Past continuous...or progressive!

As I said this morning, I'm posting something about the Past Continuous/Progressive.
It's a very easy tense! First, here's a mind map for you...

Then... when we have to use it!

As always, I'm also posting a video and for Federico's happiness.... here's Alex again!

Try to find some examples of PAst Continuous in the following song:

Don't forget that there are a lot of videos and images in the internet that can help you.. .

First conditional songs

This morning I was listening to the radio when I realized that the song I was listening to had the first conditional in it and that you might have liked it (vi sarebbe potuta piacere)! I really love it!

Actually, there are lots of songs with Conditional! Here  some examples of 2nd Conditional:

IF + PAST SIMPLE, WOULD + BASE FORM

Why don't you try and find other songs with Conditionals?

Conditional clauses

As yesterday we talked about the contional clauses, I thought to post something about it. I hope it will be useful!

Let's start with the ZERO CONDITIONAL: it is used to talk about facts, habits or actions that always have the same outcome (risultato). This include scientific facts and general statements (affermazioni).

If you heat water to 100 °C , it boils.

If it doesn't rain, the road doesn't get wet!

As you can notice, the tense (tempo verbale) in both parts of the sentence is the Simple Present.

And now the FIRST CONDITIONAL, that's the one we took a look at in our last class! 

We use it to talk about possible situations and their consequences in the future...

You can also take a look at the following videos!

Homework... again

Write a letter to one of your friends or relatives about your last school trip.
Here a list of questions you can use to write it.

• When did you leave?
• Who did you leave with?
• How did you get there?
• How was the trip?
• Where did you go?
• Where did you stay? 
• What did you do on the first day?
• What about the second one?
• What did you like the most?
• What did you like the least?

Remember:

• your address
• the salutation
• use the connectors I gave you today
• use the sentences I gave you to introduce the topic and to end the letter!

P.S. (For those who didn't go to Liguria.... just make it up /inventare! ) 

Homework: Letter

On a recent visit to London, you stayed with an English friend. Write your friend a letter thanking him/her for his/her hospitality. Comment on:

• how comfortable the accomodation was
• how his/her hospitality made your stay convenient
• an example of your friend's kindness
• something that impressed you during your stay

End the letter by inviting your friend to come and stay with you.

Will or Going To?

A very confusing concept is when to use WILL and when to use BE GOING TO when we refer to the future!
There is a slight (lieve) difference between the two though (sebbene) in most cases they can be used interchangeably with no difference in meaning. Even if (anche se) you misuse (usare in modo sbagliato), a native speaker is going to understand you without any problems.

Here are two charts (tabelle) you can use to understand their differences:

Here a mind map with all the future tenses:

A very easy to understand video:

... and since I know how much you like songs:

❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

And last but not least.... here's a list of  verbs followed by infinitive or gerund:

Comunicazione di servizio per la gita:

Ragazzi per favore oltre alle eventuali intolleranze mi fate scrivere due righe sul libretto delle comunicazioni dai vostri genitori se vi autorizzano o meno a ritornare da soli al rientro venerdì (si rientrerà verso le 21!). Per favore avvisate tutti gli altri che non riescono a leggere il blog!