Grammar #3: Past Perfect (due Monday, June 3)

You had an appointment with me yesterday after class. You didn't come because something happened which prevented you from coming. What happened? Be CREATIVE. Extra points if you make me laugh. Use the past perfect.

Grammar #2: Present Perfect (due Friday, May 31)

Answer AT LEAST TWO of the following questions:

1. What are some interesting experiences you have had in your lifetime?

2. What are some things you have not yet done in your lifetime but would like to do?

3. What are some of the places you have visited in the world or in your country, and when did you visit them?

Present Perfect and Present Perfect Progressive Powerpoint Presentation

Presentperfectprogressive from holly_cin

Musical Lesson #2: Present Perfect Progressive

"I've Been Waiting for a Girl Like You," by Foreigner

Which present perfect progressive works here?

Case 1 (the event continues in the present) or
Case 2 (the event has been happening recently) or

Case 3 (the event happened recently but then stopped)?

In other words, does the singer continue to wait (case 1), has he been waiting recently (case 2) or is he finished waiting (case 3)?

To hear the music, go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXjJCbA5qc4&feature=related

So long, I've been looking too hard, I've been waiting too long
Sometimes I don't know what I will find, I only know its a matter of time
When you love someone, when you love someone

It feels so right, so warm and true, I need to know if you feel it too

Maybe I'm wrong, won't you tell me if I'm coming on too strong?
This heart of mine has been hurt before, this time I want to be sure

I've been waiting for a girl like you to come into my life
I've been waiting for a girl like you, your loving will survive
I've been waiting for someone new to make me feel alive
Yeah, waiting for a girl like you to come into my life

You're so good, when we make love it's understood
Its more than a touch or a word can say
Only in dreams could it be this way
When you love someone, yeah, really love someone

Now I know its right, from the moment I wake up till deep in the night
There's nowhere on earth that I'd rather be than holding you tenderly

I've been waiting for a girl like you to come into my life
I've been waiting for a girl like you, your loving will survive
I've been waiting for someone new to make me feel alive
Yeah, waiting for a girl like you to come into my life

I've been waiting, waiting for you, ooh, I've been waiting
I've been waiting
(I've been waiting for a girl like you, Ive been waiting)
Won't you come into my life?

Online help: Present perfect and present perfect progressive

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfect.html

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfectcontinuous.html

These pages explain everything you need to know about present perfect and present perfect progressive IN GREAT DETAIL. You will notice, however, that their "use 1" is my "case 2" and their "use 2" is my "case 1" for the present perfect.

Go to the exercises at the bottom of the page. They're excellent.

Some nice ideas to share with you

Class of 2013: Master These 15 Simple Skills from Dave Kerpen

I saw this and I thought to share it with you. It accompanies a speech that was given recently at a high school graduation. All of the advice is pertinent to you, except for the advice to vote, because not all of you come from countries where you have that right. 

If you agree or disagree with anything, post a comment! 

Present Time Presentation

Presenttime from holly_cin

5CDE's Got Talent

5C:
http://youtu.be/ckewmHd1Sns

5D:
http://youtu.be/85SS1YOkAQY

5E:
http://youtu.be/EW_Hn8WHNU8
http://youtu.be/WCqaRuizRs8

Have a great LONG weekend!

Hi Everybody,

First, I want to say that it has been very nice to meet all of you this week. I have a feeling that we're going to have a good time together this summer.

If you're in 5D, you know that you are going to write the outline and first draft of your role model paragraph for Tuesday. Since we're going to be in the CALL LAB on Tuesday, you can print it out there. You'll exchange papers and do peer editing. Then you'll write the final draft, which will be due on Thursday.

If you're in 5CDE, I would like you to complete the chapter 1 exercises in the grammar book or packet that I gave you. I understand that there were not enough books in the book store, so I will make copies of chapter 2 for you on Tuesday. I introduced the present perfect and present perfect progressive only in 5D. Still, I'd like for everybody to try to complete the grammar exercises, and we'll go over it on Tuesday. We'll spend a few days on the present perfect.

Please complete blog writing #1 and blog grammar #1.

I hope you have a wonderful, exciting, and adventurous weekend!

Musical Lesson #1: Simple Present to Narrate Events

"You Were Meant For Me," by Jewel

 (It starts in the simple present, then she switches to the past, and then returns to the present.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKWvk44LW9k

I hear the clock, it's six a.m.
I feel so far from where I've been
I got my eggs I got my pancakes too
I got my maple syrup, everything but you.
I break the yolks, make a smiley face
I kinda like it in my brand new place
I wipe the spots off the mirror
Don't leave the keys in the door
Never put wet towels on the floor anymore' cause

[Chorus:]
Dreams last so long
even after you're gone
I know you love me
And soon you will see
You were meant for me
And I was meant for you.

I called my momma, she was out for a walk
Consoled a cup of coffee but it didn't wanna talk
So I picked up a paper, it was more bad news
More hearts being broken or people being used
Put on my coat in the pouring rain
I saw a movie it just wasn't the same
'Cause it was happy or I was sad
It made me miss you oh so bad 'cause

[Chorus]

I go about my business, I'm doing fine
Besides what would I say if I had you on the line
Same old story, not much to say
Hearts are broken, everyday.
I brush my teeth and put the cap back on
I know you hate it when I leave the light on
I pick a book up. Turn the sheets down.
And then I take a deep breath and a good look around
Put on my pjs and hop into bed
I'm half alive but I feel mostly dead
I try and tell myself it'll be all right
I just shouldn't think anymore tonight 'cause

[Chorus]

Yeah... You were meant for me and I was meant for you.

5D: Topics for your first paragraph

1. Introduce and explain a role model you have now or one that you had during an earlier time in your life. Discuss two or three characteristics, or qualities, of this role model, and develop each characteristic with examples.

2.  Explain a kind of role model chosen by a social group, society, or culture. Discuss two or three characteristics of this kind of role model, and support each characteristic with examples.

One example of a kind of role model is the type of person who grew up poor and became wealthy through planning and hard work. For example, Andrew Carnegie is someone who went from "rags to riches," so people in the U.S. looked up to him, especially during the early twentieth century.

Simple present to narrate events as they happen

Today in class I said that we use the simple present to narrate an event that is happening in the present. I said that you might see this kind of narration in novels. You will also see this kind of narration in sports. Imagine you are watching a basketball game and you are the sportscaster. You would report what is going on using the simple present. Here is an example that mixes the tenses. You can read just a few sentences to see the point.

Nick Pike runs with the ball and gets the ball stolen off him by Chris Brown, he passes it to Bristol Rovers answer to Cliff Richard who passes it to Matt Dark. It gets intercepted by Lardy (Rich Massey), he gets a shout from Feet, but Chris read the game, ran into space and got the ball, he passes it to Jap but he loses it to Tony. Jap battles for the ball he lost and wins it back he then knocks the ball to me, I lose it to Feet. Feet has a shot which our keeper collected with ease. Ger throws the ball out to me, I get closed down by Foxy, he challenges for the ball, I knock it on to Martin Bryant, he has a little run switches the ball to other side to find Matt who crosses the ball to Pugsy, who is in the 18 yard box and Clemco (Martin Clemmence) puts a good foot in. Chris Brown tackles well, he turns with the ball, he has a shot but it never troubled the keeper.

A grammar joke

An English teacher spent a lot of time marking grammatical errors in her students' written work. She wasn't sure how much impact she was having until one overly busy day when she sat at her desk rubbing her temples a student asked, "What's the matter, Mrs. Sheridan?"

"Tense," she replied, describing her emotional state.

After a slight pause the student tried again, "What was the matter? What will be the matter? What has been the matter? What might have been the matter... ?"

Weekly Schedules Will Be Posted Here

5D

Week Seven:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rIza1967iVNXFmUWJxcmxkOGc/edit?usp=sharing

Week Six:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rIza1967iVQzRaY01lT1RnNm8/edit?usp=sharing

Week Five:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rIza1967iVcDlzMVJSNVdvYjg/edit?usp=sharing

Week Four:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rIza1967iVQ2x3WndPcTFoX2M/edit?usp=sharing

Week Three:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rIza1967iVbEJMdi1RTmNrMDQ/edit?usp=sharing

Week Two:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rIza1967iVODM0bnMweE4xcmc/edit?usp=sharing

Week One:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rIza1967iVenVmTFhpVE00U28/edit?usp=sharing

Syllabus:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rIza1967iVNm8wQmltTnllc3c/edit?usp=sharing 


5CE

Week Seven:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rIza1967iVUnBlaVJHeF9QbDQ/edit?usp=sharing
 
Week Six:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rIza1967iVeS1rUnk2cjBTLWc/edit?usp=sharing

Week Five:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rIza1967iVSFR3N3pXenBvY3c/edit?usp=sharing

Week Four:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rIza1967iVbjEtNGpWYWVnbDA/edit?usp=sharing

Week Three:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rIza1967iVXzFOMUVEN1VqZ2M/edit?usp=sharing

Week Two:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rIza1967iVVkZIRFN3d25fZk0/edit?usp=sharing

Week One:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rIza1967iVeGp1dGFDQW81TUk/edit?usp=sharing 

Syllabus:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rIza1967iVS1lSemRMWWc3cWM/edit?usp=sharing

A list of adjectives

Next time I play the name game, I will give the class the following list to look at. Sorry, Yener. I don't see any adjectives for you :(   But Zahra, there are a few for you :)
How many words here do you know?

• adorable
• adventurous
• aggressive
• agreeable
• alert
• alive
• amused
• angry
• annoyed
• annoying
• anxious
• arrogant
• ashamed
• attractive
• average
• awful
• bad
• beautiful
• better
• bewildered
• black
• bloody
• blue
• blue-eyed
• blushing
• bored
• brainy
• brave
• breakable
• bright
• busy
• calm
• careful
• cautious
• charming
• cheerful
• clean
• clear
• clever
• cloudy
• clumsy
• colorful
• combative
• comfortable
• concerned
• condemned
• confused
• cooperative
• courageous
• crazy
• creepy
• crowded
• cruel
• curious
• cute
• dangerous
• dark
• dead
• defeated
• defiant
• delightful
• depressed
• determined
• different
• difficult
• disgusted
• distinct
• disturbed
• dizzy
• doubtful
• drab
• dull
• eager
• easy
• elated
• elegant
• embarrassed
• enchanting
• encouraging
• energetic
• enthusiastic
• envious
• evil
• excited
• expensive
• exuberant
• fair
• faithful
• famous
• fancy
• fantastic
• fierce
• filthy
• fine
• foolish
• fragile
• frail
• frantic
• friendly
• frightened
• funny
• gentle
• gifted
• glamorous
• gleaming
• glorious
• good
• gorgeous
• graceful
• grieving
• grotesque
• grumpy
• handsome
• happy
• healthy
• helpful
• helpless
• hilarious
• homeless
• homely
• horrible
• hungry
• hurt
• ill
• important
• impossible
• inexpensive
• innocent
• inquisitive
• itchy
• jealous
• jittery
• jolly
• joyous
• kind
• lazy
• light
• lively
• lonely
• long
• lovely
• lucky
• magnificent
• misty
• modern
• motionless
• muddy
• mushy
• mysterious
• nasty
• naughty
• nervous
• nice
• nutty
• obedient
• obnoxious
• odd
• old-fashioned
• open
• outrageous
• outstanding
• panicky
• perfect
• plain
• pleasant
• poised
• poor
• powerful
• precious
• prickly
• proud
• puzzled
• quaint
• real
• relieved
• repulsive
• rich
• scary
• selfish
• shiny
• shy
• silly
• sleepy
• smiling
• smoggy
• sore
• sparkling
• splendid
• spotless
• stormy
• strange
• stupid
• successful
• super
• talented
• tame
• tender
• tense
• terrible
• testy
• thankful
• thoughtful
• thoughtless
• tired
• tough
• troubled
• ugliest
• ugly
• uninterested
• unsightly
• unusual
• upset
• uptight
• vast
• victorious
• vivacious
• wandering
• weary
• wicked
• wide-eyed
• wild
• witty
• worrisome
• worried
• wrong
• zany
• zealous

If you've made it to the bottom of this list and are hungry for more, have a look at this list. Scroll down to the middle.

http://www.momswhothink.com/reading/list-of-adjectives.html

This one has an adjective for Yener!

Places to go in Texas during the summer

Since you have several long weekends during this term (including a 3-day weekend this weekend), I'm giving you some of my recommendations for places to go outside of Houston. Actually, there are several great places to visit in Texas if you want to have some fun during the summer.

The first place I recommend is South Padre Island, which is located about 5 hours south of Houston. The beaches are beautiful and my family and I saw lots of dolphins when we took a boat ride there. It's a great place for seafood and for playing in the sun and sand. It doesn't look anything like Galveston. You can trust me as I'm a Floridian who knows her beaches!

The second place my family and I love is Austin because its beautiful and there is so much to do. Austin has wonderful nightlife for those of you who love music. Original bands play nightly on Sixth Street, which is downtown. In fact, a lot of famous bands get their start on Sixth Street. During the daytime there is also a lot to do and see. You can visit and tour the Texas State Capitol and wander around the campus of the University of Texas.

For water activity in Austin, you can go to Zilker Park, where you will find Barton Springs, a natural pool of really, really cold water (icy yet refreshing!) the length of 2 football fields. In addition to the pool, at Barton Springs you will also see lots of college students and other Austinites scantily dressed. If you are thinking about getting a tattoo, you can see many on display there! For children, there is a train ride and playground at Zilker Park as well as an outdoor theater that presents free performances throughout the summer (similar to Houston's Miller Theater). Finally, when you are at Zilker Park, you can rent a canoe or kayak and paddle along Town Lake. It's a true delight.

Another great place to swim in Austin is Lake Travis. The beach is a bit rocky but the temperature of the water is just perfect. You can rent jet skis and boats at various spots along the lake. There is also a water rides park in that area (I forget the name, but you can google "waterpark Austin Lake Travis" to find it, I'm sure). Finally, when in Austin make sure to enjoy some chips and salsa, or an entire meal, at the Oasis restaurant, which overlooks all of Lake Travis. It's quite a sight. You will ask yourself if you are really in Texas.

The last place I recommend to you today is about 45 minutes west of Austin, called Hamilton Pools. From the parking lot, you have to hike a short path and then you arrive in a swimming hole which feels like paradise and looks like Hawaii. The pool extends out from a grotto (like a cave) and you can swim or just float in the cool turquoise water. I visited Hamilton Pools for the first time nearly four years ago--it was the week after Hurricane Ike paid a visit to Houston--and we all agreed that we must return there again soon. The only thing I need to tell you is that you must check to see if the park is open before you go. If there are problems with bacteria levels in the water, they close the park. Here is the website:
http://www.co.travis.tx.us/tnr/parks/hamilton_pool.asp

Finally, if you have been to any great places here in the Lone Star state, please share the information with all of us!

Blog Writing #1 (All): Introduce Yourselves (due Friday)

Today each of you briefly introduced yourselves to the class. Now I would like you to tell us some more about yourself in writing.

Here are some questions to consider:

Where are you in life (meaning, what stage)? Did you finish high school? College? Graduate school? Are you single or married? Do you have kids?

Talk about your background, and your professional and personal aspirations. Also, discuss your interests, hobbies, and talents. Tell us something about yourself that makes you unique. Feel free to add anything else that you would like to share about yourself with the class.

You should post your writing as a comment to this post. Just click on comment.

This is writing PRACTICE. It does not have to be perfect.

Welcome to the blog

Hello 5C, D, and E,

The purpose of this blog is threefold. First, it will be a place for you to do a lot of your  grammar assignments. For 5D, it will also be a place for you to do some writing work (5C and 5E can participate but you are not obligated). I will also place weekly schedules and updates on it.

The second purpose for this blog is for us to share useful information (where to go, where to shop, what to do if you have a problem, etc.). You can also use the blog to post items of interest, such as articles, pictures, invitations, etc.

Finally, I will use the blog to post internet links for different activities such as on-line grammar practice/quizzes and other activities that I think will benefit you.

You should check this blog every day in order to keep current with the class.

About due dates for blog homework:  If something is due on Wednesday, then you have all of Wednesday to complete it. That means its late on Thursday. Try your best to complete assignments on time; however, if you miss the deadline, you still need to do it.

I look forward to a great semester with all of you, and I look forward to "seeing" you on-line,
HC

p.s. To write something on the blog, click on "comments" and write your post.