Here you will find all topics that may appear in the 1st cut exam and that you studied in class or on your own, besides there will be explanations and examples in case you have questions and/or doubts.
I hope you can find it useful and you do well in the exam.
TOPICS
Time
There are two common ways of telling the time.
1) Say the hour first and then the minutes. (Hour + Minutes)
- 6:25 - It's six twenty-five
- 8:05 - It's eight O-five (the O is said like the letter O)
- 9:11 - It's nine eleven
- 2:34 - It's two thirty-four
2) Say the minutes first and then the hour. (Minutes + PAST / TO + Hour)
For minutes 1-30 we use PAST after the minutes.
For minutes 31-59 we use TO after the minutes.
- 2:35 - It's twenty-five to three
- 11:20 - It's twenty past eleven
- 4:18 - It's eighteen past four
- 8:51 - It's nine to nine
- 2:59 - It's one to three
When it is 15 minutes past the hour we normally say: (a) quarter past
- 7:15 - It's (a) quarter past seven
When it is 15 minutes before the hour we normally say: a quarter to
- 12:45 - It's (a) quarter to one
When it is 30 minutes past the hour we normally say: half past
- 3:30 - It's half past three (but we can also say three-thirty)
O'clock
We use o'clock when there are NO minutes.
- 10:00 - It's ten o'clock
- 5:00 - It's five o'clock
- 1:00 - It's one o'clock
Sometimes it is written as 9 o'clock (the number + o'clock)
12:00
For 12:00 there are four expressions in English.
- twelve o'clock
- midday = noon
- midnight
Taken from: http://www.vocabulary.cl/Basic/Telling_Time.htm
Daily Activities at Home
What are some of the daily activities that you do at home?
I wake up at 7am every morning.
I press the snooze button five times every morning before I turn off the alarm and get up.
I have a cup of coffee and make breakfast. I usually read the newspaper while I have breakfast. My children like to have a shower after they have breakfast but I like to have a shower before I get dressed.
My wife brushes her long hair, and I have short hair so I comb my hair. How do you do your hair in the morning?
It is important to brush your teeth, and some women like to put make-up on.
After I have finished work, I go home to cook dinner. In my house I usually make dinner. The family eat dinner together at 7:30pm.
After dinner I make sure that my children do their homework, and then I chill out on the sofa and watch television.
On television I usually watch the News. My wife usually comes to tell me to take the rubbish out, or wash the dishes.
Our children feed the dog and the cat before they go to bed and I tell them to go to the bathroom too.
If I am sick I have to take my medication, but then I get into my pyjamas and set the alarm so I wake up in the morning.
The last things I do is lock the door, turn off the lights, and go to bed.
I press the snooze button five times every morning before I turn off the alarm and get up.
I have a cup of coffee and make breakfast. I usually read the newspaper while I have breakfast. My children like to have a shower after they have breakfast but I like to have a shower before I get dressed.
My wife brushes her long hair, and I have short hair so I comb my hair. How do you do your hair in the morning?
It is important to brush your teeth, and some women like to put make-up on.
After I have finished work, I go home to cook dinner. In my house I usually make dinner. The family eat dinner together at 7:30pm.
After dinner I make sure that my children do their homework, and then I chill out on the sofa and watch television.
On television I usually watch the News. My wife usually comes to tell me to take the rubbish out, or wash the dishes.
Our children feed the dog and the cat before they go to bed and I tell them to go to the bathroom too.
If I am sick I have to take my medication, but then I get into my pyjamas and set the alarm so I wake up in the morning.
The last things I do is lock the door, turn off the lights, and go to bed.
It doesn't take me long to fall asleep.
Daily Activities at Work
What are some daily activities that you do at work?
I go to work at 8.45am every morning.
I usually drive to work.
I always check my emails when I get to work, but I don't always reply to them immediately.
I take a taxi or a train if I have a lunch meeting. I never take the bus because it is too slow.
When I am at my desk I usually work on the computer, even during morning tea.
At 1pm most days I have lunch.
At 3pm we have afternoon tea, and that is when we usually talk and eat cake.
When you are in the office you probably have a lot of papers. It is important for you to file your papers, and so that you can find them again you need to organise your files.
When I work I have to make telephone calls. If an important issue happens I ask my secretary to organise a meeting.
Once a month I report to my boss, but maybe you have to report to your boss more often. I usually write a documentthat my boss can read.
I usually drive to work.
I always check my emails when I get to work, but I don't always reply to them immediately.
I take a taxi or a train if I have a lunch meeting. I never take the bus because it is too slow.
When I am at my desk I usually work on the computer, even during morning tea.
At 1pm most days I have lunch.
At 3pm we have afternoon tea, and that is when we usually talk and eat cake.
When you are in the office you probably have a lot of papers. It is important for you to file your papers, and so that you can find them again you need to organise your files.
When I work I have to make telephone calls. If an important issue happens I ask my secretary to organise a meeting.
Once a month I report to my boss, but maybe you have to report to your boss more often. I usually write a documentthat my boss can read.
Other Daily Activities
What are some other daily activities that you do?
I exercise at least three times a week.
I usually go to the gym before work, but sometimes I go after work.
I meditate every morning so that I feel less stressed during the day.
I exercise at least three times a week.
I usually go to the gym before work, but sometimes I go after work.
I meditate every morning so that I feel less stressed during the day.
Weekly Activities
What are some weekly activities that you do?
I go grocery shopping once a week at the local supermarket.
My family does the housework together every Saturday morning.
I usually do the washing on Sunday morning and when the machine is finished I hang the clothes out to dry.
On Sunday morning we go to church, and if there is lots of noise coming from next door, sometimes we fight with the neighbour.
On Saturday night my parents stay at home and I go out with friends.
Even my friends that live at home call their parents each week.
Every evening, I water the garden.
I usually pay someone to wash the car, but my partner says I should do it, so sometimes I argue with my partnerabout that.
If we are angry at the neighbour, we seek vengeance by annoying his dogs.
I work in an important office, so I have to shine my shoes each day.
Sometimes we hire a movie, because we don't like to illegally download music and films. I make sure that I synchronise my iPod so I always have new music on it.
To get our shopping, we go to the mall in the car.
Last week I forgot to recharge my travel card, and I had to argue with a bus driver. I couldn't call the office because I forgot to recharge my cellphone!
Prepositions of time (in/on/at/from... to)I go grocery shopping once a week at the local supermarket.
My family does the housework together every Saturday morning.
I usually do the washing on Sunday morning and when the machine is finished I hang the clothes out to dry.
On Sunday morning we go to church, and if there is lots of noise coming from next door, sometimes we fight with the neighbour.
On Saturday night my parents stay at home and I go out with friends.
Even my friends that live at home call their parents each week.
Every evening, I water the garden.
I usually pay someone to wash the car, but my partner says I should do it, so sometimes I argue with my partnerabout that.
If we are angry at the neighbour, we seek vengeance by annoying his dogs.
I work in an important office, so I have to shine my shoes each day.
Sometimes we hire a movie, because we don't like to illegally download music and films. I make sure that I synchronise my iPod so I always have new music on it.
To get our shopping, we go to the mall in the car.
Last week I forgot to recharge my travel card, and I had to argue with a bus driver. I couldn't call the office because I forgot to recharge my cellphone!
IN
|
We use in with months - in May
seasons - in winter country - in Greece city or town names - in New York times of the day - in the morning, afternoon or evening BUT at night! |
ON
|
We use "on" with specific days - on Friday, on New Year's Day, on April the 19th
American English - "on the weekend OR on weekends" |
AT
|
We use "at" with specific times - at 7 o'clock, at 6.15
at night specific places in a city - at school British English - "at the weekend OR at weekends" |
TO
|
We use "to" with verbs which show movement such as go and come - He goes to school.
She returned to the store. They are coming to the party tonight. |
from...to -- between two points of time“We waited for him from 2:30 to 3:30!”“It is very cold from October to March.”“Wendi works from Monday to Friday.”
Taken from: http://grammar.reverso.net/R_2_preposition_of_time.shtml
Collocations with "go"
Go + verb ing. E.g I go fishing every Saturday.
Go out + an activity outside. E.g I go out to eat.
Go for + physical activity. E.g. I go for a walk.
Go to + place/ location. E.g. I go to the gym at night.
Go with + people. E.g. I go with my sister.
Taken from: https://clickonenglish.blogspot.com/2016/05/collocations-with-go.html
Types of weekend people
A couch potato is a person who spends a lot of time watching television with little or no physical activity. They can do this either sitting or lying down on a couch (or sofa) or even sitting in an armchair. The idea is that they don’t move very much and a couch potato can sometimes be considered lazy or inactive. Instead of going outside or doing other active activities, they prefer spending long periods of time in front of the television.
This sedentary life-style is often accompanied by unhealthy snacks or junk food.
Taken from: https://www.woodwardenglish.com/couch-potato-english-idiom-meaning/
Wh-questions in present
WH Questions Structure
WH questions in the simple present use “do” or “be”. Take a look at the structure for each of these verbs.
Do
WH + DO/DOES + SUBJECT + VERB
Take a look at some examples:
- Where do you work?
- When does she wake up?
- Who is your brother?
Be
WH + BE + SUBJECT
Here are the examples:
- Where are you from?
- Who is that man?
- When is your class?
Dates in Written English
British English
In British English the day is usually put before the month. If you wish, you can add the ending of the ordinal number. The preposition of before the month is usually dropped. You can put a comma before the year, but this is not common anymore in British English. 
Example: 5(th) (of) October(,) 2004
American English
In American English the month is usually put before the day. If you wish, you can put the definite article before the day. It is common to write a comma before the year.
Example: October (the) 5(th), 2004
Using digits
You can also write the date by using numbers only. The most common forms are:
Example: 5/10/04 or 5-10-04
Note, however, that 5/10/04 usually means 5 October 2004 in British English and May 10, 2004 in American English. To avoid any possible confusion, you should spell out the month or use the abbreviation.
| Month | Abbreviation | Month | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Jan | July | - |
| February | Feb | August | Aug |
| March | Mar | September | Sept |
| April | Apr | October | Oct |
| May | - | November | Nov |
| June | - | December | Dec |
Holidays, celebrations and festivals + expressions
Expressions List of expressions for different special days
Verbs and expressions related to festivals
- To attend (an event): be present at (an event, meeting, or function). E.g. Every year hundreds of people attent Diwali festival.
- To perform:present (a form of entertainment) to an audience. E.g. In Notting Hill Carnival musicians perform traditional music from the Caribbean such as reggae and calypso.
- Annually: once a year; every year. E.g. Barranquilla's Carnival is held annually, in March.
- To take place:When something takes place, it happens, especially in a controlled or organized way. E.g. In 2018 Saint Patrick's day takes place on Saturday, March 17.
- To take photos: To photographically capture an image. E.g. In Tomorrowland take photos of all singers performing there, please.
Seasons
Types of festivals
List of types of festivals
Religious festivals
Many of the world’s biggest festivals have their basis in religion. A special occasion of feasting and celebration, feasts have long been used by religious followers to honour gods. Some of the most famous religious festivals include Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, Passover, Easter, Holi and Eid al-Adha, which all serve to mark out the year.
Among these, the Holi Festival in India is definitely the most colourful. Also known as the Colour Throwing Festival, it takes place in March every year. It is observed by Hindus and Sikhs, with bonfires being lit and coloured powder and water being thrown at one another for a truly unforgettable sight.
Carnivals
This type of festival may have its roots in religion, but today it’s less about celebrating religious figures and more about partying hard. Traditionally, the carnival season is celebrated around the world just before Lent, with the main events usually taking place during February. Lent is a period where religious followers have to fast or give up luxuries for 40 days, so carnival is a last chance to indulge in all of the food, drink and partying that they are about to give up.
Carnival celebrations take place in the streets, with parades full of people, typically with lots of colourful floats on display, carried down city streets. There are costumes, masks, confetti, balloons and, above all, music.
If you want to check out some of the biggest and best street carnivals in the world, head to the world famous Rio Carnival in Brazil, the Mardi Gras celebrations in Mexico or New Orleans in Louisiana, and the Notting Hill Carnival in London, which celebrates Caribbean culture in particular.
Arts festivals
Besides religious festivals, you’ll also find major celebrations of culture around the world. Every aspect of the arts now has its own important festival somewhere. Film has the Cannes Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival. For comedy, there’s the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in Australia, and the Just for Laughs International Comedy Festival in Montreal, Canada. If you love music, then you’re spoiled for choice, with the renowned Glastonbury in the UK, to Burning Man in the Nevada Desert and Primavera in beautiful Barcelona.
And if you’re looking to sample the best in film, comedy, music, theatre, dance and more, then you can’t miss the most famous arts celebration on the planet – the Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland, which has been attracting visitors from all over the globe for almost 70 years.
Changing seasons
It’s no coincidence that some of the oldest festivals on earth coincide with certain seasons. Countries worldwide have lots of festivals that spring into life in the winter – and who can blame our ancestors for wanting to celebrate during the coldest, darkest days of the year. We all need something to cheer ourselves up and get us through the bleak winter days.
Winter – Saturnalia
The ancient Romans celebrated Saturnalia in honour of the deity Saturn – and they sure knew how to party, with festivities kicking off on 17th December, lasting right through to the 23rd of December. The celebrations started with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn – thankfully festivals these days tend to steer clear of anything this gruesome. Afterwards it was a delicious public banquet, and then mayhem. A real carnival atmosphere gave way, gifts were given, strict Roman social norms were overturned. That meant that gambling was permitted, and masters provided table service for their slaves. In fact, the poet Catullus called it “the best of days.”
Other festivals that help to liven up the cold winter months include New Year, or Hogmanay as it’s called in Scotland, as well as Halloween and the Day of the Dead in Mexico.
Spring – traditionally we also love to celebrate the start of this season. Spring festivals like the Gaelic Beltane festival and May Day celebrations date back centuries. When new flowers come into bloom, lambs are being born in the fields, days grow longer and the temperature grows warmer, we want to celebrate. Festivals around this time typically focus on new life and hope for the future, with dancing, singing and fruits and vegetables that have just come into season.
Food and agriculture
A party really isn’t much of a party without food and drink and people have been celebrating with delicious grub for centuries. Closely tied to the seasons, many food-based festivals traditionally take place at harvest time, when farmers reap their crops and there is plenty of food to share. Here are some famous food and drink festivals for you to try:
Oktoberfest – Germany’s most famous festival – and one that’s now been exported all over the world, is a celebration of one of mankind’s best-loved drinks – beer. Every September for 16 days you’ll find the streets of Munich lined with beer tents and tables, serving up endless glasses of beer, and traditional German foods like sausages, potato pancakes and roast pork. You might need to queue for the beer though, as around 6 million people visit this festival each year.
La Tomatina of Bunol – if you love tomatoes, then this is the festival for you. A celebration with a difference, La Tomatina is the world’s biggest food fight. Every year since 1944, people have been gathering in the streets of Bunol in Valencia, Spain, to throw ripe tomatoes at each other – just don’t wear white!
Weekend activities
Taken from:http://www.vocabulary.cl/Lists/Free_Time_Activities.htm
Verbs and expressions related to weekend activities:
- Relax: to (cause someone to) become less active and more calm and happy. E.g. On Sundays I relax by watching TV and sleeping.
- Day off: a day when you do not work or study. E.g. Tomorrow is my day off from work, therefore I can rest!
- Early: happening near the beginning of a particular period. E.g. On weekdays I wake up early, at 5:00 am.
- Late: towards the end of a period. E.g. Usually I go to sleep late, at midnight (12:00 pm).
- Spend (time with family, friends, etc.): To dedicate time to an activity. E.g. On Sundays I spend time with my wife, we go out to eat or we go to the cinema.
- Sleep in: to continue sleeping after the time that you usually wake up. E.g. The whole family sleeps in on Sundays.
Questions with how long/when and prepositions of time: in/on/at/from...to/until/ for/after
Taken from:https://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-2/exercise-english-24600.php
How long? is used to ask questions about amounts or periods of time. Take a look at the following:
- 'How long have you been waiting?' 'Only for a minute or two.'
- 'How long have they been married?' 'Oh, for a very long time. More than 25 years.'
- 'How long will the concert last?' 'It should be over by ten o’ clock, I think.'
- 'How long was your stay in Malaysia?' 'The project lasted for two years, but I was there for two and a half years.'
- 'How long have you been living in this house?' 'For 12 years now, ever since my mother died.'
- 'How much longer can you stay?' 'Not much longer. For another ten minutes perhaps. I have to be home before midnight.
Taken from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv89.shtml
until -- up to a certain time“You have until 5:00 to do that work.”“I can wait until you decide.”“Until he arrives, we can't begin.”
- after -- taking place at a later time“After you talk to him, come and see me.”“I cleaned up the room after everyone left.”“Friday comes after Thursday.”
- for -- lasting a period of time“Philip spoke to us for three hours.”“The valley was flooded for ten days.”“I plan to live in Chicago for the rest of my life.”
Also remember specific language functions such as writing about daily routine, writing about a festival, expressions for festivals, writing about what you do on weekends.
Don't forget neither the autonomous individual work on the pages 85, 82, 79, 75, 74, 72, 71.
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