Category Archives: Gramática

Comparative / Superlative Adjective and Adverb

Learn how to use them

Language of comparison and contrast

In Describe Image items, you are likely to be presented with a graph. In these cases, it is important that you show appropriate relationships by comparing and contrasting the information contained in the graphs. Let’s see how you can use language of comparison and contrast.

Comparative adjectives: Use these when comparing two nouns and can be formed as follows:

  • Adjectives with one syllable: add ‘-r/-er’ (e.g. higher, larger, bigger).
  • Adjectives with two syllables ending in ‘-y’: change the ‘y’ and add ‘-ier’ (e.g. happier, prettier).
  • Adjectives ending in ‘-ed’ or ‘-ing’ and most adjectives with two syllables: add ‘more’ before the adjective (e.g. more boring, more crowded, more common, more peaceful).
  • Adjectives with three or more syllables: use ‘more’ before the adjective (e.g. more attractive, more successful).
  • Include ‘than’ as part of your sentence (e.g. It is more expensive to live in a city than in a small town).

Superlative adjectives: Use these when describing a noun that is at the highest or lowest limit of a group. They can be formed as follows:

  • Adjectives with one syllable: add ‘-st/-est’ (e.g. highest, largest, biggest).
  • Adjectives with two syllables ending in ‘-y’: change the ‘y’ and add ‘-iest’ (e.g. happiest, prettiest).
  • Adjectives ending in ‘-ed’ or ‘-ing’ and most adjectives with two syllables: add ‘the most’ before the adjective (e.g. the most boring, the most crowded, the most common, the most peaceful).
  • Adjectives with three or more syllables: use ‘the most’ before the adjective (e.g. the most attractive, the most successful).
  • Remember to include ‘the’ before the adjective or most (e.g. This was the cheapest car I could find.).

Comparative/superlative adverbs: The rules above apply when the comparison requires the use of an adverb. Examples:

  • I usually speak more quickly than my friends.
  • The students often work harder towards the end of the semester.
  • You can contact me the easiest by text.
  • The team played the best they could, but they didn’t win the match.

as … as: Use this structure when the two nouns being compared are equal in some form. The adjective does not change. Examples:

  • Divorce rates are twice as high as they were last year.
  • This room is as big as the one next door.

This structure can also be used with adverbs to compare two actions:

  • We didn’t finish as quickly as we’d hoped.
  • The presenter spoke as enthusiastically as he possibly could.

Comparison and contrast language is especially useful for Describe Image tasks. Look at some example sentences from student responses to this item type:

  • The land allocated for the public park is significantly smaller than the land allocated for the school.
  • The roads are much busier during June than they are in December.
  • The most important export for this country is oil.

© Macquarie University

A, An, it The

Learn the rules and study the e examples.

Articles

Articles are words which go before nouns and their function is to show if a noun is either specific or general. Let’s study the different types of articles:

The Definite Article: ‘The’

‘The’ is the definite article and it is used to refer to a specific noun. It can be used with singular, plural, and uncountable nouns. Examples:

  • Please use the correct form to submit theapplication. (singular)
  • The final results will be released in November. (plural)
  • Fish breathe the oxygen in the water. (uncountable)

‘The’ can also be used in these cases:

  • When there is only one thing of something: e.g. The sun is very bright
  • When something has been mentioned before: e.g. I saw a mouse. The mouse was huge.
  • With the names of seas, oceans, rivers and countries with a plural noun: e.g. TheMississippi River is in the United States.
  • In noun + of + noun phrases: e.g. The south of France is beautiful.
  • In superlatives: e.g. The tallest building in the world is over 800 metres tall.

Do not use ‘the’ with the following:

  • Names of most cities, countries or continents: Sydney, India (not the Sydney, or the India)
  • Days of the weeks and months: On Monday, In March (not on the Monday, in the March)
  • Sports: I play soccer, (not I play the soccer)

Indefinite Articles: ‘A/An’

This type of article uses the forms ‘a’ or ‘an’ and it is used with singular countable nouns denoting a general idea. ‘A/an’ can be used:

  • The first time the noun is mentioned: e.g. I saw a mouse. The mouse was huge.
  • With jobs: e.g. He is an architect, She works as a teacher.

Consider the following when using indefinite articles:

  • Use ‘a’ if the word begins with a consonant (e.g. a house, a long movie). Exception: if the consonant is unpronounced, use ‘an’ instead (e.g. an honest person).
  • Use ‘an’ if the word starts with a vowel (e.g. an umbrella, an expensive car). Exception: if the vowel is pronounced with a consonant sound, use ‘a’ (e.g. a university, a useful tip).
  • Do not use ‘a’ or ‘an’ with uncountable nouns: e.g. I want a water. In these cases, use ‘some’ or include a countable noun: I want somewater. / I want a glass of water.

The Zero Article

As its name suggests, this is when an article is not used before a noun. This occurs when referring to nouns with a general or abstract meaning, and can be used with plural and uncountable nouns.

  • Elephants in Africa are under threat. (general: all elephants in Africa)
  • Oil and water don’t mix.

The zero article can be used when referring to:

  • Languages: I speak French (not the French)
  • Places, such as Wall Street, Macquarie University, JFK Airport, Bangkok, England.
  • Academic subjects: My favourite subject is biology (not the biology)
  • Meals: We need to have breakfast (not the breakfast

Modais

Os verbos modais têm diferentes possibilidades. Não são fáceis de serem usados, pois necessitamos ter um entendimento desta possibilidade.

Eles podem variar de acordo com o tempo verbal ou a ênfase que se quer dar.

Por exemplo: habilidade, obrigação, permissão, sugestão, conselho, previsão, promessa, pedido, possibilidade ou decisão.

Veja alguns exemplos na imagem e entenda melhor sobre eles.

Gerúndio ou Infinitivo?

Muitos alunos me perguntam como saber quando usar e ING ou TO na hora de escolher o tempo verbal mais apropriado . No entanto a regra é mais de memorizar do que de entender. 

Abaixo segue uma pequena lista com alguns verbos que pedem o gerúndio e outros que pedem o infinitivo.


Seguem alguns exemplos:
When two verbs are used together, the second verb is often in the gerund form (-ing) or the infinitive. There are no specific rules concerning which verbs take which form. Like irregular verbs, you will need to learn which form a verb takes.
Common Verbs + ‘ing’
go

enjoy

quit

discuss

mind

can’t stand

suggest
Examples:
They go jogging on Saturdays.

I don’t mind helping you.

They can’t stand driving in traffic jams.
Common Verbs + Infinitive
promise

plan

refuse

want

need

decide

hope
Examples:
I promised to help him.

Alice needs to start that task.

He decided to quit his job.

Expressões Idiomáticas com “Head”

img_0102-6Saber usar ou entender expressões idiomáticas em Inglês é importante e difícil.

Seguem algumas explicações e frases com exemplos interessantes.

The following idioms and expressions use the noun ‘head’. Each idiom or expression has a definition and two example sentences to help understanding of these common idiomatic expressions with ‘head’.

able to do something standing on one’s head -> do something very easily and without effort

He’s able to count backward standing on his head.
Don’t worry about that. I can do it standing on my head.

bang your head against a brick wall -> do something without any chance of it succeeding

I’ve been banging my head against a brick wall when it comes to finding a job.
Trying to convince Kevin is like banging your head against a brick wall.

beat something into someone’s head -> teach someone something by repeating it over and over again

Sometimes you just need to beat grammar into your head.
My father beat the importance of kindness into my head.

bite someone’s head off -> criticize someone strongly

Tim bit my head off last night at the party.
Don’t bit my head off just because I made a mistake.

bring something to a head -> cause a crisis to happen

We need to bring the situation to a head to get a resolution.
The immigration situation brought the political crisis to a head.

bury one’s head in the sand -> ignore something completely

You’re going to have to face the situation and not bury your head in the sand.
He chose to bury his head in the sand and not confront her.

can’t make heads or tails out of something -> not be able to understand something

I hate to admit that I can’t make heads or tails out of this math problem.
The politicians can’t make heads or tails out of the current employment crisis. 

drum something into someone’s head -> repeat over and over until someone learns something

I had to drum German grammar into my head for two years before I could speak the language.
I suggest you drum this into your head for the test next week.

fall head over heels in love -> fall deeply in love

She fell head over heals in love with Tom.
Have you ever fallen head over heels in love?

from head to toe -> dressed or covered in something completely

He’s dressed in blue from head to toe.
She’s wearing lace from head to toe. 

get a head start on something -> begin doing something early

Let’s get a head start on the report tomorrow.
She got a head start on her homework immediately after school.

get your head above water -> keep going in life despite many difficulties

If I can find a job I’ll be able to get my head above water.
Study these pages and you’ll get your head above water.

get someone or something out of one’s head -> remove someone or something from your thoughts (often used in the negative)

I’m really upset that I can’t get her out of my head.
She spent three years getting those experiences out of her head.

give someone a head’s start -> let someone else begin before you in  a competition of some kind

I’ll give you twenty minutes head’s start.
Can you give me a head’s start?

go over someone’s head -> not be able to understand something

I’m afraid the joke went over her head.
I’m afraid the situation goes over my head. 

go to someone’s head -> make someone feel better than others

His good grades went to his head.
Don’t let your success go to your head. Stay humble.

have a good head on your shoulders -> be intelligent

She’s got a good head on her shoulders.
You can trust him because he’s got a good head on his shoulders.

head someone or something off -> arrive before someone or something else

Let’s head them off at the pass.
We need to head the problem off.

hit the nail on the head -> be exactly right about something

I think you hit the nail on the head.
His answer hit the nail on the head.

in over one’s head -> do something that is too difficult for a person

I’m afraid Peter is in over his head with Mary.
Do you ever feel that your in over your head?

lose your head -> become nervous or angry

Don’t lose your head over the situation.
She lost her head when he told her he wanted a divorce.

Source: http://esl.about.com/od/idioms-intermediate/fl/Idioms-and-Expressions-with-Head.htm?utm_content=20160927&utm_medium=email&utm_source=exp_nl&utm_campaign=list_esl&utm_term=list_esl

Websites that help to learn English

There are lots of ready-made materials available for you from different websites.

Look at the materials below and choose one that you think would be good to use.

This is a song.

This is an audio series.

This is a game.

This is a short video to explain language.

This is a short video and lesson plan.