Blog Posts - Get Ahead in English

Apostrophes

13/11/2015

In this post I'm going to explain when to use apostrophes, as a lot of my students have asked me about this.

Apostrophes can be used for possession.

If the noun is singular, the apostrophe is before the letter "s":
- David's car is blue.
- Rachel's brother is older than her.
- The school's facilities are brand new.

If the noun is plural, the apostrophe goes after the letter "s":
- The girls' room is upstairs. (There are 2 or more girls)
- My friends' flat is in the city centre. (2 of more of my friends live in the flat)
- My parents' garden is beautiful. (2 parents)

If the plural of the noun doesn't end in "s", the apostrophe goes before it:
- The children's toys are on the floor.
- The men's toilets are downstairs.
- Women's (ladies') clothes are sold here.

We also use apostrophes in contractions to show a missing letter:
- I don't like it.
- She's interested in history.
- He's been to London twice.

Remember that she's/he's can mean she/he has or she/he is, depending on the rest of the sentence. Likewise, the 'd contraction can be would or had.

Be careful with it's and its!

It's = it is. For example, it's a good idea to read the news in English to improve your vocabulary.
Its = possessive form of "it". For example, the company sources its products locally.

Any questions? Post them in the comments section below!

Home Sweet Home

16/9/2015

Welcome back to another school year! I hope you all had a great summer.

Today's blog post is all about the home. What kind of home do you live in? Are you in a flat/apartment, student halls, or a house? If you're in a house, is it terraced, semi-detached or detached?

What are the rooms in your home like? Most homes have at least one bedroom, a bathroom, kitchen, living room and dining room. Perhaps you have a balcony to enjoy the sunshine, or a garden where you grow flowers or vegetables.

If you're in a flat, it's important to note the difference between British and American English. In British English, we start with the ground floor, then first, second, etc. In American English, on the other hand, the first floor is the floor on the ground!

Some people are very interested in interior design and spend a long time choosing furniture, paint colours, etc. Picking the right frame for a photo or a nice rug to go in the middle of the living room can make a big difference!

If you share your home, do you get on well with your housemates/flatmates? Common causes of arguments are whose turn it is to do the washing-up, buy the milk, clean the bathroom or one person making too much noise.

Why not post a comment below describing your home now, or your ideal home?

a terraced house is one in a row of houses

a semi-detached house is joined to one other house

a detached house isn't joined to any other houses

interior design - designing the way the inside of a building looks

furniture - tables, chairs, cupboards, etc.

a frame - something to put a picture/photo in, which creates a border

a rug - a small carpet that covers part of the floor

a housemate - somebody you share a house with

a flatmate - somebody you share a flat with

an argument - an angry disagreement

Exam Tips

5/8/2015

With so many of my students preparing for exams at the moment, here are some general tips to get ready for your exam and help calm those nerves on the day itself!

First of all, make sure you know the exam you're preparing for. Is it the right level for you? You can take a look at this blog post for more advice about choosing the appropriate exam. Secondly, do you know what score you need? For example, if you're taking IELTS to be accepted to an English university, what have they asked you to get? Can you score lower in some areas and higher in others? Is there a minimum for each skill? Once you know this, make sure you understand the format of the exam and the time available for each section.

Now you're sure about the format of the exam, you can start preparing! There are a variety of resources available for all the major exams, including course books, specific vocabulary/grammar books and past papers. You should do several past exams before the real thing so you're comfortable with question types and timings, but should also do plenty of other activities to improve your grammar, writing, vocabulary etc. It's a good idea to practise the writing and speaking in particular with a teacher who can give you feedback. Your teacher can also give you guidance on the other parts of the exam. Together, you can assess which areas you need to work on. You should also read and listen to as much English as possible - not just exam material, but books, newspapers, TV, etc.

On the day of the exam itself, give yourself plenty of time to get to the exam (and double-check whether the speaking element is on the same day, as sometimes the oral exams are held before). Once you get to the venue, try to relax. Deep breaths and remember that you're there to show off your level of English! In the exam, read the questions carefully (even if you're familiar with past exams) and don't leave any questions blank. In the writing section, allow yourself time to plan before you start writing, and to check your writing at the end.

Good luck if you're taking an exam soon and please contact me here if I can help with your preparation!

Common mistakes part 2 corrected

12/6/2015

Here are the corrections to the common mistakes I posted last week. The original errors are in brackets, with the corrections in bold.

1. I can't come out tonight because I have too much (job) work.

Job is uncountable and refers to a specific profession. Work is uncountable and describes the general activity.

2. What (means) does this word mean?

This is an object question, so you need to use the auxiliary verb.

3. People in Manchester (is) are very friendly.

People are countable.

4. I felt so (tiring) tired when I got home last night.

Adjectives ending in -ed describe how you feel, those ending in -ing describe the things that make us feel that way.

5. Our plans for the weekend depend (of) on the weather.

To depend is followed by the preposition on.

6. (The parents of her boyfriend) Her boyfriend's parents are visiting next week.

Use the possessive apostrophe here.

7. I found all the information (in) on the Internet.

We find things on the Internet.

8. I don't have (many) much time this weekend.

Time is uncountable here.

9. Can you give me some informations about the course?

Information is uncountable.

10. His car is similar (than) to mine.

Similar to, bigger than, as big as.

Common mistakes part 2

4/6/2015

Here is a new list of common mistakes my students make. Can you correct them all? I'll post the answers next week...

1. I can't come out tonight because I have too much job.

2. What means this word?

3. People in Manchester is very friendly.

4. I felt so tiring when I got home last night.

5. Our plans for the weekend depend of the weather.

6. The parents of her boyfriend are visiting next week.

7. I found all the information in the Internet.

8. I don't have many time this weekend.

9. Can you give me some informations about the course?

10. His car is similar than mine.

Tongue twisters!

6/5/2015

Tongue twisters are a fun way to practise English pronunciation! In case you've never heard of them before, tongue twisters are short sentences that are difficult to say, usually because they contain similar sounds that are difficult to pronounce.

Here's an example:

                    She sells sea-shells on the sea-shore.
                    The shells she sells are sea-shells, I'm sure.
                    For if she sells sea-shells on the sea-shore
                    Then I'm sure she sells sea-shore shells.

This is great to practise the difference between a "s" and a "sh" sound.

How about this one:

                    Red lorry, yellow lorry, red lorry, yellow lorry.

Repeat it as many times and as fast as you can! Helps with "r" and "l" sounds.

Another popular tongue twister is:

                    Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
                    A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
                    If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,                                             where's the peck of pickled peppers that Peter Piper picked?

And finally:

                    Betty Botter had some butter,
                    "But," she said, "this butter's bitter.
                    If I bake this bitter butter,
                    It would make my batter bitter.
                    But a bit of better butter,
                    That would make my batter better."
                    So she bought a bit of butter –
                    Better than her bitter butter –
                    And she baked it in her batter;
                    And the batter was not bitter.
                    So 'twas better Betty Botter
                    Bought a bit of better butter.

This one helps with vowel sounds.

Don't worry if you find these difficult - I do too! You can find plenty more tongue twisters online. Here are just a couple of useful websites:

http://www.engvid.com/english-resource/50-tongue-twisters-improve-pronunciation/

http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/tongue-twisters

Did you enjoy these? Which one did you find the most difficult? Write your answer in the "comments" section below!

Learning English Online

31/3/2015

Since returning to the UK from Barcelona, I've continued lessons with quite a few of my students there via Skype. I've also started teaching students around the UK and in other countries online. In this post, I'm going to write about the advantages of taking English lessons online.

The main advantage of doing lessons online via Skype is that the student and teacher can be anywhere in the world. If this technology didn't exist, I wouldn't have been able to continue teaching my students in Barcelona.

In addition, it's very easy to use Skype. You can send and receive documents, write things down in the chat box, share screens and see each other as long as you have a webcam.

Lessons can take place from the comfort of your own home, office, a café if you're out and about, or anywhere else you like! If you have to travel for work or you're visiting friends somewhere and still want to take your lesson, no problem. You can use your desktop computer, laptop, tablet or mobile phone to connect.

Here is what some of my current Skype students say they like most about taking online lessons...

    Anna: "I think doing classes on Skype is comfortable. I can even be in my     pyjamas and take my class at the same time! And if one day I can't be at         home, I just have to take my laptop with me and do the class wherever I         am."

    Ramon: "The best thing about my Skype lessons is that I don't have to            worry about where I actually am at that precise moment: in my apartment     slumping on the sofa, stuck in my office pretending to work, or even on a     beach in Tahiti relaxing under a coconut tree... No matter how far-fetched     the last option is :)"

    Montse: "I'm really glad Skype has given me the chance to keep taking         English lessons with Julia, as they are the same as when she lived in                 Barcelona. When we speak on Skype it's as if she is here, and I also want     to highlight that the chat function is really helpful to share documents, do     spelling exercises, etc."

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I try a Skype lesson?

A: Yes. I offer a free 30 minute consultation before the first lesson. As well as using this to discuss your level and requirements, you can check that you feel happy using Skype to learn English.

Q: Can I take lessons with a friend?

A: Of course! See prices here.

Q: Does it feel strange talking to a computer?

A: I don't think so! You'll be able to see me on the webcam, so it's not that different to a face-to-face conversation.

Q: What happens if I have internet problems?

A: This is rare, and connection problems only usually last a few minutes at most. If you're having problems with your connection, let me know in advance and we can reschedule the lesson. If I have to cancel a lesson due to my internet problems, I won't charge you for it.

Q: Do you offer face-to-face lessons as well?

A: Yes. If you're in the Manchester area, you have the choice of doing lessons via Skype, face-to-face, or a mixture of both.

Q: How much is it?

A: See my price list. This includes materials, exercises and feedback. (Please note that if you're preparing for an exam or have very specific requirements, I may also ask you to buy a course book)

Q: How do I pay you?

A: If you're in the UK, you can pay me by bank transfer. Otherwise, I accept PayPal, which is free for you to use.

Q: Do I have to pay to use Skype?

A: No, it's free to use. If you don't already have Skype installed on your computer, you can download it here.

Q: What levels do you teach?

A: I teach all levels, from complete beginner to proficient and everything in between! I can also help you with your Business English or to prepare for a Cambridge exam, like FCE, CAE, CPE or IELTS.

For more information about English lessons, or to arrange a free 30-minute consultation (either on Skype or in the Manchester area), contact me here.

Preparing for IELTS

5/3/2015

Following on from my blog post about what the IELTS exam is, I've been asked how students can prepare for the exam. Obviously this depends a lot on their level and needs, but I'll share some advice below.

You need as much exposure to English as possible. For example, reading in English increases your vocabulary as well as introducing you to new grammatical structures. Most English newspapers have free websites, so why not choose an article every day? Try to guess the meaning of any words you don't know from the context, before checking in an English-English dictionary if necessary. You can also practise your listening by watching the BBC or videos on TED. Try to speak and write as much English as you can.

Of course, you also need specific exam resources and to practise your exam technique by doing past exam papers. You'll want to get feedback on your writing and speaking in particular, and this is where private lessons can really help. In a one-to-one setting, the lessons move at your pace, are tailored towards your needs and all the feedback is directed at you. A good private teacher can also help you hone your listening and reading skills, giving you lots of practice and helpful tips.

I offer a free 30-minute consultation before starting lessons, where you can explain your needs, strengths and weaknesses. This enables me to create a personalised learning plan for you, and I can recommend books, websites and other resources to help you get the IELTS score you need. Please get in touch here if I can help!

exposure - providing someone with the opportunity to experience new ideas, activities etc

tailored - made for a particular need

to hone - to improve a skill or talent

The IELTS exam

17/2/2015

I've had lots of enquiries about this recently, so here is the first blog post about it!

IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. There are two types of exam: Academic and General Training. You'll need to take the Academic exam if you want to study at undergraduate or postgraduate levels, or are looking for professional registration. The General Training exam is often a visa requirement for people who want to migrate to Australia, the UK, Canada or New Zealand, and is also for people who want to train or study below degree level.

The exam has four sections:

Listening - 30 minutes plus 10 minutes to transfer answers

The format in the listening test is the same for both Academic and General Training IELTS. There are 4 sections:

    1) A conversation between two people in an everyday social context

    2) A monologue set in an everyday social context

    3) Conversation between up to four people in an educational/training                 context

    4) A monologue on an academic subject

There are a variety of question types, such as multiple choice, sentence completion and diagram/map labelling. The questions are in the order of the recording, and the test becomes more difficult as it progresses. You can write your answers on the question paper while you're listening, and you will then have 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. You should be very careful with spelling!

Reading - 60 minutes

The Academic reading test contains 3 passages with a variety of questions including matching headings, sentence completion and short-answer questions. Texts are taken from books, journals, magazines and newspapers, and are intended to be of general interest to students at undergraduate or postgraduate level.

In the General Training reading test, there are three sections of increasing difficulty. Section 1 could contain two or three short texts, or several shorter texts. Section 2 has two texts and in Section 3, there is one long text. Section 1 deals with everyday topics, Section 2 is focussed on work and Section 3 contains a topic of general interest. As with the Academic test, there are a variety of question types.

You have to transfer your answers to the answer sheet within the 60 minutes.

Writing - 60 minutes

The Academic and General Training tests both have 2 writing questions, both of which must be completed within the time limit. In Task 1 of the Academic test, you will be asked to summarise some visual information in your own words. This could be a graph, table, chart or diagram and you need to write at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. In Task 2, you need to write an essay with a minimum of 250 words. You should do this in about 40 minutes.

Task 1 in the General Training exam asks you to write a letter of at least 150 words in about 20 minutes, while Task 2 is similar to the one in the Academic test.

Speaking - 11-14 minutes

The format of the speaking test is the same for both Academic and General Training, and takes the form of an interview between the candidate and one examiner. The speaking test has three sections:

    Part 1 - Introduction and interview: General questions on familiar             topics (4-5 minutes)
    Part 2 - Long turn: The examiner gives you a card with a topic which asks     you to talk about particular points. You have one minute to prepare, then     have to speak for 1-2 minutes.
    Part 3 - Discussion: You and the examiner discuss the topic from part 3     in more detail and in a more general and abstract way.

You can find out more about the structure of the exam, as well as lots more information about IELTS, here.

I have been teaching IELTS preparation classes for three years, and offer private lessons for both the Academic and General Training tests. Please contact me here for more information.

New starts

21/1/2015

Happy New Year! I hope you had a fantastic Christmas and that 2015 has started well for you.

Well, as you can see, Get Ahead in English has a new home close to Manchester! After a wonderful two years in Barcelona, I'm back in my native country and offering English lessons here.

We left Barcelona towards the end of December and there was a lot to organise before we did so! As we were flying back to the UK, we were quite limited in terms of the luggage we could take back with us. This meant that we gave a lot of old clothes and books to charity, so that hopefully someone else can make use of them. There was also all the red tape to negotiate, which of course required quite a lot of patience! The hardest thing, however, was saying "goodbye" to lots of friends and students. We preferred to think of it as a "see you soon" which made it a bit easier!

On the other hand, it's very nice to be living in the same country as our family and many of our friends. We've had lots of lovely reunions and it's been great to catch up with people we hadn't seen for a while.

If you're interested in English lessons in the Manchester area, or know someone who might be, please contact me here...

luggage = bags and suitcases that you take on a journey (luggage is an uncountable noun)

a charity = an organisation that helps people who are ill, poor or in need of support

red tape = official rules or processes that take a long time

a reunion = a social event for people who haven't seen each other for a long time

to catch up = to talk to someone you haven't seen for a long time