Friday, 9 June 2017

Writing Exam: Common Errors


Image result for error correction cartoon

Below are twenty sentences, each containing at least one common error found in responses to the recent writing exam.

Copy and past the the sentences into a Word document and correct the errors. Each has one error, except for two (which have (2) at the end of the sentence, denoting two errors).


1.       It is really important to learn about a place that you visit – especially it’s culture.
2.       I decided this destination because I thought it would be a great place to visit.
3.       If you’ve ever wondered how would it be to spend your summer in Britain…
4.       My daily routine consisted on going to school and hanging out with friends.
5.       Wether I liked these changes or not isn’t important.
6.       I definetely recommend this place to you.
7.       The two first weeks were a bit strange because I didn’t know no one. (2)
8.       I would describe myself as tan and with brown hair.
9.       There was just one inconvenient: it was raining.
10.   So, would I recommend you this experience? Yes, of course.
11.   The moment I set foot on Scotland, all I could think about was…
12.   Most of you know this, because I spoke about it on an older post.
13.   I learnt that there is a lot more black population than I ever expected.
14.   Lots of people visit UK every year; however, how much of them can say that they… (2)
15.   In my personal experience I can say it’s a great place to visit.
16.   But, for my surprise, it wasn’t like that.
17.   Our culture has been preserved since a long time.
18.   I decided to change completely my summer and have a real adventure.
19.   The amount of people walking on the same direction surprised me.
20.   I felt as a TV star when I walked along the street.

Term Three Exam: Further Information

Image result for exam cartoon



               Writing - Criterion C

Consolidate your understanding of these key grammar points in order to be as prepared as possible for the exam on Monday:

                      Grammar (further practice):
2)      Reported Speech                                    Reported Speech Questions 1
                                                                Reported Speech Questions 2
                                                                Reported Speech Questions 3
                                                                Mixed Reported Speech
                                                                Mixed Reported Speech 2

3)      Phrasal Verbs

4)      Passive Voice with Past Participles          Active to passive
                                                                Passive or active?
                                                                Passive to active

5) You'll also need to accurately use a variety of tenses in your writing. Test your knowledge by working through the exercises via the following link: Grammar: English Tenses


Reading - Criterion B (67%)

Revise by reading as much as you can in English (Library books, News websites – BBC, The Guardian, Football blogs, etc) The more exposed you are to vocab, structures, English in general the more your English will gradually improve.

Monday, 5 June 2017

Term Three Exam: Content

Image result for exam cartoon

Vocabulary:
  1. Language Learning
  2. Internet and New Technology
  3. Purple Hibiscus Chapter 1 – 6
  4. Multilingual Identity
Grammar:
  1. Make, Do, Get Collocations
  2. Reported Speech
  3. Advanced Reporting Verbs
  4. Irregular Past Participles
  5. Passive Voice ( active – Passive   and   Passive – active)
Writing Styles:
  1. Speech
  2. Transcript Interview
  3. Essay
  4. Leaflet
  5. Blog

Active to Passive

When converting a sentence from active to passive, follow these steps:
  1. Find the verb string (and underline or highlight it if necessary).
  2. Convert the final, or main, verb into its past participle form.
  3. Add a form of the verb 'to be' before the main verb. (The form of this verb will depend on the tense of the verb string. For example, a sentence in the continuous tense will need 'being' inserted before the main verb, while a sentence in the perfect tense will need 'been' added.)
  4. The remainder of the verb string stays the same, and in the same order as it was in the equivalent active sentence.
If you follow these simple rules you shouldn't have any problems with active-passive (or passive-active) questions in the exam.
Simple present
I eat it
It is eaten (by me)
Simple past
I ate it
It was eaten (by me)
Present perfect
I have eaten it
It has been eaten (by me)
Past perfect
I had eaten it
It had been eaten (by me)
Present continuous
I am eating it
It is being eaten (by me)
Past continuous
I was eating it
It was being eaten (by me)
Present perfect continuous
I have been eating it
It has been being eaten (by me)
Past perfect continuous
I had been eating it
It had been being eaten (by me)

Complete Irregular Verbs List

This list contains all the irregular verbs in the English language:

arisearosearisen
awakeawokeawoken
bewas/werebeen
bearboreborn(e)
beatbeatbeaten
becomebecamebecome
beginbeganbegun
bendbentbent
betbetbet
bindboundbound
bitebitbitten
bleedbledbled
blowblewblown
breakbrokebroken
breedbredbred
bringbroughtbrought
broadcastbroadcastbroadcast
buildbuiltbuilt
burnburnt/burnedburnt/burned
burstburstburst
buyboughtbought
cancould… (been able)
catchcaughtcaught
choosechosechosen
clingclungclung
comecamecome
costcostcost
creepcreptcrept
cutcutcut
dealdealtdealt
digdugdug
dodiddone
drawdrewdrawn
dreamdreamt/dreameddreamt/dreamed
drinkdrankdrunk
drivedrovedriven
eatateeaten
fallfellfallen
feedfedfed
feelfeltfelt
fightfoughtfought
findfoundfound
flyflewflown
forbidforbadeforbidden
forgetforgotforgotten
forgiveforgaveforgiven
freezefrozefrozen
getgotgot
givegavegiven
gowentgone
grindgroundground
growgrewgrown
hanghunghung
havehadhad
hearheardheard
hidehidhidden
hithithit
holdheldheld
hurthurthurt
keepkeptkept
kneelkneltknelt
knowknewknown
laylaidlaid
leadledled
leanleant/leanedleant/leaned
learnlearnt/learnedlearnt/learned
leaveleftleft
lentlentlent
lie (in bed)laylain
lie (to not tell the truth)liedlied
lightlit/lightedlit/lighted
loselostlost
makemademade
maymight
meanmeantmeant
meetmetmet
mowmowedmown/mowed
musthad to
overtakeovertookovertaken
paypaidpaid
putputput
readreadread
rideroderidden
ringrangrung
riseroserisen
runranrun
sawsawedsawn/sawed
saysaidsaid
seesawseen
sellsoldsold
sendsentsent
setsetset
sewsewedsewn/sewed
shakeshookshaken
shallshould
shedshedshed
shineshoneshone
shootshotshot
showshowedshown
shrinkshrankshrunk
shutshutshut
singsangsung
sinksanksunk
sitsatsat
sleepsleptslept
slideslidslid
smellsmeltsmelt
sowsowedsown/sowed
speakspokespoken
spellspelt/spelledspelt/spelled
spendspentspent
spillspilt/spilledspilt/spilled
spitspatspat
spreadspreadspread
standstoodstood
stealstolestolen
stickstuckstuck
stingstungstung
stinkstankstunk
strikestruckstruck
swearsworesworn
sweepsweptswept
swellswelledswollen/swelled
swimswamswum
swingswungswung
taketooktaken
teachtaughttaught
teartoretorn
telltoldtold
thinkthoughtthought
throwthrewthrown
understandunderstoodunderstood
wakewokewoken
wearworeworn
weepweptwept
willwould
winwonwon
windwoundwound
writewrotewritten

Monday, 15 May 2017

Writing a Blog

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  • Choose one of the two blog post topics below. Once you have chosen one, you should write a brief blog post (about 200 words) independently. Follow the blog writing checklist to ensure you are including as many typical features of a blog post as possible.
  • Once you have finished, swap your post with your partner's.
  • Aim correct any technical errors in your partner's post, as well as going through the blog writing checklist and deciding which of the typical features your partner has or hasn't included.
  • A well as this, you should highlight/underline anything that you particularly like about their post. 
  • Finally: Any which is theirs better than yours? And how is yours better than theirs? Make a note of any opinions on these questions underneath their blog post.
Option One: What is life like in Seville?
Option Two: How important is it to be rich?

Crit C 33% Writing Exam

Image result for blog writing

You will be doing a WRITING exam (Crit C 33%), in which you will have two options: EITHER a brochure OR a blog.


Features/ Characteristics of a blog
•A title, perhaps quirky, witty – like an article title
•A mixture of formal/informal language
• First person narration
•Reference to frequency of blogging – “As we saw in yesterday's post/ As you regualr readers know …”
Personal thoughts/opinions/feelings about a stimulus/topic
•Invitation for your reader’s to comment on your post
•Reference to reader/engage reader - through direct address, a lively and interesting style
•A blog is a 'public statement‘ so ideas need to be organised to show some evident + consistent purpose - use paragraphing and cohesive devices to structure your ideas appropriately
Now: Using the above examples, select, and write down, fifteen key phrases and 
structures you could use in your own blog writing.

Friday, 28 April 2017

Feria Homework and Exam Dates

Homework tasks:

1. Complete the following reading exercises in your blue student´s books:

P15 - Ex 1

P18 - Ex 1 and 2

P64-5 - Ex 2, 3, 4, 5

We will do a 33% Criterion B IB reading exam on Friday 12th May after Feria and the above exercises will help you to prepare for this.

We also need to do a 33% Criterion C writing exam. This will done on19th May (provisionally). I will give more details on this after Feria.

Thursday, 20 April 2017

Criterion A 33% Speaking Assessment: Rites of Passage Monologue

Image result for rites of passage
       You will have to write a monologue about the theme of RITES OF PASSAGE.
-          Discussion of the importance/ non-importance  of final high school examinations.
-          Why do we have such pressures on us as 17/18 year old students?
-          What adds to our anxieties?
-          How can we best cope with these problems?
-          Attack or defend?
       Your classmates, teachers and parents are your audience.
       You can bring notes with a maximum of 5 short bullet points – these will be checked.
       It will take place in front of the class.
       You will receive 2x 33% Crit A grades – 1 for ‘grammar’ 1 for ‘ideas’ (more information to follow).
       Your monologue must last for a minimum of 3 minutes and a maximum of 4 minutes. If you fail to stick to this timing, you will lose marks. 

Monday, 17 April 2017

Creating your own Brochure

Image result for travel brochure

Using  the website  below, and a number of the phrases you found whilst looking at other travel guides, create a brochure about your own home city.

Monday, 3 April 2017

Writing Skills for Term Three

BROCHURE / PAMPHLET / LEAFLET / FLYER / ADVERTISEMENT


For more ideas on the language, style, tone of a brochure/pamphlet/ leaflet use these websites:

Visit Manchester!

London - The Capital City

      •What all of these formats have in common is that they are concerned with giving information quickly and concisely. The emphasis of one of these writing genres may be on informing (e.g a health leaflet) or on promoting (e.g. a publicity brochure).

Basic Format
Main heading (informing), or eye-catching slogan (promoting)
Use of manageable multiple sections : identified by bullet points, lines, stars, numbers in order to highlight key information
- Subheadings : used to show the steps/stages of the argument
- Succinct explanation : individual concepts / ideas are presented clearly and quickly
Background information : e.g. 'Contact us' + phone number / email

Approach
Ø'address' - you must directly address the target audience
Ø´promotional language' – usually, these text types are all encouraging, they encourage the target audience to agree with what is being presented, to 'buy theidea‘ – use STYLE and RHETORICAL DEVICES to achieve this effect 
ØClear step-by-step overall argument : individual points are linked together into a convincing sequence of ideas

Organising an event
Join use in our celebration of …
Come and join in …
(Place) will come alive with our event …
Everyone can take part/participate in …
The council in partnership with the citizens will put on an event.
You must join forces with us …
This issue is glaringly important because
How to get involvedWelljust contact us on 
Stand up for your rights with us …
How to learn more about …
We won´t back down.
Have you ever thought about ….?
Get in touch with us by …
Come along and …
Get informed .. Keep reading
Go to our website for more information

Advertising
___ is a revolutionary new product on the market
____ offers a new modelway of thinking about …
Move over …., make way for ..
This products offerspromotesrepresentsfostersenhances …
______ offeres the unique opportunity to …
Not only will this product do … but it will also …

Use rhetorical devices
-List of three
-Rhetorical questions
-Lots of personal pronouns
-Metaphor/personification
-Some facts to strengthen argument