VIDEOS REVISING THE PRONUNCIATION OF PLURALS

During this week, we've watched these videos as a revision of plurals in English

LA COCINA BRITÁNICA

Hoy en día si viajamos a una ciudad como Londres podremos encontrar todo tipo de restaurantes: indios, chinos, japoneses… La inmigración desde las colonias inglesas y sobre todo desde Asia ha transformado el panorama culinario en Reino Unido, combinando platos de los 5 continentes con recetas tradicionales. Estos son algunos de los más populares:

Full English Breakfast

Podría considerarse el padre del brunch que tan de moda está (aunque ya sabéis, ¡los ingleses lo toman mucho más temprano que la mayoría de nosotros!). El típico desayuno inglés tiene su origen  en el siglo XIII y suele incluir bacon frito, huevos (pochados, fritos o revueltos, en los bares te dan a elegir), tomate natural (frito o asado), champiñones salteados, salchichas, alubias estofadas y pan tostado, entre otras variantes regionales. Para regarlo, lo habitual es una buena taza de English Breakfast Tea o café. 

Fish and chips

Los ingleses tienen su propio fast food desde el S. XIX, mucho antes de los restaurantes de comida rápida. El pescado (normalmente bacalao o abadejo) se reboza y se fríe hasta que esté dorado y crujiente con aceites vegetales como el de girasol, aunque antiguamente utilizaban manteca de cerdo o ternera. Se suele acompañar con patatas fritas.

Shepherd’s Pie

Este “pastel de pastor” está hecho con carne picada de cordero (también se usa ternera o cerdo, pero entonces se llama Cottage Pie) que se cocina en una salsa con cebolla y verduras como guisantes o zanahorias y después se cubre con una capa de puré de patata y se mete todo al horno para que el puré forme una capa crujiente.

Bangers and mash

Este plato combinado típico de pub inglés es apto para un nivel A1 en la cocina: ¡salchichas con puré de patata! Se utilizan todo tipo de salchichas inglesas (las hay de cordero, ternera y cerdo) y se puede acompañar con un poco de salsa de carne y guisantes. La leyenda dice que se llamó a las salchichas bangers por la escasez de carne tras la I Guerra Mundial, que hacía que las salchichas se hicieran con mucha agua y explotaran en la sartén.

Tikka Masala

Uno de los platos más populares de Reino Unido con una clara influencia India en su origen. Este plato es un ejemplo de cómo la gastrononomía y cultura británica se adaptan a la influencia externa. Su versión más conocida es el Chiken tikka Masala.

Adaptado de Cambridge blog

FIND THE WORD!!

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

We've finished another course. See you in September!!!

PRESENTATION ABOUT THE CITY OF COIMBRA

In one of our last on-site classes, we had a presentation about Portugal and Portuguese culture, specially from the city of Coimbra. The B2.2 student Ana Gadhana told us about this wonderful region with such cozy spots everybody should visit at least once in a lifetime and the importance of university life and students' fados at "queima das fitas", very typical in this area.

PASSIVE REPORTING VERBS

These structures are used to report information in a formal style or to report facts. Passive structures hide the source of the information. This is because it is obvious, the source is unimportant or is 'people in general', or the source is unknown.

Reporting verbs are verbs of saying or believing such as agree, announce, believe, claim, consider, expect, hope, know, report, say, suggest, think, understand, etc. And we can use their passive form for distancing in different ways. 

it + passive reporting verb + that-clause (it is said that...)

In this pattern, the generalised agent + active reporting verb is replaced with it + passive reporting verb:

Everybody knows that my grandfather likes red wine.

It is known that my grandfather likes red wine.

It is believed that the murderer is no longer in the country.

It has been announced that they are going to cancel the tour.

It has been suggested that the team can’t be trusted defensively.

It was thought the building could collapse.

subject + passive reporting verb + to-infinitive (someone is said to do)

In this pattern we start with the subject of the reported clause, which is followed by the passive reporting verb and the to-infinitive form of the verb in the reported clause:

Everybody knows that my grandfather likes red wine.

My grandfather is known to like red wine.

He is said to have the biggest private art collection in the country.

They were believed to be secretly in love.

We can also use this form to refer to the future.

She is expected to become a super star.

subject+passive reporting verb+to be+-ing(continuous infinitive) (Someone is said to be doing)

When the reported action is in progress simultaneously to the reporting, we can also use subject + passive reporting verb + to be + -ing (continuous infinitive) with dynamic verbs.

They are thought to be living under strict protection.

subject+passive reporting verb+to have+past participle (perfect infinitive) 

Someone is said to have done

When the reported action is previous to the reporting (earlier in the past), we use subject + passive reporting verb + to have + past participle (perfect infinitive).

She was thought to have left the previous week. (=she left before people thought about it)

He is claimed to have hit another student. (=he hit another student first)

EXERCISE 1

EXERCISE 2

EXERCISE 3

EXERCISE 4

VERB PATTERNS WITH REPORTING VERBS

These are the most common reporting verbs:

SAY

The basic verb pattern for using 'say' for reported speech is:

say + (that) + clause
She said (that) she had already eaten.


TELL

with 'tell' we need to use an object, a person who we tell the information to.

tell + someone + (that) + clause
I told John (that) I had seen the new film.

When we are reporting orders, we can also use another pattern with 'tell':

tell + someone + to + infinitive
She told the children to go to bed.

ASK

We use 'ask' to report questions or requests. For questions we use the pattern:

ask + someone + if / question word + clause
I asked my boss if I could leave early.
She asked them where the station was.

For requests we use the pattern:

ask + someone + to + infinitive
I asked Lucy to pass me the salt.

Other reporting verbs follow a variety of patterns.

ADVISE

(= Give someone advice. Notice the different spelling for the verb and the noun.)

Advise + someone + to + infinitive
She advised him to see a doctor.

Advise + (that) + clause
The staff advise that you carry water at all times.

Advise + against + verb-ing
I'd advise against leaving early.

AGREE

Agree + to + infinitive
We agreed to meet the following day.

Agree + (that) + clause
I agreed that the children could do their homework later.

APOLOGISE

Apologise + (to + someone) + for + verb-ing
They apologised to us for being late.
She apologised for forgetting the book.

Apologise (+ to + someone) + for + noun
She apologised for the delay.

DECIDE

Decide + to + infinitive
They decided to go to the cinema.

Decide + (that) + clause
They decided that they would go to the cinema.

ENCOURAGE

Encourage + someone + to + infinitive
She encouraged him to take the exam again.
The teacher encouraged the students to ask questions.

EXPLAIN

Explain + (that) + clause
The teacher explained that the course was finished.

Explain + noun + to + someone
She explained the grammar to the students. (NOT: She explained me the grammar)

Explain + question word + to + infinitive
They explained how to buy a train ticket on the internet.
John explained where to find the restaurant.

Explain + question word + clause
We explained what the exams would cover.

INSIST

Insist + on + verb-ing
He insisted on paying.

Insist + (that) + clause
He insisted that we sit down.

PROMISE

Promise + to + infinitive
He promised to arrive early.

Promise + (someone) + (that) + clause
I promised him that I wouldn't do it again.

RECOMMEND

Recommend + verb-ing
I recommend visiting the British Museum while you're in London.

Recommend + (that) + clause
I recommend that you visit the British Museum

REMIND

Remind + someone + to + infinitive
She reminded him to take his keys.

Remind + someone + (that) + clause
They reminded me that there is a party tonight.

SUGGEST
Suggest + verb-ing
I suggest leaving soon

Suggest + (that) + clause
I suggest that you come as soon as you can. (NOT: I suggest him to come)

WARN

Warn + someone + (not) + to + infinitive
I warned them not to go in the water.

Warn + someone + about + something
She warned us about the dangerous roads.


Negatives
To make the verbs that we have reported negative, we need to look at the verb pattern:

When there's a clause, we make the negative in the usual way: She said that she didn't like ice cream.
When there's 'to + infinitive', we generally put 'not' before 'to': He promised not to do it again.
When there's 'verb-ing', we generally put 'not' in front of it: I advise not taking the bus.

EXERCISE 1

EXERCISE 2

EXERCISE 3

EXERCISE 4

EXERCISE 5