Michel's presentation

Here you can find the slides of Michel's PowerPoint presentation.

Punctuation

Here you can find a document on use the use of punctuation.  Some of the rules, e.g., the use of the colon,  they present do not agree with the rules in the Interinstitutional guide.

This is a topic we did not deal with comprehensively during the course, as it is to be covered in more detail in advanced writing courses.

Conversation Exchange

Here you can have access to the Conversation Exchange website.

Cambridge Dictionary

Here you can have access to the online Cambridge Dictionary, in which you can listen to the British and American pronunciation of words.

Eve's presentation

Here you can find the slides of Eve's presentation.

Arkadiusz's presentation

Here you can find the webpage Arek referred to in his presentation.

Four sources for audio and video streams

Here you can have access to the NPR of the NYC region.  It could be useful if you want to improve your listening comprehension of American English.  You can listen to the live FM broadcast or go their show archives.  I personally like Radiolab, Selected Shorts and Fresh Air among the shows they air.

Here you can have access to the BBC website, which also airs on the WNYC in the mornings Brussels time.  It could be useful to improve your listening comprehension of British English.  They also have links under "Learning English", where you can find numerous tools for learners of English as a second language.

Here you can have access to the audio and video streams on The Economist website.  This again is a good source for improving British English listening comprehension.

Here you can have access to TED which is a good source for numerous talks on a very wide range of topics.  Most talks are given by Americans and Canadians, but there are also other speakers of different nationalities, including some British.

Sandra's presentation

Here you can find the slides of Sandra's PowerPoint presentation.

Interinstitutional style guide

Here you can find the Interinstitutional style guide Elizabeth referred to during her presentation.

Subjunctive and unreal uses of the past form

A webpage on the use of subjunctive is hereby made available.

This topic as well as the unreal uses of he past form is dealt with in Unit 11 of your text.

American fiscal unity

Here is an article form this week's issue of The Economist in response to Gianni's question.

The power of the Internet

Here you can find the stream Svetla showed us during her presentation.

Sound script

Here you can find a document on chunking, stress, pacing and intonation all of which are to be indicated in a sound scripted speech text.  Here you can find the key for the tasks in the document. (Source: Presenting in English by Mark Powell) As you know, the sound script is what appears on the teleprompter for the speaker to read from during a speech.

Emphatic structures and inversion

I am hereby making Unit 34 of your text available. 

Gender neutrality

On pages 48 - 49 of  "English Style Guide" released by the Commission you can find the section on gender neutrality. You can access the guide here.

Here you can the document entitled "Gender-neutral language in the European Parliament".

Make, do, get and have

Here you can find some information and exercises on the use of the verbs 'make', 'do', 'get' and 'have'.

Conditionals

Here you can find some information and exercises on conditionals.

Here you can find information and exercises on the same topic along with the key for the exercises. (Source: English Grammar in Use. Intermediate by Raymond Murphy)

Here you can find more mixed exercises on conditionals as well as other linking words that can be used in conditionals. There are also some exercises on expressing wishes.

This topic is dealt with in Unit 10 of your text.

The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint

Here you can find Guy Kawasaki's recommendations on the length (10 slides), duration (20 minutes) and font size (30 points) in a PowerPoint presentation.

Here you can find a stream of his pitch. ('Bozo' means 'fool'.)

Martin Jacques on China

Here you can find Matin Jacques's talk on China. If you want, you can listen to it one more time and write a summary report of longer than one 1.5-spaced page to be sent to me by Friday, 27th of July.

More tips on PowerPoint presentations

Here you can find list of do's and dont's for PowerPoint presentations.

The dont's for PowerPoint

Here you can find Don McMillan's standup on the dont's of a PowerPoint presentation.

Articles

Here you can find the document on articles along with the key for the exercises.

This topic is partially dealt with in Unit 29 of your text.

Hans Rosling on global population growth

Here is the link for the presentation we watched today.  I thought it was a very good delivery in spite of his strong accent, meaning that one can really pull it off, even though s/he is not a native speaker. He also presents quantitative data in a very accessible way for a layman.  He definitely made an impression on me, and I can share the information he provided me with at a cocktail party :-) What do think?

Lists of three and the rule of 3s: two speeches

Here you can find the first part of Steve Jobs's iPhone product launch speech.

Here you can find Barack Obama's inauguration speech.

In both of them, please pay attention to the usage of the lists of three and the rule of 3s Luisa mentioned today.

Here is a stream where the rule of 3s is explained among other useful tips on making presentations.

Reported speech

I am hereby providing some documents on reported speech as well as object and subject questions with the key for the exercises from English Grammar in Use: Intermediate by Raymond Murphy.  More  exercises on reported speech along with the key are also made available.

Here you can also find more information on subject, object, verb, tense, time and location modifications in reported speech and indirect speech. (Business Grammar Builder by Paul Emmerson)

This topic is dealt with in Unit 9 of your text.

Linking words

The first and second parts of the documents on linking words are hereby available.  You can also find the key for the exercises here.  As you do the exercises, please remember the following three types of linking words we have identified:

• Linking words that connect two parts of the same sentence as in the following example: We only have one week off for Easter, so we will be staying in Brussels.
• Linking words that connect two separate sentences as in the following four examples, which are different ways of saying the same thing:

1. We only have one week off for Easter.  Therefore, we will be staying in Brussels.
2. We only have one week off for Easter; therefore, we will be staying in Brussels.
3. We only have one week off for Easter.  We will, therefore, be staying in Brussels.
4. We only have one week off for Easter; we will, therefore, be staying in Brussels.

• Linking words that are covered under both the first and second types as in the four following examples:

1. Besides giving his friend a lift after work, he helped her with her grocery shopping.
2. He helped his friend with her grocery shopping, besides giving her a lift after work.
3. I am afraid I am not allowed to help you with that question.  Besides, I do not know the answer myself.
4. I am afraid I am not allowed to help you with that question; besides, I do not know the answer myself.

Note that the meaning of the word 'besides'  in the first two examples is different from its meaning in the last two examples.

In all these examples, please pay special attention to the punctuation.

This topic is  dealt with in units 32 and 36 of your text.

Gerund vs. infinitive

Numerous exercises on gerund vs. infinitive along with their key are hereby made available for you to have access at your convenience.  You can also find the list of verbs used with gerund and/or infinitive here.

Here you can find more information and exercises on the same topic.

This topic is also dealt with in Unit 12 of your text.

Position of adverbs

Here are the main rules and exceptions on the position of adverbs in sentences:

First rule: if there is only one verb in the sentence, the adverb comes before the verb as in the following example: He usually comes to work on time.
Exception to the first rule: if the only verb in the sentence is 'to be', the adverb comes after the verb as in the following example:  He is usually on time.

Second rule: If there is more than one verb in the sentence, the adverb comes after the first verb as in the following example: He has already arrived at work.
First exception to the second rule: if the first verb in the sentence is an auxiliary verb with 'to', i.e., have to, need to, ought to and used to, the adverb comes before the first verb as in the following example: He usually has to start working by 9:30 AM.
Second exception to the second rule: if the first verb in the sentence is a contracted negation, the adverbs 'probably', 'possibly' and 'certainly' come before the first verb as in the following example: He probably won't come to work on time.

These being the main rules and exceptions, there is more to this topic.  You can find more information on this webpage, which also provides you with some exercises.

This topic is dealt with in Unit 24 of your text book.

Latin terms, phrases, abbreviations and acronyms

You can find a list of Latin terms, phrases abbreviations and acronyms that can be used in English here.

Prepositions

Basic prepositions:
Here you can find some exercises on basic prepositions.  The key to the exercises is hereby made available. (Source: English Grammar in Use: Intermediate by Raymond Murphy)  This topic is dealt with in Unit 29 of your text book.

Noun, adjective and verb + preposition:
Here you can find some exercises on nouns, adjectives and verbs which are used with certain prepositions.  The key for the exercises are also hereby made available. (Source: English Grammar in Use: Intermediate by Raymond Murphy)

Phrasal verbs:
Here you can find some exercises on phrasal verbs.  The key to the exercises is hereby made available. (Source: English Grammar in Use: Intermediate by Raymond Murphy)  This topic is dealt with in Unit 14 of your text book.

Composite nouns

Some of the issues that come up in today's session concerning composite nouns can be found here along with some exercises. This topic is dealt with in Unit 26 of your text book.

Greetings and closers

Here is a list of greetings you can use in your formal emails depending on the recipient:

• Anonymous singular:

1. Dear Sir/Madam
2. Dear Madam/Sir
3. Dear Sir or Madam
4. Dear Madam or Sir

• Anonymous plural:

1. Dear Sirs/Ladies
2. Dear Ladies/Sirs
3. Dear Sirs and/or Ladies
4. Dear Ladies and/or Sirs

• With a given male name: Dear Mr Smith

• With a given female name:

1.  Dear Ms Smith (civil status irrelevant or unknown)
2.  Dear Mrs Smith (married)
3.  Dear Miss Smith (single and younger than fifty)

• With given names to a group of less than three people (male):  Dear Messrs Smith and Jones

• With given names to a group of less than three people (female):

1. Dear Mses Smith and Jones (civil statuses unknown, irrelevant or different)
2. Dear Mesdames Smith and Jones (both of them married)
3. Dear Misses Smith and Jones (both of them are single and younger than fifty)

• With given names to a group of less than three people (mixed gender and not related to each other by marriage or blood): 

1. Dear Messrs Smith and Jones, and Ms Presley 
2. Dear Ms Presley, and Messrs Smith and Jones

• With a given name to a couple who use the same last name:

1. Dear Mr and Mrs Smith 
2. Dear Mrs and Mr Smith 

• With given names to a group of more than three people (mixed gender):

1. Dear Sirs/Ladies
2. Dear Ladies/Sirs
3. Dear Sirs and Ladies
4. Dear Ladies and Sirs

• With given names to a group of more than three people (all male): Dear Sirs

• With given names to a group of more than three people (all female): Dear Ladies 

• With a given first and last name and the gender is not clear:  Dear Alex Smith

Here is a list of closers which apply to all formal emails regardless of their content:

• With kind regards
• Kind regards
• Regards

You can hereby find a document on how to address various VIPs in different contexts.

Relative, -ed and -ing clauses

Here you can find some exercises on relative, -ed and -ing clauses along with the key. You can find the same topic being covered in Unit 31 of your text book.

Tenses and key words

Here you can find many exercises on tenses.  I am also hereby making a list of all the tenses and key words available.  You can find the same topic being covered in units 1 - 5 of your text book.

First email

Dear All,

Hoping that this finds you well, I  would like to hereby give you the information on our text, which is as  follows:

LONGMAN Advanced Learners’ Grammar by Mark Foley &  Diane Hall

It would be great if you can get the book by  Wednesday, 20th of July.

The final evaluation process for the course  will take place from Wednesday, 3rd of August to Friday, 5th of August.   Therefore, please make sure you attend the sessions on those  days.

Here is  a document where you can find information and exercises on state vs. action verbs, along with key for the  exercises.

Here is a link for a webpage where you can find some  exercises on the same topic:

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs16.htm

Here  are other links where you can find exercises on the four tenses, i.e., present  continuous, present simple, present perfect and present perfect continuous, we  talked about today:

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs1.htm

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs2.htm

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs7.htm

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs8.htm

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs9.htm

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs10.htm

Here is another document on countable and uncountable nouns along with the key for the exercises.

Remember to jot down any issues that are related to the use  of the English language as they come up at work or in your other daily  affairs, so that you can ask them at the beginning of each  session.

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow,

All the  best,

John
--
Noras
Rue du Moniteur,  16 Box No 3
B-1000 Brussels
Belgium

Tel: +32(0)2 217  7800