Online Dating Scam

B1 – Intermediate

Online dating (or Internet dating) is a system that enables strangers to find and introduce themselves to new personal connections over the Internet, usually with the goal of developing relationships.

Read the lesson about online dating scams.

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1704/170412-online-dating.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion about meeting potential romantic partners virtually?
  2. Would you ever use an online dating service? Why or why not?
  3. Is online dating common in your country? Why or why not?
  4. What are the good things and bad things about online dating?
  5. Talk about some online dating experiences you’ve had/stories you’ve heard about.

Signs You Are Succeeding In Life

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We all probably have moments at times when we feel like we are a complete and utter failure. While this is a normal feeling, you have to find a way to see yourself and your life from a different perspective.

Sometimes we ignore the “little things.” Just because you are not a millionaire, don’t live in a mansion, and you don’t drive a fancy car, doesn’t mean you are any less successful than your peers. In fact, it’s quite the contrary.

Read the article about signs that you are succeeding in life even if it feels otherwise at times.

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/20-signs-youre-succeeding-life-even-you-dont-feel-you-are.html?ref=sidebar

Discussion Questions:

  1. Name some of signs from the article that you think are the most important and also state the reasons they are crucial in order to say you are succeeding in life.
  2. Which ones you have yet to achieve? How are you planning to get there?
  3. What are things or situations in our lives that make us feel that somehow we are failing? How can we overcome them?
  4. Share your thoughts on this, “If you are happy, then you are succeeding in life.“.
  5. What are your thoughts on this, “If you can change your negative perspective on situations to a positive one, then you are successful.”?

11 Habits Of Mentally Strong People

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C1 – Advanced

Mentally strong people have healthy habits. They manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in ways that set them up for success in life.

Check out these things that mentally strong people  do so that you too can become more mentally strong.

11 Habits Of Mentally Strong People

Discussion:

1. How would you describe being mentally strong?

2. Do you consider yourself a mentally strong individual?

3. Which of the habits mentioned in the article do you practice? Which ones do you not?

4. Would you like to add anything to the list?

 

Older Mothers Raise Happier Children

B1 – Intermediate

Women are usually encouraged to have children as early in life as possible. Yet a new study suggests that older mothers are more likely to raise happier and well-adjusted children.

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1703/170331-older-mothers.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What is the average age of starting a family in your country?

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having kids when you are older?

3. how would you describe your relationship with your parents? Do you think their age had an effect on this?

Connecting Words

Connectors are used to combine ideas in writing – and thus ensure that ideas within sentences and paragraphs are elegantly connected – for the benefit of the reader. They help the reader to progress from one idea to the next idea. Thus, they help to build up coherent relationships within the text.

  1. SIMILARITY

likewise    similarly     correspondingly    by the same token    in the same way

  • He failed the test in the same way he did before.
  • She was late and I similarly was delayed.
  • Public transportation is accessible in this country; likewise, its hospitals are also user-friendly.
  1. CONTRAST

On the other hand       in contrast  however    nevertheless

  • Dan worked hard. On the other hand/In contrast/ However, Ken hardly did any work at all.
  • Greg is an optimist. In contrast/However/, Billy is a pessimist.
  • She studied diligently for several months. Nevertheless/However, she failed.
  1. RESULT

Therefore   thus  consequently      as a result  hence

  • He passed his exams. Therefore/Thus/Hence/Consequently, he had some good news to tell his parents.
  • Professor Barry is an outstanding scientist. Hence, he is highly respected.
  • He has been studying hard for a long time. Thus, he has made a lot of progress.
  • The demand has increased sharply and as a result the prices are higher now.
  1. ADDITION AND LISTING

In addition  moreover   furthermore        also   besides      additionally

First/first of all/firstly/to begin with         secondly    thirdly

  • Tom plays football. Moreover/ Besides/ Also, he runs a restaurant.
  • Mary writes short stories, in addition, she writes articles for a newspaper.
  • Living in a big city offers good job opportunities. Also, it provides good educa­tional opportunities.
  • Owning a car has some advantages. First (First of all/Firstly/ To begin with), it gives you comfort. Secondly, it saves you a lot of time. Thirdly, it gives you great freedom of movement.
  1. TIME

at first      afterwards     later      then   in the meantime     meanwhile

  • I read the morning papers for a while. Afterwards, I took a shower.
  • First pick up the receiver and then insert a coin into the coin-box.
  • At first, I had great difficulty with grammar Later, however , I was able to overcome these difficulties by studying hard.
  • The party is Tuesday, but in the meantime I have to shop and prepare the food.
  • They’ll be here soon. Meanwhile, let’s have coffee.
  1. EXEMPLIFICATION

for instance     for example    to illustrate

  • Women generally live longer than men. For instance, in the United States life expectancy for women is 75, while it is 73 for men.
  • Earthquakes can be highly destructive. To illustrate, the earthquake which occurred in Japan in 1939 devastated the whole town, killing more than 35,000 people.
  1. PARTICULARIZATION

in particular      particularly      specifically

  • Shopping in small markets is quite advantageous. In particular, one can find specialty items that larger stores do not contain.
  • We still needed to arrange several details for the trip. Specifically, we had to make plane and train reservations as well as decide on the final itinerary.
  1. EXPLANATION

that is       namely        in other words     that is

  • The brochure dealt with travelling in Morocco. That is/In other words/ Namely, it discussed transportation, currency, and language.
  • The machinery was not impaired; that is, it wasn’t damaged.
  • Good readers should be able to read between the lines; that is, they should be able to make inferences (=to draw conclusions) about information that is conveyed indirectly or given only partially.
  • There is only one topic to discuss, namely, the question of discipline.
  1. EMPHASIS

in fact    indeed    as a matter of fact    actually

  • He is quite wealthy. In fact, he is one of the richest men in Turkey.
  • I like reading. As a matter of fact, it is my favorite pastime.
  • Mural is a highly talented musician. Indeed, he has an extraordinary gift for music.

10.REFUTATION 

on the contrary

  • She is not ugly. On the contrary, she is a good-looking girl.
  • I don’t hate classical music. On the contrary, I’m very fond of it.

12. REFORMULATION

in other words           to put it in a different way,   put differently

  • He is a conservative. In other words, he favors the preservation of old institutions in their original form.
  • Is there a cheaper solution? In other words, can you make a cheaper device?

13. CORRECTION

rather   to be more precise

  • He is enjoying himself. Rather, he seems to be enjoying himself.
  • This system must be improved. Rather, it must be thoroughly changed.
  • Her name is not Margeret. Rather, it is Margot.

14. TRANSITION

as for                         as to                     with regard to                         with respect to

as regards                 regarding                as far as X is concerned

  • Both Patrick and Owen are my friends. Patrick studies law at Ankara University. As for Owen, he studies mechanical engineering at METU.
  • As far as comfort is concerned, a car is definitely much better than a bicycle. On the other hand, with respect to convenience, it is difficult to say the same thing.

15. NEGATIVE CONDITION

or else           otherwise

  • I must leave now, or else I’ll be late.
  • You must study hard. Otherwise, you may fail.

16. SUMMATION/CONCLUSION

in summary       in brief        in short        in conclusion to be brief        to sum up     all in all

  • This is our most disastrous and embarrassing defeat ever; in short, it is a fiasco.
  • The system lacked originality, efficiency and ingenuity. In conclusion, it was a complete failure.

 

 

 


 

 

Broken Heart Doctor

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Watch the video below about a doctor and how his heartbreak helped him become better at his profession. Share some of your experiences related to sympathizing and empathizing.

Discussion Questions:

1. At the beginning of the video, the doctor said that his heart had a “giant hole in it.” What did he mean by this? What happened to him?
2. How did the doctor describe his loneliness?
3. Why did the doctor say that the hospital is great place to be in when a person is in pain? What kind of pain was he talking about?
4. How did the doctor describe his experience working at a children’s hospital?
5. How do past experiences in life help us in the present?

Literature to Explain Migrants to Children

B2 – Upper intermediate

Reading and literature brings about many benefits, especially in children. In Bologna, Italy, a book fair for children is featuring something different and very timely.

Take a look at the video below then express your thoughts.

Video: Book fair features literature to explain migrants to children

Discuss:

1. What is the point of this unique book fair in Bologna?
2. What are other ways we can educate children about migrants and the Syrian war?
3. Are book fairs a popular idea in your country? Have you been to one?
4. What are your preferences in books? Reading materials?
5. What are the advantages of children being exposed to reading books at an early age?

 

Test 652

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Test 662

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Present Continuous: Form and Uses

Form of Present Continuous

The Present Continuous or Present Progressive is formed from the present tense of the verb be and the present participle (-ing form) of a verb.

be verb + -ing

Uses

Below are other uses of present continuous. Typically, we use the present continuous to talk about the present.

  • Firstly, present progressive is used for something that is happening at the moment of speaking:

Please be quiet. The baby is sleeping.
I‘m just leaving work. I’ll be home in an hour.

  • Moreover, present progressive is used for something which is happening before and after a given time:

At nine o’clock we are usually watching our favourite TV program.
When I get home, my mom is making dinner in the kitchen.

  • In addition, we can also use present continous for something which we think is temporary:

John is at university. He’s studying Management.
I’m working in London for the next two months.

  • Additionally, it is used for something which is new and contrasts with a previous: state:

These days most people are using email instead of writing letters.
What sort of clothes are teenagers wearing nowadays? What sort of music are they listening to?

  • Another use of present continuous tense is to show that something is changing, growing, or developing:

The children are growing quickly.
The climate is changing rapidly.
Your English is improving.

  • Lastly, present progressive is used for something which happens again and again:

It’s always raining in London.
They are always arguing.
Philip is funny. He’s always telling jokes.

Note: We normally use always with this use.

Present Continuous Exercise

Answer this exercise on present continuous tense.

1. In my country, many people ______ Spanish.

a. are speaking

b. speak

c. is speaking

2. Some old traditions _____ very fast. 

a. disappear

b. are disappearing

c. have disappeared

3. You can’t play with the baby now; she _____ a nap.

a. takes

b. is taking

c. has take

4. Please be quiet, I ______. You know I _____ the paper in the mornings.

a. reads … am reading

b. read … read 

c. am reading … read

5. What time _____ ?

a. does the first class start

b. is the first class starting

c. the first class start

6. I ______ a coat because it’s unusually cold today.

a. am wearing

b. wear

c. wears

7. I finished listening to the podcast you recommended. Now I _____ another one.

a. listen to

b. am listening to

c. listens to

8. What _____ this afternoon?

a. are you doing

b. do

c. you are doing

9. Nobody _____ she will marry him.

a. is thinking

b. thinks 

c. think

10. You look like you are having fun. What _______ ?

a. you are watching

b. are you watching

c. do you watch

Find the answers to this exercise here.

See also: Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous.

For additional information on this topic, check out this British Council lesson.

For other English grammar lessons, go to this page.