Santa's disappointment

And the winners are...

Carlos Pinto - Elementary


André Silva - Pre - Intermediate


Maria José Sampaio - Intermediate


Fernando Macias - Upper - Intermediate

The Simpsons OLD Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Activity of the week

Just before Christmas, an honest politician, a generous lawyer and Santa Claus were riding in the elevator of a very posh hotel. Just before the doors opened they all noticed a $20 bill lying on the floor. Which one picked it up? Why

Finally the raffle

We are pleased to inform that the three scholarships will be drawn this Friday at 10:00 a.m. You’re welcome to come and attend the raffle. The winners will be notified and the results publicised here.

Activity of the week

And you?
What are you going to ask Santa?

Activity of the week - Find out the five mistakes and correct them

Tomorrow is the last day of Novembre. In Saturday we enter in the most expected month for childrens: December, the month to buy, ofer and recieve presents. But the most important is to be with the family and friends.

Common Errors - Specially and Especially

Especially and specially are two adverbs often misused by English learners. Here are some examples that might help you to understand their differences:

Wrong: A woman who works sometimes neglects her family, specially the children.
Right: A woman who works sometimes neglects her family, especially the children.

Specially is an adverb used when we want to describe a single special purpose:
e.g. The course has been specially prepared for young beginners
e.g. I came here specially to see you.”

Especially means “particularly”:
e.g. You need extra heating in the house especially during the winter months

in Heaton & Turton (1987) Longman Dictionary of Common Errors (abridged and adapted)

Have a nice weekend!

Riddle of the week!

Which word doesn't belong to this group? hat, that, chat, what, mat, cat, sat, pat, or bat?

Riddle of the Week

Which is correct to say:
a) The yolk of the egg are white?
b) The yolk of the egg is white?

Riddle of the week!

What goes around the world but stays in a corner?

Writer of the Month - David Leavitt

David Leavitt teaches English at the University of Florida. His novels and short-stories are widely known and can be found translated into Portuguese.
To learn more:
http://web.english.ufl.edu/faculty/dleavitt/

"Well, I kept writing stories. I thought about despair, and I thought about getting drafted. I tried to understand what made me love the stories I loved. The process was halting, usually exhuberant, sometimes graceful. I don't think I ever wrote a single opening line that ended up being the opening line of the story for which it was intended."

David Leavitt (2003) Collected Stories, Bloomsbury, Introduction xi