Really??: January 2015

Tuesday, 27 January 2015

NI - Song - Somebody that I used to know

Taken from: http://reallifeglobal.com/learning-english-with-music-somebody-that-i-used-to-know-goyte/

SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW (What is used to?) Before we get too far into the vocabulary, you are going to learn about USED TO. You probably noticed it in the title and the main part of the chorus, I think he repeats it about 100 times.

Now you’re just somebody that I used to know
Now you’re just somebody that I used to know
SOMEBODYYYYY

USED TO
Used to is an auxiliary we use to talk about habits and routines we did in the past that we don’t do now. Just like we use the simple present to talk about

current routines, we use the used toauxiliary to talk about past routines. Let’s compare the two tenses.

I listen to music everyday / I used to listen to music every day (when I worked less)
I like eating fast food / I used to like eating fast food (When I was a teenager)
Somebody that I know/ Somebody that I used to know (when they were dating)

When we make a reference to time, we always use an era of your life that has passed, not 1 specific time in the past.
I CAN’T SAY- I used to play football this morning/yesterday/last week
The reason for this is because a specific time in the past is referring to just one action, not a habit or routine that happened repetitively. Used to, is referring to a repetitive action that happened during a different time in your life. Let’s compare used to with the simple past.

I walked to class yesterday (one time)/ I used to walk to class when I didn’t have a bike (repetitive action in past)
He played in the last World Cup (one event in the past)/ He used to play for the Brazilian national team (repetitive action in past)

Common time references for used to are:
When I was a child/ a teenager/ in prison I used to have long hair.
When I lived in Australia/ in that neighbourhood/ with my parents I used to drive a car.
When using used to for a question or in the negative form, we simply take away the –ed from used and use the auxiliary verb DID/DIDN’T.

Did you use to live in Japan?
Did she use to know him?
I didn’t use to like that band.
She didn’t use to have long hair

Note* When used with the verb to be, it has a different meaning. We are talking about something we are accustomed to, for example.

I am used to the weather in Brazil
They are used to waking up early

Verse 1

Now and then I think of when we were together
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
Told myself that you were right for me
But felt so lonely in your company
But that was love and it’s an ache I still remember
Verse 2

You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness
Like resignation to the end, always the end
So, when we found that we could not make sense
Well, you said that we would still be friends
But I’ll admit that I was glad that it was over

RELATIONSHIP EXPRESSIONS USED IN THE SONG

For the last verse, and the extended part of the chorus, you will notice he’s used a lot of expressions related to his bad break up. Nearly all of these expressions have a negative connotation, but hey, that’s life.
Look through to see how many of them you already know, then check the definitions below.
Note* The explanations are in reference to how he uses them in the song. Some of these expressions can have other uses and meanings.

Verse 3

Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over¹
But had me believing it was always something that I’d done
But I don’t wanna live that way, reading into² every word you say
You said that you could let it go³
And I wouldn’t catch you hung up⁴ on somebody that you used to know

1. Screw someone over- To take advantage of someone, lie to someone, cheat on someone.
“His ex-wife really screwed him over when she got the house in the divorce.”
2. Read into something- To find more information about a subject or what someone says. In some cases it can mean the person has changed the meaning of your words.
“She always reads into my words, when I said I wanted a break, she thought I was breaking up with her.”
3. To let go- To release; forget about a negative thought.
“I can’t let go of the fact that he stole her records.”
4. Hung up- When your mind is stuck on something; you can’t stop thinking about something.
“He’s really hung up on that girl.”

Chorus

But you didn’t have to cut me off⁵
Make out⁶ like it never happened and that we were nothing
And I don’t even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough
No, you didn’t have to stoop so low⁷
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don’t need, that though
Now you’re just somebody that I used to know

5. Cut someone off- To totally eliminate that person form your life.

“She cut him off. She doesn’t answer any of his calls or messages.”
6. Make out- To act; pretend.
“He was making out that he was ok, but I know he was really sad.”
7. Stoop so low- To do something with no morality.
“I can’t believe she stooped so low as to poison his dog for revenge.”
- See more at: http://reallifeglobal.com/learning-english-with-music-somebody-that-i-used-to-know-goyte/#sthash.vsUCVBp3.dpuf

NI - Excuses -Australian School Answering Machine

Monday, 12 January 2015

New Year's Resolutions

The Top Ten New Year's Resolutions

1NB - Likes and dislikes

Great link to help you with videos, listenings and more HERE

1NB - Open Up - Song and CAN

Have a look at these links:

Can

http://www.theyellowpencil.com/gramacan.html

http://www.shertonenglish.com/resources/es/main-verbs/can.php

http://www.real-english.com/reo/15/unit15.html Watch the videos and do the exercises

http://www.esolcourses.com/uk-english/beginners-grammar/using-can/lesson-2/read-and-write.html

NI - Parts of the house and houses

A powerpoint presentation with vocabulary and specially this one

Check on the song Our House (Madness) just sing along with the lyrics!

And finally a listening on dream houses.

NI - Conditionals

Explanation and exercises.

Second Conditional

What would you do if you won 10 million pounds/dollars? Watch this video! Who do you agree with?

An interesting activity based on "The Hunger Games"

Third Conditional

Perfectenglishgrammar

And an interesting activities based on video: ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button‘ (at the end of the exercises you can find a WORKSHEET with a pdf copy of the exercises and key)

1o SONGS with conditionals? Yes!!! With the lyrics and different styles plus explanations… Look at the way they contract…

And of course the songs If I were a boy by Beyoncé

and Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton.

Adele seems to have designed a song for the 3rd conditional: If it hadn’t been for love

Tuesday, 6 January 2015

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Hiya everybody!!
I hope your holiday went great and you feel full with energy now and ready for the rest of the year.
My best wishes for this Brand New Year.

And this is what British people sing at 12.00 on New Year's Day

NB1 - An informal email

Writing an informal email from Elaboración Materiales

Really??

Wednesday, 28 January 2015

NI- IF - Kipling