Final Week: Your Second Presentation

Record your second presentation. Try not to memorize it word by word. Be natural and let your English flow!!

Quiz 15:

Week 12. Reported Speech

Please watch this video to review how to report statements:

Now take Quiz 13:

Now watch these videos to review how to report questions:

Now take Quiz 14:

Week 11. The Manufacturing Process

Describe the manufacturing process of the product you spoke about in your first presentation. Divide your presentation in steps, just like the example we saw last level. When you watch the video, I recommend you to turn on the close captions.

Remember to use gerunds to name the steps (bolting, shearing, pressing, etc.) and to incorporate the passive voice to describe the process. Here's an extract from the video:

Step 1: Shearing

The first step in the manufacturing of any bolt is to cut the round bar to length. Our Peddinghaus shears function much like a guillotine and chop the steel, rather than using a saw blade to cut through it. We are capable of shearing round bars up to 2 inches in diameter and up to 100” in length. Bolts that are larger in diameter or longer in length are cut using a band saw.

Step 2: Heading

Next, a hex head is hot-forged onto one end of the steel rod. An induction heating coil heats the end of the rod to approximately 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. A National Upsetter  is then used to forge the heated end of the rod into a hex-shaped head. 

 Now take Quiz 12: 

 

Week 10. Your Job

Talk about your job and why you decided to study engineering. What do you enjoy about it? What do you don't like? Read the example and record yourself. Pay attention to the use of gerunds and infinitives.

As a child, I was always good at sciences at school. I decided to study biology at university, and I’ve been a biology teacher for ten years now. Being in a noisy classroom with young people is great because it helps me to stay young. I enjoy just listening to the kids because they have great ideas and get excited about finding out new things. I get a lot of satisfaction from my job.

I’m a very independent person, so I’d hate to have a boss watching me all the time. It’s important for me to be in charge of my own working environment. As a teacher, I’m responsible for a lot of decisions, and I like that.

Of course, it is tiring and a few of the students make me annoyed because they aren’t interested in learning. I try not to take it personally!

The worst thing about my job is that I have to do a lot of marking and preparation at home. In most jobs this would be paid overtime and I sometimes feel I don’t have enough time for myself. But then, we do get nice long holidays in the summer.

Useful phrases:
As a child / When I was younger…
I wanted to be / dreamed of being…
I decided to study (science) because…

I think I’d like to…
I think I’d be good at…

I’ve been (a teacher) for (ten years)

The best / worst thing is…

I work for (a small company)
I work as (a sales assistant)
I work in (a big office)

I’m in charge of (a sales team)
I have to / don’t have to…

I get / don’t get a lot of satisfaction from my job
It’s important for me to…

I’m good at…
I find it easy to…
I don’t find it difficult to…

Useful vocabulary:
like / enjoy / love / don’t mind
don’t like / can’t stand / hate

interested in / responsible for

job / profession / career

do overtime
be promoted
be self-employed

to retire

a permanent / temporary / full-time /part-time job

working hours
qualifications / experience

and / so / but / because / also

Now take Quiz 11:

Week 9. Gerunds and Infinitives

What are Gerunds and Infinitives?


Both gerunds and infinitives can transform verbs to make them function as nouns. This means they can do whatever a noun can do. You remember what nouns are, right? Some examples: Mexico, sushi, pizza, Maria, sun, table, love, dog, etc.

This means that a verb like "study" can be transformed into a noun with either the gerund "studying" or the infinitive "to study." Let's look at the example:

Soccer is fun                   Soccer is a traditional noun, just like Mexico, table, Mike, pizza, etc
Studying is fun               Here we substitute a traditional noun with a gerund, which is also a noun
To study is fun                Or an infinitive, which is also a noun

Gerunds and Infinitives as Subjects
The subject of a sentence is the noun that is making an action or the noun that one is talking about. In the previous example (Studying is fun/To study is fun) we used both the infinitive and the gerund as subjects. Here's another example:

Books make you smart                                                   Fishing is relaxing
Reading makes you smart                                              Playing tennis is Bill's favorite activity
To Read makes you smart                                              To play tennis is Bill's favorite activity

Note: It's more common to use the gerund as the subject of a sentence, but either one is correct.

Gerunds and Infinitives as Subject Complements
A subject complement is a noun or an adjective that follows the verbs be, become and seem. It's function is to rename,describe, or complement the subject of the sentence. Examples:

My favorite activity is tennis                                       Her hobby is writing poems
My favorite activity is cooking                                    Her hobby is to write poems
My favorite activity is to cook

Gerunds and Infinitives as Objects
The object of the sentence is the noun, or noun clause (a group of words that act as a noun) that receives the action of a verb. Examples:

Mike likes dogs                      What does Mike like? Dogs is the object of the sentence

Mike speaks English              What does Mike speak? English is the object of the sentence
Mike likes swimming             Here the gerund "swimming" is the object of the sentence

Mike likes to swim                 And here the infinitive "to swim" is the object

-Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive (love, hate, like, prefer, start, continue, begin)
I hate waking up early                                 She loves dancing
I hate to wake up early                                She loves to dance

-But some verbs can only be followed by a gerund (enjoy, don't mind, dislike, quit, suggest, avoid, can't stand, discuss, feel like). Examples:
My father dislikes going to El Paso  ("My father dislikes to go to El Paso" is incorrect)
Your girlfriend enjoys watching movies

-And some verbs can only be followed by an infinitive (agree, be sure, choose, decide, want, hope, need, learn, plan, wish, would like). Examples:
My mother needs to save money    ("My mother needs saving money" is incorrect)
I want to go to Oaxaca

-Note: Use the base form of the verb after auxiliary verbs (will, can, should, etc.) and after the verbs "make" and "let"
I can't drive                                                                 She always makes me cry
We must hurry                                                            My parent's didn't let me go

-Note: Form the negative of a gerund or an infinitive with "not"
I hope not to be late
She likes not working on weekends

Gerunds and Infinitives after Prepositions and Adjectives:
Use a gerund after a preposition. Examples:
I'm afraid of flying                                               She's interested in learning French
He's bored with watching the TV                       I'm thinking about taking a vacation

Use an infinitive after an adjective:
It's is important to fight corruption                   She thinks it's easy to learn Portuguese
It's impossible to survive without water           Bill says it's fun to cook pizza

Infinitive of Purpose
You can use the infinitive to express the reason of an action. Look at the following examples:
 1. I'm saving money because I want to buy a house
2. I'm saving money to buy a house
Why are you saving money? Both sentences are correct. But the 2nd sentence is shorter and more practical.

Other examples:
I want to learn English to find a better job
My mom will make a cake to celebrate my birthday
I went to Chihuahua to visit my parents
I'm waking up early to do exercise

Please watch this video:

Test yourself on Quiz 10!

 

Week 8. Prepositions: "to" and "for"

"To" and "for" to Express Purpose

Look at these sentences:

I went to S-Mart to buy milk

I went to S-Mart for milk

What difference do you see? Yes, we use "to" with verbs (buy) to express purpose, and we use "for" with nouns (milk). More examples:

My mother went to the doctor to get an X-Ray

My mother went to the doctor for an X-Ray

Other Uses

I made this lesson for you, or I made this lesson to you? Which one is correct? Make sure to watch this video to learn other uses these prepositions:

Now take Quiz 9:

Week 7 Catch-up Week

Guys, some of you are behind schedule. Take this week to complete the audio, the written quizzes, and your presentation.

If you have finished all the activities, check out these helpful websites:

http://www.englishcentral.com/videos#

http://rachelsenglish.com/

Week 6. Used to vs Usually

We use "usually" + simple present to talk about present habits. For example:

I usually visit my girlfriend on Friday

We don't usually eat in that restaurant

In contrast, we use "used to" + base form of a verb to refer to past actions or states. For example:

I used to play soccer everyday when I was a little boy, but now I rarely play .

She didn't use to eat healthy food, but now she eats salad every day.

Did you use to watch cartoons when you were a kid?

Please watch this video:

Now take Quiz 8:

Week 5. Speaking Activity: Product Specifications

This goal of this quiz is to describe a product of your company. You decide which one. Make sure you include its function (what does it do?) applications ( what is it used for?), and technical advantages (why is it a good product?)

Take Quiz 7:

Week 4: Second Conditional

We use the second conditional for unreal hypothetical situations. For example:

-If I were you, I would finish the report (I can't be you)

-If I spoke Japanese, I would work for Toyota (I don't speak Japanese)

-We would travel more if we didn't have children (We have 3 children)

Look at the words in blue an red. What pattern do you notice? Is it past, present, future? Correct! We use the simple past in the condition clause, and would + base form in the result clause

Please watch these videos:

And now take Quiz 6

Week 3: Product Specifications and Manufacturing Processes

You’re a product engineer at one of ACME’s factories , a company that produces fluorescent and LED lighting products. In two weeks, you’re giving a presentation to a group of non-specialist visitors because they want to know more about a new product that is being produced in your company.  The topics that will be discussed are:

-Product Specifications:

Function and applications (what does it do and what is it used for?)

Technical advantages (why is it a good product?)

-The manufacturing  process:

Raw materials

Assembly Process

Output capacity of the production line

Productivity indicators

Write down your answers in Quiz 5 (You have two weeks to complete this activity):