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New Students

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  Welcome Please write a short essay (250 words) on why you are studying English.  Include as many reasons as you can think of:     - Personal challenge     - Curiosity     - To gain knowledge and skills     - To review concepts you have studied previously     - Employment     - To access other learning opportunities English is Weird What is your Roman Empire? BLOG-POST   • Content that speculates, poses problems, raises questions, challenges, or informs  • Authentic, credible, and authoritative research  • Logical, coherent, cohesive, and focused structure  • Energetic, compelling, and concise style  • Correct grammar and punctuation

British English or American English

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  What's the difference? The British Council Have a listen Received Pronunciation (or the Queen's English) Received Pronunciation (or the King's English)

Harry Potter

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  Book 1  The Philosopher's Stone Book 2  The Chamber of Secrets Book 3  The Prisoner of Azkaban

Adverbs

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What are adverbs? Adverb: An adverb is a word or phrase that is used to modify a verb, adjective, or another adverb. Sometimes an adverb is used to modify a conjunction, preposition, or infinitive verb. Most (but not all) adverbs end in “ly”.    Adverbs answer the questions: how, when, where, how often, how much. Grammar Monster Explains Adverbs Adverbs of Frequency Comparative and Superlative Adjectives and Adverbs , an interactive worksheet by Nihad Nasser live worksheets.com Adverbs of Manner Adverb exercises

Conjunctions

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  Grammar Monster on Conjunctions Adverbial connectors Connectors with definitions in Spanish

Vocabulary

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  Adjective or Adverb Gerunds and Infinitives Definite and indefinite articles 50 most common words

Word Formation

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Word Formation Explained Word Formation In other words  

Modal Verbs

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  Modal verbs The modal verbs are:  can may must shall will could might should would We use modals to show if we believe something is  certain, possible or impossible : My keys  must  be in the car. It  might  rain tomorrow. That  can't  be Peter's coat. It's too small. We also use them to do things like talk about  ability ,  ask permission , and  make requests and offers : I  can't  swim. May  I ask a question? Could  I have some tea, please? Would  you like some help? : One definition of modal from M-W -  of, relating to, or constituting a grammatical form or category characteristically indicating predication of an action or state in some manner other than as a simple fact possibility, ability, permission, obligation, and condition Grammar monster explains   Had better  Cambridge Had better  with exercises Modal verbs - quiz , an interactive worksheet by mada_1 live worksheets.com Modal verb practice If clauses

Phrasal Verbs

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Speak up! A phrasal verb is a phrase that typically consists of a verb and one or two prepositions (remember  -  prepositions link one element of a sentence to another or function as connectors to show location or direction; connector - are you interested in classical music?; location - the book is in my backpack.) Preposition as part of a phrasal verb: I am going to turn in (go to bed). Sometimes it makes more specific the literal meaning of the verb: sleep in - sleep later than usual; eat out - eat outside the home At times it is completely unrelated to the literal meaning of the verb: call off - cancel; stand for - represent, or when negative, not tolerate  A phrasal verb functions like a single word     Phrasal verb: I ran into (met unexpectedly) an old friend yesterday.     Simple verb and preposition: I accidently ran into someone on the sidewalk. Transitive verbs require a direct object - you must look up something , phone number or definition, otherwise it's a simple

Dictionaries and other on-line references

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  The Free Dictionary Urban Dictionary for Slang Cambridge Dictionary   Merriam Webster

Past participles as adjectives

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  Irregular verbs as past participles

Review of to be - affirmative, negative & questions, present & past

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  to be past tense 6 to be past tense 7 forming questions was were wasn't weren't