Crossword – Irregular Verbs 3

Posted on 2012/04/15
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crossword puzzle

 

Here is another crossword about irregular verbs. The clue gives the simple present, and you have to fill in the crossword with either the past or past participle. Have fun!

Across

2. wake
3. lay
5. bite
6. forget
7. lend
9. understand
12. ride
14. shoot
15. sell
17. draw
19. become
22. steal
23. hear
24. get
25. swim
27. cut
28. ring
30. tear
32. eat
33. hide
34. win
35. shine
36. stand

Down

1. leave
2. write
3. light
4. drink
5. break
7. let
8. throw
10. speak
11. drive
13. do
15. sing
16. lose
18. read
19. begin
20. cost
21. mean
26. make
27. choose
28. rise
29. give
31. run
33. hold
34. is

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Idiom Focus: Animal Idioms 17

Posted on 2012/04/14
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Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

horse sense:    wisdom in making decisions

Example:  

It doesn’t take much horse sense to see that kids need to run and play outside more, instead of spending most of their time staring at a video game.

horse trade:    hard and skillful bargaining

Example:  

Jack is so good at horse trading that he was able to get the travel agent to give us three extra nights at the resort for free.

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Writing Assignment: On a Plane (Solution)

Posted on 2012/04/14
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Inside an Airplane

1.    Where is this picture taken?
This picture is taken on a plane.

2.    What are the people doing?
The people are sitting on a plane, getting ready for takeoff.

3.    Who is the woman in the middle of the picture?
The woman in the middle of the picture is a stewardess, or flight attendant.

4.    What is her job?
Her job is to help the passengers during the flight, so they have a pleasant journey.

5.    Where do you think the people are going?
Maybe some people are going on vacation, or perhaps on a business trip.

6.    What are the storage spaces over the people’s heads?
The storage spaces over the people’s heads are called overhead compartments.

7.    What can you put in that storage space?
You can put carry on baggage in the overhead compartments.

8.    What do you need to get on a plane?
To get on a plane you need a ticket.  After you have checked in and shown your ticket to the person at the airline counter, you will get a boarding pass, which you will need to get on the plane.

9.    What do foreign travelers need to go on a plane?
Foreign travelers need a passport to go on a plane.

10.    What do you do with your baggage when you go on an airplane?
If you have baggage, you can check it at the airline counter when you go through check in.

11.    What procedure do you have to go through before you will be allowed to go on a plane?
Before you are allowed to get on a plane, you will have to go through airport security.

12.    Who controls the plane?
The pilots control the plane.  One pilot is the captain, and the other is his co-pilot.

13.    Who helps the passengers when they’re on the plane?
Once the passengers are on the plane, the stewards and stewardesses (flight attendants) help them.

14.    How can you summon a flight attendant if you need help?
You can press the call button to summon a flight attendant if you need help.

15.    Why is an airplane flight bumpy or rough sometimes?
Sometimes an airplane flight is rough because of turbulence.

16.    What might you need if you feel sick during the flight?
If you feel sick during a flight, you might need an airsickness bag.

17.    How does an airplane move between the gate and the end of the runway?
An airplane moves between the gate and the end of the runway by taxiing to where it needs to go.

18.    What do you have to do to prepare for takeoff or landing?
To prepare for takeoff or landing, you need to put your seat in an upright position, and make sure your tray is in place and locked.  You also need to turn off cell phones and mp3 players.

19.    Where do you have to go to get your baggage when you arrive at your destination?
Once you arrive at your destination, you have to go to baggage claim to pick up your baggage.

20.    If you fly on an international flight, what official lines do you have to pass through before you are allowed to enter the country?
If you go on an international flight, you will need to pass through customs and immigration before you are allowed to enter the country.

Paragraph:  On a Plane

Traveling by plane is very convenient.  You can buy a ticket online, although some people prefer to ask a travel agent to recommend a certain flight and make arrangements.  Nowadays, in most instances an e-ticket is issued, which you must print out and bring with you to check-in.  The person at the counter will also ask for some identification, like a driver’s license or passport.  A passport is needed if you are traveling to a foreign country.

If you have a lot of baggage, you can check it in.  The person at the airline counter will weigh it to make sure the baggage does not exceed the weight limit.  But if you have only a few light items, such as a small suitcase or backpack, you can take that on board with you, and store it in the overhead compartment on the plane.

The person at the airline counter will also assign you a seat on the plane.  Sometimes you can express a preference for a window seat or an aisle seat, but if the plane is crowded you might not be able to have your preference.  Once your seat is assigned, you will be given a boarding pass and instructions on which gate your flight is at, and when the boarding starts.

Before you can go to your gate, however, you have to go through airport security.  Sadly, this is a fact of modern air travel.  You will have to walk through a metal detector, and your carry on items will have to be x-rayed for suspicious materials.  Thankfully, most people comply with these security measures, and once you are through the security, you can proceed to your gate.

Once you are on the plane, the flight attendants will help you find your seat, put your carry ons in the overhead compartment, and get ready for the flight.  They will ask you to fasten your seat belt and put your seat in an upright position.  You are also asked to refrain from using certain electronic, such as cell phones and mp3 players, equipment during takeoff and landing.

After the airplane has taken off and is on its way, the seat belt sign will go off, and you can unbuckle it if you like.  If there is turbulence during the flight, though, the seat belt light will come back on, and you should buckle up again.  The flight attendants usually go up and down the aisle with a cart full of snacks and drinks, or, if you are on a long flight, they will have meals for the passengers.  If you need any assistance, you can summon the flight attendant by pressing the call button.

At the end of the flight, the plane will land at its destination.  You can get off the plane and go to the baggage claim to get your luggage.  If you have gone to a foreign country, you will have to go through customs and immigration before you are allowed to go to the general part of the airport.

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Writing Assignment: On a Plane

Posted on 2012/04/13
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Inside an Airplane
Vocabulary

ticket
e-ticket
boarding pass
passport
baggage / luggage
suitcase
carry on
pilot
steward / stewardess
flight attendant
check in
security
window seat
aisle seat
turbulence
takeoff
landing
taxi
flight crew
passengers
baggage claim
customs
immigration
gate
captain
call button
air sickness bag
tray
overhead compartment

1.    Where is this picture taken?
2.    What are the people doing?
3.    Who is the woman in the middle of the picture?
4.    What is her job?
5.    Where do you think the people are going?
6.    What are the storage spaces over the people’s heads?
7.    What can you put in that storage space?
8.    What do you need to get on a plane?
9.    What do foreign travelers need to go on a plane?
10.    What do you do with your baggage when you go on an airplane?
11.    What procedure do you have to go through before you will be allowed to go on a plane?
12.    Who controls the plane?
13.    Who helps the passengers when they’re on the plane?
14.    How can you summon a flight attendant if you need help?
15.    Why is an airplane flight bumpy or rough sometimes?
16.    What might you need if you feel sick during the flight?
17.    How does an airplane move between the gate and the end of the runway?
18.    What do you have to do to prepare for takeoff or landing?
19.    Where do you have to go to get your baggage when you arrive at your destination?
20.    If you fly on an international flight, what official lines do you have to pass through before you are allowed to enter the country?

Paragraph:  On a Plane

Have you ever traveled by plane?  How was the flight?  Where did you go?  Write a brief paragraph about a time you were on an airplane flight.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 34 – I have to… (Solutions)

Posted on 2012/04/13
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Exercises:  Complete the following sentences, using “have / has to” + one of the following verbs.

Example:

I’m going to bed now.  I __________ early tomorrow morning.  (get up) ==>  I’m going to bed now.  I have to get up early tomorrow morning.

1.    We’ve had a lot of rain the past few days.  I have to cut the grass this weekend.
2.    The baby is sick.  I have to take him to the doctor.
3.    When you make bread, you have to let the dough rise.
4.    When you are a student, you have to do a lot of homework.
5.    I can’t see very well, so I have to wear glasses.
6.    Mary has fair skin, so she has to put on sunblock when she goes to the beach.
7.    If you want to be good at English, you have to study a lot.
8.    John wants to become a doctor, so he has to go to medical school.
9.    If children go to public schools, they have to have all their vaccinations.
10.    If your pencil is dull, you have to sharpen it.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 34 – I have to…

Posted on 2012/04/12
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When we use the phrase “I have to…,” it means that we are under obligation to do that thing.  It is necessary for us to do that thing.

Pattern:

I / you / we / they have to + V (inf.)
He / she / it has to + V (inf.)

Examples:

I have to return the library book tomorrow.  (I am obligated to return the library book tomorrow.  Otherwise, it will be overdue.)
James has to clean his bedroom before supper.  (It is necessary for him to clean his room.  If he doesn’t, he will be in big trouble.)
Cathy has to pass this test, or else she will fail the course.

For the past tense, use “had to” + V (inf.):

I had to cut the grass yesterday.
Shirley had to take her cousin to the doctor last week.
Mr. Johnson had to give Jack an F on his exam.

For questions, use “Do / Does” + Subject + “have to” + V (inf.):

Does Tom have to study for his English test tomorrow?
Do I have to take the medicine before bedtime?
Do they have to leave early in the morning?

For negatives, use “don’t / doesn’t” + “have to” + V (inf.):

Mike doesn’t have to go to work on Monday.
I don’t have to see the dentist until next month.
We don’t have to move to Memphis.

For past tense questions: “Did” + Subject + “have to” + V (inf.):

Did Mike have to work last weekend?
Did you have to cut the grass yesterday?
Did she have to return the library book the other day?

For past tense negatives:  “didn’t” + “have to”+ V (inf.):

I didn’t have to walk Mrs. Wilson’s dog.
Tom didn’t have to pay his parking ticket.
Mr. Smith didn’t have to pick up his mother-in-law at the airport.

Note:  “must” can also be used instead of “have to”.

Pattern:

I / you / he, she, it / we / they + “must” + V (inf.):

Note:  there is no “to” between “must” and V (inf.)!!

I must return the library book tomorrow. (not:  I must to return the library book tomorrow.)
James must clean his bedroom before supper.  (not:  James must to clean his bedroom before supper.)
Cathy must pass this test, or else she will fail the course. (not:  Cathy must to pass this test…)

 

Exercises:  Complete the following sentences, using “have / has to” + one of the following verbs.

Example:

I’m going to bed now.  I __________ early tomorrow morning.  (get up) ==>  I’m going to bed now.  I have to get up early tomorrow morning.

Use these verbs:

cut
do
go
have
let
put on
sharpen
study
take
wear

1.    We’ve had a lot of rain the past few days.  I ______________ the grass this weekend.
2.    The baby is sick.  I ______________ him to the doctor.
3.    When you make bread, you ______________ the dough rise.
4.    When you are a student, you ______________ a lot of homework.
5.    I can’t see very well, so I ______________ glasses.
6.    Mary has fair skin, so she ______________ sunblock when she goes to the beach.
7.    If you want to be good at English, you ______________ a lot.
8.    John wants to become a doctor, so he ______________ to medical school.
9.    If children go to public schools, they ______________ all their vaccinations.
10.    If your pencil is dull, you ______________ it.

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Culture Focus: Getting a Driver’s License

Posted on 2012/04/11
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In most states in the US, 16 is the minimum age to obtain a driver’s license. Some states are lower. For example, 14-year-olds may get a driver’s license in South Dakota. New Jersey is at the other extreme, requiring drivers to be at least 17 years of age. Also, most states require that student drivers take and pass a driver’s education class before they are eligible to take an official driver’s licensing exam from the driver licensing facility, or DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles), as it is called in many states.

getting a driver's licenseA driver’s education class typically has two parts. The first is a classroom component, where students learn about driving safety and “rules of the road” (laws regulating drivers). The second is a practical component (“behind the wheel”), where students practice driving with an instructor. In some classes, students must spend several sessions on a “simulator,” or mock car, before they are permitted to drive an actual car on the road. A student driver must successfully pass both components of driver’s education. He must also spend a minimum number of hours driving outside of class. Then he is given some sort of certificate to verify completion of the requirements and eligibility for taking the official driver’s exam, or “road test.” (When I was in school, we called this a “blue slip,” because it was blue.)

At the driver license facility, the student driver registers and waits for his turn to take the road test. An examiner will go in the car with him and give him various driving tasks to do. The examiner might ask him to drive down a certain road or turn left at a stop sign. The examiner might ask the student driver to parallel park by a curb. The examiner might even ask the student driver to do a three-point turn or a two-point turn. The examiner carries a clipboard with a checklist, and notes how the student driver did. He will check to see if the student driver performed the requested maneuver correctly. He will check to see if the student driver used turn signals properly. He will check to see if the student drove in an unsafe manner, and so on. If the examiner is satisfied with the student’s driving, he will pass the student. Then the student can exchange his “blue slip” for an actual driver’s license.

For adults who already know how to drive, a vision test and a written test (based on the “rules of the road”) are usually required in addition to a road test. The vision test is to make sure the driver can see well enough to drive. In Illinois, the requirement is 20/40 vision or better, plus peripheral vision (140 degrees). If the driver’s vision is not 20/40, he must wear glasses while driving. The glasses should correct the vision to 20/40 or better. The written test is not very hard. It consists mainly of sign recognition, and rules pertaining to specific situations (for example, does a driver commit a moving violation if he passes a stopped school bus?). Driver license facilities have booklets available for study. These booklets list the rules of the road that all drivers are expected to know. Studying these booklets gives a person enough knowledge to pass the written test.

After passing all the necessary tests, the student can get his driver’s license. He hands in all the paperwork and waits. When it’s his turn, the official will call his name and take his picture. After a few minutes, his driver’s license is finished, and he is now a full-fledged driver.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 33 – should (Solutions)

Posted on 2012/04/11
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Exercises:  Complete the following sentences, using “you should” + and one of the following verbs:

Example:

If you are tired, _________ to bed.  (go) ==>  If you are tired, you should go to bed.

1.    When you go swimming, you should wear swim goggles.
2.    If you are going to the party, you should bring a gift.
3.    When you plant some seeds, you should water them.
4.    If you gain weight, you should go on a diet.
5.    If you hurt someone, you should apologize to them.
6.    That’s a very interesting TV program.  You should watch it.
7.    If you get your clothes dirty, you should put them in the laundry.
8.    When you have finished, you should turn off the lights.
9.    If you’re leaving the house, you should lock the door.
10.    If you make a mess, you should clean it up.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 33 – should

Posted on 2012/04/10
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“should” is used with a verb in its infinitive form.  It has the same form for all persons and number:

Pattern:

I / you / he, she, it / we / they “should” + V (inf.)

When you “should” do something, that means it is a good thing to do, or it is the right thing to do:

It’s cold out – you should put on a coat.  (It is a good thing for you to put on a coat.)
You should brush your teeth after every meal.  (It is a good thing for you to brush your teeth after every meal.)
You should help your neighbor if he is having trouble.  (Helping your neighbor is the right thing to do.)

To use the negative, put “not” between “should” and its verb:

Pattern:

I / you / he, she, it / we / they “should not” + V (inf.)

When you “should not” do something, that means it is not a good thing to do, or it is the wrong thing to do:

Tom should not work so hard.  (It is not a good thing for Tom to work so hard.)
You should not be rude.  (Being rude is not the right thing to do.)
Jane should not be late for class.  (Being late for class is not the right thing to do.)

Many times we give advice by saying, “I think you should…”:

I think you should go visit your mother.
I think Jack should get a haircut.
Matt thinks Susan should buy a new car.

For the negative form:  “I don’t think you should…”:

I don’t think you should give James a hard time.
I don’t think Jack and Jill should go up the hill.
Mr. Miller doesn’t think Peter should go into second grade yet.

If we want to ask someone for advice, we can say  “Do you think I should…?”:

Do you think I should go to Hawaii for vacation?
Do you think I should buy this necktie?
Do you think I should invite Sam to the party?

Note:  “should” is not the same as “have to”.

  • “Have to” means there is an obligation.
  • “Should” does not imply obligation.  It only means that it is a good idea.

Instead of saying “should,” you can also say “ought to”:

I think you ought to go visit your mother.
You ought to brush your teeth after every meal.
Do you think I ought to buy this necktie?

Exercises:  Complete the following sentences, using “you should” + and one of the following verbs:

Example:

If you are tired, _________ to bed.  (go) ==>  If you are tired, you should go to bed.

Use these verbs:

apologize
bring
clean
go
lock
put
turn off
watch
water
wear

1.    When you go swimming, ______________ swim goggles.
2.    If you are going to the party, ______________ a gift.
3.    When you plant some seeds, ______________ them.
4.    If you gain weight, ______________ on a diet.
5.    If you hurt someone, ______________ to them.
6.    That’s a very interesting TV program.  ______________ it.
7.    If you get your clothes dirty, ______________ them in the laundry.
8.    When you have finished, ______________ the lights.
9.    If you’re leaving the house, ______________ the door.
10.    If you make a mess, ______________ it up.

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Education Focus: Report Cards 2

Posted on 2012/04/09
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Look, Ma - Straight As again!Let’s continue our look at report cards, which we started last week.  Although students are given a letter grade based on the percentage earned from their assignments, tests, and quizzes, this letter grade is converted to a number for the purpose of calculating the GPA (grade point average).  With this conversion, an “A” has the value 4.0, while an “F” has a value of 0.0.  The full breakdown of values is as follows:

A+ (97%) – 4.0
A (93%) – 4.0
A– (90%) – 3.7 (3.67)
B+ (87%) – 3.3
B (83%) – 3.0
B– (80%) – 2.7 (2.67)
C+ (77%) – 2.3
C (73%) – 2.0
C– (70%) – 1.7 (1.67)
D+ (67%) – 1.33
D (63%) – 1.0
D– (60%) – 0.7 (0.67)
F – 0.0

With these values, then, it is easy to calculate a student’s GPA:  a student who had three As, two Bs, and one C would have a GPA of 3.3:

three As:    4.0 X 3
two Bs:    3.0 X 2
one C:        2.0 X 1
20 points for 6 classes = 20/6 ==> 3.3

One of the drawbacks of calculating the GPA in this way is that an “A” in a relatively easy class (such as typing) is no different than an “A” in a more difficult class (such as calculus or physics).  This means that some students would probably take classes that are easy, instead of classes that are more challenging, because they are trying to keep their GPA as high as possible.  A solution to this is the concept of “weighted grades.”  Weighted grades are used primarily at the high school level, but not all high schools use weighted grades.

Weighted grades take into account the level of difficulty of the particular subject.  Harder subjects in general, or honors classes in particular, are worth more in terms of their GPA value than easy subjects / non-honors classes.  So in a weighted-grade system, an “A” in calculus would have a GPA value of 5.0 (for example) instead of the normal 4.0.  With weighted grades, then, it is possible to have a GPA that is higher than 4.0 (which is the maximum GPA under a non-weighted-grade system). Weighted grades help to reward the risk to a student’s GPA in taking more challenging classes.

Report cards used to be completed by hand, and the teacher would pass them out at the end of the term.  The student would then be expected to take them home for the parents to look at (who had to sign them, indicating that they had seen the report card), and then bring them back to school.  Of course, there were many students who were afraid to bring home their report cards (or pretended to “lose” or “forget” their report cards) because they were ashamed of their grades!

Nowadays, report cards are addressed to the parents and mailed to the student’s home.  Not as many excuses for “lost” or “forgotten” report cards this way!  Many schools also let parents log in and check their student’s grades at any time during the school term, as well as check for missing assignments, etc.  If a parent has concerns about his student’s academic performance, he can also request a parent-teacher conference.

Next week we’ll wrap up this little series on report cards with a look at why GPAs are important to students.

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