Alberto´s Blog Exercises- Part 1 and Part 2

Blog´s exercises part 1

154. TENSES. Put the verb in brackets into their appropriate form:

1. She went to the optician and (her eyes / tested) had her eyes tested.

2. These shoes need (clean) to be cleaned, because they are rather dirty.

3. I won't know the answer until I (see) see him.

4. She (play) has been playing volleyball for two hours.

5. When he was younger he (play) used to play football, but now he doesn't play anymore.

6. When I (get) got home, smoke (come) was coming out of one of the upstairs windows.

7. My grandfather can remember (go) going to the cinema with my grandmother.

8. Would you like (come) to come to a party on Saturday evening?

9. I'm looking forward (meet) to meeting you again next summer.

10. I (not take) am not going to take that bus because I have a meeting in Granada at 14.00 and I'm afraid I (not arrive) won´t arrive in time if I take that one.

155. Put the following sentences into the PASSIVE VOICE:

1. They are cleaning your house at the moment.

Your house is being cleaned at the moment.

2. We call Lieutenant Columbus only on special occasions.

Lieutenant Columbus is called by us only on special moments.

3. Someone stole all the jewels last night.

All the jewels were stolen last night.

4. Nobody will serve refreshments until the match is over.

Refreshments won´t be served until the match is over.

5. People think they make these artificial flowers of silk.

It is thought that these artificial flowers are made of silk /// These flowers are thought to be made of silk.

156. Put the following sentences into INDIRECT SPEECH:

1. "Bring me the newspaper, please", the father to the son.

The father asked his son politely to bring him the newspaper.

2. "Who put salt in my coffee?", he asked.

He asked who had put salt in his coffee.

3. "I'm going fishing with my mother this afternoon", said the small boy.

The small boy said that he was going fishing with his mother that afternoon.

4. "What was she wearing when you saw her last?”, the policeman asked me.

The policeman asked me what she was wearing when I last saw her.

5. "I'll sit up till she comes in, but I hope she won't be late", said Mrs Pitt.

Mrs Pitt said that she would sit up until she came in, but Mrs Pitt hoped that she wouldn’t be late.

157. Give a piece of advice to each problem:

1. I find it really difficult to get up in the mornings.

You should go to bed earlier /// How about having some hot milk before you go to bed? /// You shouldn´t stay up so late in the night.

2. My car is not going very well lately.

You should take it to the garage so that you can have it repaired /// Why don´t you buy a new one?

Blog´s exercises part 2

158. COMPARATIVES. Fill in the gaps with the comparatives of superiority and the superlatives of the adjectives you are given in brackets:

1. For (far) further information on the passive you should revise the grammar revision.

2. Mick Malone's (old) elder brother came from Ireland to visit him. 

3. This is (bad) the worst football match I've ever watched.

Translate the following sentences into English:

4. Ella no llegó tan tarde como de costumbre.

She didn´t arrive as late as usual. 

5. Cuanto más estudio, menos problemas tengo con el inglés.

The more I study, the less problems I have with English.

6. Los exámenes se van complicando cada vez más.

Exams are getting more and more complicated.

159. Insert the second sentences into the first ones by means of RELATIVE CLAUSES:

1. That is the boy. I borrowed his motorbike last Saturday.

That is the boy whose motorbike I borrowed last Saturday.

2. Southampton is a busy sea port. It is on the south coast of England.

Southampton, which is on the south coast of England, is a busy sea port.

3. Jimmy Connors was once married to Chris Evert. He was a very famous American tennis player.

Jimmy Connors, who was a very famous American tennis player, was once married to Chris Evert.

4. Apollo XI was the spaceship. It took Armstrong and Aldrin to the moon.

Apollo XI was the spaceship that took Armstrong and Aldrin to the moon.

5. Last year I had to read the book. You are looking at it now.

Last year I had to read the book that you are looking at now.

160. CONDITIONALS. Put the verbs in brackets into their correct tense and fill in the gaps (...) with these words: IF / WHEN / PROVIDED THAT / UNLESS / AS LONG AS.

1. I am going to Rome next week. When I (BE) am there, I (SEE) will see the Coliseum.

2. Unless we (GO) go now, we (MISS) will miss the train.

3. I (HELP) will help you as long as I (FINISH) finish first.

4. If she had  (HAVE) a ticket, she (GO) would go to the concert.

5. Albert sr.(PLAY) would play with you tomorrow morning provided that Albert jr. (NOT EAT) didn´t eat every three hours.

Composition 09- A report

Composition 09

The purpose of this report is to look at two different forms of spending our free time as teenagers. This report will compare reading with playing video games.

To begin with, video games have become one of the favourite activities among teenagers. A disadvantage is that you spend a lot of time in the house and you don´t socialize. What´s more, they can be very addictive and, in some cases, they can affect our behavior. However, an advantage is that they teach how to work as a team, they improve our attention, concentration and the ability to solve problems.

On the contrary, reading is a great way for teenagers to spend their free time. In fact, there is plenty of evidence that reading improves our mental and physical health, our concentration and our ability to think clearly. In addition, reading also allows people to relax and reduce stress levels. Although reading has its benefits, we should not spend a  lot of time reading during the day because it can affect our eyes and, as a result, we can get headaches.

All in all, we have seen that reading has a lot more positive effects than gaming. I would absolutely recommend reading because it helps to improve our life style and our knowledge.

5th Quality comment- UBI - Universal Basic Income is demanded!

UBI - Universal Basic Income is demanded!

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, apart from the human loss, a massive negative effect on the worldwide economy is expected. Factories, schools, and lots of businesses have shut down. Recently, a few politicians and even Pope Francis agreed that the UBI (universal basic income) could be the solution against the economic collapse caused by the coronavirus lockdown. But, what is the UBI?

Universal basic income, or UBI, means that everyone gets a set monthly income, without having to work for it. The idea of a state-run basic income is not new. It dates back to the early 16th century when Sir Thomas More's Utopia described a society in which every person receives a guaranteed income. Currently, there are several countries where UBI projects have already been launched, but it has not provided positive results in all of them.

Finland, for example, has become the first country of the EU to start paying jobless people a certain amount of money, but, unfortunately, that did not lead them to find work afterwards. In Western Kenya, adults are being given $22 a month for 12 years, until 2028. In Italy, the government is working on introducing a ¨citizens´income¨. In Spain, a "minimum vital income" will be approved in May and be sent to nearly 100,000 vulnerable single-parent households. However, we should know that a "minimum vital income" is not the same as a universal basic income, which is granted without any conditions to every citizen.

One of the benefits of introducing the UBI is that it can raise people´s living standards because it is aimed at eradicating poverty. What´s more, workers could afford to wait for a better job or better wages.

To sum up, I strongly believe that a Universal Basic Income is needed more than ever! The introduction of an emergency Universal Basic Income could provide some financial security for people and it would help reduce the effects of the expected economical crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.