Past Routines

 Unit 5

This unit we learned past routines (USED TO /WOULD/GET USED TO)

We use “used to” to express actions that were performed in the past and there aren't carried out any more. Also, is used only with static verbs.

Would is used to express actions that were performed in past solely. We have to use would with dynamic actions.

"Is used to" is used to express that someone or something is being familiar with an action.  

“Is getting used to” is used to express or explain the process which the thing or the person is being become accustomed of the recent situation. 

Examples:

When I was living near to the beach, I used to swim all the weekend with my friends.

When I was 15 I would play the guitar every Sunday with my brother and my cousin.

Maria is used to drink orange juice in the mornings.

Paul and Carmen are getting used to living in a foreign country.

After the explanation, the professor gave us to do the page 57 of the active book and for homework the she gave us some pages according with the topics that we had been learned. These homework helped us to strengthen the themes that the professor taught us.

Expressing degrees of ability

These are modal verbs that express the possibility to do a determinate action, with exception “be able”, because this can be conjugated in all verbal tenses.

Could is used for express a possibility to do something, but could as the same time is the past of can.

Examples:

She can drive at night.

They can run faster.

Antoine could be the champion of the match (a possibility to do something).

He could speak to you tomorrow.

Be able to…..

As I mention before we can use can (not), could (not) or be able to express ability.  But we must be careful in certain things:

 

Don’t use can for future ability when you are talking about things you learn. Use will be able to. (Focus on Grammar 3 2006, 2000, 1994 by Pearson Education, Inc.)

Don’t use could in affirmative statements for a single event in the past. Use was/were able to. (Focus on Grammar 3 2006, 2000, 1994 by Pearson Education, Inc.)

 Examples:                “be able to”

When I finished learning to cook, I’ll be able to make a banquet to my family.

I was able to dance in front of my school for a half hour. It was stressful to me. 

Negative form of     Can /Could

In negative form is necessary to add the word not for both cases. In the case of the words “Cannot”, the contraction is “Can't”. For “could not”, the contraction is “Couldn't”.

Examples:

I couldn't speak with my friend Eowyn before leaving.
He can’t eat nuts because he´s allergic.
Marc and Mary can´t go to the party because they have homework to do.
Can you go to the store with me? 

Unit 4

Unit 4

In this unit we learned about conditionals.
We use conditionals to make reference at result of some situation that probably could happen or could have happened. Therefore, conditionals can be used to make reference of situations in present, in past time and in future.

Example:

Zero conditional: If I have time, I go with you.

First conditional: If I have time, I will go with you.

Second conditional: If I had time, I would go with you.

Third conditional: If I’d had time, I would have gone with you.

Video 

 This video shows us some sentences in second conditional

Modals: Obligation

In English there are different types of modals of obligation (must, have to, have got to, should, ought to. These can be classified in two groups:

Must, have to, have got to: are used to express an obligation.

Should, ought to:  are used to express an advice or recommendation.

Structure

Affirmative 

 Subject + Modal verb + infinitive

 

Negative

Subject + Modal verb (not) + infinitive

I will show you some examples that we did in class. For this topic, the teacher asked us to made groups of three members to do sentences using modals of obligation.

These was the sentences that I did with my team.

Everything is better if we work together!

We must raise awareness about everything that happens around the world.

We have to get better every day, and our world will be better.

We should do something to fight starvation.

We shouldn’t forget that there are people who live in extreme poverty.

We aren’t supposed to be arms arms folded.  

What goes around comes around!

We did a dynamic activity with this part of grammar. For this, we had to make a group of 3 members.

These was the sentences that my team and I did.

This exercise that the teacher asked us to do in group helped us to improve our English because we had the opportunity to talk in English and exchange our ideas with group. Also we learned how to use modals of obligation.

Then we solved the chart of the page 49 in the active book.

Emphasis

Emphasis is used to stick out the importance of what is being said.

We can repeat words to emphasize.

Example: 

These song is very, very old.

Also, to emphasize, we have some words like (so, such, really and just) that we can add in the sentences.

Example:

This movie was so sad. I didn’t like it. 

 He was really surprised to see me.

 

Other way to emphasize is using this words (It is/was…which/that…)

I will show you an example to see the sentences with this method.

Example:

It was Matthew that arrived late to class.

Another way to emphasize is adding do in the sentences of a correct way.

Example:

Maria and Carla did stay in my house!