QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

lunes, 19 de enero de 2015

DESCRIBING PEOPLE: EXAMPLES



http://www.ielts-mentor.com/cue-card-sample/218-ielts-cue-card-sample-1-describe-someone-in-your-family

Describe someone in your family who you really admire

You should say:
  • What relation this person is to you?
  • What are your first memories of this person?
  • How often you see this person?
and explain why do you admire this person

IELTS Cue card - describe someone in your family
Possible Answer:
I've got a small family with only 5 members and all of us are very close to each other and we love each other very much. Among them I love my mother more than anyone else in the whole world. I adore my mother for her caring, loving, adorable behaviors and wit. She is the person I can share everything with and that's the reason I worship her so much.
Possibly she was the first human I saw when I opened my eyes in this world. A relationship with a mother is divine and all of my childhood memories are either related to my mom or my school. I can still remember a day I was late to come back home after school and that's because there was a ceremony at the school I did not know about. All of a certain I found that my mother was entering through the school-gate to find me. I was so frightened that my mother would rebuke me for being late unnoticed and she must be mad at me. But to my best surprise, when my mother saw me  she had a warm smile in her face that I'll never forget till my last breath in this earth. Then she hugged me and gave me a kiss. I felt then that I love my mother more than me. She attended the program at the school and afterward we came back home together.
I spent my 19 years or so with my father and mother but I stay at a metropolitan city now for my education. Whenever I get vacation I meet my mother at my village home. On an average I spend 2/3 months with my mother each year but I talk to her over phone almost twice a day.
The reasons why I admire her are endless. She is caring, tender, she has got a big heart and she possesses love for everyone. She had been an ideal mother to raise 3 kids and making sure our education and moral values. She had made a lot of sacrifices all of her life and had never complained about anything to my best knowledge. She is the person who reminds me the power of love and caring.
Alternative Answer:
I have got 6 family members and all of them are very dear and close to me. If I need to pick one family member among them to talk about, that would be my father. My father’s name is (say your father’s name) and he is around 50 years old. He is the kind of person I would want my offspring to be. He did his graduation in a time when formal education was not people’s first choice. They would rather start earning from work rather than going to school. My father fought to ensure his education with the people who thought working or doing some sort of business has more value than education. But my father believed that education is the most important part of a man’s life. He heartily held the idea that education shapes a man’s life and is the kind of power and asset that would always accompany him.

I have lots of memories of my father and I see him every day. There exists a strong bonding between us that only two of us feel. I still remember those days of my childhood when I used to wait in the evening for my father to return from office. He would then play with me and help on completing my lessons. I vividly remember him sometimes taking me to the market and buy me gifts. When I was an infant he moved to the city from the village to ensure me better schooling and environment. That was a decision that has changed my life path. He himself helped me finishing my home works and lessons, always allured me of gifts if I could complete my study. Besides my education he taught me lots of moral values and important things of life.

 After retirement he has picked 2 new habits: gardening and teaching neighbors’ kids. He is a quiet and intelligent man who has benevolent heart and that what make him so admirable to me. He is still the pillar of our family and all of our family members love and respect him very much.        

Tips for answering this Cue Card Sample:

You already know a lot about your family members and this cue card should be an easy one to answer. Just focus on the questions mentioned bellow the Cue card topic. Following questions may come for this cue card and note the quick answers of these questions:

1. Who is he/she? : My mother / My father/ My bother/ My sister etc.
2. Your relationship to this family member:  She is my mother/ he is my father etc.
3. What you do together:  We walk out together/ cook together/ study together/ talk a lot about family issues etc.
4. What is s/he like:  He/ She is kind, talented, energetic, works a lot, dedicated, caring, possess a great personality, open minded etc. 
5. How long do you know him /her: From my childhood/ all of my life/ for more than 20 years etc.
6. How often do you see him/her: Everyday/ once in a month/ most of the time I stay at home/ in every three months etc.
7. Why do you like him/ her or why do you admire him/ her?: S/he loves me a lot, very close to me, very caring, have a good heart, talented, helpful, my best mentor etc.
While talking about what is s/he like or what qualities he /she has or even why do you like/ admire him/her you can use some of the following points:
 
  • For father: He is honest, brave, had a good heart, talented, leads an ideal life. has sacrificed a lot to up-bring us, is an exemplary person, everybody respects him, is the best person I have ever seen, Loves me very much, hardworking, punctual, talented etc.
  • For mother: She is so caring, loving, hardworking and possesses a good heart, had done a lot to up-bring us, very close to me, very understanding, one of my best friends, knows a lot of things and has so many practical skills etc.
  • For brother: He is so brave, talented, well mannered, knows a lot about different things, had always been supportive to you, loved by others, cooperative and have lots of memories together, like a mentor to me, is my best buddy, taught me almost everything he knows, always protects me etc.
     
  • For sister: She is caring, a good friend, loving, a good mentor, helps you on study or on other tasks, supportive, a very good friends, talented and well-mannered.

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http://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2010/11/ielts-speaking-part-2-describe-a-person.html

Describe a person you admire.
You should say:
  • who the person is
  • what he or she is like
  • and why you admire him or her.
Here are some ideas. I've underlined the best vocabulary.
  • I'm going to talk about my father because he has been a major influence in my life.
  • My father was always a good role model for me as I was growing up. He's hard-working, patient and understanding; he's also got a goodsense of humour and seems to get on well with everybody. Hopefully I've inherited some of these traits.
  • I admire my father because I think he brought me and my brothers/sisters up well; he was quite strict but always fair, and he has always been someone I can turn to for advice. I think my father set a good example by working hard and having a positive outlook on life. I remember that he used to leave for work early and come home quite late, but he always made time for me and my brothers/sisters.






REPHRASING MODAL VERBS

(This exercise comes from http://www.xtec.cat/~ogodoy/sac/rephrasing/modalsex3.htm
You can check your aswers on that website.)

Re-write the sentences so that they have the same meaning as the original.


1Let's go to Diagonal Mar!

2Perhaps they told John about the party, but I'm not sure.

3It isn't necessary for us to book a table; I know one of the waiters.

4It's forbbiden to drive without fastening your seatbelt.

5It's impossible that they knew about the trip; nobody told them.

6If I were you I'd do some more exercises.

7Perhaps I go on holiday to Menorca.

8It was a mistake to take the car. If only I hadn't!

9I'm sure something is happening tonight. Look at those preparations!

10It's compulsory for all students to attend lessons.


1It's possible that they move to Australia.

2I'm sure Helen knows about the accident. She looks very unhappy.

3Perhaps he hired a vannette.

4You are not allowed to use the phone without permission.

5If I were you I wouldn't trust John.

6I'm sure she didn't take the key.

7Perhaps I start a new career.

8It was not necessary for you to tell Jan what really happened.

9I regret selling the house.

10It's compulsory for all visitors to show their ID card.



Personality adjectives



CLICK TO LEARN ADJECTIVES AND DEFINITIONS:
Personality adjectives

jueves, 8 de enero de 2015

MATCHMAKERS

What if you couldn't choose your boyfriend or girlfriend? Some years ago young people couldn't. Matchmakers did! They were always warm accepted in houses. Mostly women were occupied with matchmaking. Their main aim was to find a good match to brides and to bridegrooms. Their services were generously paid, especially when both parts agreed such kind of marriage. In many cases parents decided on behalf of their children to make them engage. Often engagement was organized between under-age-children. Such ceremony was formal and was considered as a kind of verbal declaration of such intentions. Everything was organized by parents with the help of matchmakers.

We're going to pretend we are matchmakers and we have to convince parents how good the boys and girls from our class are. In pairs, student A is the matchmaker and student B is the bride or bridegroom. The aim of the matchmaker is to find as many positive things as possible of student B and tell the class in order to to try to arrange a marriage.



GIRL IN TROUBLE WITH HER MATCHMAKER

Matchmaker:
(Name of girl)
Girl:
Present!
Matchmaker:
Speaking without permission ...
Girl:
Oops ... [They go inside]
Granny:
[to the girl's mother] Who spit in her bean curd?
Matchmaker:
Too skinny ... not good for bearing sons.

Matchmaker:
Recite the Final Admonition.
Girl:
Mmm-hmm-hmm ... 
Matchmaker:
Well?
Girl:
Fulfill your duties, calmly and ... respectively. Um, reflect before you ... snack. Act! This shall bring you honor and glory. 
Matchmaker:
This way. Now, pour the tea. To please your future in-laws, you must demonstrate a sense of dignity. 
Girl:
Um, pardon me ...
Matchmaker:
And silent! [sniffs the tea] Ah ...

Girl:
Could I just take that back? One moment ...
The Matchmaker fights for the teacup, and they both fall back, the tea spilling all over the Matchmaker. 
Matchmaker:
Why, you clumsy! ... Oh! Ah! Woo! [She trips over the fire-pot, spilling the coals and then sitting on them, the bottom of her dress smoking. The matchmaker runs around screaming.]
Outside
Granny:
[To the girl's mother ] I think it's going well, don't you?
The matchmaker runs outside, screaming.
Matchmaker:
Put it out! Put it out! PUT IT OUT! [The girl throws tea over her, putting out the fire. Embarrassed, she hands the teapot to the Matchmaker and quickly walks toward her mother and grandmother]
Matchmaker:
[furious] You are a DISGRACE! You may look like a bride, but you will NEVER bring your family honor!














 In this scene of Fiddle on the roof (1971), you can see some girls worried about who their matchmaker is finding for them. They are all sisters from a poor family.

(Vocabulary: well-off, groom, slender, pale, I'm longing to be...  envy, scholar, holler, rabbi, have a temper, beat, sober, dowry.)