party for reform and the principles that have always been our greatest strength, her husband Todd and their five beautiful children for their tireless dedication to our cause, and the courage and grace they showed in the rough and tumble of a presidential campaign.
We can all look forward with great interest to her future service to Alaska, the Republican Party and our country.
To all my campaign comrades, from Rick Davis and Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter, to every last volunteer who fought so hard and valiantly, month after month, in what at times seemed to be the most challenged campaign in modern times, thank you so much. A lost election will never mean more to me than the privilege of your faith and friendship.
I don't know -- I don't know what more we could have done to try to win this election. I'll leave that to others to determine. Every candidate makes mistakes, and I'm sure I made my share of them. But I won't spend a moment of the future regretting what might have been.
This campaign was and will remain the great honor of my life, and my heart is filled with nothing but gratitude for the experience and to the American people for giving me a fair hearing before deciding that Sen. Obama and my old friend Sen. Joe Biden should have the honor of leading us for the next four years.
I would not -- I would not be an American worthy of the name should I regret a fate that has allowed me the extraordinary privilege of serving this country for a half a century.
Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much. And tonight, I remain her servant. That is blessing enough for anyone, and I thank the people of Arizona for it.
Tonight -- tonight, more than any night, I hold in my heart nothing but love for this country and for all its citizens, whether they supported me or Sen. Obama -- whether they supported me or Sen. Obama.
I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president. And I call on all Americans, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties, but to believe, always, in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here.
Americans never quit. We never surrender.
We never hide from history. We make history.
Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America. Thank you all very much.

What can I do? The Coors

Title: The Corrs, - What Can I Do lyrics

Listen to the song and fill in the blanks using the words given.

Fly aching care wrong say calm much slept love just might

I haven't ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_____________at all in days

It's been so long since we have talked

And I have been here many times

I __________don't know what I’m doing ____________

Chorus:

What can I do to make you ___________me

What can I do to make you ______________

What can I___________ to make you feel this

What can I do to get you there

There's only so ___________I can take

And I just got to let it go

And who knows I ___________feel better yeah

If I don't try and I don't hope

(Chorus)

No more waiting, no more______________,

No more fighting, no more trying...

Maybe there's nothing more to say

And in a funny way I'm ____________

Because the power is not mine

I'm just gonna let it ____________

(chorus)

suggest

Suggest can be used in a number of ways, but BE CAREFUL.

It is important not to confuse these patterns:
suggest/suggested (+ possessive adjective) + gerund:
He suggests going to Glastonbury
He suggested going to Glastonbury
He suggested/suggests my going toGlastonbury

suggest/suggested + that-clause (where both that and should may be omitted):
He suggests that I should go to Glastonbury
He suggested that I should go to Glastonbury
He suggested/suggests I should go to Glastonbury
He suggested/suggests I go to Glastonbury
He suggested I went to Glastonbury

suggest/suggested + question word + infinitive:
He suggested where to go.

Celebrations

Comparing and contrasting photos
You are going to talk for one minute about the photos.
Make notes about them under these headings:

Similarities between the two photos
Differences between the two photos
What you would like or dislike about each celebration
Which celebration you would prefer to be and why

Discussion
Think of a memorable celebration you’ve taken part in.
Who took part and what happened?
How would you describe the occasion (e.g. moving, funny, touching)? Give reasons

Useful language
Similarities
Both of........ are......
Neither of them.........
They both seem to be......
In this one ....... and this one..........
Differences
One thing which is different in this one.....
The main difference between ...... and ....... is......
This one is ......... whereas ......... is
Speculating
It could be/could have been....
It can’t be/ It can’t have been
It might be/might have been
It must have/it must have had
I get the impression that..
They seem to ......./ to have............
He/she seems to ...... /have.........

Likes, dislikes, preferences
I would like ......... but.....
I wouldn’t mind.............. but on the other hand......
Although .........I’d like ......... because .....
I think I’d prefer .......... as ......