Antonyms and Synonyms

Antonyms

1. take

2. red

3. empty

4. dirty

5. cool

6. tasteless

7. raw

8. sour

9. asleep

10. late

1. on purpose

2. common

3. stay

4. fail

5. many

6. none

7. war

8. stressed

9. reward

10. dry

1. together

2. absent

3. child

4. minimum

5. true

6. hopeless

7. modest

8. educated

9. complicated

10. innocent

Synonyms

1. person

2. animal

3. delicious

4. angry

5. jump

6. triumph

7. run

8. challenging

9. sightless

10. ghost

1. stone

2. river

3. weird

4. rich

5. serpent

6. hazard

7. chance

8. sight

9. power

10. night

1. country

2. educator

3. recall

4. two times

5. journey

6. narrow

7. soil

8. actual

9. past

10. lovely

IELTS Listening test practice

 Online practice test

Time conjunctions

Time clauses (easier)

More time clauses

 Time clauses (more challenge)

IELTS Writing task 1 feedback

Improve these examples

 

1. The table provides information about most enjoyed sports by Americans from 1937 to 2008.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

2. One of the most popular one overtime is football, while baseball marked at the top in the first 40 years.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

3. The number of the rate in football has rose gradually 23% in 1937 to 41% in 2008.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

4. Overall, while football has been rose gradually overtime, the others have become less popular or remained flat at the low number in general.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Basketball, Auto racing and ice skating they are quite similar for each other because their started with low scores, but they rose gradually until the end their will slightly decrease.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

6. It became the most enjoyed sport in 1972 that passed baseball, which met gradually fell from 14% to 10% during the seven decades.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Illustrates

Currently

Whereas

Whose

over

all

Ranked

Steadily

Either

after

as

rose

among

1. Improved:
   The table _________ the most popular sports _______ Americans between 1937 and 2008.

---

2. Improved:
   Football is ________ one of the most popular sports, ________ baseball ________ first during the first four decades.

---

3. Improved:
   The percentage of people who preferred football ________ gradually from 23% in 1937 to 41% in 2008.

---

4. Improved:
   Overall, while the popularity of football increased _______ over time, the other sports ______ declined or remained at relatively low levels.

---

5. Improved:
   Basketball, auto racing, and ice skating followed similar trends, ________ they ________ started with low percentages, increased gradually, and then showed a slight decline toward the end of the period.

---

6. Improved:
   Football became the most popular sport in 1972 ________ overtaking baseball, _______ popularity gradually fell from 14% to 10% _______ the seven decades.

 

Learning Styles

Match the questions to the learning style, then discuss the questions.

 

1. Do you learn better quietly on your own, or by working with others? Do you like boolks and libraries?

2. Do you learn better by physically doing something in the real world? Are you sporty?

3. Do you learn through conversation? Do you love speaking with others?

4. Do you learn by listening? Perhaps by listening to interesting podcasts or lectures?

5. Do you enjoy puzzles and challenging mental games like chess? Do you enjoy solving mathematical problems?

6. Do you learn by seeing things? Do you love art, colours and patterns? Pictures? Diagrams?

7. Are you a socially smart person – are you good at arranging parties and dinners?

How do these words relate to the topic of education?











minor

to play up














cram











a dunce














drop out













field











to sit in on















head













middle of the pack












assessment











Grammar: 










Can you draw these?






a colon
a semi colon
an inverted comma
ellipsis
a dash
a hyphen
parentheses
italics
roman
a comma
an apostrophe
quotation marks







OK - what is each one for?








Linkers





Can you think of a synonym or similar phrases for each of these linkers / sentence adverbials? Try to find the closet one you can...














Even so














Ideally














Not only that













Mind you













Obviously









Linkers and Sentence adverbials













Surprisingly












In other words













For illustrative purposes















Finally













As a rule











Moreover












Then again












In addition












Thus










For all that











All in all












Incidentally












Unfortunately












Curiously











Apparently











Naturally











Admittedly












Similarly











Thankfully
















As you can imagine












As luck would have it












Strange as it may seem










Besides









In fact









In theory










Meanwhile










On the contrary











All the same










In retrospect









Likewise










What's more









In writing... 













What is "cohesion"?












What is "range"?












What is "clarity"?











What is "development"?











What is "effectiveness"?











What is "task achievement"?












What is "accuracy"?












What is appropriacy?












What is "awareness of audience"?











What is "style"?






















More education vocab:









prerequisite













syllabus










teacher-centred










Task-based learning











form










extra-cirricular










Cirricculm









A-levels








swat








HOD









enrol











humanities











Honours












freshman











post-doctoral











credits











learning styles
















EQ










ADHD

Kahoot!

What A Wonderful World sung by Sam Cooke

story

logy

if x 2
would x 2

bra

A

By

win

metry

two

ience

ench

do

 

Don't know much about hi______

Don't know much bio_____

Don't know much about a sc_____ book

Don't know much about the Fr____ I took

 

But I ___ know that I love you

and I know that ____ you love me too

what a wonderful world this ______ be

 

Don't know much about geo_______

Don't know much trigono_______

Don't know much about alge____

Don't know what a slide rule is for

 

But I do know one and one is _____

and ____ this one could be with you

what a wonderful world this ______ be

 

Now, I don't claim to be an ____ student,

but I'm trying to be

For maybe _____ being an A student, baby,

I could _____ your love to me

What A Wonderful World sung by Sam Cooke

Parkour

 Parkour

IELTS - talking about shopping (part 2)

 

·  Shopping centre – a large building with many shops.

·  Modern – new and up-to-date in style.

·  Energy – a lively or busy feeling in a place.

·  Popular – liked by many people.

·  Comfortable – pleasant and easy to be in.

·  Good-quality – well-made; something that lasts.

·  Stationery – things like pens, notebooks, and paper.

·  Relaxed atmosphere – a calm, pleasant feeling in a place.

·  Convenient – easy to use or easy to get to.

·  Enjoyable – fun or pleasant.

 

 

One of my favourite places to go shopping is 277 Newmarket in Auckland. It is part of Westfield Newmarket, a big and modern shopping centre. ____ you walk inside, it feels bright, busy, and full of energy. There are many shops, cafés, and places to relax, ____ it is easy to spend a long time there.

It is on Broadway in Newmarket, ____ is a popular shopping area in the city. It’s easy to get to by bus, train, or car, ____ the area feels safe and friendly. The shopping centre is clean and well-designed, ____ it is comfortable to walk around.

____ a 54-year-old teacher, I can find many things I need. I often look for good-quality clothes for work—something smart but comfortable for long days in the classroom. I also enjoy visiting bookstores and stationery shops ____ I like buying new notebooks, pens, or small things I can use for my lessons. ____ I stop for a coffee or a snack when I want a short break.

I like 277 Newmarket because it has everything in one place. It is convenient, it has a relaxed atmosphere, ____ I can find both practical things and little treats for myself. It makes shopping easy and enjoyable, ____ it is one of my favourite places to go.

 

 

 

One of my FAVOURITE places to go SHOPPING is 277 NEWMARKET in AUCKLAND. It is part of WESTFIELD NEWMARKET, a BIG and MODERN shopping CENTRE. When you walk INSIDE, it feels BRIGHT, BUSY, and full of ENERGY. There are many SHOPS, CAFÉS, and places to RELAX, so it is EASY to spend a LONG time there.

It is on BROADWAY in Newmarket, which is a POPULAR shopping AREA in the CITY. It’s EASY to get to by BUS, TRAIN, or CAR, and the area feels SAFE and FRIENDLY. The shopping centre is CLEAN and well-DESIGNED, so it is COMFORTABLE to walk AROUND.

As a 54-YEAR-OLD TEACHER, I can find many THINGS I NEED. I often look for GOOD-QUALITY CLOTHES for WORK—something SMART but COMFORTABLE for LONG days in the CLASSROOM. I also enjoy visiting BOOKSTORES and STATIONERY shops because I like buying new NOTEBOOKS, PENS, or small THINGS I can use for my LESSONS. And sometimes I stop for a COFFEE or a SNACK when I want a SHORT break.

I like 277 NEWMARKET because it has EVERYTHING in one PLACE. It is CONVENIENT, it has a RELAXED atmosphere, and I can find both PRACTICAL things and little TREATS for MYSELF. It makes SHOPPING EASY and ENJOYABLE, and that is why it is one of my FAVOURITE places to GO.

The Passive, Modals of deduction and reporting structures

Intermediate level practice (Passive) (Modals of deduction)

Intermediate level practice (reported speech)

Great conversation questions to practice using the passive with a partner or a group

Great situations to discuss using could. might and must

Practice using reporting structures

Practice more reporting structures

Look for examples of passive voice in this article:

Brazilian woman denied visa after movie muddle-up

were allowed in         were denied          was sent back      were most often denied

was dropped off         those turned away     raised       were sent back             it was found 

 

More than 4300 people _____1______entry to New Zealand according to Immigration New Zealand's annual report.

It contains detailed reasons for some of the refusals.

A man with a South African passport ______2_______ in Taiwan due to identity concerns ______3______ when his profile on a popular dating website stated he was a New Zealander seeking "a nice girl to have serious relationship".

Officials decided a woman from Brazil was not a genuine visitor because she had no outward ticket and had little knowledge of New Zealand.

She said she wanted to see Lord of the Rings locations, referencing Harry Potter as the main character of the film.

A man who was travelling from Canada ______4______ after _____5______an English court found him guilty of being part of a scam of US government bonds amounting to $2.5 trillion.

Malaysians and Hong Kong nationals ______6________ entry, with Brazil and Taiwan also having high rejection numbers.

Three quarters of  ______7______ did not even get as far as boarding at their point of departure; the rest ________8_________ once they arrived.

Nearly six million people________9_______ , an increase of nine percent on the previous year.

How would you express the phrases in bold with less formality?

Mistakes

 I hate tomato

Just watch this festival. I don't want to join this festival.

Maybe interesting story. Last year, end of the year. 

I need back my home town

I can see first sunrise in this year

This year my new year is travel in New Zealand

Very big - just make the sky always light

We thought is this fire work?

This one is the first one I will recommend to you.

Mostly celebrating for our good health.

You also can drink

I recommend you to try.

When I was a child I think the smell of fire crackers. I like it.

But now we can't use fire crackers in the city - maybe just the countryside.

I want to go to there.

New year give her money in a red packet.

We ususally give small amount of money for kids.

In China, if you didn't married or you didn't get a job, you get money, Even you over thrity.

The different lanterns represent different colours.

Only good things is I can get money from my parents.

Many people travelling during these days, so my city is crowd.

Just only have special food.

They need to do back to work when holidays finish?

In Japan longest holiday is in May.

I'm not a Chinese family.

You cannot enjoy authemtic Japanse style in Osaka.

There have also huge Chinese community in there.

Everyoine want it, but it hard to find.

Do you know why Osaka is famous for Chinese people?

Thre is a also ferry betwen Shanghai and Osaka.

Just two-hour - Shanghai to Osaka. The flight.

Blossom

Bloom

Petals

Peak Bloom

Hanami

Festival Grounds

Scenic

Tradition

Vibrant

Seasonal

Canopy

Arbor

Sakura (桜)

Tranquil

Reverence

Picnic

Lanterns

Breathtaking

Procession

Photography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lantern

Illumination

Night

Glow

Celebration

Tradition

Festivities

Fireworks

Procession

Symbolism

Prosperity

Reunion

Riddles

Customs

Rituals

Vibrant

Decorative

Handmade

Ceremonial

Harmony

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Songkran

Splash

Soak

Water guns

Buckets

Celebration

Tradition

Parade

Blessing

Renewal

Merit-making

Temple

Festivalgoers

Street stalls

Refreshing

Cool down

Festive

Community

Lively

Joyful

Then and Now - comparison

Famous person 


Younger

Body shape:
Hair colour:
Hair length:
Eye colour:
Height: tall / average / short
Skin colour, condition,
Style of dress:
General appearance:
Attitude expression:


Older

Body shape:
Hair colour:
Hair length:
Eye colour:
Height: tall / average / short
Skin colour, condition,
Style of dress:
General appearance:
Attitude expression:

Describe the "two" celebrities to your partner as younger and older. Can they guess who?

Then and Now

Compare things - speaking practice

IELTS Essay on Education (problem, effect, solution)

 

 

Problems

 

One major issue facing public education today is…

 

A common problem many schools struggle with is…

 

Public education is often challenged by…

 

Another difficulty that affects students and teachers is…

 

A significant concern in many school systems is…

 

 

Effects

 

As a result of these educational problems, many students…

 

Because of the issues in the school system, teachers often…

 

These challenges in education can lead to…

 

One major effect of the problems in education is that…

 

When educational systems fail to address these issues, it often results in…

 

 

 

Suggestions

 

One way to improve public education is to increase access to…

 

A useful step would be to invest more in…

 

To raise the overall quality of education, schools could…

 

Another effective approach might be to focus on…

 

Public education could be strengthened by introducing…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IELTS Writing Task 2 Question:
Many countries around the world are facing serious problems in their education systems. These issues can have significant effects on students, teachers, and society as a whole. What are the main problems and their effects? What solutions can you suggest to address these problems?

Write at least 250 words.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The UK's Strictest Teacher

Controversial New Zealand-born head teacher Katharine Birbalsingh founded Michaela Park Community School, a charter-style inner-city school in North West London, in 2014.

She has been called the "strictest teacher in Britain" and Michaela, Britain's strictest school, but says the school's military ethos works, especially for the disadvantaged inner-city pupils who go there.


Lead in

1. Do you worry about your attendance?
2. What are the differences between private and public schools?
3. Do kids from less affluent families get a fair chance at education in your country?

Attendance debate - Channel 4

The UK's Strictest Teacher

Before listening

1. Where should a teacher stand for most of the lesson?

A) Front of the class

B) The teacher should move around the class, interacting with the students

C) A mix of A and B

 

2. Which do you think provides better opportunities for learning?

A) A group project

B) An individual assignment

C) Studying for an exam or test

 

3. What kind of learning environment is best for most students?

A) A strict, disciplined, orderly environment

B) A dynamic, creative, interactive environment

C) A mic of A and B

 

4. What should a the focus of a teacher be?

A) Promoting thinking

B) Promoting knowledge retention

C) Promoting competition

 

 

Listen

1.What is "a more traditional approach" to education according Katharine?
2. Katharine describes her school as an _____ of calm.
3. Why does Katharine say her students like the strictness of her school?
4. What is at the core of her approach to teaching?
5. What is the focus?
6. Why do they avoid group work in her school?
7. What is Katharine's view of her students' parents?
8. What is Katharine's view of time?
9. Why does Katharine think partnership schools are great?
10. What adjectives are used to describe the pupils?
11. What is the prerequisite for a student to question what they learn, according to Katharine?
12. What is Katharine's view on 'dreamers'?
13. How do Katharine's critics describe her system?
14. In what way does Katharine believe project-based learning fails socially deprived students?


Discussion

1. Would you consider sending your kids to Katharine's school?
2. How would proponents of project-based learning answer her criticisms?
3. Do you think the teacher should deliver a lesson from the front of class or try to move around and interact more with individual students?
4. What problems might occur in this school?
5. Were you / are you afraid of any of your teachers? Can this be a good thing?
6. Is the Katharine's restrictive idea of knowledge liberating for the kinds of kids she teaches?
7. What happens if more and more schools adopt her model?

Grandma's Hands

core     understands  hand spank  swell   piece  church tambourine 

snakes  mother    picked   handy  heaven

 

 

Grandma's hands

Clapped in _________ on Sunday morning

Grandma's hands

Played a __________ so well

Grandma's hands

Used to issue out a warning

She'd say, Billy don't you run so fast

Might fall on a _________ of glass

Might be ___________ there in that grass

Grandma's hands

 

Grandma's hands

Soothed a local unwed ________

Grandma's hands

Used to ache sometimes and _______

Grandma's hands

Used to lift her face and tell her

She'd say, Baby, grandma __________

That you really love that man

Put yourself in Jesus' hands

Grandma's hands

 

Grandma's hands

Used to _________ me piece of candy

Grandma's hands

_______ me up each time I fell

Grandma's hands

Boy, they really came in ________

She'd say, Matty don' you whip that boy

What you want to __________ him for?

He didn' drop no apple ____________

But I don't have grandma anymore

 

If I get to ____________ I'll look for

Grandma's hands

Hmm-mmh

Grandma's hands

 

IELTS Writing Task 1 - sentence transformations

Prepositions

1. The percentage ______ women ______ the workforce is significantly lower than that ______ men, particularly in managerial and executive positions.

2. The number ______ international tourists visiting the country increased _____ 10% ______ 2018 and 2019, reaching a total _____ 5 million visitors.

3. The average temperature _____ the region fluctuated ______ 20 and 25 degrees Celsius t______out the year, ______ the highest temperatures occurring _____ the summer months.

4. The service sector accounted ______ over 70% ______ the country’s GDP ______ 2020, highlighting its dominance _______ the economy.

5. There is a strong correlation ______ higher levels ______ education and higher incomes, as individuals ______ advanced degrees tend ______ have more lucrative career opportunities.

6. The proportion ______ women ______ managerial positions ______ the company increased ______ 35% ______ 2018 _____ 45% ______ 2020.

7. The distribution ______ wealth ______ the country is highly unequal, ______ the top 1% owning more than 30% ______ the total wealth.

Sentence transformation

1. The number of car accidents across different regions varied significantly, with the highest rates occurring in urban areas.

_________ _________ __________ ___________ in the number of car accidents across different regions, with the highest rates occurring in urban areas.

2. There has been a steady increase in the sales of electric cars, over the past five years, with a projected market share of 10% by 2017.

The sales of electric cars _______ ________ ________ ________ over the past five years, with a projected market share of 10% by 2017.

3. There has been a shift in consumer preferences towards environmentally-friendly products, which has resulted in an increase in demand for electric vehicles.

There has been a shift in consumer preferences towards environmentally-friendly products, _______ ______ an increase in demand for electric vehicles.

4. While the number of marriages has declined over the past decade, there has remained a relatively stable rate of divorce.

While the number of marriages has declined over the past decade, the divorce rate ______ ________ ________ _______.

5. The population density in the city center is significantly higher than in the suburbs, due to the concentration of businesses and services.

_______ _______ _______ _______ ________ population density in the city center than in the suburbs, due to the concentration of businesses and services.

6. Despite unemployment rates having decreased, the average wage has not kept pace with inflation, leading to concerns about income inequality.

The average wage has not kept pace with inflation, ______ _______ _______ _______ unemployment rates, leading to concerns about income inequality.

7. There is a strong relationship between air pollution levels and respiratory illnesses, with high pollution levels leading to increased rates of asthma and other respiratory problems.

Air pollution levels and respiratory illnesses _____ _______ _______, with high pollution levels leading to increased rates of asthma and other respiratory problems.

8. The rate of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest has increased by 25% over the past decade.

Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest has increased ______ ______ ______ _______ 25% over the past decade.

Word form

1. The number of new businesses established in the city has been STEADY INCREASE over the past five years.

2. The majority of the country’s population is concentrated in urban areas, with over 70% of the total population LIVE in cities.

3. The total amount of carbon EMIT accumulated by the INDUSTRY sector from 2010 to 2020 was 2.5 billion metric tons.

4. It is PROJECT that the demand for RENEW energy in Europe will increase by 50% by the year 2030.

5. The amount of time SPEND studying is PROPORTION to the students’ overall PERFORM , with higher study time RESULT in better academic outcomes.

IELTS Writing part 2

 

Write about the following topic: 

We often hear that new technology presents a threat to our traditions. In what ways however can new technology help maintain our traditions?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. 
Write at least 250 words. 

In what ways however can new technology help maintain our traditions?

 

Some ideas

 

never    devote   Now    a lot    result   argued   From  It   Therefore

1. The Internet is _____ an established provider of education

2. _____ a good website we can learn _____ about our past 

3. As a _____ of the Internet , and mobile phones , it has _____ been easier to inform people of upcoming events 

4. ____ could be ____ that modern technology saves us time 

5. _____ we should have more time to _____ to traditional activities

 

Talk about traditional activities in your culture

Give some examples

Talk about how technology (like IT) makes these activities more alive.

For example - In NZ, we can all speak a lot more Te Reo Maori than we used to, partly because of the Internet. It just makes the language much more accessible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which paragraph could open with these sentence openers:

Finally , it could be argued that

We often hear that

In conclusion , there would seem to be

A second way in which today's technology can

First of all , it seems that 

__ _____ ____ ____ ___ __________ __ __ ________ ____ ___ __________ . ___ ___ __ _________ ___ ___ . ___ _____ ___ ____ _______ __ _____ ___ __________ ___ ____ _______ ___ __________ ___ ____ ____ ____ _____ 

_____ __ ___  __ _____ ____ __________ ___ ____ ________ ___ __________ __ _________ _ _______ __ _________ ___ ____ ___ ________ ___ ________ __ ___ __ ___________ ________ __ _________ ____ _ ____ _______ __ ___ _____ _ ___ _____ ___ ____ ___ ___ __________  ____ ___ __ _______ __ __ __ ___________ ____ __ ___ _______ ___ ___________ ________ __________ _ ________ ______________________ __________ ___ __ ____ _________ __ ___ _______ __ _____ _____ ______  _

_ ______ ___ __ _____ _______ __________ ___ ____ __ __ _______ __ ________ ___ __________ ___ ____ _____ __ __ __________ __ _____ ____ ___ ___ _________ _________ __ _ ______ __ ___ ________ ___ ______ ________ ___ _____ ____ ______ __ ______ ______ __ ________ ______ ___ __ ______ ___ ____ __ _ _____ ______ __ ______ _______ _____ ___ __ ______ ______________________ _

_______ _ _____ __ ______ ____ ______ __________ _____ __ ____ _ ___ __ _ ___ __ _____ ____ ____ _______ ____ __ ___ ____ __ ______ _________ __ ______ ____ ____ ____ __ ______ __ ___________ __________ ______ __ ______ __ __ __ __ ___ _______ _____ ____ ___ __________ _______

__ __________ _____ _____ ____ __ __ _______ ____ __ _____ ___ __________ ___ ____ __ __ ________ ___ __________ ____________ __ _________ ___ _________ __ __ __ ____ _____ _______ __ ___ ____ _______ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ______ __ ______ ___ __________ __ ____ ___ _________ ___  

 

Review activity (model text)

Word formation

Practising word formation is super important for your fluency and accuracy. It's quite similar to studying and practising verb tense forms, but probably more difficult.

B1

Word formation practice

Word formation practice

Word formation practice

Word formation practice

C1

Word formation practice

Word formation practice

Word formation practice

Word formation practice

Advanced quiz here:

 Word formation challenge

Telling a story

 

 

Mariska's story

Film Night 

By Mariska 

On arriving      That      though     One day       On the way     However     So       So     In the end 

1.___________ back in my home country, two friends and I planned a film night at my house. When we were texting about the plans, we decided we would first go to the supermarket to buy some snacks. _________, when the day of the film night finally arrived, my friends picked me up with the car and we drove to the supermarket. 2.___________, we decided we would buy some drinks and chips. Not that difficult, you may think, but when we were standing there in the supermarket in front of the chips, it looked like my friends had lost their ability to choose. 3.___________, it took us quite long to choose a chip flavour. In the end, we chose some drinks and some chips, we paid and were ready to go back.  

4.__________ , while we were walking back to the car one of my friends, who lives on a farm, suddenly came up with the idea to go to her house because she wanted to show us something. So instead of going back to my house, we went to her farm. 5._________, she led us to the sheep barn. It turned out they just had gotten lots of lambs, which she wanted to show us. We spent some time playing with the lambs and at some point I suggested it would be better to go back home, because we had a film we wanted to watch. So that was what we did.  

We drove back home and arrived there after a couple of minutes. While I was walking through our hallway, I suddenly noticed something suspicious. I could see some balloons hanging in our living room, and it also was a little dark. I walked another step that led me closer to the living room, and all-of-a-sudden, a big group of friends appeared! 6.__________ was a surprise. It was right then that I understood why we had been visiting the lambs at the farm and why it took my friends so long to decide about the chips.  

What I didn’t tell you in the beginning of this story, 7._________, is that this happened just a few days before I went off to New Zealand. You now maybe get why they wanted to surprise me. 8.__________ we all had a great time together. We enjoyed some delicious tompouces (and lots of other food as well) and we played a Kahoot game about New Zealand. 

Oh, and guess who won? 

Check

One day back in my home country, two friends and I planned a film night at my house. When we were texting about the plans we decided we would first go to the supermarket to buy some snacks. So when the day of the film night finally arrived, my friends picked me up with the car and we drove to the supermarket. On the way we decided we would buy some drinks and chips. Not that difficult, you may think, but when we were standing there in the supermarket in front of the chips, it looked like my friends had lost their ability to choose. So it took us quite long to choose a chip flavour. In the end we chose some drinks and some chips, we paid and were ready to go back. 

However, while we were walking back to the car one of my friends, who lives on a farm, suddenly came up with the idea to go to her house because she wanted to show us something. So instead of going back to my house, we went to her farm. On arriving, she led us to the sheep barn. It turned out they just had gotten lots of lambs, which she wanted to show us. We spend some time playing with the lambs and at some point I suggested it would be better to go back home, because we had a film we wanted to watch. So that was what we did. 

We drove back home and arrived there after a couple of minutes. While I was walking through our hallway, I suddenly noticed something suspicious. I could see some balloons hanging in our living room, and it also was a little dark. I walked another step that led me closer to the living room, and all of a sudden a big group of friends showed up! That was a surprise. It was right then that I understood why we had been visiting the lambs at the farm and why it took my friends so long to decide about the chips. 

What I didn’t tell you in the beginning of this story, though, is that this happened just a few days before I went off to New Zealand. You now maybe get why they wanted to surprise me. At the end we all had a great time together. We enjoyed some delicious tompouces (and lots of other food as well) and we played a Kahoot game about New Zealand. Oh, and guess who won?

Task

Write us a story about a coincidence or a surprise that happened to you.

Make it about the same length has Mariska's story.

Send it to me by email - I'll send back corrections.

When we're done we can share our stories in groups by reading them aloud.