GRAMMAR

Future Probability

May 25, 2023 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

When you ask for opinions about future probability, you usually use will + base form or be going to + base form. However, there are other alternatives that are also common in spoken English.

In the table below, you can find a collection of useful phrases and expressions that will help you convey future probabilities with confidence. The table includes various patterns and grammar structures, including modal verbs like “will” and “might,” as well as phrases such as “there’s a good chance” and “I’m sure of it.”

Phrases	Grammar Pattern	Explanation	Examples
will/be going to	will/going to + base form	Expresses future events or actions without indicating certainty	“I will go to the party tomorrow.” “What do you think they‘re going to do about it?
Definitely	will definitely + base form	Indicates a high level of certainty or confidence in a future event	“She will definitely win the race. She’s the fastest runner.”
I’m sure	be sure of something be sure + subject + will + base form	Indicates strong confidence or certainty in a future outcome	“I’m sure it will rain today. The sky is cloudy.”
I’m bound to	be bound to + base form	Suggests a high likelihood or inevitability of a future event	“If you keep practicing, you’re bound to improve your skills.”
There’s a good chance	There’s a good chance + subject + will + base form	Indicates a favorable probability or possibility of something	“There’s a good chance she will get the job. She has relevant experience.”
Fairly likely to	be fairly likely to + base form	Expresses a moderate probability or likelihood of a future event	“He is fairly likely to pass the exam. He studied hard.”
Might	might + base form	Suggests a possibility or a lower level of certainty in the future	“I might go to the concert if I can get tickets.”
There’s a chance something will/won’t happen	Phrase	Indicates the existence of a possibility or an unlikelihood	“There’s a chance it will rain tomorrow. Bring an umbrella.”
Unlikely	be unlikely that + somebody/ something + will + base form	Expresses a low probability or unlikelihood of a future event	“It‘s unlikely that he will arrive on time. He’s always late.”
There’s only a small chance that something will happen	Phrase	Indicates a very low probability or likelihood of something	“There’s only a small chance they will cancel the event. It’s well-organized.”
Doubt somebody will do something	doubt + subject + will + base form	Expresses skepticism or lack of belief in a future event	“I doubt they will win the competition. Their performance wasn’t strong enough.”
Doubt something will happen	doubt it will + base form	Indicates skepticism or lack of belief in a future outcome	“I doubt it will snow tomorrow. The weather forecast says it’ll be sunny.”
To be not the first person but definitely not the last	be not the first person + base form, but definitely not the last	Implies a level of certainty or confidence, although not the highest	“I’m not the first person to say it, but definitely not the last – he’s talented.”
Bound to	be bound to + base form	Suggests a high probability or inevitability of a future event	“With her skills, she is bound to succeed in her career.”
Hope so	Phrase	Expresses desire or optimism about a future outcome	“I hope so! I really want to win the competition.”
Think so	Phrase	Expresses a belief or opinion that something will happen	“I think so. Based on the evidence, he is likely to be promoted.”
Not think so	Phrase	Expresses a belief or opinion that something will not happen	“I don’t think so. It’s unlikely they will change their decision.”

Grammar practice

Speaking practice

Imagine what life will be like in ten years’ time.
Spin the wheel and discuss each statement on the spinning wheel
Express how likely you think each will be.
Negotiate where to place the statement next to the thermometer of probability, with high temperature meaning It’ll definitely … and cold temperatures meaning It definitely won’t … .
Try to use a range of phrases during their negotiations.

GRAMMAR

Have/Get Something Done

May 24, 2023May 24, 2023 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

“Have/get something done” is a useful English construction that we use when we want to talk about arranging for someone else to do something for us. It’s a way to emphasize that we didn’t do the action ourselves, but rather someone else did it for us.

Usage	Structure	Examples	Explanation
Services you pay someone else to do for you	get/have + object + past participle	I get my car washed every week. She had her hair cut at a fancy salon. They are getting their house painted next month.	Emphasizes that you pay someone to perform a service for you.
Formal situations, arranging for something to be done	have + object + past participle	We had our website redesigned by a professional agency. He had his presentation translated into three languages. We had our legal documents notarized by a certified notary.	Indicates that you arranged for a service to be done by someone else in a formal context.
Things that happen to you, often negative experiences	have + object + past participle	She had her purse stolen while she was shopping. We had our flight delayed for several hours due to bad weather. He had his car broken into last night.	Describes events or actions that occur to you, usually negative experiences, without your organization or control.
Negative form	did not have/get + object + past participle	I didn’t have my computer repaired. They didn’t get their house cleaned before the guests arrived. She didn’t have her dress altered in time for the event.	Expresses the negative form of arranging or paying for a service to be done.
Question form Simple past	Did + subject + have/get + object + past participle?	Did you get your passport renewed? Did he have his car washed? Did they have their house repainted?	Forms a question to inquire about arranging or paying for a service to be done.

Grammar practice

Speaking Practice

Get into pairs or small groups.
Take turns being the speaker and the listener.
Open a box and look at the picture carefully
Start speaking about the picture using have/get something done.
Flip the card to see the answer (there are several correct answers, this is just one alternative)

Example: He hasn’t gotten his hair cut yet.

GRAMMAR

Passive Voice

May 22, 2023 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

The passive voice is a grammatical construction used in English to emphasize the object of an action rather than the subject. In a passive sentence, the subject is being acted upon or is receiving the action, while the doer of the action is often placed in a prepositional phrase or omitted altogether.

Points	Explanation
Formation	The passive voice is formed by using the appropriate form of the verb “to be” (e.g., is, am, are, was, were) followed by the past participle of the main verb.
Object as the subject	In passive voice sentences, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
Use of “by” (optional)	When we want to mention the doer of the action in the passive voice, we use the preposition “by” followed by the doer.
Focus on the action or object	The passive voice is used when we want to emphasize the action itself or the object being acted upon, rather than the doer of the action.
Common situations for passive voice	The passive voice is commonly used when the doer of the action is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from the context. It is also used when talking about general truths, scientific facts, or processes.

Grammar Patterns

Tense/Form	Grammar Pattern	Examples
Simple Present	is/are + past participle	The car is washed every week.
Past Simple	was/were + past participle	The book was written by Mark Twain.
Past Continuous	was/were being + past participle	The house was being renovated last month.
Present Perfect Simple	has/have been + past participle	The package has been delivered.
Present Perfect Continuous	has/have been being + past participle	The movie has been being filmed for months.
Past Perfect Simple	had been + past participle	The project had been completed before the deadline.
Modal + Passive Form	modal verb (can/could/may/might/should, etc.) + be + past participle	The document can be signed tomorrow.
Be Going to + Passive Form	am/is/are going to be + past participle	The room is going to be cleaned this afternoon.
Gerund + Passive Form	being + past participle	Being loved by everyone is a great feeling.

Grammar Practice

Speaking Practice

WRITING

How to Write a Report About a Graph

May 22, 2023May 26, 2023 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Sometimes in proficiency exams like IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge, you may be asked to describe a graph. But what exactly is a graph?

A graph is a visual representation of data or information. It helps us understand and analyze different trends, patterns, or comparisons in a clear and organized way.

In these exams, you may come across various types of graphs that you’ll need to describe. Let’s take a look at some common types of graphs:

When you talk about graphs in these exams, it’s important to give a clear and short summary of the main things you see.

It’s good to learn how to describe graphs because it helps you understand and explain information better. You can use this skill to study and share data in your writing.

Here you have the basic guidelines to write a report to describe a graph:

What is a report describing a graph?

A report describing a graph is a way to explain and share information about a graph you see. A graph is a picture that shows data or information in a clear and organized way.

When you write a report about a graph, you look at the different parts of the graph and describe what you see. You talk about the important points, like the highest or lowest values, the trends or patterns you notice, or any comparisons between different parts of the graph.

Writing a report describing a graph helps you understand and communicate the information in the graph to others. It’s like telling a story about the graph and what it shows.

Parts of a report describing a graph

1 Introduction

Start by explaining what the survey is about, who did it, and when.

Example: “This report tells us about a survey on [topic].

Use the passive to do this:

Example: The survey was done in [month/ year]/ by [organization/ person]

2 Main findings

Begin with the most important discovery in the first sentence.

Example: “The most important thing we learned from the survey is that [state the discovery].”

Use numbers and facts to support your main finding. Use words like “but,” “different,” or “compared to” to talk about contrasting information.
If there is more than one topic or discovery, talk about each one in a different paragraph.
Use words like “but,” “different,” or “while” to show contrasting information.
Use simple words and phrases like “most people,” “almost two-thirds,” or “a lot” to describe numbers.

Conclusion

Explain what you think the survey results mean using phrases like “show,” “seem,” or “tell us.”

Example: “The survey results show that [interpretation of findings].”

Give a suggestion or advice based on the survey results.

Example: “From these findings, it would be a good idea to [suggested action].”

Now that you know the parts of a report and the steps to follow, let’s see a report sample for the IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge or Duolingo tests

Survey Question: How many hours per week do you spend following the news?

Results:

Useful language to describe a graph

Stage	Vocabulary and Phrases
Introduction	– The picture/graph shows… – This picture/graph has information about… – The horizontal line is for… – This picture/graph gives a general idea of… – This report presents the findings of… – The purpose of this report/survey was to…

Describing the graph	– Overall, we can see that… – The results show that… – The graph goes up/down a lot… – The numbers/values show… – The graph keeps changing/stays the same/goes up and down. – The highest point is at… – The lowest point is at… – There is a big/small change from… to… – There is a big/small change from… to… – The numbers show a pattern of…

Comparisons	– Compared to… – Similarly – In contrast… – There is a big difference between… – There is a big difference between… – Two things are different:… – On one side, … On the other side, … – While…, …; But…, …

Specific data and statistics	– According to the graph, the percentage/number is… – The graph shows that… – Most/Some/Many… – Almost two-thirds/half/one-fourth of… – About/Around… – It’s important to notice that…

Concluding the report	– In conclusion/To finish,… – Overall, we can say… – This picture/graph helps us understand… – From the graph/ diagram/ survey, we can see… – Based on the information, we can tell… – This survey/ graph/ diagram suggests that…

Pro tips for writing reports

Make sure that you:

wrote a title that shows what the report is about
divided the report into clear paragraphs with subheadings
did NOT use contractions or informal words
Used connectors and formulaic expressions (useful language)
Used the correct verb tenses, word forms and punctuation
your ideas are easy to read and understand

Practice time

You have been asked to write a report about a media survey.

Look at the following chart.

Write your report in the comments below.

GRAMMAR

Comment Adverbs

May 18, 2023May 23, 2023 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Adverbs are a type of word that provide more information about verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs in a sentence. They describe how an action is done, when it happens, where it takes place, or to what extent.

This lesson will focus on a specific group of adverbs called “comment adverbs.” These adverbs express the speaker’s attitude, opinion, or comment about the action or situation. They add more depth and emotion to a statement. Let’s explore some common comment adverbs:

Comment Adverb	Meaning	Example
Actually	Emphasizes truth or reality	“I thought it was expensive, but actually, it’s quite affordable.”
Amazingly	Expresses surprise or astonishment	“She sang amazingly well and impressed everyone.”
Apparently	Based on available evidence, seemingly true	“Apparently, he won the lottery, but I’m not sure.”
Basically	Simplifying or summarizing	“Basically, it means we have to start over.”
Clearly	Indicates something is evident or understood	“He explained the rules clearly, so we understood.”
Generally	Broadly or typically	“Generally, people enjoy going to the beach in summer.”
Hopefully	Expresses positive expectation or desire	“Hopefully, we’ll have a successful event tomorrow.”
Luckily	Something positive happened by chance	“I forgot my keys, but luckily, I found a spare set.”
Personally	Indicates a personal opinion or experience	“Personally, I think it’s the best movie I’ve seen.”
Obviously	Something is easily understood or apparent	“He didn’t study, so obviously, he failed the test.”
Sadly	Expresses sorrow or regret	“Sadly, she couldn’t attend the party due to illness.”
Surprisingly	Highlights something unexpected	“Surprisingly, the cake tasted better than it looked.”
Unfortunately	Something undesirable or negative	“Unfortunately, the concert was cancelled due to rain.”

The Position of Adverbs

Grammar practice 1

Grammar practice 2

Speaking Practice

Get into pairs or small groups.
Take turns being the speaker and the listener.
Spin the wheel to see a question.
Start speaking about the topic on the wheel.
Try to use a comment adverb every time you share your opinion.

GRAMMAR

Present Perfect and Adverbs

May 18, 2023 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Present Perfect Review

The present perfect tense is a verb form used to connect past actions or events to the present. It indicates that something started in the past and has a relevance or connection to the present moment. In other words, it emphasizes the relationship between past actions and their impact on the current situation.

Grammar pattern
Form: Subject + have/has + past participle (3rd form)

Use	Example
Expressing Experiences	“I have visited Paris several times.”
Unfinished Actions	“They have studied English for three years.”
Actions with Relevance	“She has lost her keys.”
Recent Past	“He has just arrived home.”

Adverbs used with Present Perfect

There are some adverbs that we can use with present perfect to make emphasis or add additional details.

Adverb	Meaning	Example
Already	Before the present time or earlier than expected	“I have already finished my homework.”
Even	Emphasizing a surprising or unexpected situation	“I’ve been very busy. I haven’t even had time to have lunch.”
Ever	At any time in the past or in one’s life	“Have you ever traveled abroad?”
Just	Referring to a very recent past or a short time ago	“He’s just come back from Brazil.”
Lately	In the recent past or during a recent period	“I haven’t seen him lately.”
Never	Not at any time in the past or in one’s life	“I have never been to Australia.”
Only	Indicating exclusivity or emphasizing limitations	“I’ve only done the first year of my course.”
Recently	In the near past or not long ago	“She has recently started a new job.”
So far	Describing the extent of an action up to the present time	“They have visited three countries so far.”
Still	Indicating that a situation or action is continuing or ongoing	“I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
Yet	Expressing an action or event expected to happen but hasn’t occurred until now	“They haven’t finished their project yet.”

Grammar practice

Speaking practice

GRAMMAR

Future Forms

May 15, 2023 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

For High-Intermediate English learners

There are different ways of talking about the future in English. While one structure may be preferred for certain meanings, in many cases more than one structure can be used with little or no change of meaning.

Future Form	Grammar Pattern	Meaning	Explanation	Examples
Present be going to	subject + be + going to + base verb	Planned or intended actions in the future	Used when something is already decided or planned	I am going to visit my grandparents next weekend.
Will	subject + will + base verb	Spontaneous decisions, predictions, promises, or offers	Used for decisions made at the moment or predictions/promises	It’s hot here. I will open the window.
Present Continuous	subject + am/is/are + present participle (-ing form)	Fixed plans or arrangements in the near future	Used for actions already planned or arranged	I am meeting my friend for dinner tonight.
Might/May	subject + might/may + base verb	Possibilities or uncertain future events	Used when there is a possibility, but uncertainty	I might go to the party if I finish my work early.
Future Continuous	subject + will be + present participle (-ing form)	Ongoing actions or events in the future	Used to describe actions happening at a specific time	They will be watching a movie this time next week.

Future (will/ be going to/ be + verb+ing)

Future Perfect vs. Future Continuous

Grammar Practice

Speaking Practice

GRAMMAR

Reported Speech

May 11, 2023May 12, 2023 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is used to report what someone else said.

It’s different from direct speech, which is when we repeat the exact words that someone else said.

In reported speech, we need to change the tense and pronouns to match the new speaker and the time of reporting. Here’s a table that summarizes the changes:

Direct Speech	Reported Speech	Example
Present Simple	Past Simple	“I like pizza,” said John.
		John said that he liked pizza.
Present Continuous	Past Continuous	“I am playing soccer,” said Emily.
		Emily said that she was playing soccer.
Present Perfect	Past Perfect	“I have visited France,” said Kate.
		Kate said that she had visited France.
Present Perfect Cont.	Past Perfect Continuous	“I have been studying Spanish,” said Tom.
		Tom said that he had been studying Spanish.
Past Simple	Past Perfect	“I went to the store,” said Sarah.
		Sarah said that she had gone to the store.
Past Continuous	Past Perfect Continuous	“I was watching TV,” said Mike.
		Mike said that he had been watching TV.
Past Perfect	Past Perfect	“I had finished my homework,” said Jane.
		Jane said that she had finished her homework.
Past Perfect Cont.	Past Perfect Continuous	“I had been studying for hours,” said Alex.
		Alex said that he had been studying for hours.
Future Simple	Conditional (would) + Infinitive	“I will come to the party,” said Peter.
		Peter said that he would come to the party.
Future Continuous	Conditional Continuous (would + be + Ving	“I will be working late,” said Mark.
		Mark said that he would be working late.
Future Perfect	Conditional Perfect (would + have + PP)	“I will have finished by then,” said Anna.
		Anna said that she would have finished by then.
Future Perfect Cont.	Conditional Perfect Cont. (would + have + been + Ving)	“I will have been studying for 4 hours,” said Sam.
Here/There	Changed according to the new location	“I live here,” said Lisa.
		Lisa said that she lived there.
Personal Pronouns	Changed according to the new speaker	“I love this song,” said Tim.
		Tim said that he loved that song.

Grammar Practice

Speaking Practice

Open the box
Look at the picture
Answer the following questions using reported speech

What did they say?/ What did they ask?

SPEAKING

Talk for a minute

May 11, 2023May 11, 2023 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Instructions:

Get into pairs or small groups.
Take turns being the speaker and the listener.
Choose a topic card.
Start speaking about the topic on the card for one minute. Try to say as much as you can.
The listener should pay attention and not interrupt the speaker.
When one minute is up, switch roles. The listener becomes the speaker and vice versa.
Repeat the process until both of you have spoken about different topics.

Remember, the goal is to practice speaking and listening skills, so don’t worry about making mistakes. Enjoy the activity and encourage each other’s efforts!

Click on the arrows < > to see the speaking cards

Speaking cards 👇

Click the arrow > to see the first card

GRAMMAR

Past Perfect Simple

May 10, 2023 teacherjulietaLeave a comment

The past perfect simple is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past.

Grammar Pattern	Meaning	Examples
Subject + had + past participle (3rd form)	Expresses an action completed before another action or time in the past.	I had already eaten when he arrived. She had studied English before she moved to London. They had finished their work before the deadline.

In order to master this verb tense it is crucial that you know by heart the past participle of the most used irregular verbs. Below you can see a list of the basic irregular verbs that intermediate/ high-intermediate learners MUST know already.

Base form	Simple past (2nd form)	Past participle (3rd form)
be	was/were	been
begin	began	begun
break	broke	broken
bring	brought	brought
build	built	built
buy	bought	bought
choose	chose	chosen
come	came	come
do	did	done
draw	drew	drawn
drink	drank	drunk
drive	drove	driven
eat	ate	eaten
fall	fell	fallen
feel	felt	felt
find	found	found
fly	flew	flown
forget	forgot	forgotten
get	got	gotten
give	gave	given
go	went	gone
have	had	had
hear	heard	heard
hit	hit	hit
hold	held	held
keep	kept	kept
know	knew	known
leave	left	left
lose	lost	lost
make	made	made
meet	met	met
pay	paid	paid
put	put	put
read	read	read
run	ran	run
say	said	said
see	saw	seen
sell	sold	sold
send	sent	sent
sing	sang	sung
sit	sat	sat
sleep	slept	slept
speak	spoke	spoken
spend	spent	spent
stand	stood	stood
swim	swam	swum
take	took	taken
teach	taught	taught
tell	told	told
think	thought	thought
understand	understood	understood
wake	woke	woken
wear	wore	worn
win	won	won
write	wrote	written