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FECHAS DE LA 2ª EVALUACIÓN GRUPO NA1a

FECHAS DE LA 2ª EVALUACIÓN GRUPO NA1a

NIVEL AVANZADO 1 GRUPO NA1A (TURNO DE NOCHE):

JUEVES 15 Y MARTES 20 DE MAYO PRUEBAS ESCRITAS.

JUEVES  22 Y MARTES 27 EXÁMENES ORALES.

 

TYPES OF WRITING 2014

What do I need to know about ... Discursive Writing?

What's the point?

Discursive wirting discusses the situation at hand. It presents an argument in a more balanced way than argumentative and persuasive writing and can appreciate the arguments both for and against a given position. Discursive writing does not argue for or against a point throughout the essay. After having assessed and evaluated all arguments, the writer generally states his/her opinion at the end.

What are the conventions?

Examples of conventions that could be used in a discursive essays are listed below. However, you have to be careful when using them that you do not become to strongly persuasive:

• Balanced and calm tone of voice
• A structure that alternates between the two opposiing positions exploring each one
• A balanced consideration of the evidence for each point and an analysis of the strengths and flaws of that evidence
• Techincal and formal language where appropriate
• Reference to other sources of expertise / quotations from famous thinkers
• Connectives to link paragraphs together by pointing out similarites (Equally, Similarly, etc) or differences (On the other hand, However, etc)
• Some persuasive techniques: hyperbole, repetition, oxymoron, triads, emotive language, imagery, similes, metaphors, rhetorical questions (although be careful when using all of these that you do not become too strongly persuasive

Structure

Introdution: This states clearly the problem of the investigation and why it is a significant issue.

Main Body: Consider the various sides of the position in turn, alternative between them. Assess each one and compare their relative strengths - do not include your own opinion at this point. For each point, use a new paragraph. Begin each paragraph with a key sentence which links back to the question.

Conclusion: Summing up the your key points and state your position again and what has made it difficult to come to this decision / whether there are any qualifications or uncertainties involved

Hints and Tips

• use the TENNIS MATCH ARGUMENT STYLE or an alternating structure to make it interesting
• Before you start writing your discursive essay any essay you should start with a SPIDER DIAGRAM- this is a really good way to put your ideas down to help you plan your essay. Also, you should know before writing your essay which side of the argument you are on (For or against). This is to avoid mistakes and confusion.
• Argument phrases: to introduce points and make it clear

Against:

• “Some people believe/ think/ feel that…”
• “Some people may argue”
• "Others are of the opinion that...".
• “While some people may claim”
• “Furthermore some people may insist”
• “Although some people would have us believe”

For:

• However, In contrast, On the other hand, Nevertheless
• “While in the case that…”
• “Further consideration, however, suggests…”
• “Despite the fact that there is some truth in…”
• “Although there is some evidence to support…”
• "It is also argued that...”
• "However there are also strong arguments against this point of view..."
• "Another counter argument is that..."

Do's

• Should choose 4-6 main points (hopefully a balance of for and against)
• Use connectives- furthermore, moreover, in addition, additionally, similarly etc. On the other hand, conversely, however, in contrast etc.
• Look at both points of view, and end with your own opinion.
• The different points, for and against, should be ALWAYS separated, NOT mixed. Present the “For” points in a separate paragraph, and present the “Against” point in another separate paragraph keep alternating between the two.
• The introduction should be balanced and serve just to introduce the topic.
• The conclusion can be persuasive
• Make examples as specific as possible

Dont's

• Use informal language when you are writing an essay, because you may be penalised in the exam
• Forget that there are 3 different parts of a discursive essay: Introduction, Main Part and a Conclusion.
• Forget to consider both sides - this is a persuasive essay, so you don't have to pick just one

Example Questions

• Should boxing be banned?
• Should students wear school uniforms?
• Should kids be banned from watching violent movies?
• Should animal experimenting be banned?

Example Answer:

Animal Experiments
A subject which always arouses strong feelings on both sides of the argument is the use of animals in medical research. I believe that, though this may have been necessary in the past, other ways can be developed to test drugs and, in the future, animals should not be used.
One of my main reasons for saying this is that living tissues can be grown in test tubes and new drugs can be tested on these. Computers can also be programmed to show how medicines will react in the human body.

Moreover, animals are not always like humans. They do not suffer from all human diseases, so scientists have to give them the illnesses artificially. The joints in rabbit legs are inflamed with chemicals to help research in rheumatism. These tests do not always work because animals do not react to drugs in the same way as humans. Aspirin, for example, damages pregnant mice and dogs, but not pregnant women. Arsenic, which is a deadly poison for humans, has no effect on sheep, while penicillin, which is so valuable to humans, kills guinea pigs.

In addition, I believe that animal experiments should not be used because of the unnecessary pain that they cause to animals. The government introduced new rules about the use of animals in experiments in 1986. Scientists claim that these rules safeguard animals because they state that discomfort must be kept to a minimum and that painkillers must be used where necessary and appropriate. Surely this means, however, that scientists can still decide not to use painkillers in the animal experiments because they do not consider them appropriate. The British Union against Vivisection claims that 75% of animals experimented on are given no anaesthetic.

In spite of the claims of some scientists about the effectiveness of animal research, the death rate in this country has stayed the same over the last thirty years. There is also more long-term sickness, even though greater numbers of animals are being used in research.

On the other hand, scientists claim that some experiments are so small, for example giving an injection, that painkillers are not needed. They also argue that experiments on animals have been very useful in the past. For instance, the lives of ten million human diabetics have been saved because of experiments with insulin on dogs. Dogs also benefited, as the same drug can be used on them. In fact, a third of medicines used by vets are the same as those used by doctors.

It is argued by researchers that the use of animals in experiments cannot be replaced by methods using living tissue which has been grown in test tubes. These tests do not show how the drugs work on whole animals and so they only have limited effectiveness.
Although I accept that some drugs can be used on animals and humans, this does not mean that they have to be tested on animals in the first place when alternative methods are available. Alternative methods do work. Various groups have been set up to put money into other ways of researching. For example the Dr. Hadwen Trust has shown how human cartilage can be grown in test tubes to study rheumatism. Similar research is being done into cancer and multiple sclerosis. Tests can be done on bacteria to see whether a chemical will cause cancer. There is even a programme of volunteer human researchers, where people suffering from illnesses offer to help in research.

In conclusion, I accept that animal experiments have brought great benefits in the past, but now money needs to be spent on developing other methods of testing drugs and medical procedures, so that the use of animals can be phased out altogether.

Reference: - http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/bitesize/standard/english/writing/discursive_writing_rev3.shtml



MORE TO WORK( CLICK HERE):

TYPES OF WRITING.

CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO LEARN ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF WRITING IN ENGLISH:

1) ESSAY WRITING

2) HOW TO WRITE A REPORT

3) AN OPINION ESSAY

4) FOR AND AGAINST ESSAY:

For And Against Essay from Anabel Ponce

For And Against Essay

REPORTING VERBS & REPORTED SPEECH.

EXERCISE ONE
EXERCISE TWO
EXERCISE THREE

REPORTING VERBS. Form and meaning. taken from www.eslbase.com

We use reporting verbs to report what someone said more accurately than using say and tell.

Verb + infinitive

agree, decide, offer, promise, refuse, threaten

• They agreed to meet on Friday.
• He refused to take his coat off.

Verb + object + infinitive

advise, encourage, invite, remind, warn

• Tom advised me to go home early.
• She reminded me to telephone my mother.

Verb + gerund

deny, recommend, suggest

• They recommended taking the bus.
• She suggested meeting a little earlier.

Verb + object + preposition (+ gerund)

accuse, blame, congratulate

• He accused me of taking the money.
• They congratulated me on passing all my exams.

Verb + preposition + gerund

apologise, insist

• They apologised for not coming.
• He insisted on having dinner.

Verb + (that) + subject + verb

admit, agree, decide, deny, explain, insist, promise, recommend, suggest

• Sarah decided (that) the house needed cleaning.
• They recommended (that) we take the bus.

REPORTED SPEECH by http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com

EXERCISE 1
EXERCISE 2
EXERCISE 3

We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. (Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell'.) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:

• Reported speech: She says she likes ice cream
• Direct speech: “I like ice cream”.

We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'.

But, if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:

• Direct speech: “I like ice cream”.
• Reported speech: She said she liked ice cream.

Tense	Direct Speech	Reported Speech
present simple	“I like ice cream”	She said (that) she liked ice cream.
present continuous	“I am living in London”	She said she was living in London.
past simple	“I bought a car”	She said she had bought a car OR She said she bought a car.
past continuous	“I was walking along the street”	She said she had been walking along the street.
present perfect	“I haven't seen Julie”	She said she hadn't seen Julie.
past perfect*	“I had taken English lessons before”	She said she had taken English lessons before.
will	“I'll see you later”	She said she would see me later.
would*	“I would help, but..”	She said she would help but...
can	“I can speak perfect English”	She said she could speak perfect English.
could*	“I could swim when I was four”	She said she could swim when she was four.
shall	“I shall come later”	She said she would come later.
should*	“I should call my mother”	She said she should call her mother
might*	"I might be late"	She said she might be late
must	"I must study at the weekend"	She said she must study at the weekend OR She said she had to study at the weekend

FUTURE PERFECT and FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Future Perfect by www.englishpage.com

Future Perfect has two different forms: "will have done" and "be going to have done." Unlike Simple Future forms, Future Perfect forms are usually interchangeable.

FORM Future Perfect with "Will"

[will have + past participle]

Examples:

• You will have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.
• Will you have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.?
• You will not have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.

USE 1 Completed Action Before Something in the Future

The Future Perfect expresses the idea that something will occur before another action in the future. It can also show that something will happen before a specific time in the future.

Examples:

• By the time he gets home, she is going to have cleaned the entire house.
• I am not going to have finished this test by 3 o'clock.
• Will she have learned enough Chinese to communicate before she moves to Beijing?
• Sam is probably going to have completed the proposal by the time he leaves this afternoon.
• By next November, I will have received my promotion.
• By the time I finish this course, I will have taken ten tests.
• How many countries are you going to have visited by the time you turn 50?

Notice in the examples above that the reference points (marked in italics) are in Simple Present rather than Simple Future. This is because the interruptions are in time clauses, and you cannot use future tenses in time clauses.

USE 2 Duration Before Something in the Future (Non-Continuous Verbs)

With Non-Continuous Verbs and some non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Future Perfect to show that something will continue up until another action in the future.

Examples:

• I will have been in London for six months by the time I leave.
• By Monday, Susan is going to have had my book for a week.

Although the above use of Future Perfect is normally limited to Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and "study" are sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs.

REMEMBER No Future in Time Clauses

Like all future forms, the Future Perfect cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of Future Perfect, Present Perfect is used.

Examples:

• I am going to see a movie when I will have finished my homework. Not Correct
• I am going to see a movie when I have finished my homework. Correct

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

Examples:

• You will only have learned a few words.
• Will you only have learned a few words?

• You are only going to have learned a few words.
• Are you only going to have learned a few words?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

Examples:

• They will have completed the project before the deadline. Active
• The project will have been completed before the deadline. Passive

• They are going to have completed the project before the deadline. Active
• The project is going to have been completed before the deadline. Passive

More About Active / Passive Forms

 

Future Perfect Continuous

Future Perfect Continuous has two different forms: "will have been doing " and "be going to have been doing." Unlike Simple Future forms, Future Perfect Continuous forms are usually interchangeable.

FORM Future Perfect Continuous with "Will"

[will have been + present participle]

Examples:

• You will have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.
• Will you have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives?
• You will not have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.

FORM Future Perfect Continuous with "Be Going To"

[am/is/are + going to have been + present participle]

Examples:

• You are going to have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.
• Are you going to have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives?
• You are not going to have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.

NOTE: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to" to create the Future Perfect Continuous with little or no difference in meaning.
Complete List of Future Perfect Continuous Forms

USE 1 Duration Before Something in the Future

We use the Future Perfect Continuous to show that something will continue up until a particular event or time in the future. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Friday" are all durations which can be used with the Future Perfect Continuous. Notice that this is related to the Present Perfect Continuous and the Past Perfect Continuous; however, with Future Perfect Continuous, the duration stops at or before a reference point in the future.

Examples:

• They will have been talking for over an hour by the time Thomas arrives.
• She is going to have been working at that company for three years when it finally closes.
• James will have been teaching at the university for more than a year by the time he leaves for Asia.
• How long will you have been studying when you graduate?
• We are going to have been driving for over three days straight when we get to Anchorage.
• A: When you finish your English course, will you have been living in New Zealand for over a year?
  B: No, I will not have been living here that long.

Notice in the examples above that the reference points (marked in italics) are in Simple Present rather than Simple Future. This is because these future events are in time clauses, and you cannot use future tenses in time clauses.

USE 2 Cause of Something in the Future

Using the Future Perfect Continuous before another action in the future is a good way to show cause and effect.

Examples:

• Jason will be tired when he gets home because he will have been jogging for over an hour.
• Claudia's English will be perfect when she returns to Germany because she is going to have been studying English in the United States for over two years.

Future Continuous vs. Future Perfect Continuous

If you do not include a duration such as "for five minutes," "for two weeks" or "since Friday," many English speakers choose to use the Future Continuous rather than the Future Perfect Continuous. Be careful because this can change the meaning of the sentence. Future Continuous emphasizes interrupted actions, whereas Future Perfect Continuous emphasizes a duration of time before something in the future. Study the examples below to understand the difference.

Examples:

• He will be tired because he will be exercising so hard.
  This sentence emphasizes that he will be tired because he will be exercising at that exact moment in the future.
• He will be tired because he will have been exercising so hard.
  This sentence emphasizes that he will be tired because he will have been exercising for a period of time. It is possible that he will still be exercising at that moment OR that he will just have finished.
  

REMEMBER No Future in Time Clauses

Like all future forms, the Future Perfect Continuous cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of Future Perfect Continuous, Present Perfect Continuous is used.

Examples:

• You won't get a promotion until you will have been working here as long as Tim. Not Correct
• You won't get a promotion until you have been working here as long as Tim. Correct

AND REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs / Mixed Verbs

It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses. Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses. Instead of using Future Perfect Continuous with these verbs, you must use Future Perfect .

Examples:

• Ned will have been having his driver's license for over two years. Not Correct
• Ned will have had his driver's license for over two years. Correct

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

Examples:

• You will only have been waiting for a few minutes when her plane arrives.
• Will you only have been waiting for a few minutes when her plane arrives?

• You are only going to have been waiting for a few minutes when her plane arrives.
• Are you only going to have been waiting for a few minutes when her plane arrives?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

Examples:

• The famous artist will have been painting the mural for over six months by the time it is finished. Active
• The mural will have been being painted by the famous artist for over six months by the time it is finished. Passive

• The famous artist is going to have been painting the mural for over six months by the time it is finished. Active
• The mural is going to have been being painted by the famous artist for over six months by the time it is finished. Passive

NOTE: Passive forms of the Future Perfect Continuous are not common.

 

EXERCISES AND RELATED TOPICS

• Exercise 1 Future Perfect and Future Perfect Continuous
• Exercise 2 Future Perfect and Future Perfect Continuous
• Exercise 3 Future Perfect and Future Perfect Continuous
• Exercise 4 Future Perfect and Future Perfect Continuous
• Verb Tense Practice Test Cumulative Verb Tense Review
• Verb Tense Final Test Cumulative Verb Tense Review

HAVE SOMETHING DONE

Have something done  

(from www.englishgrammarsecretes.com)

If you 'have something done', you get somebody else to do something for you.

• I'm going to have my hair cut.
• She's having her house redecorated.
• I'm having a copy of the report sent to you

In informal English, we can replace 'have' by 'get'.

• We're getting a new telephone system installed.
• They will be getting the system repaired as quickly as they can.
• I got the bill sent direct to the company.

We can also use 'have/got something done' in situations where something bad has happened to people or their possessions. This is not something they wanted to happen.

• John had all his money stolen from his hotel bedroom.
• We had our car damaged by a falling tree.
• I got my nose broken playing rugby.

exercise 1

exercise 2

exercise 3

exercise 4

exercise 5

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ST PATRICK´S DAY.

St. patrick's day powerpoint from mariaabilleira

Saint Patrick was a 5th-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of the island along with Saints Brigit and Columba.

The dates of Patrick's life cannot be fixed with certainty but, on a widespread interpretation, he was active as a missionary in Ireland during the second half of the fifth century. He is generally credited with being the first bishop of Armagh, primate of Ireland.

When he was about 16, he was captured from his home in Great Britain, and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. After becoming a cleric, he returned to northern and western Ireland. In later life, he served as an ordained bishop, but little is known about the places where he worked. By the seventh century, he had already come to be revered as the patron saint of Ireland.

Saint Patrick's Day is observed on 17 March, the date of his death. It is celebrated inside and outside Ireland as a religious and cultural holiday. In the dioceses of Ireland, it is both a solemnity and a holy day of obligation; it is also a celebration of Ireland itself.

St. Patrick features in many stories in the Irish oral tradition and there are many customs connected with his feast day. The folklorist Jenny Butler discusses how these traditions have been given new layers of meaning over time while also becoming tied to Irish identity both in Ireland and abroad. The symbolic resonance of the St. Patrick figure is complex and multifaceted, stretching from that of Christianity’s arrival in Ireland to an identity that encompasses everything Irish. In some portrayals, the saint is symbolically synonymous with the Christian religion itself. There is also evidence of a combination of indigenous religious traditions with that of Christianity, which places St Patrick in the wider framework of cultural hybridity. Popular religious expression has this characteristic feature of merging elements of culture. Later in time, the saint becomes associated specifically with Catholic Ireland and synonymously with Irish national identity. Subsequently, St. Patrick is a patriotic symbol along with the colour green and the shamrock. St. Patrick's Day celebrations include many traditions that are known to be relatively recent historically, but have endured through time because of their association either with religious or national identity. They have persisted in such a way that they have become stalwart traditions, viewed as the strongest "Irish traditions".