Negative sentences in the Past Simple: DIDN'T

PRACTICE

1. Write the negative forms.

2. Make the sentences negative,

3. Choose the verb and complete the sentences.

https://create.kahoot.it/details/irregular-verbs/6717c6bd-e372-4607-91e2-5653b9899ef6
https://create.kahoot.it/details/simple-past/da53caff-86f9-42ce-b451-00484dfcc10c
https://create.kahoot.it/details/past-simple-affirmative-and-negative/cdd3a292-64ea-4ef2-b6fb-7633da333095

Labor English Zone: 10 Tips to Improve your Grammar

Labor English Zone: 10 Tips to Improve your Grammar: Reblogged from Grammar.net No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Labor English Zone: The Benefits of Learning Languages

Labor English Zone: The Benefits of Learning Languages: Reblogged from La luna de Babel No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Do you speak English or American? This article can help you understand some of the differences:

http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/2013/01/16/queens-english-brilliant-yet-baffling

Feeling Good!

Yesss, spring is here. You may not have noticed yet, but it is hiding behind the rain, wind and cold of this Easter week. So, let's celebrate winter is almost over. I have chosen this song "Feeling Good" as a way to welcome the new season. "Feeling Good" (or Feelin' Good) is a song written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the 1965 musical The Roar of the Greasepaint—the Smell of the Crowd. Since then it has been covered by many artists, including Muse, Nina Simone (probably the most famous version), Michael Bublé, The Pussycat Dolls, My Brightest Diamond, George Michael... This is a personal vision of Michael Bublé's version. I hope you like it!

The Muse version (a wonderful cover, in my opinion) was used by Nescafé for their advertising, but without the band's permission. Nescafé replaced it with the Nina Simone version. Muse were subsequently paid settlement money, which they donated to Oxfam. The Muse version came 5th in the list of the best covers ever, in a poll by Total Guitar. It is also featured in the 2008 movie Seven Pounds starring Will Smith and in one episode of the TV series Queer as Folk.

                                   

                              

New speech widget!

You can now enjoy a new widget at Labor English Zone. At the end of every post, next to the comments links you can find this: ((•)) LISTEN TO THIS POST

If you click on it, a new window will open, the cogwheels will turn, and after a few seconds you will be able to listen to the post.

Our advice is that you click on it whenever you want to read a post. In this way you can read and listen to the text AT THE SAME TIME! Try it now!

And if you like what you have heard, you can download the recording to your computer as an mp3 file.

Miss Sarajevo

Miss Sarajevo:  The story (and history) behind the song      "Miss Sarajevo" is the only single from the 1995 album Original Soundtracks 1 by U2 and Brian Eno. It is an album of songs based mostly on non-existent films; however, there are four tracks in the album that are based on real films; “Miss Sarajevo” is one of them. The film Miss Sarajevo is a documentary by Bill Carter about that beauty pageant held in the midst of war-torn Sarajevo. During the siege of Sarajevo, there was a constant struggle to maintain faith and hope. Artists in the city organized plays, screened films, held poetry recitals... away from the constant danger of mortar shells and sniper's bullets. It was all an attempt to show that life will triumph over death. One of the greatest symbols of this surreal resistence was the Miss Sarajevo Under Siege pageant. Inela Nogic accepted her crown by explaining this was her way of fighting. She instantly became a legend. In a CNN interview Inela Nogic was asked what she would do with  her year as Miss Sarajevo. She answered:"I have no plans, I could be dead tomorrow."      Inela Nogic's story and  Carter's documentary inspired U2's song Miss Sarajevo, which soon became famous around the world.  The song protests the war in Bosnia, criticizing the international community for its inability to stop the war or help those affected by  it. This video combines clips from Bill Carter's documentary with footage from the first performance of the song at the 1995 "Pavarotti and Friends" concert in Modena. Clips from the documentary contain striking imagery, such as a shot of beauty pageant contestants holding up a banner with the words "DON'T LET THEM KILL US".

                      

How about a little Bohemian Rhapsody, gentlemen?


"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera. "Bohemian Rhapsody" is in the style of a stream-of-consciousness nightmare that has unusual song structure, more akin to a classical rhapsody than popular music. The song has no chorus, instead consisting of three main parts including an operatic segment, an a cappella passage, and a heavy rock solo.

When it was released as a single, "Bohemian Rhapsody" became an unlikely commercial success, staying at the top of the UK Singles Chart for nine weeks. It reached number one again in 1991, after Freddie Mercury's death, achieving total sales of 2,176,000 and becoming the UK's third best selling single of all time—beaten only by Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and Elton John's "Candle In The Wind 1997".

The single was accompanied by a promotional video; considered groundbreaking, it helped establish the visual language of the modern music video. Although critical reaction was initially mixed, especially in the United States, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is often considered to be Queen's magnum opus and one of the greatest rock songs of all time.

Many other bands have made their own versions of the song. Guns n Roses have often played the Bohemian Rhapsody, both alone and with other musicians, in this case, Elton John. A surprising mixture, no doubt. Don't worry, the song is so good that nobody can spoil it!

Bohemian Rhapsody is also the background for a funny scene from the movie Wayne's World. Have you seen that film? The main character, Wayne, and his friend Garth are very fond of music and for every situation they seem to find a song with a special meaning for them . In this scene they are getting ready for a night out. Pay attention to the wonderful choreography.

Yes, everyone loves good songs, even The Muppets! Hope you enjoy it.

Desperate Housewives, Season 1, Episode 1, Intro

The very beginning of Desperate Housewives:

My name is Mary Alice Young. When you read this morning's paper you may come across an article about the unusual day I had last week. Normally there's never anything newsworthy about my life, but that all changed last Thursday. Of course, everything seemed quite normal at first: I made breakfast for my family, I performed my chores, I completed my projects, I ran my errands. In truth I spent the day as I spend every other day: quietly polishing the routine of my life until it gleamed with perfection. That's why it was so astonishing when I decided to go to my hallway closet and retrieve a revolver that had never been used.

My body was discovered by my neighbour, Mrs Martha Huber, who had been startled by a strange popping sound. Her curiosity aroused. Mrs Huber tried to think of a reason for dropping in on me unannounced. After some initial hesitations, she decided to return the blender she had borrowed from me 6 months before.

MRS HUBER (on the phone): It's my neighbour. I think she's been shot. There's blood everywhere. Yes, you've got to send an ambulance. You've got to send one right now!

MARY ALICE: And for a moment, Mrs Huber stood motionless in her kitchen, grief-stricken by this senseless tragedy. But only for a moment... If there was one thing Mrs Huber was known for, it was her ability to look on the bright side.

Music: Mad World

Mad World is a song by the British band Tears for Fears, written by Roland Orzabal and sung by bassist Curt Smith:

This version you are about to listen, sung by Adam Lambert, contains the lyrics (maybe you are familiar with this version thanks to the Halo videogame advert):

All around me are familiar faces

Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for the daily races

Going nowhere, going nowhere

And their tears are filling up their glasses

No expression, no expression

Hide my head I wanna drown my sorrows

No tomorrow, no tomorrow
And I find it kind of funny

I find it kind of sad

The dreams in which I'm dying

Are the best I ever had

I find it hard to tell you

I find it hard to take

When people run in circles

It's a very very,

Mad world, Mad world
Children waiting for the day they feel good

Happy birthday, happy birthday

May they feel the way that every child should

Sit and listen, sit and listen

Went to school and I was very nervous

No one knew me, no one knew me

Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson

Look right through me, look right through me
And I find it kind of funny,

I find it kind of sad

The dreams in which I'm dying

Are the best I've ever had

I find it hard to tell you

I find it hard to take

When people run in circles

It's a very very

Mad world, Mad world

Mad world, Mad world

TV shows, series, cinema and cartoons

A good way to improve your pronunciation is to watch shows and series in their original version. Now that DTT reaches almost everybody you have no excuse: press the language button on your remote control and choose the original version option. The experience will be even better if you press the subtitle button to switch languages: you will be able to read (in English!) what the characters are saying (on Digital + you will need to press the "+" button at the bottom of the remote control).

You will be amazed at:

• how much English you already know and understand.
• the pace at which you can learn and improve two of the four basic skills: listening and reading.
• the actual voices of the actors and actresses — they are so much deeper, richer and more luring than their dubbers' voices.
• the accents: Henry VIII's accent in The Tudors is so different from Dexter's or Mary Alice Young's in Desperate Housewives!... or compare the British accent of Dr Cal Lightman (an expert in facial microexpressions played by actor Tim Roth  — a macroexpressive actor in fact!) in the show Lie to me to the accents of the rest of the cast.

Many people find the opening credits of a show a basic reason to start following it. are Here are a few examples of brilliant opening credits of shows I definitely recommend:

The Tudors (C+: Los Tudor):

You think you know a story,
but you only know how it ends.
To get to the heart of the story
You have to go back to the beginning

Desperate Housewives:


Flashforward (Cuatro; not the opening credits but a promo trailer):

Dexter (Cuatro):


House (Cuatro) (3 different jingles put together in one preview):


Lie to Me (Antena 3: Miénteme; the song is Brand New Day, by Ryan Star; full lyrics of the song at the end of the post):

There are 6 and a half billion people in the world, but we all look the same when we lie: dilated pupils, oblique eyebrows, an upturned lip, the smallest line on your face, the slightest body move... it all tells a story. It may be human nature to lie, but the truth is written all over your face...

:
Dream
Send me a sign
Turn back the clock
Give me some time
I need to break out
And make a new name
Let's open our eyes
To the brand new day


Damages (Canal +: Daños  perjuicios):

Brand New Day lyrics, by Ryan Star:

I've stayed in one place for too long
Gotta get on the run again
I saw the one thing that I want
Hell bent, get outta bed
I'm throwing rocks at your window
You're tying the bed sheets together
They say that we're dreaming too big
I say this town's too small

Dream
Send me a sign
Turn back the clock
Give me some time
I need to break out
And make a new name
Let's open our eyes
To the brand new day
It's a brand new day

I've taken hits like a brother
But I'm getting back up again
And from the moment I saw her
I was hell bent with heaven sent
I'm throwing rocks at your window
We're leaving this place together
They say that we're flying too high
Well get used to looking up

Dream
Send me a sign
Turn back the clock
Give me some time
I need to break out
And make a new name
Let's open our eyes
To the brand new day
It's a brand new day

It's a brand new day
I know it's a brand new day
Come on to the brand new day
I know it's a brand new day

Dream
Send me a sign
Turn back the clock
Give me some time
I need to break out
And make a new name
Let's open our eyes
To the brand new day
It's a brand new day