English for Bachillerato: 2012

sábado, 22 de diciembre de 2012

We wish you a merry christmas

I just wanted to use this moment to wish you all a happy time with your families, and to express my best wishes for next year and a Christmas time full of peace and joy with your people.
I'm really glad, grateful, happy and proud of being with you this year long. It's a special one and even more that it will be (You know I keep my word ;). Merry Christmas everyone!!

martes, 18 de diciembre de 2012

Practicas para verbos modales

Para practicar más:
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/modal-verbs-exercises.html

MODAL VERBS:

Here's a list of the modal verbs in English:

can	could	may	might	will
would	must	shall	should	ought to

Modals are different from normal verbs:

1: They don't use an 's' for the third person singular.
2: They make questions by inversion ('she can go' becomes 'can she go?')
3: They are followed directly by the infinitive of another verb (without 'to')

Probability:

First, they can be used when we want to say how sure we are that something happened / is happening / will happen. We often call these 'modals of deduction' or 'speculation' or 'certainty' or 'probability'.

For example:

It's snowing, so it must be very cold outside.
I don't know where John is. He could have missed the train.
This bill can't be right. £200 for two cups of coffee.

We can use these modal verbs (also called modals of deduction, speculation or certainty) when we want to make a guess about something. We choose the verb depending on how sure we are.

1: Talking about the present:

must / might / could / may / can't

must + infinitive
might / might not + infinitive
could / could not + infinitive
may / may not + infinitive
can’t + infinitive

For example:

I am waiting for Julie with another friend, David.
I ask: 'Where is Julie?'
David guesses:

She must be on the bus. (I'm fairly sure this is a good guess)
She might come soon. (maybe)
She could be lost. (maybe)
She may be in the wrong room. (maybe)
She can’t be at home. (I'm fairly sure this isn't true)

Notice that the opposite of ‘must’ is ‘can’t’ in this case.

Will / won't

We use will and won’t when we are very sure:

She’ll be at work now.

Should / shouldn’t

Should and shouldn't are used to make an assumption about what is probably true, if everything is as we expect:

They should be there by now.
It shouldn’t take long to drive here.

This use of should isn’t usually used for negative events, instead use will:

The underground will be very busy now (not: 'should be').

Can

Can is used for something that is generally possible, something we know sometimes happens:

Prices can be high in London.

Can is not used to talk about specific possibilities:

He could be on the bus (not: 'can be').

2: Using modal verbs to talk about the past:

must / might / could / may / can't + have + past participle

(Click here to review how to make the past participle)

must have + past participle
might / might not have + past participle
could / couldn’t have + past participle
may / may not have + past participle
can’t have + past participle

For example:

You: Where was Julie last night?
David:

She must have forgotten about our date.
She might have worked late.
She could have taken the wrong bus.
She may have felt ill.
She can’t have stayed at home.

Will / won’t + have + past participle

Will and won't / will not + have + past participle are used for past certainty (compare with present use of 'will' above):

The parcel will have arrived before now.

Should + have + past participle

Should + have + past participle can be used to make an assumption about something that has probably happened, if everything is as we expect (compare with present sue of 'should' above):

The train should have left by now

Could

We can use could to talk about a general possibility in the past (compare with the use of 'can' above):

Prices could be high in the sixteenth century.

This is not used to talk about specific possibilites in the past:

He could have been working late (not: 'could be', which is present)

Ability

We use 'can' and 'could' to talk about a skill or ability.

For example:

She can speak six languages.
My grandfather could play golf very well
I can't drive

When we talk about ability, we mean two things.

First, we mean general ability. This is something that once you have learned you can do any time you want, like being able to read or swim or speak a language, for example.

The other kind of ability is specific ability. This mean something that you can or can't do in one particular situation. For example, being able to lift something heavy, or find somewhere you are looking for.

Present:

can / can’t (for both general and specific ability)

I can play the piano.
She can speak English.
He can’t drive – he’s too tired.
We can’t come now.

Past:

could / couldn’t (for general ability)

I could read when I was four.
She could speak French when she was a child, but now she has forgotten it.
He couldn’t dance at all until he took lessons.
My grandfather couldn’t swim.

was able to / couldn’t (for specific ability)

When the computer crashed yesterday, I was able to fix it.(not ‘I could fix it’)
She was able to pass the exam, even though she hadn’t studied much.(not ‘she could pass’)
He called us because he couldn’t find the house.
I couldn’t open the window.

could + have + past participle (an ability someone had in the past, but didn’t use)

I could have played the piano well but I didn’t practise enough.
We could have come earlier.
She could have studied law, but she preferred to become a secretary.

Future:

will / won’t be able to (general ability)

At the end of the course, you will be able to make your own website.
He won’t be able to speak Japanese in a week! It will take months.

can / can't (specific ability)

I can help you tomorrow
I can't come to the party

Obligation and Advice

We can use verbs such as 'must' or 'should' to say when something is necessary or unnecessary, or to give advice.

For example:

Children must do their homework.
We have to wear a uniform at work.
You should stop smoking.

We can use have to + infinitive, must + infinitive and should + infinitive to express obligation (something you have to do).

Present	Positive	Negative
have to / don’t have to	strong obligation (possibly from outside) Children have to go to school. (sometimes ‘have got to’)	no obligation I don’t have to work on Sundays. You don’t have to eat anything you don’t like.
must / mustn’t	strong obligation (possibly based on the speaker’s opinion) I must study today.	negative obligation You mustn’t smoke here.
should / shouldn’t	mild obligation or advice You should save some money.	mild negative obligation or advice You shouldn’t smoke so much.

Be careful about the difference between mustn't and don't have to!
Mustn't means it's not allowed, or it's a bad idea:

You mustn't eat so much chocolate, you'll be sick

Don't have to means you don't need to do something, but it's fine if you want to do it:

I don't have to get up early at the weekend
(of course, if I want to get up early, that's fine, but I can stay in bed if I want

Past	Positive	Negative
had to / didn’t have to	obligation in the past I had to go to wear a school uniform when I was a child.	no obligation in the past We didn’t have to go to school on Saturdays.
must*	changes to 'had to'	-
should have + pp / shouldn’t have + pp	a past action which didn’t happen: the advice / regret is too late You should have gone to bed earlier, now you have missed the train.	a past action which didn’t happen: the advice / regret is too late You shouldn’t have taken that job., it was a bad idea.

* Remember ‘must have done’ is a modal verb of deduction or speculation, not obligation in the past. For example: Julie must have left. Her coat’s not here.

Permission

We can use verbs such as 'can', 'could' and 'may' to ask for and give permission. We also use modal verbs to say something is not allowed.

For example:

Could I leave early today, please?
You may not use the car tonight.
Can we swim in the lake?

Habits

We can use 'will' and 'would' to talk about habits or things we usually do, or did in the past.

For example:

When I lived in Italy, we would often eat in the restaurant next to my flat.
John will always be late!

practices for modal verbs. Unit 2

Here I post the link to a very useful webpage where you can practice on modal verbs online. As you know, this is the grammatical point in unit 2 in our textbook so don't miss the chance to practice more: Modal Exercise 1 can, could, have to, must, might and should Modal Exercise 2 have to and must Modal Exercise 3 might, must, should, could, have to and ought to Modal Exercise 4 couldn't and might not Modal Exercise 5 have got to, had better, may and shall Modal Exercise 5 have got to, had better, may and shall Modal Exercise 5 have got to, had better, may and shall Modal Exercise 5 have got to, had better, may and shall Modal Exercise 6 could, might, should and would Modal Exercise 7 modal verb forms Modal Verb Final Test complete review

martes, 27 de noviembre de 2012

CURSO DE INGLES CON PRONUNCIACION LECCION # 23 --- VERBOS MAS COMUNES CO...

CURSO DE INGLES CON PRONUNCIACION LECCION # 22 --- VOCABULARIO--NOMBRES ...

CURSO DE INGLES CON PRONUNCIACION LECCION # 21 --- VOCABULARIO-- FRUTAS ...

CURSO DE INGLES CON PRONUNCIACION LECCION # 20 --- ADJETIVOS MAS USADOS ...

CURSO DE INGLES CON PRONUNCIACION LECCION # 19 --- ADJETIVOS MAS USADOS ...

CURSO DE INGLES CON PRONUNCIACION LECCION # 18 ---ADJETIVOS MAS USADOS #...

conjunciones

CURSO DE INGLES CON PRONUNCIACION LECCION # 16 --- FRASES VERBALES MAS U...

CURSO DE INGLES CON PRONUNCIACION LECCION # 15 --- FRASES VERBALES MAS U...

CURSO DE INGLES CON PRONUNCIACION LECCION # 14 --- VERBOS MAS USADOS SEG...

CURSO INGLES CON PRONUNCIACION LECCION # 13 --- VERBOS MAS USADOS SEGUID...

CURSO DE INGLES CON PRONUNCIACION LECCION # 11 --- PREPOSICIONES MAS USA...

CURSO DE INGLES CON PRONUNCIACION LECCION # 10 -- PREPOSICIONES MAS USAD...

CURSO DE INGLES CON PRONUNCIACION LECCION # 9 --- ADVERBIOS MAS USADOS

CURSO DE INGLES CON PRONUNCIACION LECCION # 2 --- VERBOS MAS USADOS # 2/2

CURSO DE INGLES CON PRONUNCIACION LECCION # 1 --- VERBOS MAS USADOS # 1/2

jueves, 22 de noviembre de 2012

Online practices for verbal tenses

Practices for Verbal Tenses.

Aquí os dejo los enlaces a páginas con prácticas sobre los tiempos verbales que tendréis que realizar. Deberéis imprimir pantalla de cada página y guardar el archivo como imagen para luego pegarla en un documento word y mandármelo por correo a: bachilleratoelsur@hotmail.com

La fecha límite de entrega será: 15 Enero 2013.

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs1.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs2.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs3.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs4.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs5.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs6.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs7.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs8.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs9.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs10.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs11.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs12.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs13.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs14.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs15.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs16.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs17.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs19.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs20.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs21.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs22.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs23.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs24.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs25.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs26.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs27.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs28.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs29practicetest.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs30finaltest.htm

martes, 20 de noviembre de 2012

Graduación IES El Sur 2012

Aquí os dejo el fantástico y entrañable video que han subido los alumnos de la promoción pasada y que ya hoy siguen sus caminos fuera del intituto. Muy pronto os tocará a vosotros!!!

The Scarlet Letter, discussion forum.

Hi guys! I leave her a link to a page with different discussions on the novel you are reading. I invite you all to have a look at it, as it's really worthy to ckeck which others' points of views are on the novel. I post here the introduction to the discussion:

Hawthorne, considerado junto con Melville y Poe como uno de los mejores prosistas de la literatura estadounidense del XIX, retrocedió con esta novela 200 años atrás para recrear todo un drama moral ambientado en la Nueva Inglaterra puritana de los primeros peregrinos.

Descendiente directo de los primeros colonos ingleses y cuyos antepasados, algunos, se tomaron con excesivo celo el mantenimiento de la religión, pues no en vano varios de sus tatarabuelos se mostraron muy diestros a la hora de azotar quáqueros o de quemar brujas en Salem. Hawthorne pasa factura a ese sobrecogedor y agobiante ambiente de rigorismo moral tan propio de la mentalidad puritana.

La historia es muy sencilla: Hester Prynne es condenada a la más absoluta exclusión de la comunidad a la que pertenece por el hecho de haber cometido adulterio con alguien al que no quiere reconocer publicamente y de cuya relación nace su hija Perla.

La novela comienza con la exposición pública de la vergüenza y el pecado de la mujer frente a todo el poblado puritano que inmediatamente valida, en un segundo juicio de conciencia, el veredicto ya emitido por los magistrados de la colonia.
De pie en el cadalso, con su hija en brazos, Hester vé, entre la multitud, a los otros dos personajes que componen un trío sobre el que se teje toda la tragedia de la novela. Y cada uno de ellos se recompone a partir de la relación con la mujer adúltera, y ella misma con el origen de su pecado y con las consecuencias sociales y morales que traen consigo la ejecución de la pena.

Hester sufre por tres razones: por la ejecución de una sanción impuesta por la Moral ejercida por magistrados, presbíteros y el pueblo; por la incapacidad de imponer o transmitir cualquier código moral a su hija al ser fruto del pecado; y por el silencio que se autoimpone a la hora de revelar la identidad del padre y por tanto coautor del pecado.

Todo esto la lleva a vivir una vida en soledad, al margen de la comunidad y de cualquier tipo de relación humana. Con el paso del tiempo, incluso cuando ya se la vuelve a readmitir en el seno de la colonia, su actitud no será muy distinta de cuando se la condenó al ostracismo: silencio, trabajo y una austera abnegación en todo lo que haga.
De ese compromiso consigo misma y con su pecado, surge, de la pluma de Hawthorne, un personaje de una dimensión moral y valentía que se convierte en la medida de todos los demás personajes y que, a través del dilema vital que representa, acaba convirtiendo al pecado en una convención social más, manejada por la comunidad frente a la imposibilidad de una libertad de conciencia individual cercenada por la actitud tribal del poblado puritano.

Novela profundamente psicológica que rastrea, ahonda y enjuicia cada una de las motivaciones y acciones de todos los personajes ( la mujer, los clérigos, el presbítero, los magistrados, la bruja… excepto el personaje que es fruto del pecado: la pequeña Perla que es retratada casi como un espíritu del bosque que vive libremente al margen de cualquier convención o moral social) , une, a este fuerte contenido moral un importantísimo elemento metafórico y simbólico que va desde lo que es el objeto y título de la novela hasta los espacios físicos ( el bosque, el poblado, el cadalso…) pasando por los mismísimos personajes.

To read more:
http://www.online-literature.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?1259-The-Scarlet-Letter

I would also like to read some comments from you on the novel, what you think about it, if it's turning out to be boring for you, if you're addicted to it... anything you would like to post will be welcome!

lunes, 19 de noviembre de 2012

Working with "Friends"

Hello everyone!. This week we are going to work on an activity to improve our listening comprehension skills. This practice is called "intensive listening", that is, a type of listening where you don't focus on the gist (or general idea) but on the specific and in detail information you are looking for. Since you have the video below, you can rewind it or play it forward as long as you want in order to look for the exact words uttered. Then, you will have to answer a set of different questions that are listed below. You'll have to hand this work in to me in a separate piece of paper and the deadline for this is next Monday the 26th November. I hope you enjoy the video despite the difficulty of some of the questions, but it's fun trying to understand anyway, isn't it?

QUESTIONS:

1.       According to Phoebe, which is Ross’ specialty (“his thing”)? (Minute 0,11)
2.       She says “you love divorce so much, you’re probably _______” (Minute 0,24)
3.       What’s the reason why Phoebe is talking blue talk? (minute 0,34)
4.       Where does Rachael go when she leaves Ross and Phoebe alone in minute 0,54?
5.       Does Phoebe want to hear something weird?
6.       What is the “weird” thing that Ross wants to tell Phoebe? (minute 1:00)
7.       What is the official thing that Chandler talks about in minute 1:21? Who doesn’t know it yet?
8.       What does Chandler want to do with the box where Joey is hiding? (Minute 2:02)
9.       What does Candler exclaim when Joey pops up from the box? (Minute 2,10)
10.   What is Joey’s problem with his “flirting energy”? (minute 2,26)
11.   What does the new tenant remind Joey of? (Minute 2,45)
12.   Why doesn’t Joey want her to touch him? (Minute 3,00)
13.   What’s the metaphor that Joey uses to refer to his attraction for her? (3:09)
14.   Why wasn’t Ross successful with girls at the spring dance back in college? What about Chandler? (3.38)
15.   Ross and Chandler start talking about things that girls don’t like. (Minute 3,53). List them:
Things that girls like
16.   Chandler is trying to put everything back to its original position in the house as Monica wants them to be, and he says: “Ok this lamp is in the right place”, what is Ross’ answer to that commentary? (Minute 4,22)
17.   What excuse does Chandler use for Monica not to enter into the apartment? (4,27)
18.   What is Ross’ explanation for being naked? (minute 4,49)
19.   What is Monica’s answer? (5,04)
20.   What is Ross’ theory about computers in the year 2030? (5,46)
21.   What has Ross done to his teeth? (minute 6,35)
22.   What does Rachael say about Ross’ teeth when she enters the coffeehouse? (7,25)

sábado, 17 de noviembre de 2012

What or Which?

Here goes an interesting explanation on the difference between "what" and "which" in their use. At the end there is an exercise to check if you have learnt it and the answer. Do it but do not look at the answers beforehand:

Confundir which con what en determinadas preguntas es un error muy común entre los hispanohablantes. En esta entrada vamos a ver cuál es la diferencia entre las dos palabras.
Seguramente el error viene de traducir cuál por which en frases como estas:
¿Cuál es el problema? –> Which is the problem? X
¿Cuál es tu opinión? –> Which is your opinion? X
Estas frases están mal construidas porque which se utiliza sólo en preguntas en que se trata de elegir entre un número limitado de opciones. Por ejemplo,
There are three planes to Bogotá. Which one are you on? (Hay tres vuelos a Bogotá. ¿Cuál es el tuyo?)
Which napkin is yours? (¿Qué servilleta es la tuya? o ¿Cuál de las servilletas es la tuya?)
What se utiliza cuando el número de respuestas posibles no tiene límite:
What’s your name? (¿Cuál es tu nombre? porque hay un número infinito de nombres posibles)
What was the reason? (¿Cuál fue el motivo? porque hay un número infinito de motivos)
En muchas situaciones las dos opciones son correctas. Por ejemplo, si estuvieras en una heladería podrías preguntar a tu acompañante
What flavor do you want?
o
Which flavor do you want?
Sólo podrías utilizar which si hay una selección limitada de sabores en la heladería. Si quisieras preguntar ¿Cuál es tu sabor favorito (en general)?, tendrías que decir What‘s your favorite flavor?
Ejercicios
Traduce estas preguntas al inglés:
1. ¿Cuál es el problema?
2. ¿Cuál es vuestra opinion?
3. ¿Cuál de esos restaurantes es más caro?
4. ¿Cuál fue su respuesta?
5. ¿Cuál es tu canción favorita?
6. ¿Cuál es el papel del artista en la sociedad?
7. ¿Cuál es tu primer recuerdo?
8. ¿Cuál te gusta más, el francés o el italiano?
9. ¿Cuáles son las ventajas de ese método?
10. ¿Cuál fue el último libro que leiste?
11. ¿Cuál de estos libros fue el último que leiste, este o ese?
Respuestas:
1. What’s the problem?
2. What’s your opinion?
3. Which of those restaurants is more expensive?
4. What was his response?
5. What’s your favorite song?
6. What’s the role of the artist in society?
7. What’s your first memory?
8. Which one do you like better, French or Italian?
9. What are the advantages of that method?
10. What was the last book you read?
11. Which of these books was the last one you read, this one or that one?

Who vs Whom

Click on the audio to listen to the explanation about the differences between these two pronouns. Also, you have the tapscript on the same page so you can follow the explanation by reading.
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/who-versus-whom.aspx

Furthermore, there is another link to a page where you can find a more in detail exposition on the differences between the two of them:
http://www.elearnenglishlanguage.com/difficulties/whowhom.html
I hope you find it clarifying but if there's still any question, write it down and ask in class!

Confused Words: WHO'S & WHOSE

Hi everyone!. Here's a video about the frequently confused words "who's" and "whose" that we have seen in class.

Extra online practice for Relative Sentences

Review of relative sentences:

INTRODUCTION

Intermediate level English learners need to learn relative clauses to improve their writing skills in order to begin writing more complex sentences. Relative clauses help connect two separate ideas which might be expressed in two separate sentences.

Here is an example:

That is the school. I went to that school as a boy > That is the school (that) I went to as a boy.

That's a beautiful car over there! I'd like to buy that car> I'd like to buy that beautiful car which is over there.

We use relative clauses to provide extra information. This information can either define something (defining clause), or provide unnecessary, but interesting, added information (non-defining clause).

Relative clauses can be introduced by:

•a relative pronoun: who (whom), which, that, whose

•no relative pronoun: Ø

•where, why and when instead of a relative pronoun

You need to consider the following when deciding which relative pronoun to use:

•Is the subject or object or possessive of a relative clause?

•Does it refer to a person or an object?

•Is the relative clause a defining or non-defining relative clause?

NOTE: Relative clauses are often used in both spoken and written English. There is a tendency to use non-defining relative clauses mostly in written, rather than in spoken, English.

DEFINING OR NON-DEFINING?

The information provided in a defining relative clause is crucial in understanding the meaning of the sentence. Example:

"The woman who lives in apartment No. 34 has been arrested", "The document that I need has 'important' written at the top".

The purpose of a defining relative clause is to clearly define who or what we are talking about. Without this information, it would be difficult to know who or what is meant.

Example: "The house is being renovated".

In this case it is not necessarily clear which house is being renovated.

Non-defining Relative Clauses provide interesting additional information which is not essential to understanding the meaning of the sentence.

Example: Mrs. Jackson, who is very intelligent, lives on the corner.

Correct punctuation is essential in non-defining relative clauses. If the non-defining relative clause occurs in the middle of a sentence, a comma is put before the relative pronoun and at the end of the clause. If the non-defining relative clause occurs at the end of a sentence, a comma is put before the relative pronoun.

NOTE: In defining relative clauses there are no commas.

RELATIVE PRONOUNS IN DEFINING RELATIVE SENTENCES:

Example: Children who (that) play with fire are in great danger of harm.
The man who bought all the books by Hemingway has died.
Generally, who and which are more usual in written English whereas that is more usual in speech when referring to things.
Relative Pronouns Used As The Object of Defining Relative Clauses
Example: That's the boy (Ø , that, who, whom) I invited to the party.
There's the house (Ø, that, which) I'd like to buy.
Relative Pronouns Used As A Possessive In A Defining Relative Clauses
Example: He's the man whose car was stolen last week.
They were sure to visit the town whose location (OR the location of which) was little known.
NOTE: It is preferable to use that (not which) after the following words: all, any(thing), every (thing), few, little, many, much, no(thing), none, some(thing), and after superlatives. When using the pronoun to refer to the object, that can be omitted.
Example: It was everything (that) he had ever wanted.
There were only a few (that) really interested him.

RELATIVE PRONOUNS IN NON-DEFINING RELATIVE SENTENCES:
Example: Frank Zappa, who was one of the most creative artists in rock 'n roll, came from California.
Olympia, whose name is taken from the Greek, is the capitol of Washington State.
Relative Pronouns Used As The Object of Non-Defining Relative Clauses
Example: Frank invited Janet, who (whom) he had met in Japan, to the party.
Peter brought his favorite antique book, which he had found at a flea market, to show his friends.
NOTE: 'That' can never be used in non-defining clauses.
Relative Pronouns Used As A Possessive In Non-Defining Relative Clauses
Example: The singer, whose most recent recording has had much success, was signing autographs.
The artist, whose name he could not remember, was one of the best he had ever seen.
NOTES
In non-defining relative clauses, which can be used to refer to an entire clause.
Example: He came for the weekend wearing only some shorts and a t-shirt, which was a stupid thing to do.
After numbers and words like many, most, neither, and some, we use of before whom and which in non-defining relative clauses. Example: Many of those people, most of whom enjoyed their experience, spent at least a year abroad. Dozens of people had been invited, most of whom I knew.

WHERE, WHEN AND WHY IN RELATIVE SENTENCES:
Where, referring to a place, why, referring to a reason, and when, referring to a time, can be used instead of a relative pronoun after a noun.
In defining relative clauses why and when, unlike where can be omitted.
Example: I'd like to know the reason (why) he decided not to come.
February is the month (when) many of my colleagues take skiing holidays.
BUT! She always had wanted to go to a place where she could speak her native tongue.
When, where and why are not omitted in non-defining relative clauses.
Example: I come from the Seattle area, where many successful companies such as Microsoft and Boeing are located, and I often go home during the summer.
He likes shopping between one and three, when most people are at home, because of the relative calm.
NOTES:
When speaking, we often omit the relative pronoun.
Whom is formal and most often used when writing.
Relative clauses and prepositions
In formal English prepositions can come before the relative pronoun. However, it much more common to place prepositions at the end of the relative clause, especially in informal spoken English.
Example: John Robbins, whom I spoke to by telephone, instructed me to buy 200 shares of WAKO. Formal
The Ritz, which was stayed at in New York, was extremely expensive.
Defining Relative Clauses
Person
whom
Ø
Object
which
Ø
Example: The banker to whom I gave my check was quite friendly. - formal
The woman I talked to was very pleasant indeed. - informal
The book which I received for my birthday was excellent. - formal
The car he drove was really fast. - informal
Non-Defining Relative Clauses
Person
whom
who
Object
which
which
Example: The bank manager, to whom he addressed his complaints, was very unhelpful. - formal.
The local branch manager, who I talked to about my problems, was very helpful. - informal

Welcome to Everyone!

Hello everyone. This is Fran here talking to you. I have finally created the blog I told you about so that we can be even more connected. I hope it helps you improve with all the stuff we are doing in class and reinforce your weak points. In the blog I shall be posting links to other pages with grammar references that I may consider productive for your practice as well as activities that may result useful for you. Besides, there is going to be plenty of extra material to complement everything we do in class, together with extra voluntary activities for those of you who want to go even further. I hope you all make a good use of it and take it seriously as it will be for some of you essential to get to the objectives we pursue this year.