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What to Use Instead of Very

Not listed by me, but too precious not to share, don't you think?
Credits in the image.
Enjoy!

Hope you're eager to show off your exceptional vocabulary improvement!
Cheers!
Sabrina

Game of Thrones - Third Conditional Focus

# SPOILER ALERT #

#GAMEOFTHRONES

#GOT

     

Any Game of Thrones fans around? How satisfactory was the ending to you?

Personally, I felt quite disappointed. I mean, season 8 was clearly rushed and it did seem most characters wouldn't find proper closure anyway, but Bran on the Iron Throne, really? Jon exiled? Arya explorer? Frustration defines.

 

I can't help but wonder how things would've turned for each character in case they'd acted differently throughout the show. Take Daenerys, for instance. If she hadn't been blinded by power, she wouldn't have gone mad and burnt King's Landing to the ground. Jon wouldn't have had to kill her, wouldn't have been imprisoned by the Unsullied and sent back to the wall as punishment in the end! At least Ghost got him back, a well-deserved compensation for his everlasting loyalty.

 

Having taken a bit of it off my chest, I'd like to invite you to take a closer look at the structures I've used to indicate conditions for different character outcomes.

Was Danny blinded by power? 

YES!

As a result, she went mad and all the rest followed.

      

Now look:

The structure used is called the Third Conditional and it's used to refer to past situations that can be imagined differently - but never changed.

The Third Conditional is formed by:

 IF + PAST PERFECT ⇌ WOULD + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE

What about the other characters? Could their fates have been different? On what conditions? Leave your ideas in the comments!

And let's all hope George R. R. Martin finishes his saga in a fairer way. Looking forward. ❤

XXX

Sabrina

From baby bottles to boxed wine

Still having the comic strips of my post on baby care in mind, I happened to come across the concept of boxed wine. Have you ever heard of it?

Boxed wine was invented in Australia and is quite popular in some parts of the world. It consists basically of low-priced, high alcohol wine sold in cartons with no visible indication of the amount consumed. It is pretty much criticised for being a gulping wine rather than a sipping wine; that is, a drink you take large mouthfuls rapidly instead of savouring a small quantity at a time.

Bottled wines, on the other hand, tend to be more elegant as well as expensive. Since the bottle must be well-sealed, the liquid is better preserved, being therefore ideal for long-term storage.

Note the pun!
Keep things bottled up = keep emotions or impulses contained.

What about you? Do you drink wine? How often do you drink it? Have you ever tried boxed wine? Do you prefer boxed wine or bottled wine? Tell us about it in the comments below!

XXX
S.

Newborn

Guess what!

I've had a baby!

I mean, there's been a year and five months already, LOL, but it seems it was just yesterday that my little one was born. There's so much I've learned - and so much still to. So, surfing the web for baby care tips, I ended up having a laugh with a couple of comic strips I bumped into. Yep! Somebody who had been in my shoes felt just the same!

Time to go night-night!
Hope you've had a laugh. ;-)
XXX

P.S.: To check out other strips, click here.

Notice to all students

To my dear students.
XXX
S.

Word Formation

Have you ever considered how important and useful word formation is? Affixes, that is, prefixes and suffixes, completely change the meaning of words. The prefixes -UN, -IM, and -IN, for instance, mean "not; the opposite of". Look at the examples below:

Got the idea?
By considering affixes, you can easily grasp the meaning of words that are new to you, which  means you can avoid endless dictionary searches as well as recurrent visits to those infamous translators (yep, I know you do it! :-P ).

Now, have fun with the cartoons below!

What about you? Which other examples can you think of?

XXX

Sabrina

Idioms about books...

Just a little something to help improve your vocab.

Thanks to Macmillan Dictionary. Check it out to be in your teacher's good books. ;-)
See ya!
S.

150 Years Down the Rabbit Hole

My relationship with Alice and her fantastic adventures dates back to my very early childhood years. Since then, I've been fascinated by the character's lightheartedness and curiosity, as well as by the world of sensory experiences she goes through the moment she decides to follow the rabbit down the hole.

This year, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland celebrates its 150th anniversary, inspiring events all over the globe and tributes of all kinds. I cannot miss the opportunity of taking part in the celebrations myself, which is why I've decided to share my favourite quotes from the book with you. Enjoy!

"There's hardly enough of me left to make one respectable person!"

Alice

"Curiouser and curiouser!"

Alice

"I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then."

Alice

"Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle!"

Alice

"I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, sir, because I'm not myself, you see."

Alice 

"If everybody minded their own business, the world would go round a deal faster than it does."

The Duchess

"We're all mad here."

The Cheshire Cat

"Why is a raven like a writing-desk?"

The Mad Hatter

"You're nothing but a pack of cards!"

Alice

 

“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

The White Queen

"Off with her head!"

The Queen of Hearts 

What about you? Have you got any favourite quotes from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland? Have you got any favourite quotes from any other book you like? Please leave your contributions in the comments below!

Cheers!

S.

P.S.: Take a quiz to know which Alice in Wonderland character you are! Click here.

        Click here for a list of what to visit and do in London to celebrate the book's anniversary and here for a list of events happening all around Britain.

Dropping the very...

Sick and tired of using very? Why not drop it, then? Extreme adjectives are there for a reason. Here are some suggestions of what you can use instead.

Very useful, uh, I mean, invaluable, isn't it? ;-)
Thanks to Teresa Gomes de Carvalho, fellow teacher and researcher!
XXX
Sabrina

Post Carnival Hangover? We can work it out!

Hi, every1!

Still in the mood for revelling or have you had enough of Carnival? Feeling a bit hungover, maybe? Had too many caipirinhas to drink?

If that's the case, here are some tips for you. : )

1. Forget coffee.
    Some believe otherwise but, according to nutritionists, coffee is too fatty; therefore, it may increase headache and nausea. What specialists say is important is HYDRATION.

2. Hydration
    Well, that's where my quest began. After searching the entire web and bumping into stuff that, just by the looks of it, made me feel even sicker, I came across a perfectly drinkable juice recipe. Funny thing is, my mom used to make it when I was a kid! We lived on the coast most of my childhood and traveled a lot; mom and dad have always had a thing for sun, sand and sea, which means that, as a kid, I had to tag along. : /

Anyway, that's another story. What I mean is...

3. The juice
    The juice does taste good and truly hydrates, not to mention it boosts your suntan. So, I've decided to share it with you guys and maybe spare you from the awful side effects of alcohol.

Here it goes:

 

1 carrot - small and raw

1/2 beetroot

1/2 litre orange juice - no water!

1 litre iced coconut water

All you have to do is mix everything in a blender and drink it cold. : )

Let me know how it worked for you.

Feel free to share in case you consider this useful.

Cheers!

S.

P.S.: In case you wanna take a look at previous years' posts on Carnival, you may click here and here. 

Taking a Break

Hi there, everyone!

So, 2013 has started and most of us have probably made our resolutions. I have once again promised to engage in some kind of physical activity, lose weight, go back to my yoga and spiritual practices... We plan so many things that we hardly ever have the soul to keep up with everything.

Something that is extremely important - and that we never include in our daily agendas - is TAKING A BREAK.

Breaks are as important as any other appointment, not only because they allow us to unwind but also because our minds need time to let stuff sink in. Yeah, I know, everyday life demands a lot from us; we're always in a hurry. But this may drive us mad if we don't stop and breathe once in while (believe me, I know what I'm talking about).

It so happens that I came across a great chart on things that may help us relax. Most are simple and easy to put into practice; I thought I could share it with you guys. Here it goes:

So, which ones do you like most? Do you think you could try some of them and share your experiences here?

Hope they help.

Have a great new year!!!

XXX

S.

Awesome Sentence

OMG! What do you think? Did the guy write that intentionally?

XXX

S.

 

Do x Make

Hi, everyone!

Many English language learners feel uncomfortable and unsure as to the use of DO or MAKE. The classical explanation is that we use DO when we talk about activities and MAKE when we refer to creating something. But let's face it - that's quite vague!

Anyway, I came across this guide while surfing the web and I guess it may be of help to many learners.
There it goes!

So, DO ME A FAVOUR and MAKE A COMMENT on this post! ;-)

XXX

Have Fun with Spelling

Triple A Delight: Acting, Art and Alan Rickman.

You don't need to be a nerd or so - ok, maybe you do - in order to associate acting with art. The thing is, when it comes to Alan Rickman, we're looking at acting with a capital A.

The actor was part of a recent project called Portraits in Dramatic Time, by artist David Michalek. It consists of an ultra-high speed dramatic narrative video transformed into a hyper-slow-motion one, making it possible for the viewer to contemplate a physical metaphor for each emotional condition meant or not. Absolutely brilliant and worth every second!

Click here to check it out!

Oh! Remember to leave a comment. You could mention some of the stuff that came to your mind while watching. I'm leaving mine below as well, 'cause I don't want to spoil your experience by misleading you into mine. ;-)

Hope you like it!

P.S.: Interested in learning more about the project? Click here.
        Special thanks to my friend Denise, who shared this delightful piece of art. Who says Facebook is just a bunch of crap?

Vanity and Doom

I believe you are all acquainted with the story of Snow White and her wicked stepmother. But are you with Dorian Gray's, Oscar Wilde's masterpiece? Here's a poem to arouse your curiosity.

Vanity and Doom

"Mirror mirror on the wall
 Who's the fairest of them all?"
"You are full fair, queen, 'tis true
  But Snow White is fairer than you."

"How dare she?" - cried the queen
 Not hiding her anger within
"Bring me her heart bloody, still beating
  For I shall feast upon it willingly"

"Fair she is, but so's she doomed
 Soon her beauty will be ruined
 Time's no gentleman, spares no one
 So, compared to you, there'll be none"

"Mirror mirror, you are cunning!
 Likewise, my charm is waning"
"There's a way to make it last
  But 'tis costly" - warned the glass

"Tell me then, without delay
 For that any price I shall pay"
"You shall have your portrait made
  Unlike you, the picture will fade"

"'Tis so simple" - the queen was in awe
"Fetch me a painter who shall trace no flaw
 Preserved my complexion will forever be
 And nevermore there'll be someone fairer than me"

So, the queen had the same fate Dorian Gray did. Period.

What's the connection between Snow White's queen and Dorian Gray?
Are you a vain person? Can vanity be harmful? How so?
I'd really appreciate comments on this post. Best answer will get a prize.

XXX
S.

Ghoti = ?

I remember a professor joking about these phonemes when I was at college. It's come back to me now, so I thought of sharing the joke with you. Have fun!

XXX.
S.

All Rio All Win??? WTF???

Look, guys, it's not my intention to arouse your curiosity about how old I am, LOL, but I've been teaching English for some time now and was absolutely unable to understand the supposed-to-be clever slogan printed in this celebrative Fluminense T-shirt. Can anybody please try and explain? I can't help but think my English is outdated. Thanks for the help! ;-)

Careful with Vocabulary!

Can you identify the problems? One prize for each accurate answer. Go for it!!!

XXX