Present perfect

You can find more information and exercises here

Hotel vocabulary

Visit London

2nd Intermediate - example of interaction

Here is an example of what could be the first part of your exam.

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

You and your friend are looking for accommodation for your holiday in Malta this summer.

Talk to your friend and reach an agreement about:

• type of accommodation

• location

• meals

CANDIDATE A

• YOU PREFER TO GO TO A HOTEL

• YOU PREFER TO STAY IN THE CENTRE OF THE CITY

• YOU PREFER TO HAVE BREAKFAST AND DINNER AT THE HOTEL

CANDIDATE B

• YOU PREFER TO RENT AN APARTMENT

• YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A NICE VIEW

• YOU PREFER TO HAVE DINNER OUT
 

Consider this outline

A. Hi ….. Have you thought about …? I have found ….            

B. Well, I’ve been searching …. And as for …, I believe the best option for us is ….

A. I don’t know. I would prefer to…. I’ve found ….  This way ….. Otherwise, we would .…

B. But, if we …, we can ….   …, isn’t it?

A. Yes, that’s true. I …. either/too. However, I still consider …. What we can do is …. Would that be ok?

B. Yes. But on one condition. …. I don’t want to ….. I …... I need something different during my holidays.

A. All right, I’ve already …. and I’ll….

B. Don’t forget to ask about …. too. It would be useful to …. Besides, we don’t want to …..

A. That’s a good point.

B. And just in case you …., I’ll …..

A. Ok. But not …. Pay special attention to …. We don’t want to be limited by ….

B. All right. I’m really looking forward to ….

A. Me too. It’s been some time since I last …. and I want to ….

Here is a complete example of an interaction

A. Hi ….. Have you thought about our holidays in Malta? I have found some interesting information.

B. Well, I’ve been searching the Internet too. As for accommodation, I think the best option for us is renting a small flat in a nice area with beautiful views.

A. I don’t know. I would prefer to stay in a hotel with all the meals included. I’ve found some real bargains. This way we only have to enjoy ourselves and do nothing else. Otherwise we would have to cook or clean…

B. But, if we have our own flat, we can eat whatever we want. Sometimes hotel food is awful, isn’t it?

A. Yes, that’s true. I’m not very keen on hotel food either. However, I still consider staying in a hotel is more convenient. What we can do is just have breakfast in the hotel and maybe eat dinner and lunch out. Would that be ok?

B. Yes. But on one condition. Our room must have nice views. I don’t want to get up and see a car park or a wall through the windows. I see that every day at home. I need something different during my holidays.

A. All right, I’ve already found some nice hotels in the centre and I’ll send some emails to ask about the rooms.

B. Don’t forget to ask about the views and the area too. It would be useful to know if there are any restaurants nearby. Besides, we don’t want to be walking around the city without knowing where we are going trying to find a decent place to have dinner.

A. That’s a good point.

B. And just in case you don’t find something nice in the centre, I’ll try to find something in the outskirts.

A. Ok. But not too far from the centre. Pay special attention to transport. We don’t want to be limited by transport timetables.

B. All right. I’m really looking forward to our trip.

B. Me too. It’s been some time since I last travelled abroad and I want to improve my English.

Wonders of the world

Match the last 6 wonders to these statements

Perth's Wave Rock  -  Bagan  -  Metéora Suspended Monasteries   -   the White Temple

Meenakshis Amman Temple  -   Angel Falls

It is 2,7 billion years old - Perth's Wave Rock
It is dedicated to a goddess and art - Meenakshis Amman Temple
It is unfinished - the White Temple
It still has 2200 temples - Bagan
It was difficult to find - Angel Falls
People lived there in the 9^th C - Metéora Suspended Monasteries

Answers written in white. Select above to see them.

Languages - mindmap

REVISION. Translate

1. Me gustaría hablar inglés con fluidez
2. Mucha gente estudia inglés para su trabajo
3. Algunas personas piensan que aprender inglés es difícil y abandonan
4. En Londres puedes aprender vocabulario con tan solo oírlo
5. Me defiendo en inglés cuando viajo
6. Tengo dificultades con la pronunciación y la gramática inglesas
7. No había estudiado inglés antes
8. Cuando estudiaba en el instituto, no hablábamos en inglés en clase
9. La fluidez es tan importante como la corrección
10. Dominar una lengua completamente lleva tiempo

Places - mindmap

TRANSFORMATIONS
1. I arrived in London last week and I’m still here   BEEN
2. This is my second visit to Hungary   TIME
3. Mary started learning French five years ago   BEEN LEARNING
4. After I arrived here, I started to feel better  SINCE
5. It’s years since I last took a holiday  FOR
6. I have never seen a more beautiful view  IT’S
7. It’s only my second time in the UK  ONCE BEFORE
8. This is my first experience travelling alone  TRAVELLED
9. Joan has always been very fond of travelling  KEEN
10. I haven’t been to Rome for two years. LAST
11. The last time I was abroad was in the summer of 1978.  SINCE
12. I haven’t eaten raw fish since I was I Japan. LAST

VOCABULARY
A. 5 positive and 5 negative aspects of holidays in Lugo
B. 5 words related to acommodation
C. 5 attractions or places of interest people visit when travelling

TRANSFORMATIONS - answers
1) I have been in London since I arrived last week
2) This is the second time I’ve visited Hungary
3) Mary has been learning French for 5 years
4) I have felt better since I arrived
5) I haven’t taken a holiday for year
6) It’s the most beautiful view I’ve ever seen
7) I have only been to the UK once before
8) I have never travelled alone before / this is the first time I have travelled alone
9) Joan has always been very keen on travelling
10) It’s two years since I was last in Rome / The last time I was in Rome was two years ago / I was last in Rome two years ago
11) I haven’t been abroad since 1978
12) I last ate raw fish in Japan / the last time I ate raw fish was in Japan

Past tenses

Listen to the story and answer the questions below: 
What was Nelson and Catherine’s relationship? Catherine had been his student
Why hadn’t Nelson retired? Because he loved teaching and his students gave him something to look forward to every day
Why did Catherine call Nelson? She invited him to dinner
What did Nelson do before going to see Catherine? He looked for a present
What was Catherine’s reaction when she saw the present? She made a funny face
Why did she react like that? Because she had given the same present to him the previous semester
What did Nelson do when he realized his mistake? He apologised
What did Catherine say? She said that it was the thought that counted

Answers written in white. Select above to see them


What did her stepfather like having for dinner? Vegetables
Where did the vegetables come from? The stepfamily cultivated them
What did the girl like eating? She loved linguini
Why was she in the treehouse? She didn’t like her stepfamily
Why couldn’t she open the tin? She had forgotten the tin opener
How did she communicate with her mother? She wrote letters and let them fall down
What did she tell her mother? She explained why she had moved to the treehouse.  She said that she was ok and asked her not to send rescue
What did she see on TV? The news talked about her
What did her mother tell her? That they loved her
What did she make with the tins? She made a phone to speak to her mother
What was in the chest? She found decorations for her birthday party, a birthday card and a present
What did she do with the seeds? She planted them
How did she get down the tree? She made the pea plant grow with fertiliser and used it to go down
What did they have for dinner? They ate giant peas

Regular past