Saludos a mis seguidores y amigos

Hola a todas y a todos, como sin duda habréis notado, tras la finalización de mi programa de ayuda para las oposiciones no he vuelto a poner nada en mi blog. Quiero explicaros por qué. No es que haya renunciado a seguir en contacto con todos vosotros, seguidores y amigos. Es porque he abierto un compás de espera hasta que me digáis cómo ha ido la cosa.Sé cómo os debéis sentir en estos momentos, porque yo también me he visto en situaciones semejantes, con más o menos fortuna. En estos momentos toda vuestra atención se centra en conocer los resultados,...

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Preparing for the 'oposiciones': We'll Meet Again (Vera Lynn)

Comparto hoy con vosotros We'll Meet Again, cantada por Vera Lynn, que hoy debe de tener cerca de cien años. Ésta fue la canción por excelencia de las tropas aliadas en la 2ª Guerra Mundial, pero podría perfectamente aplicarse a cualquier otra guerra, pues es un homenaje a los héroes que van al frente a combatir por su patria y un deseo de que vuelvan sanos y salvos. A mí me encanta la música y la letra de esta canción y viene a mi memoria cuando me despido de algún buen amigo o amiga que se va fuera de España y que no sé si volveré a ver en...

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Preparing for the 'oposiciones': key word transformation (advanced level)

Here's the final test, 'the acid test'. If you do this sentence transformation exercise correctly, it will mean that you are ready for the great day: 1.- He decided that he'd ask to be transferred to another department. (put) 1.- He decided .............. a request for a transfer to another department. 2.- He thought it unfair that his team resented him for not scoring a goal. (hold)  2.- He thought it unfair that his team should ............for not scoring a goal. 3.- Being rude is inexcusable. (excuse) 3.- ..........................rude. 4.-...

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word study: bang

Realizamos hoy un estudio semántico de la palabra bang, tomando como base la entrada en el Diccionario Pedagógico Bilingüe online (en construcción): bang /b{N/ 1 n [C] (a) portazo: shut the door with a bang cerrar la puerta dando/de un portazo. (b) estallido, estrépito (ruido fuerte). (c) golpe/porrazo (en una parte del cuerpo): a bang on the head un golpe en la cabeza. (d) (en pl) bangs (IAm) flequillo (IBr fringe). || get a bang out of sth (IAm) (col) disfrutar con algo; go (off) with a bang (IBr)/ go over with a bang (IAm) ser todo un éxito;...

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word study: account

Con objeto de tocar el máximo posible de puntos que pueden entrar en el 'práctico' de las oposiciones, hoy y mañana os invito a realizar con mi ayuda un análisis semántico de un par de palabras: account y bang. Para este 'word study', tomo como base las entradas correspondientes a estas palabras en el Diccionario Pedagógico Bilingüe online (en construcción). Primero os doy la entrada en cuestión y, a continuación, os hago sugerencias de cómo llevar a cabo este análisis, bien entendido que ése no es el único análisis posible y que...

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Preparing for the 'oposiciones': word formation exercise

Fill in the gaps with a word derived from the one given in brackets: 1. It isn't very ........ that Paula is at home, is it? She usually works at this time. (like) 2. Megan was told by her dietician that she was becoming ........ thin and should eat more. (danger) 3. ........ is the spice of life, says the proverb and everyone should try and do new things and meet new people to avoid becoming bored. (vary) 4. Harry had a difficult ..... and was brought up by an aunt and uncle living in the...

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Paréntesis de humor: Chiste de Sir Francis

Sir Francis me encarga que os desee a los opositores mucha suerte de su parte y que os cuente uno de sus chistes para que conservéis en todo momento vuestro sentido del humor: Una madre está bañando juntos en la bañera, a su hijita y a su hijito (Jaimito). La niña, señalando el 'willie' del hermano, dice: «Mum, I want one of those» («mami, quiero uno de ésos») «If you're good, when you grow up, you'll have one», («si eres buena, cuando seas mayor tendrás uno») le contesta la madre, y Little Johnny Jones agrega: «and if...

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Preparing for the 'oposiciones': phrasal verbs exercise: come/go.

Fill in the gaps with a come or go phrasal verb: 1.- He knocked himself out as he fell and it took him ten minutes ......... 2.- He took the meat out of the fridge and pulled a face. It had obviously .......... 3.- The gymnast tried a triple somersault, but it didn't ........ 4.- When the bomb ...... all the windows were shattered. 5.- Father promised to buy me a bike, but he's ............ his word. 6.- What it all ......... is that you don't care about anybody but you. KEY 1.- to come round (IBr)/around (IAm)/to; 2.- gone off; 3.- come off;...

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Preparing for the 'oposiciones': phrasal verbs exercise: bring/break.

Fill in the blanks with a bring or break phrasal verb: 1.- She's ............... spots. I think it must be chickenpox. 2.- Last night's heavy gales........several large trees. 3.- The fall of the government was ........by a scandal involving a cabinet minister. 4.- Have you got any change? I don't want ....... a twenty-pound note. 5.- These are the statistics of Liverpool population ..............by age and sex. 6.- It's best not to ...........that subject while his mother is here. KEY 1.- broken out in; 2.- brought down; 3.- brought about;...

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Preparing for the 'oposiciones': familiar Spanish idioms (2nd part)

Today, some more Spanish idioms of a familiar style, difficult to translate into English. Dare you translate them?: 1.- Andando/arreando/marchando, etc. que es gerundio! 2.- Arrieros/arrieritos somos (y en el camino nos encontraremos). 3.- Aguantar carros y carretas/carretas y carretones (regional) 4.- Como Pedro por su casa. 5.- Estar con algo como Mateo con la guitarra/estar como niño con zapatos nuevos. 6.- Como el gallo de Morón, sin plumas y cacareando. SUGGESTED ANSWERS 1.- Get a move on!; come on, chop-chop! 2.- I'll get back at you...

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Preparing for the 'oposiciones': familiar Spanish idioms (1st part)

Now, for the 'home stretch', we'll pay special attention to idioms, phrasal verbs and grammar transformation. To begin with, here are some Spanish idioms of a very colloquial or familiar character, which are not always easy to find in general dictionaries. Dare you find some English equivalents?: 1.- A quien Dios se la dé, San Pedro se la bendiga. 2.- A la vejez, viruelas. 3.- Darle un baño a alguien/mojarle la oreja. 4.- Ahumársele a alguien el pescado. 5.- A toro pasado. 6.- Tocarle a alguien bailar con la más fea. SUGGESTED ANSWERS 1.- Each...

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A touch of humour: Little Johnny Jones joke.

In the English literature class, the teacher asks this question: "What was the name of Shakespeare's wife?" No pupil seems to know the answer. Suddenly, Little Johnny Jones puts up his hand and says: "I know, Sir: It was Mrs Shakespeare." Note: Shakespeare' wife's name was Anne Hathaway. Adapted from Grammar and Humour, Learn English with a Smile, by José Merino, Anglo-Didáctica, p. 1...

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Preparing for the 'oposiciones': inversion of subject (exercise)

Let's review the cases of 'inversion of subject' inversion-del-sujeto and do a new exercise: Rewrite the following sentences using subject inversion: 1.- The doctor had no sooner arrived than she began to feel better. 2.- You had hardly left the party when your boyfriend came in with Laura . 3.- The chairman had scarcely finished his report when the secretary raised his first objection. 4.- The defence counsel pleaded in vain for clemency. 5.- London seldom suffers from fog, in spite of what foreigners think. 6.- Children should not...

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preparing for the 'oposiciones': pronunciation of i/y, ir/yr

Pronunciación de las grafías i/y Nota: Nos referimos a la y vocálica; la y consonántica se pronuncia siempre /j/: year /jI@/, yield  /ji:ld/, etc. GRAFÍAS i/y /aI/ : Bible, file, strife, blind, sign, sigh, dry, type, island, spider, etc. /I/ : big, ill, mill, trip, lift, give, sin, grist, oxygen, rhythm, etc. /i/ : any, easy, happy, body, pretty, taxi, etc. /i:/: magazine, submarine, antique, intrigue, machine, etc. /@/ : raisin, pencil, cousin, devil, medicine, etc.  /-/ : business, medicine,...

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Preparing for the 'oposiciones': polysemous phrasal verbs

It is quite frequent for a phrasal verb to have several meanings according to the context. Thus, for example, in a good dictionary, you will probably find about 12 meanings for to go off, and more than 15 for to pick up. We can call these verbs 'polysemous phrasal verbs'. EXERCISE Test yourself on polysemous phrasal verbs. Find the wrong meaning for each of the following: 1.- to pick sb/sth up a.- to contract an illness; b.- to collect sb/sth; c.- to arrest sb; d.- to detect (a mistake); e.- to buy (sth cheap, a bargain); f.- to learn...

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Preparing for the 'oposiciones': here/there/where compound adverbs

The adverbs here, there and where combine with various prepositions to form complex adverbs, very formal in style, and often used therefore in legal documents, official papers, etc. Some of the most important are: hitherto          hasta ahora, hasta aquí/este momento herewith         adjunto, con la presente, con esto  hereby            por la presente, por este medio                      ...

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Preparing for the 'oposiciones': modismos (ejercicio)

Elige la opción correcta 1. If somebody “joined the great majority”, they a) died b) voted for the majority party c) got married 2 «The year dot» is a) a long time ago b) a prosperous year c) the year the world crisis began 3. If somebody asks you: «What’s the damage?” you probably are a) a teacher b) a doctor c) a waiter 4. If somebody calls you «a square», he’s calling you a) fat b) old-fashioned c) a dirty ol man. 5. If a friend tells you «to shake a leg», he’s asking you a) to mix him a drink b) to go to sleep c) to hurry up 6. If you...

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Preparing for the 'oposiciones': ejercicios fonéticos

EJERCICIO 1 Completar con palabras que contengan /S/ o /tS/, según convenga: a) Will you pay c______ or by _______?     b) Can you do the d______ while I w______ the clothes?     c) The fisherman wants to c______  a big f______.     d) The w_______ granted her three wishes. EJERCICIO 2 Indicar cuáles de estas palabras se pronuncian con /g/, cuáles con /dZ/ y cuáles con /Z/: mirage; target; ginger; virgin; beggar; prestige; linger; gimlet; suggest; giddy; manage; gimmick; gilt; garage; gypsy; garbage; beige;...

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Vocabulary of the day: breeds of dog

Breeds of dog: Afghan (afgano) Alsatian/German shepherd (pastor alemán) basset (hound) (basset) beagle (podenco) Belgian sheepdog (pastor belga) bloodhound (sabueso) boxer (bóxer) bull terrier (bullterrier) bulldog (bulldog) chihuahua (chihuahua) chow/chow chow (chow-chow) cocker spaniel (cócker) collie (colie, pastor escocés) dachshund/sausage dog (perro salchicha) Dalmatian (dálmata) Dobermann (dóberman) English setter (setter, perro de muestra inglés) fox terrier (foxterrier) foxhound (perro raposero) Great Dane (gran danés) greyhound...

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