Nat King Cole makes your English more poetic

Listen to the song and fill in the gaps:

The ......... leaves drift by my window
The ......... leaves of red and gold
I see your lips, the ......... kisses
The .......... hand I used to hold

Since you went away the days grow ........
And soon I'll hear ......  ........... song   (2 adjectives are missing here:))
But I miss you most of all, my darling
When ............ leaves start to fall


Adjectives make your English more interesting and poetic. So, falling leaves, summer kiss, sunburnt hand, old winter song, autumn leaves are expressions you can hear in the song. The word "summer", "winter", "spring", "autumn" can be a noun and an adjective as well. You can say: I like summer or I like summer days. (letni, związany z latem).

Think of more expressions with the adjective: autumn.
Think of adjectives you can add to some other words from the song: window (what kind of window?), lips, days.

"Autmn leaves" by:

Diana Krall the song
Eric Clapton the song
Miles Davis the song
Barbra Streisand: the song

Word of the week

portaloo

pronunciation: 
meaning: toi-toi
example: A portaloo is a portable toilet.

All Saints' Day

Today, on November 1st, we think of those who are not among us anymore. In English it's called All Saints'  Day or the Day of the Dead. November 2nd is called All Souls' Day. What do we do that day?

We:
- go to church
- visit the graves
- place candles and flowers on graves
- pray for family members

A good small talker

How to be a good small talker? Watch the video and learn from our ancestors. Then think of what the small talk is about. How would you change the talk to make it more modern?

Back to school:)

"In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer quite the other way
I have to go to bed by day"
~Robert Louis Stevenson

I invite you all to the first class of English after the summer break. It's on 4th October 2012. One good thing about the end of summer is that we can finally meet again!:)

See you!

Mother's Day

In the US, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May (2012 - May 13th). In the UK, mothers are honored the fourth Sunday of Lent (2012 - March 18th), in Poland on May, 26th.

Mother's Eyes

by Mary D.B.Hull

What are the songs the mother sings? Of birds and flowers and pretty things; Baby lies in her arms and spies All his world in the mother's eyes. What are the tales the mother tells? Of gems and jewels and silver bells; Baby lies in her arms and spies All his wealth in the mother's eyes. What are the thoughts in the mother's mind? Of the gentle Saviour, loving and kind; Baby lies in her arms and spies All his heaven in the mother's eyes.

Constitution of May 3, 1791

The Constitution of May 3, 1791  was adopted as a "Government Act"  on that date by the Parliament of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Historian Norman Davies calls it "the first constitution of its type in Europe"; other scholars also refer to it as the world's second oldest constitution.

constitution - konstytucja
parliament - sejm
goverment act - ustawa rządowa
nobility - szlachta
commonwealth - związek, wspólnota
scholar - badacz, uczony
adopt - przyjąć

ZWM - local park - 2nd May,2012 - the Polish Constitution Day cavalry show; the quality of the picture can make you think the park goes down in history:)

Word of the week

learn vocabulary

lilac pronunciation: meaning: bez, kolor liliowy, lila

Prepositions of place

Watch this video English lesson to learn prepositions of place (przyimki miejsca).

Some of them you already know:

• on
• in
• above (higher than)
• behind (at the back of)
• round / around

Some of them are new:

• below (lower than) - pod, poniżej
• agaist (in contact with) - na, o
• beside (next to) - obok
• among (in a group) - pośród

The best way to learn grammar is to practise grammar a lot so look at the picture below and answer "Where" questions:

1. Where is the woman? She's  ................the chair, .................the trees.

2. Where is the table?  It's ............the floor, .......................the chairs.

3. Where is the tree?  It's .................. the garden, .......................the house.

4. Where are the chairs? They're ..........................the table.

5. Where are the mugs? They're .........................the table.

6. Where is the mobile phone? It's ..................................woman's hand.

7. Where's the window? It's ..........................the woman.

Something tells me this is the perfect moment to say: Hello, mum. Thanks for that picture! So good to have hi-tech mum:)

April Fool's Day

April Fool's Day or just Fool's Day is on 1st April both here and there. People play pranks (psikusy), jokes (kawały) or tricks (dowcipy) on their friends, family and neighbours. A fool is someone silly or stupid.

If you are not serious say:

•  "I'm just joking!"
•  "I'm only kidding!"
•  "I'm just fooling!"
•  "I'm only pulling your leg!"

Some popular pranks:

1. Get up early and change the clock in your house forward by an hour
2. Tell your teacher that his or her shoelace is untied
3. On the morning of April Fool's Day, go on Facebook and change your birthday to April 1st. Wait for all your friends to wish you a Happy Birthday
4. tell your husband when he wakes up, “Happy Anniversary!” 

Change the clock - summer time begins

In the UK and Poland people change their clocks and watches by one hour. Do the same with your watch!

Last Sunday in March (25th March, 2012)  - clocks go forward 1 hour and British Summer Time begins (BST).

Leon and Matilda teach Present Simple

Use Present Simple to talk about:

• your emotions and feelings (I like apples, I hate cats, I dislike TV, I am hungry)
• your likes and dislikes (I like learning English, I don't like Spain, I am interested in Art)
• your job and everyday routines (I get up at 7, I am a shop assistant)
• what you have and what you don't have (I have a dog, I don't have a computer) 
• what you want and what you don't want (I want coffee, I don't want a break)
• what you know and what you don't know (I know you, I don't know your dad)
• what you can and what you can't (I can sing, I can't dance)
• nature (The earth goes round the sun, Cows eat grass)

- Leon, all we do is work. We need a break.Let's play a game!
- What kind of game?
- I have this great game. It makes you think and it helps your memory. It's exactly what you need.
- OK.
- Who is it?
- I don't know. 
- OK.
- I don't know.
- Moustache?
- No....
- Gene Kelly?
- Good. Your turn now.
- OK, pilgrim!
- Clint Eastwood? I don't know. I give up.
- John Wayne.
- I was just about to say that. I swear. It's amazing. Leon, really, brilliant. Amazing.

Answer the questions. Use Present Simple:

1. What do they do all the time?
2. Do they often play games?
3. Why is the game great?
4. Does Leon know the anserws?
5. How many answers does he know?
6. Do you work too much?
7. What do you do to relax?
8. Do you like playing games?

Vocabulary:
all we do is work - ciągle tylko pracujemy
we need a break - potrzebujemy przerwy
let's play - zagrajmy
what kind of game - co to za gra (jakiego rodzaju)?
it makes you think - zmusza do myślenia
it helps your memory - pomaga w zapamiętywaniu (ćwiczy pamięć)
exactly - dokładnie
need - potrzebować
moustache - wąsy
your turn - twoja kolej
I give up - poddaję się
I was just about to say that - właśnie miałam to powiedzieć
I swear - przysięgam
It's brilliant - to kapitalne

Forrest Gump teaches "there is / there are"

Watch the first scene of "Forrest Gump" and write as many sentences with "there is, there are, there isn't, there aren't" as you can. Use "some" in positive sentences or "any" in negative ones.

Example: There is a feather in the air. There are some cars. There aren't any trains.

Answer the questions, please:

1. Where is Forrest?
2. What's next to him?
3. What does he have in his suitcase?
4. Do you like watching films? What kind of films do you like?


You can send me all of your answers: justynakiedos@op.pl

Vocabulary you may need:

action films - filmy akcji
cartoons - kreskówki
love stories - romanse
comedies - komedie
disaster movies - filmy katastroficzne
documentaries - filmy dokumentalne
dramas - dramaty
horrors - horrory
thrillers - filmy sensacyjne
westerns - westerny
soap operas - opery mydlane, telenowele
serials - seriale

There is / There are - exercise

Vocabulary you may need:

at the moment - teraz, w tej chwili

crisps - czipsy

article - artykuł

midnight - połnoc

bust stop - przystanek autobusowy

sandwich - kanapka

You can send me your answers: justynakiedos@op.pl

Word of the week (or more:))

narcissus - narcyz

snowdrop - przebiśnieg

tulip - tulipan

daffodil - żonkil

crocus - krokus

There is / There are

Konstrukcja there is / there are - describing a room

Look at the pictures of an old bedroom and a new one. How many differences can you see? Can you say what you see? Make sentences with  there is / isn't / there are / aren't.

Need more information about "to be" verb? Go to Present Simple 

Example: There is a bed and a chest of drawers, but there isn't a desk in the first picture. There are some toys in the boxes....


You may need some vocabulary:

chest of drawers - komoda
toy - zabawka
picture - obrazek, obraz, zdjęcie
chair - krzesło
desk - biurko
cupboard - szafka
bunk bed - łóżko piętrowe

Dates in English

Here is the video lesson about days, months and years in English:

Remember:

If you meet an Englishman on 05/04/2002, the meeting is on the fifth of April, 2002 and if you meet an American that day, the meeting is on the fourth of May, 2002. Easy to miss:)

For more English expressions go to: Miesiące, dni tygodnia, pory dnia

ogłoszenie

Kontakt: justynakiedos@op.pl

Word of the week

see view pronunciation: meaning: widok na morze example: I have a see-view hotel in Dubai.

 -------> http://antyweb.pl/to-nie-koniec-akcji-przeciw-acta-zbieramy-500-000-glosow-sprzeciwu/
-------->http://referendumacta.pl/
-------->http://www.petycjeonline.pl/petycja/nie-dla-acta-nie-zgadzam-na-podpisanie-umowy-miedzynarodowej/608

vocabulary to practise - IN A CLOTHES SHOP

Assistant: Are you all right?
Customer: Yeah, fine. I'm just looking at the jeans. Are these all you have?
Assistant: No. We have some more overe here. What colour are you after?
Customer: Blue or grey.
Assistant: And what size are you?
Customer: 32.
Assistant: We have these ones.
Customer: Oh, those are nice. How much are they?
Assistant: They're £ 59.95.
Customer: Do you have anything cheaper?
Assistant: What about these ones? They're black, ut I think they will suit you.
Customer: How much are they?
Assistant:  £ 39.95.
Customer: That's ok. Where can I try them on?
Assistant: The fitting rooms are just over there.
Customer: Thanks...Oh! These tops are nice - and only £ 5.95 each. Do you have a medium?
Assistant: Yeah. Here you are.
Assistant: How are they?
Customer: Yeah, they are fine. Very comfortable, and they go with these shoes.
Assistant: Yes, they do. How is the top?
Customer: Not so good. It doesn't fit. I'll just take the jeans.


go with - pasować kolorystycznie, stylowo, pod względem wzorów
suit - pasować pod kątem twarzowości (ktoś dobrze w czymś wygląda)
fit - pasować rozmiarowo

Vocabulary to practise - MONTHS

 

Vocabulary to practise - DESCRIBING THINGS

to buy:

hat - czapka, kapelusz
bag - torba
basket - koszyk
umbrella - parasol
glasses - okulary
bobble - pompon
high hat - cylinder

size and shapes:

round - okrągły
square - kwadratowy
oval - owalny
medium - średni
wide - szeroki
narrow - wąski


material:

made of cloth - zrobione z tkaniny
made of paper - zrobione z papieru
made of leather - zrobione ze skóry
made of glass - zrobione ze szkła

***
handle - rączka
ribbon - wstążka
feather - pióro
peak - daszek

vocabulary to practise - PATTERNS

PATTERNS:

 

spotted - w kropki

checked - w kratkę

flowery - w kwiaty

striped - w paski

patterned - wzorzysty

plain - gładki

Bonnie Tyler teaches about heroes and comparatives

If you want something you can say:

- I want

- I would like (I'd like)

- I need

What does Bonnie need? What does Bonnie want?

a white knight upon a fiery steed - biały rycerz na ognistym wierzchowcu (!)

a hero - bohater

And now we have two heroes to compare. Look at them:

strong fast fresh large sure good-looking happy powerful

weak slow dirty small unsure ugly sad powerless

Fill in the gaps. Use the adjectives in the brackets:

1. The hero on the left is .......................... than the weaker hero. (strong)

2. Number 2 is not as .............................. as number 1. (fast)

3. Bonnie doesn't want a ..................................hero. ( slow)

4. You can't be a hero if your granny is ............................................ than you. (powerful)

5. To fight the odds Bonnie needs a ...............................hero. (fast)

6. A ........................... hero makes Bonnie .......................... than the birds. (happy / happy)

And now let's listen. It can be interensting or maybe more interesting than interesting:)

Gender roles - comparing

Watch the video first and then do an exercise if you want of course:) Have fun! You can always send me your answers to check.

True or false? 1.  When they have a date men get ready much earlier but are still late.

2.  When a lady comes back home after work, she is busier than her husband.

3.  Women often fall asleep when they see a sentimental film.

4.  In a conversation men are more aggressive than women.

VOCABULARY: have a date - mieć randkę get ready - szykować się, przygotować się are still late - i tak się spóźniają fall asleep - zasypiać

Word of the week

taken from: creativecriminals

terrifying / more terrifying pronunciation: meaning:  przerażający, straszny example: A snake is terrifying, but the world without snakes is more terrifying. (WWF compaign)

Word of the week

taken from: http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/

cosy pronunciation: meaning: przytulny example: My house is very cosy for Christmas.

Comparatives - stopień wyższy przymiotników

Happier than the birds in the New Year? I hope you are. Here is an exercise for you. If you need some theory go to Grammar.

taken from http://www.esl-galaxy.com/

Now you can listen and check: pet shop - audio