1stBACH: DEFINING AND NON-DEFINING CLAUSES, UNIT 7.

Dear students:

Last stretch of the school year, here we go! In this post, you will find the last grammar bit of this year since next unit will be a review of everything we´ve learnt so far.

The new GR topic is defining and non-defining clauses. Before we go deeper, I´d like you to recall relative pronouns from previous years:

Now, take a look at this summary chart. Before you read, keep in mind that this grammar chunk deals with ¨oraciones subordinadas¨, as we call them in Spanish. You will find here the most important details about both defining and non-defining clauses. Then, do not forget to choose a video to watch step-by-step explanations! 

BASIC MATERIAL
In order to learn about relative clauses it is essential to review relative pronouns, as we did at the beginning of this post. This video will first introduce relative pronouns, take a look! The content you need to watch starts at minute 6:52 from this video.

CHALLENGE MATERIAL
Take a look at this podcast from BBC English, it is very clear and it also gives you some examples to practice!

Dear classes:

So here is the new grammar for unit 6: The reported speech.

Please take a good look at the instructional videos and make sure that you understand, first of all, the basic concept of what direct and reported (indirect) speech are and how to change from one to the other. This first poster deals with modifying tenses when changing from direct to indirect speech (but make sure you understand when NOT to change them!):

*** The reason why some tenses (past perfect) or modals (should) have not been included in this chart is that they do not change. 

One important thing you need to keep in mind is that requests, commands and invitations will change in a different way... check it out in the videos. I am leaving here a brief visual support.

BASIC MATERIAL

CHALLENGE MATERIAL

PART I

PART II

PART III

PART IV

1stBACH_PASSIVE VOICE and INTRO TO CAUSATIVE

All right, another level: passive voice!

The passive voice is one of those structures that really makes a difference. Why? Well, it is used quite often, more than we use it in our native language. 

Thus, learning about the passive voice will broaden our English skills and improve our scope of abilities. 

Here is a visual aid to better understand the passive:

If you´d like to compare active verb tenses with passive ones, here´s another helpful pic:

Finally and before jumping into the ¨flipped classroom¨ videos, I´d like to introduce you to a special passive form: THE CAUSATIVE. This grammatical structure is broader than what we are going to learn in this unit, that is why I had to take the material right from our class book (although I always encourage you to go a step further! -find more info online if you'd like to ;D-):

BASIC MATERIAL:

CHALLENGE MATERIAL:

Passive (general explanation)

The causative form with let, make, have, get, help.

1stBACH_ Conditionals

Dear class:

Today we are introducing Conditional sentences. As you have seen, I always like to start by offering you a ¨visual aid¨ with grammar basics. There are four types of conditional sentences (conditional ZERO is missing in this image, but remember! clause 1 - present simple + clause 2 - present simple).

FOR NEXT WEEK, YOU WILL HAVE TO TURN IN A PROPER PAPER ABOUT CONDITIONALS AND ITS USE. Papers not showing that you worked the grammar well enough, will be taken as ¨not turned in¨. This includes papers by just copying the grammar from the workbook or not showing the USES and the FORM of these grammar structures. 

BASIC CONTENT

CHALLENGE CONTENT

ZERO CONDITIONAL

FIRST CONDITIONAL 

SECOND CONDITIONAL

THIRD CONDITIONAL 

Enjoy!

1stBACH_ MODALS AND MODAL PERFECTS

Good morning class!

This is Grammar lesson from unit 3, to round up this trimester: modal verbs. These verbs are called modals because they express modality; this is, they ADD MEANING to another verb: obligation, permission, possibility and ability.

For the notes that you must turn in next week, don´t forget to add both MODALS and MODAL PERFECTS along with their use. Thanks!

Before I go on with the grammar lesson, I´d like to give you a set of GOLDEN RULES to avoid those recurring mistakes:

BASIC GOLDEN RULES TO USE MODAL VERBS

- Modal verbs NEVER add an ´s´ in the 3rd person singular:
                  She MUSTS wear a dress for the party. 
- They don´t need auxiliaries to make negative sentences or questions:
                  Can we go with you? / You shouldn´t get so close to the edge. 
- We use an infinitive WITHOUT ´to´ after modal verbs (except with ´ought TO´):
                  They must TO arrive early / Could we TO go to the cinema tonight?


Below you can find a couple of charts that will help those ´visual´ learners. Don´t forget to identify the ´uses´ in each chart, as they explain when you will need them.

SIMPLE MODALS

PERFECT MODALS 

(they refer to past situations)

As always, I am also enclosing a couple of videos for you to digest grammar and come to class next day with your notes to start practicing and understanding by doing.

BASIC MATERIAL:
Simple Modals

Perfect Modals

CHALLENGE MATERIAL
This video is a very nice summary of modal verbs and their perfect forms. If you don´t remember modal verbs from previous years and you first need to review them, you might have to watch the `basic material` videos first.

And another clarifying video from BBC Learning English:

1stBACH: FUTURE PERFECT and FUTURE CONTINUOUS

Dear students,

Here, you will be able to learn about compound future tenses: future perfect and future continuous.

As always, there is an explanatory video, more challenging and with some extra information for you to widen your knowledge and then, other material for those students who need to strengthen their skills from the basis.

Please, watch the videos and take down notes. When you come to class, we will be working on exercises about this grammar topic. DON´T FORGET TO GIVE ME YOUR NOTES!


Here is a brief explanatory poster:

CHALLENGE MATERIAL

BASIC MATERIAL 

I am including one of the videos from last grammar post because they are quite clear. The explanations about Future perfect simple and Future continuous are at the end of the video (from minute 5:00 to minute 5:50).

ENJOY!

1stBACH_17/18: WRITING TRICKS

Dear Students,

Here you can find the Writing Skills presentations to help you cope with writing basics. Remember that these rules are not ¨set in stone¨, but they will help you create a well structured essay. 

SLIDE 1: Word order in a sentence.

SLIDE 2: Subject and verb agreement.

SLIDE 3: Adjective order. 

SLIDE 4: Linkers, classified by language function.