LESSON 4B- AN INVITATION TO A PARTY

LISTENING COMPREHENSION- AN INVITATION TO A PARTY

Listen to some phone messages with directions to practise and improve your listening
skills.
VOCABULARY- MATCH THE PHRASES WITH THE SIGNS.

Go straight Go down Turn left Take the Turn right Go pass the
Sigue recto (the road) Gira a la exit Gira a la tres
Ve por el izquierda Toma la derecha Pasar los
camino salida arboles

_turn right_ _go straight__ _go down the road_

__turn left Go pass the trees _ Take the exit

LISTENING COMPREHENSION EXERCISE 1

Put the sentences in the correct group.

The The woman The woman The woman The woman The woman
message gives describes says thank talks about talks about
was at a directions the house you for the a swimming a bus
quarter to card pool
four

MESSAGE 1-
The message was at a quarter to four
The woman says thank you for the card
The woman describes the house
The woman talks about a swimming pool

MESSAGE 2-
The woman gives directions
The woman talks about a bus
 LISTENING COMPREHENSION EXERCISE 2
Choose the best answer.
1- She is having a party for ...
A) her family.
B) her very good friends.
C) everybody at work.
2- The party is at ...
A) the swimming pool at her house.
B) her cousin's house.
C) work.

3- To get to the party, drive ...

A) straight on Forest Road.
B) right on Forest Road.
C) left on Forest Road.

4- The motorway exit you need is ...

A) 3A.
B) 13A.
C) 30A.

5- The house is the first big house ...

A) on the right.
B) on the left.
C) down at the end of the road.

6- If you go by public transport, take ...

A) bus 18 to Brownsville.
B) bus 80 to Forest Road.
C) bus 80 to Brownsville.

7- The woman received the birthday card ...

A) this morning.
B) last night.
C) yesterday morning.

8- If you take a bus, ...

A) you can walk from the town to the house.
B) somebody will drive you from the town to the house.
C) there is a bus stop outside the house.

TRANSCRIPT
Automated message: You have two new messages. Message number one, received
today at 3.45 p.m.
Hi, it's me. How's it going? I guess you're at work and you don't have your phone on,
right? First of all, thank you, THANK YOU for the birthday card and message. I received
it this morning. That's so nice of you. I'm organising a little party for my birthday. It's
nothing very big – only a few of my best and closest friends. That means you too!
We're going to have it at my cousin's house. She lives in the countryside in a nice big
house with a swimming pool. I'd love to see you there. It's going to be this Friday. I'll
send you the instructions on how to get there later, OK?
Anyway, have fun at work. Don't work too hard, OK? Talk soon.
Automated message: You have two new messages. Message number two, received
today at 5.15 p.m.
Aw, you're still not answering your phone! OK, here are the instructions to get to my
cousin's house for the party. Are you going to take your car? If you take the car, drive
straight on Forest Road until you get to the motorway. Drive past Brownsville and take
exit 13A. That's 13A. You drive down the road there and turn left. It's the first big
house on the right. OK? If you're taking a bus, you can get the number 80 to
Brownsville. Call me when you get there and somebody can pick you up in a car. I can't
wait. This is going to be so great!

GRAMMAR LESSON 1- ARTICLES

What Are Articles?
Articles are words that define a noun as specific or unspecific.
LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES:
After the long day, the cup of tea tasted particularly good.
(By using the article the, we’ve shown that it was one specific day that was long and
one specific cup of tea that tasted good).
After a long day, a cup of tea tastes particularly good.
(By using the article a, we’ve created a general statement, implying that any cup of
tea would taste good after any long day).
English has two types of articles: definite and indefinite. Let’s discuss them now in
more detail.

1- The Definite Article

The definite article is the word the. It limits the meaning of a noun to one particular
thing. For example, your friend might ask, “Are you going to the party this weekend?”
The definite article tells you that your friend is referring to a specific party that both of
you know about. The definite article can be used with singular, plural, or uncountable
nouns. Below are some examples of the definite article the used in context:
Please give me the hammer.
Please give me the red hammer; the blue one is too small.
Please give me the nail.
Please give me the large nail; it’s the only one strong enough to hold this painting.
Please give me the hammer and the nail.

Particular groups of things

When we talk about a particular group of things, we use the.

We went to the zoo and saw the kangaroos. (These are the particular kangaroos in
that zoo – not kangaroos in general.)

We use the – the definite article – when the listener already knows which thing we
are talking about because it was mentioned before or because there's only one of
them.

I'm going to take the dog for a walk.

Have you seen the car key?
They go to the school next to the bridge.

2- The Indefinite Article

The indefinite article takes two forms. It’s the word a when it precedes a word that
begins with a consonant. It’s the word an when it precedes a word that begins with a
vowel.
A house an elephant
A doctor an engineer
A cup of coffee an extraordinary story

The indefinite article indicates that a noun refers to a general idea rather than a
particular thing.
I want to buy a house. (any house)
I want to buy the house on the corner of the Street. (a specific house)

The indefinite article only appears with singular nouns. Consider the following
examples of indefinite articles used in context:
Please hand me a book; any book will do.
Please hand me an autobiography; any autobiography will do.

Singular nouns

Singular, countable nouns always have an article – a/an or the (or another
determiner – my, your, this, that, etc.).
A house
A dog-

We use a/an – the indefinite article – when we talk about something for the first
time, or something that is part of a group or type.

I saw a good film yesterday.

Do you want a drink?

Jobs
When we say what people's jobs are, we usually use a/an.
 He's an architect.
She's a scientist.
My grandmother was a teacher.

Exceptions: Choosing A or An
There are a few exceptions to the general rule of using a before words that start with
consonants and an before words that begin with vowels.
The first letter of the word honor, for example, is a consonant, but it’s unpronounced.
In spite of its spelling, the word honor begins with a vowel sound. Therefore, we use
an. Consider the example sentence below for an illustration of this concept.
My mother is a honest woman.
My mother is an honest woman.

Similarly, when the first letter of a word is a vowel but is pronounced with a
consonant sound, use a, as in the sample sentence below:

She is an United States senator.

She is a United States senator.

Article Before an Adjective

Sometimes an article modifies a noun that is also modified by an adjective. The usual
word order is article + adjective + noun. If the article is indefinite, choose a or an
based on the word that immediately follows it.
Eliza will bring a small gift to Sophie’s party.
I heard an interesting story yesterday.

Indefinite Articles with Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns are nouns that are either difficult or impossible to count.
Uncountable nouns include intangible things (information, air), liquids (milk, wine),
and things that are too large or numerous to count (equipment, sand, wood).
Because these things can’t be counted, you should never use a or an with them—
remember, the indefinite article is only for singular nouns. Uncountable nouns can
be modified by words like some, however.
Please give me a water.
Water is an uncountable noun and should not be used with the indefinite article.
Please give me some water.
However, if you describe the water in terms of countable units (like bottles), you can
use the indefinite article.
Please give me a bottle of water.

Please give me an ice.

Please give me an ice cube.
Please give me some ice .

Using Articles with Pronouns

Possessive pronouns can help identify whether you’re talking about specific or
nonspecific items. As we’ve seen, articles also indicate specificity. But if you use both
a possessive pronoun and an article at the same time, readers will become confused.
Possessive pronouns are words like his, my, our, its, her, and their. Articles should
not be used with pronouns.

Why are you reading the my book?

The and my should not be used together since they are both meant to modify the
same noun. Instead, you should use one or the other, depending on the intended
meaning:

Why are you reading the book?

Why are you reading my book?

Omission of Articles

Occasionally, articles are omitted altogether before certain nouns. In these cases, the
article is implied but not actually present. This implied article is sometimes called a
“zero article.” Often, the article is omitted before nouns that refer to abstract ideas.
Look at the following examples:
Let’s go out for a dinner tonight.
Let’s go out for dinner tonight.

The creativity is a valuable quality in children.

Creativity is a valuable quality in children.

Many languages and nationalities are not preceded by an article

I studied the French in high school for four years.
I studied French in high school for four years.

Sports and academic subjects do not require articles.

I like to play the baseball.
I like to play baseball .

My sister was always good at the math .

My sister was always good at math .

Here are some ways we use articles in common phrases and place names.

Common phrases

We don't usually use an article in expressions with bed, work and home.

go to bed / be in bed
go to work / be at work / start work / finish work
go home / be at home / get home / stay at home

We also don't normally use an article in expressions with school, university, prison
and hospital.

start school / go to school / be at school

go to university / be at university
 be sent to prison / go to prison / be in prison
go to hospital / be in hospital

But we usually use the if someone is just visiting the place, and not there as a
student/prisoner/patient, etc.

My son has started school now. I went to the school to meet his teacher.
I went to the prison a lot when I was a social worker.
I'm at the hospital. My sister has just had a baby.

Place names
We don't normally use an article for continents, most countries, cities, towns, lakes,
mountains or universities. So, we say:

Africa, Asia, Europe

India, Ghana, Peru, Denmark
Addis Ababa, Hanoi, New York, Moscow
Lake Victoria, Lake Superior, Lake Tanganyika
Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus
Cardiff University, Harvard University, Manchester University

Some countries are different. Country names with United have the. There are other
countries which are exceptions too. So, we say:

the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States of America

Seas and oceans, mountain ranges and rivers have the:

the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Mediterranean

the Andes, the Himalayas, the Alps
 the Nile, the Amazon, the Yangtze

Universities with of in the title also have the:

the University of Cape Town, the University of Delhi, the University of Tokyo

EXERCISE 1
Complete the sentences with 'a', 'an' or 'the', or '-' if no article is needed.

1. I like listening to__-__music. It helps me relax.

2._The__money he gave me wasn't enough.
3. He doesn't like_-_dogs. One bit him when he was a child.
4. Could you please pass me_the_salt?
5. Do you want_an_apple? I've got two in my bag.
6. I can take_the_children to school today.
7. This is my uncle Phil. He's__a__teacher and he lives in London.
8. Is there__a__university where you live?
9. Do you want__a_sandwich? I've got cheese and bread in the shopping bag.
10. She wants to be__an_ambulance driver when she finishes school.
11. Did you see__the__moon last night?
12. I really hate__-__mosquitos. They always bite me.
13. If you need to contact me over the weekend, please send me__an___email.
14. I'm a fun-loving person. I love__-__parties and dancing!
15. I'll be there in_an__hour.
16._The___teachers at my son's school are great.

EXERCISE 2
Complete the sentences with 'the' or '-' if no article is needed.
1. I'm still at___-__work but I'll leave soon.
2. I'm going to__the___prison to see my uncle.
3.__The____University of Nottingham is in______United Kingdom.
4. Every Friday my grandad goes to__-___prison to teach a maths class.
5. She was born in Japan, but she went to___-_university in__the___Bahamas.
6. My daughter does piano classes after__-___school.
7. I'm going to__the__school for a parents' meeting.
8. The Danube flows from__-__Germany, through__-__Central Europe to__the__Black
Sea.

GRAMMAR LESSON 2- TOO / ENOUGH

GRAMMAR LESSON 1- TOO / ENOUGH

1. Too is used to mean more than sufficient or more/less than necessary.

 It’s too late to stop him.
 Jerry was too young to watch the movie.
 There are too many people on this train, there’s nowhere to sit.
 You have too much money, give some to me.
 You’ve eaten too many of those cakes.

Structure:

Too + adjective or adverb

This exam is too hard. That box is too small. He drives too fast.

Too (DEMASIADO)+ adjective or adverb + to (PARA) verb

This exam is too hard to pass. That box is too heavy to carry.

Too + many + plural noun

There are too many people in this party. We have too many questions to solve.
Too + much + uncountable noun
We have too much work to do. There is too much noise.

2. Enough It’s used to indicate that something is as much or as many as needed; so,

unless we use it with a negative structure, it has a positive meaning.

 Your clothes are big enough to fit me.

 You’ve done enough work. You can stop now.
 Have you got enough money to buy me a drink?

Structure:

Adjective or adverb + enough

Is your bed comfortable enough?

My car is luxurious enough.
My wife is beautiful enough.

Adjective or adverb + enough (suficiente) + to(para) do something.

Is your house comfortable enough to live?

We are wealthy enough to buy that car.
He runs fast enough to catch me.
They are not smart enough to beat us in chess.

Enough + plural noun

I have got enough bananas.

There are enough people to help me.

Enough + uncountable noun

 I have enough money.

 There is enough milk in the fridge.
EXERCISE
Complete the sentences with TOO or Enough.
Choose too or enough.
1. I can’t drink this coffee because it’s ______too__________ hot.
2. I couldn't buy that dress because I didn't have _____enough8____________ money.
3. We moved to another house because the previous one
was_________too_____________ small.
4. I don’t know what to do because I don’t have ______enough ____ information.
5. I was_________too_________________ nervous during the interview and I blew it.
6. He is tall _______ enough ________________ to play basketball in NBA.
7. I am fast ________ enough _______________ to catch you.
8. We studied hard_____enough____________ to pass the English exam.
9. There were_________too_____________ many cars at the parking lot.
10. You are ______too_______________ young to marry.