Happy Halloween

Did you have a good Halloween?  What did you do?

http://www.elcivics.com/halloween.html

Peanuts "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" on youtube

Another Place for Student Posts -- May be better for photos

I'm starting to make a wiki so that students can add to and edit our class webpages.  I also think I can organize grammar more logically on a wiki than a blog, but the wiki requires email addresses and a logon code.  The code for Easyesol.wikispaces.com  is MNJQX97,  If you can link your photos or picassa albums to pages on the Wiki, I'd like that!

Controversial Issues

Political Quiz 
This links to the quiz I used in class.  I don't know who made it, but if you take it, the results go to the quiz maker people, not me.  I won't see anything you do on it.

Today, I tried to give morning class students some vocabulary to talk about politics and controversial issues.  We voted in a mock (pretend) election.

voting photos from around the world

If you took the quiz, did you get the results you expected?  What issues do you like to talk about?

Morning Class Field Trip on Wednesday. Don't forget to bring $6.00!!

The Lee family was very important in US history.

This song from a musical called "1776" is fast and fun.  I'm sorry I can't make you subtitles.

The same song from the movie version...

Did you enjoy the field trip?  What did you like?  What did you learn?  Did you talk?  Did you find all your objects?

Romantic Song for the future: "I will be here"

Tell me about a time when you felt happy that someone was with you.

How did you know?

Today morning class practiced past tense.  We practiced using the base form for questions and negative statements.  We also practiced listening.  We discussed car trips.

Never write there's was.  Write "there was."

Please write about a really good car trip.  Where did you go?  What did you see?  Why was it fun?

Where are the best destinations for a car trip from this area?

This Old Guitar

Can you recognize the irregular past tense verbs?  What are they?  Do you want to practice irregular past tense verbs?  There's a quizlet set under "vocabulary" labeled 80 Irregular Verbs.  

Do you already know all of these irregular verbs?  

My Love

This song was recommended by Yun Hee.  Do you know it?  What do you think about when you listen to this song?

We say "gonna" when we ought to write "going to"

wanna = want to

oughta= ought to=visualized ideal (best in my mind)  Everyone ought to use the blog!

Review, expansion, and practice with "going to"

What are you going to do tonight?
What are you going to do tomorrow?
What are you going to do this weekend?
Are you going to celebrate Halloween on Oct. 31?
Where are you going to go the next time you travel?
What are you going to do next summer?

Like a bridge over troubled water

Using will --explanation, practice, and examples


What do you think you'll do after you have excellent English?

I don't want to be anything other than....

Is this song too fast or confusing?  Do you think the song writer is really egotistical or sensible?  Do you think many people want to pretend they are someone different?

Leaving on a jet plane

Review, expansion, and practice with present continuous (present progressive)

Do you like to travel by plane?  How often do you travel by plane?  As a child, I traveled a lot, but as an adult, I don't.  I flew to Florida last winter, and I enjoyed it.

The Rose

Try to focus on the ENGLISH lyrics.  I really don't know if the spanish is a correct translation.

We miss our Colombian women!!

Today the morning class talked a lot and started unit 2 in Ventures. (p. 18-20)  We had a small class today because our Colombian students had to go to a party.  Please tell us about it!!  What are you wearing?  What are you eating?  Are you having fun?

I hope you know

Because of you...

Is this song too angry and depressing?  Who do you think the "you" is?  What do you think is the story that inspired the song?

Songs to practice the simple present

What a Wonderful World!

The pictures are pretty, but they don't exactly match the song.  The flower when he sings "rose" isn't a rose.

Can you spot any non-action verbs?  Please comment and tell me what they are.
Non-action "stative" verb explanation and practice

What do you like to look at?  What makes you happy?

What should I study?

• Starred items on Quizlet Morning Vocabulary
• 
  
• Ventures 2 Unit 1
• 
  
• Adjective Order  Adjective Order Post in this blog
• 
  
• Using do (I,you,we,they) or does (he,she, it) with simple present--ECE english.com Do or Does a4esl do, does, or did-- check your answers
• 
  
• Present vs. Present Continuous (see next post)

to be+____ing or not to be+ ____ing?

Use be+ ______ing (present continuous/present progressive) for RIGHT NOW. 

• What are they doing?
• They are acting.  Heber is hugging someone.  Soyeun is dancing.  Maria Nelly is laughing.

We also use be+___ing for a future we feel certain about.  I'm driving home after class.  We're taking a quiz tomorrow.

Examples, explanations, and practice quizzes for present continuous=present progressive

We use simple present (ING) for

• facts--things that are true
• routines -- things we do every day, every week, every morning.  Every weekday, we drink coffee, talk to each other, and use the restroom at break time.
• with frequency adverbs like always, never, sometimes, usually, often, seldom or rarely.More explanation and practice with frequency adverbs
• non-action verbs like need, want, like, have, see, and hear  More explanations and practice with non-action verbs

More examples and explanations of simple present



BBC Grammar Challenge-- right or wrong?

simple present vs. present continuous quiz from esl blues

Plurals

We practiced pronouncing child/children, man/men, woman/women in class.

We practice pronouncing s like ssssss, zzzzz, and ez.

More Information and Practice with Plurals

Quizlet practice with Irregular Plurals

When you get many of the same thing, you have a collection.

Does the singer have a good reason to break up with his girlfriend?
Do you like the same music as your husband/wife/girlfriend/boyfriend?

Do you collect anything? What do you have a lot of?

Present vs. Present Continuous

Side by Side-- present vs. present continuous

Right Now

What are you wearing right now?  What are you doing?

Clothes

Press the link to see the video

Video--this and that

Describing hair and clothes using adjective order

When we describe clothes, we always use the order: opinion size, color, pattern.

• a large red skirt
• a beautiful blue blouse
• a black and white striped jacket
• ugly baggy gray pants

red large skirt

When we describe hair, we always use the order:  length, type, color

• long, blonde hair
• short curly hair
• wavy brown hair

blonde, long hair

Review and Expansion on Adjective Order

Do you like to shop for clothes?  What do your favorite clothes look like?  What does your hair look like?

What do you like to wear? Tell me about yourself..

We practiced saying and writing descriptions of people and clothes.

Clothing Quiz

  Here's a video about a man that is shopping for clothes.

Please make a comment and tell me about yourself.   Do you have a favorite outfit?  What do you like to wear?  Do you like to go shopping?  Where do you shop for clothes?

Eid Mubarak

This weekend Muslim people celebrate Eid al-Adhe, the festival of sacrifice, one of the most important holidays in their calendar.  It commemorates the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son (Ishmael) at God's command, and the generosity of God in providing a lamb instead.   It's a time to get together with the whole family, eat delicious food, pray, donate food to the hungry, and give presents to children.

Sonia says that in Lebanon, they eat delicious food including eggplant and taboula.  Taboula is a special salad with tomatoes, parsley oil and lemon juice and special spices.

Leila says that in Tunisia, they eat couscous with vegetables, tomatoes, green peppers, carrots, parsley, olive oil, and meat.  It's very delicious.

Did you celebrate this weekend?  Where did you go?  What did you eat?

Religious People Pray for Peace

This weekend many people are praying for forgiveness and peace.  All of the "Abrahamic" religions--Judaism, Islam, and Christianity--celebrate this weekend.

Yom Kippur

Tonight starts a high holy day in the Jewish religion.  Many Jewish people fast and pray during this Day of Atonement.

Well, happy 5775...

On Yom Kippur, people blow a shofar, pray for forgiveness, and work to make their soul "bigger" by doing good things.

Christians celebrate the Feast of St. Francis and World Communion Day this weekend.

St. Francis is famous for many things including his prayer for peace:  Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

Did you do anything special this weekend?  What did you do?  Do you think world peace is possible?

Pronouns

A pronoun is a substitute for a noun -- I/me. you, he/him, she/her, we/us, they/them.

Pronouns -- Explanation and Practice

So she dances...

A glance when you look at something for just a second.

Do you like to dance?  How often do you dance?  Do you like to watch dancers?  How often do you see dancing?  

Have you ever liked someone, but felt too shy to talk to that person?

Always on My Mind

If something or someone is always on your mind, you are constantly thinking about that something or someone.  What's usually on your mind?  

Describing People

We've started describing people.

Practice adjectives (Describing words) at http://www.learningchocolate.com/content/appearance

Please describe someone you like a lot (and/or someone you don't like at all...)

Computer Lab

Make a comment.  Tell me about yourself.  Where are you from?  Do you have a big family?  What do you like to do?

Sign up for Quizlet so I can see your progress.  Don't pay any money.

Computer Vocabulary

Computer Vocabulary with more quizzes

Look at and practice with Ventures -------------------------------->

Song for a mom--"I often go walking"

Practicing "how often" and frequency adverbs

Frequency Adverbs videos and practice 

How often do you play sports?

How often do you travel?

How often do you go shopping?