Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch

Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch is a large village on the island of Anglesey in Wales and it has the longest place name not only in Great Britain but also in Europe.
It means: Saint Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near the swirling whirpool and the church of Saint Tysilio by the red cave.
If you feel curious about it, read HERE and watch the video:

THANKSGIVING

The following vocabulary will help you understand the story better:

PRAY     rezar

PRAYERS     oraciones           

PILGRIMAGE     peregrinación

SET OUT     emprender viaje

ROUGH (sea)    bravo

BARE(ground)   desprovisto de vegetación

MELT(snow)     derretirse

CORN     maíz

PEAS    guisantes

WHEAT    trigo

BARLEY   cebada

DUCKS     patos

GEESE     gansos ( the singular is goose)

TURKEYS      pavos

DEER     ciervo

CHIEF     Jefe

FEATHERS     plumas

FOX TAILS     colas de zorro

BLESSINGS      bendiciones

Now watch this simple funny short video about the story "told by Plymouth Rock".
Plymouth Rock is supposed to have been the landing place of the Mayflower in Massachusetts.
It is now an icon in the American tradition.

MOVEMBER

The word MOVEMBER comes from MO, which is a short form for MOUSTACHE, and the month of NOVEMBER. It is an annual event to raise awareness of men's health, such as prostate cancer and to encourage them to have regular check-ups and adopt a healthier lifestyle. Men in November grow their moustaches even though they do not do so during the rest of the year.
It all started in 2004 in Australia and New Zealand, little by little other countris have joined and now it is one of the world's top NGOs.
To know more about Movember click HERE

REMEMBRANCE DAY

POPPY DAY

Why do people all over Britain wear a poppy on the days leading up to 11th November?

This is a symbol to remember those who have given their lives in war.Poppies are the flowers which grew on the battlefields after World War One ended.

This is described in the famous World War One poem In Flanders Fields, which was written by the Canadian military doctor John McCrae.

Poppies grow  wild in many fields in northern France and Belgium, where some of the deadliest battles of WW1 took place and many people died between 1914 and 1918.

Poppies are tough flowers, and can grow anywhere, but are also very delicate, which make them a good symbol to remember those who gave their lives on behalf of their country.

Ever since then, poppies have been a symbol of remembering them.However, back then the poppies weren't made out of paper like they are today. They were made out of silk.While the majority of people wear their poppy on their chest, the Royal British Legion says, "There is no right or wrong way to wear a poppy. It is a matter of personal choice whether an individual chooses to wear a poppy and also how they choose to wear it. The best way to wear a poppy is to wear it with pride."

GUY FAWKES

Now try and fill in the cloze text below

a)      Find the right word from the ones in the box  for  blanks 1, 2 and 4. There are three words you do not have to use.

1.      A big fire that is made outdoors

2.      Small objects with chemical inside them that burn with coloured flames or sparks when lit and often make loud noises.

4.   Secret plan to do something wrong against the government.

PARADE    BONFIRE    PLOT    HONEYMOON    FIREWORKS    PUMPKIN

b)      Fill in blanks 3, 5 and 6 with the correct form of the right phrasal verb from the  ones in the box. There are three verbs you do not have to use.

TAKE UP                         CARRY OUT               LOOK AFTER         LET OFF     BLOW UP                        BREAK   DOWN

You will find the KEY at the bottom.

Guy Fawkes Night, also known as ......1......Night or ......2......Night is an annual celebration on the evening of the 5^th November .

On November 5^th,1605, Guy Fawkes, an English soldier and member of a group of Roman Catholics attempted to assassinate the protestant King James I ( James VI of Scotland ) and ......3......the Houses of Parliament, in what has become known as The Gunpowder......4...... . Before they were able to ......5......their plan, they were caught and subsequently tortured and executed for treason and attempted murder.

Every year since then on Nov 5^th people have traditionally celebrated the Gunpowder ......4......failure by ......6......  ......2...... and building ......1......on which “guys” or dummies representing Guy Fawkes are burnt.

Before the fifth, children use the “guys” to beg for money with the chant “Penny for the guy”.

A popular nursery rhyme about the plot reads:

Remember, remember, the fifth of November

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I know of no reason why Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot

 KEY:

1. Bonfire(s)

    2. Fireworks

    3. Blow up

    4. Plot

    5. Carry out

6. Letting  

TAYLOR SWIFT

WE ARE NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER


Watch the video and fill in the blanks. You will find the complete lyrics with the missing words in bold at the bottom together with vocabulary, mainly phrasal verbs related to the song.

"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"

I remember when we _______________ the first time
Saying, "This is it, I've had enough," 'cause like
We hadn't seen ________________ in a month
When you said you ________________ (What?)
Then you come around again and say
"Baby, I miss you and I ___________ I'm gonna change, trust me."
Remember how that lasted for a day?
I say, "I hate you," we break up, you call me, "I love you."

Ooh, we called it off again last night
But ooh, this time I'm telling you, I'm telling you
We are never ever ever getting back together,
We are never ever ever getting back together,
You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me
But we are never ever ever ever getting back together

Like, ever...

I'm really gonna __________ you picking fights
And me falling for it screaming that I'm ____________
And you would hide away and find your ____________
With some indie record that's much cooler than mine

Ooh, you called me up again tonight
But ooh, this time I'm telling you, I'm telling you
We are never, ever, ever getting back together
We are never, ever, ever getting back together
You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me (talk to me)
But we are never ever ever ever getting back together

Ooh, yeah, ooh yeah, ooh yeah
Oh oh oh

I used to think that we were forever ever
And I used to say, "Never say never..."
Uggg... so he calls me up and he's like, "I still love you,"
And I'm like... "I just... I mean this is exhausting, you know, like,
We are never getting back together. Like, ever"

"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"

I remember when we broke up the first time
Saying, "This is it, I've had enough," 'cause like
We hadn't seen each other in a month
When you said you needed space. (What?)
Then you come around again and say
"Baby, I miss you and I swear I'm gonna change, trust me."
Remember how that lasted for a day?
I say, "I hate you," we break up, you call me, "I love you."

Ooh, we called it off again last night
But ooh, this time I'm telling you, I'm telling you

We are never ever ever getting back together,
We are never ever ever getting back together,
You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me
But we are never ever ever ever getting back together

Like, ever...

I'm really gonna miss you picking fights
And me falling for it screaming that I'm right
And you would hide away and find your peace of mind
With some indie record that's much cooler than mine

Ooh, you called me up again tonight
But ooh, this time I'm telling you, I'm telling you

We are never, ever, ever getting back together
We are never, ever, ever getting back together
You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me (talk to me)
But we are never ever ever ever getting back together

Ooh, yeah, ooh yeah, ooh yeah
Oh oh oh

I used to think that we were forever ever
And I used to say, "Never say never..."
Uggg... so he calls me up and he's like, "I still love you,"
And I'm like... "I just... I mean this is exhausting, you know, like,
We are never getting back together. Like, ever"

VOCABULARY

BREAK UP WITH SOMEONE – (separate) She has just broken up with her new boyfriend; They broke up after a three-year relationship; Their marriage broke up as a result of long separations; She had a string of lovers before her marriage finally broke up; He got into serious debt after his marriage broke up… SPLIT UP is a synonym – His parents split up when he was a 2-year old toddler but they stayed friends; I cried my eyes out when the Beatles split up; When parents split up, children feel the stress of the divorce as well as the changes it makes in their lives; Parents of autistic children are not more likely to split up than any other parents...

MAKE IT UP WITH SOMEONE - (be friends with again) We often quarrel but we always make it up soon after; It took her long to make it up with her husband after their latest argument…

FALL OUT WITH – (quarrel, argue) He has fallen out with his family; If you don’t stop gossiping, all your friends are going to fall out with you...

MISS SOMEONE – (feel sadness) I know what it feels like to miss someone; It is hard to focus on your daily routine when you miss your family; What did you miss most about home when you were living abroad?; The children miss their father when he is away on business…

MISS + -ING – I don’t miss having to get up early to commute to work every morning; She really misses living with her flatmates now that school has finished; I miss taking walks in the morning as I used to do when I was at university…

TRUST – (have confidence in) Most people tend to trust their experience; These two months have taught me to trust people; I know I can trust my brother-in-law; Never trust what you read in the papers… RELY ON is a synonym – I rely on my friends whenever I have a problem; She relies on you for good advice; Many working women rely on relatives to help take care of their children...

CALL SOMETHING OFF – (cancel) Union leaders called the strike off at the last minute; She’s called off the wedding; They have called off their engagement..

To know about Taylor Swift click HERE

REFLEXIVE and RECIPROCAL pronouns

REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS

In the English language a reflexive pronoun is a word referring to the subject of the sentence or clause in which it stands; it ends in -self or -selves, and refers to a previously named noun or pronoun (myself, yourself, ourselves...)

They show that the action of the verb affects the person or thing performing the action. This is known as a reflexive function – in effect, the subject and the object of the verb are the same (I fell over and hurt, myself). The subject is known as the antecedent of the reflexive pronoun.Each personal pronoun has its own reflexive form:

• I — myself
• you — yourself/yourselves
• he — himself
• she — herself
• one — oneself
• it — itself
• we — ourselves
• they — themselves                                                                      
  She saw herself as a superstar.
  Are you two enjoying yourselves?
  They portray themselves as angry outsiders.
  Over and over again, one asks oneself that question.             Consider yourself lucky.                                                         She asked herself if she would be better off with him or without him.
  My brother really hurt himself when he fell off his bike yesterday.                                                                            After the accident, Alison still does not trust herself.
  We often ask ourselves why we left London.
  The Government has so far refused to commit itself to introducing a public smoking ban.

 Most transitive verbs – those that take an object write a letter, read a book… - can be used as reflexive verbs. Compare the following examples:

John pinched himself.(The reflexive pronoun himself tells us that John did something to John.)

John pinched his sister.(There is no reflexive pronoun in this example because in this sentence the verb pinched is being used as a transitive verb and his sister is the direct object). Here you are some more examples:

 She looked at me and then left she looked at herself in the mirror.

 We encourage ourselves to learn something new every week.

 We encouraged them to do it as soon as possible.

 She convinced herself that it was the best option.

 She convinced him that it was the only possible solution.

 He shot himself soon after he went bankrupt. 

 This is just a toy gun; it doesn’t shoot real bullets.

 He likes to keep his gramdma company on Sunday afternoons 

 They like to keep themselves fit

Intensive pronouns

These pronouns can also be used intensively, to emphasize the identity of whoever or whatever is being talked about:

• Jim bought himself a book (reflexive)
• Jim himself bought a book (intensive)
• Jeff brought himself a book(reflexive)
• Jeff himself brought a book (intensive)

 An intensive pronoun emphasizes its antecedent. Look at these examples: 
 I made it myself. OR I myself made it.
 Have you yourself seen it? OR Have you seen it yourself? 
 The President himself promised to stop the war.
 She spoke to me herself. OR She herself spoke to me. 
 The exam itself wasn't difficult but we had very little time. 
 Never mind. We'll do it ourselves.
 You yourselves asked us to do it.
Sam fixed the car himself. 
 They recommend this book even though they themselves had never read it. Harvey himself sent a letter to the manager. 
 The girls themselves guided the team to success.
No approach has yet been made to Thatcher herself over the plans.
The responsibility for renting out school facilities will be transferred direct to the schools themselves.
 I myself forgot about these issues and most people are too polite to mention them.

By + Reflexive Pronouns

We use by + myself/yourself/himself etc. when we are alone or not with another person:

 Jacob went to the party by himself.

 Emma was sitting by herself.

We often use reflexive pronouns with by to mean ‘alone’ or ‘without any help’: Why don’t you go by yourself? 
 The children made the entire meal by themselves. 
He lived by himself in an enormous house.
She walked home by herself. 
 The children got dressed by themselves.
I prepared the whole meal by myself.

VIDEO on Reflexive and Intensive pronouns. To watch it click HERE

RECIPROCAL PRONOUNS

A reciprocal pronoun is a pronoun that expresses mutual action or relationship. A reciprocal pronoun is a pronoun which we use in the sentence to show the same action performed by two or more people including the benefits and consequences of that action to them simultaneously. Each other is the most common reciprocal pronoun in English.

 Terry and Jack were talking to each other in the hallway. 

 Both teams played hard against each other. 

 That can’t talk to each other. 

 Kevin and I spent a lot of time at each other’s houses when we were kids.                                                                       

 John and Mary like each other’s parents.

 Paul and Ann hugged each other.                                                           They are always fighting each other about trivial matters.                    

Their children used to help each other with their homework.     They kissed each other after the engagement announcement 

 They said goodbye to each other at the airport 

 The members of the football team congratulated each other on winning the world cup

Now go to the following links if you want to get some practice:

REFLEXIVE and RECIPROCAL

LINK 1

LINK 2

LINK 3

REFLEXIVE and EMPHATIC

LINK 4

SPELLING: Doubling consonants

Spelling matters. If you want to create a good impression in your writing and make sure you get your meaning across clearly, it’s important to get your spelling right.

Spelling: doubling consonants

We often double the final consonant of a word (b, d, g, l, m, n, p, r, t) when a suffix beginning with a vowel is added (-ed, -er, -est, -ing):

sit + -ing → sitting	swim + -ing → swimming
big + -er → bigger	thin + -er → thinner
stop + -ed → stopped	Beg + -ed → begged

When we add a suffix to a word with more than one syllable, we double the consonant only when the word ends in a stressed syllable (the stressed syllable of the base form is in bold):

Permit + -ing → permitting	Prefer + -ed → preferred
Forget + -ing → forgetting	Upset + -ing → upsetting
Begin + -er → beginner	Admit + -ance → admittance

Compare, however, visit or enter where the spoken stress is on the first syllable:

visit → visiting	enter → entered
listen →listening	open → opened

Warning:

We don’t double the final consonant before a suffix:

– if the word ends in two written consonants, e.g. export = exported, find = finding, insist =insisted, lift = lifted, persist = persistence

– if there are two written vowels together in the word, e.g. meeting, rained, weaken, trainer, repeated, reading, greatest, quieter.