Translation 7

These were ten  sentences I gave you some time ago:

1-Enfrente del museo hay una oficina de correos donde se pueden comprar sellos.

2-Después de echar la carta fui al polideportivo a jugar al baloncesto con ellos.

3-En los países de habla inglesa la gente no suele hablar despacio.

4-¿Vamos a ver The artist? –Vale. ¿Dónde la ponen? ¿A qué hora empieza?

5-Averigua la dirección del carnicero y escríbela aquí.

6-¿Te gustaría conocer al alcalde? Creo que no.

7-Hacer los deberes es un rollo. ¿Ah sí? A mí me encanta.

8-Hay una frutería cerca del ayuntamiento, pero no trabaja allí.

9-Hay dos  mujeres detrás del quiosco, pero no las conozco. (¿Dónde incluirías la palabra STANDING?)

10- Delante de mí había una furgoneta (van) blanca, así que detuve el coche.

Here's  the key, together with some comments.

Translation no. 6

These were the sentences:

1-¿Cuántos niños hay? No estoy seguro.

2-Hay wifi por toda la casa, pero no tengo portátil.

3-Mi piso está en la planta de arriba [del edificio].

4-Háblame de tus vecinos. (verbo distinto de TALK).

5-Me gustaría quedarme en tu piso unos días. (FEW).

6-Puedes dejar los libros en las estanterías en el piso de arriba. (LEAVE).

7-A medianoche solemos beber algo antes de acostarnos.

8-Casi nunca me hace regalos. (Ni DO ni MAKE)

9-No hay muchos muebles. ¿Cuánto cuesta un armario ropero?

10-¿Podrías ayudarlos en vez de reírte de ellos?

Here's the key, together with some comments.

KNOW and MEET

Read this and listen to the explanation.

KNOW = Be familiar with

I don't know my neighbours.
Do you know them?
Do you two know each other?

Compare:
She knew a lot of people in Scotland (=conocía a mucha gente)
She met a lot of people in Scotland (=conoció a mucha gente)

MEET
-First time:           Pleased to meet you.      I'd like to meet your wife.

-By chance:         Did you meet anyone in town?      Guess who I met yesterday.

-By arrangement:      Let's meet at ten.      Shall we meet at the cinema?
                                         We're meeting them outside the theatre at seven.
                                         The Prime Minister met other European leaders for talks.

SAY and TELL

Read this and listen to the explanation. (It's the second recording).


DECIR:

A) “Open the door”, I said.

“Open the door”, I told him.

He told me (that) he lived in Scotland.

He said (that) he lived in Scotland.

Common mistakes: She said me (that) she was ill. >>>>She said (that)… OR she told me (that)…
                               She told she was coming >>>> She said (that) she was... OR she told me/him, etc. (that)...

B) He didn’t tell us. Don’t tell him! Did you tell your parents?

CONTAR:

She told (me) a lie    Did you tell (them) the truth?    He told (me) a joke/story                           To tell the time (la hora)

Follow by E-mail

En la parte de la derecha de vuestra pantalla podéis ver la colección de labels (etiquetas), que os pueden servir para buscar alguna entrada antigua de manera rápida, de acuerdo con las categorías que yo les haya asignado.

Un poco más abajo de las etiquetas veréis también un cuadro llamado "Follow by E-mail". Si anotáis vuestro correo ahí ya dais a submit, os avisará cada vez que yo publique una entrada, y no tendr´´esi que estar tan pendientes de mirarlo de vez en cuando a ver si hay novedades. ¡A mí por lo menos me funciona, y me avisa de que he colgado cosas por sin o me he dado cuenta!

Christmas videos

Here are some links to Christmas videos on Youtube:

-A short animation on Christmas traditions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbIiz49TE7g&feature=related

-Mansión del inglés: a lesson about Christmas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_10Jqg6Siw&feature=related

-The song Pedro sent us in his e-mail is by John Lennon (the pictures are rather sad):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S84RLgnz7Rs

-Mother and her kids explaining what Christmas crackers are: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4hd1nkTc_w

-A shorter film about crackers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3lfmkpbySY&feature=related

-What's it like in Edinburgh on Hogmanay. These people are really having fun!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMk-j0vkmGo

-Auld Lang Syne:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3w0Jun94wU&feature=related

-Finally, if you like Mr Bean:

Mr Bean Christmas 1     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWtbJ1Uf-90

Mr Bean Christmas 2     http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=DSLDr-5CAiw

Mr Bean Christmas 3 (incompleto, a partir del minuto 1' 40'' pasar al siguiente)                                                                                                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7Jde0ZRRh8&feature=related

and Mr Bean Christmas finale (with subtitles in Dutch!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upGhjNXcBk8&feature=related

ALSO, TOO

Both ALSO and TOO mean "también".

TOO appears at the end of the sentence:
I'm tired. My children are tired, too. (My children too are tired)
She works from Monday to Wednesday. She sometimes works on Thursday, too. (Too, she works...)

ALSO is occasionally found at the beginning of the sentence, but it usually goes with the verb, in mid-position.
Do you remember the position of adverbs like always, hardly ever, etc.? Before the main verb, after the verb TO BE. Well, that's what we call mid-position, and it's the same rule for ALSO:

My sister sings in a choir; she also plays the violin. (Before the main verb)
He can play rugby and football. He can also take very good photographs. (Before the main verb)
She's young and beautiful --she's also very vain. (After TO BE)