Advantages and disadvantages of living in a city

Cities

A city is a place where thousands or even millions of people live in a very small area. Cities are much larger and more important than towns or villages. Today, about half of the world’s population live in cities.

 Parts of a city

Today’s modern cities often have three characteristic areas. The centre of the city is called downtown. It consists of stores, banks, government buildings and culturalattractions. Many people come to work in the downtown area. In large cities the downtown area is full of skyscrapers.

An industrial region with factories, warehouses, mills and other industries lies around the downtown area.

Suburbs are the places farthest away from the city centre. They are new residential areas where most people live. Suburbs have their own stores and shopping malls but people often have to travel an hour or longer to work downtown.

Life in Cities

Cities have become very attractive places because they offer people not only jobs and work but also many things they can do in their free time. You can go to museums or art exhibitions, relax in public parks, listen to music at concerts or eat out at expensive restaurants that offer food from all over the world. Big department stores give you the pleasure of buying many things without leaving the building.

Cities offer their residents and the people who work there a variety of ways of getting around. Many people walk or ride a bike, which is often the fastest way to get around in a crowded city.

All cities offer at least some forms of public transport: buses, trains or trams. Large cities have subways that travel underground.

A city has its own government, called the city council. The head of a city is its mayor. City governments have many things to care for. They must organize their own police force to protect the citizens and fight crime. They must provide residents with drinking water,electricity, heating, hospitals and services to get rid of waste. The city council must decide in which parts of the city new factories or houses can be built.

Modern cities of the 20th century

In the 20th century cities grew more than ever before. Architects discovered a new way to get more space in the city. They built skyscrapers.

As time went on more and more people moved away from the inner parts of the city and settled down in the suburbs, which were places where it was quieter and where the quality of life was better. These suburbs became small towns with their own office buildings and shopping centres. Residents can work and live there without having to travel long distances to the centre. Poorer people, however, stayed in the centres and formed ghettos. They lacked the money to buy houses orflats in the more expensive suburbs.

Today’s cities are much larger than cities in previous times. With the help of cars and public transport people can get to all parts of a city very quickly.

City problems

Modern cities all over the world face the same problems. One of them is poor housing. People often live in old houses or huts that don’t have electricity or sanitation. As city population grows governments don’t have the money to build modern apartment buildings.

Cars and industries are polluting city air and rivers more and more. Waste that people throw away is burned or ends up in landfills. All of this makes modern cities an unhealthy place to live in.

Especially during morning and evening rush hours cities become packed with vehicles . Daily traffic jams make it impossible for people to get to work in time. City authorities are spending more and more money on public transportation and are talking othersteps to reduce traffic in cities. A few years ago the London mayor made people pay to drive their cars into the city centre.

Cities of today face many social problems. Crime, alcoholism and drug addiction is especially high in cities. Many young people areunemployed .

Larger multiethnic cities face conflicts between groups with different cultural backgrounds. Blacks and whites in the USA and South Africa had a violent history in the 20th century.

Even though residents of cities have a higher standard of living there remain many poor people. Government organizations work hard toget rid of poverty. They try to give such people better education and jobs.

 Future of cities

As the world’s population is constantly on the rise more and more people are moving to cities. Some local governments are trying to relieve cities of overpopulation by building new towns outside city areas.

Cities will have to become greener. Modern buildings will rely on new energy forms. Traffic will have to change drastically.

The Best Christmas Of All

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
from What's up? School of English.
Hope you all have a great time with family and friends.

Pick up - Break down - Bring up

pick sb up    recoger a algn  I'll pick you up at seven o'clock.

pick sth up   recoger algo    I picked your bag up by mistake.

pick up         mejorar           We're waiting until the weather picks up a bit.

break down   estropearse, averiarse The washing machine has broken down.

(person) break down  venirse abajo I just broke down and cried

Break down (into)  dividirse  I've broken down the costs by country.

Bring sb up    criar       She was brought up by her aunt.

bring sth up   sacar algo (a colación), mencionar algo:

                                Every time I bring the matter up, he changes the subject.

Complete these sentences with pick up, break down and bring up

1.    Sales ………………………..a bit during the Christmas period.

2.    My parents …………….me ………..strictly.

3.    My car's………………………….., so I came by taxi.

4.    The company was ………………..into smaller units.

5.    While you're in town, can you …………………….my trousers from the Dry Cleaner?

6.    They didn't ………………….the subject …………..at the meeting.

Modal Perfect - Modal verbs 7

All modal perfect auxiliary verbs refer to the past.

FORM: Modal + Have (Infinitive) + Past Participle

1. must have done = we are almost sure something happened in the past

• Jane wasn't feeling well yesterday. She must have caught a cold.
• Bill didn't answer the phone when I called him. He must have fallen asleep.

2. can't have done = we are almost sure something did not happen in the past

• She can't have forgotten to send you an invitation. I gave her your address.
• They can't have gone to bed late. They were very tired.

3. may / might / could have done = it is possible that something happened in the past but we aren't sure.

• Laura hasn't arrived yet. She may/might/could have missed the bus.
• I didn't see Paul at work. He may/might/could have been ill.

4. could have done = we had the ability to do something in the past but did not do it.

• You could have told us about the new project!
• She could have called me when she arrived but she forgot.

5. should have / ought to have done = (a) it was the right thing to do but we didn't do it. (b) we expected something to happen but it didn't.

• You should have told him the truth.
• They ought to have received the cheque by now.

6. would have done = we wanted to do something but we didn't do it in the end.

• They would have emailed you but the Internet was down yesterday.
• I would have bought that DVD but I didn't have enough money.

7. needn't have done = it wasn't necessary to do something but we did it.

• You needn't have gone to the supermarket. I've already done the shopping.
• The weather was warm and sunny. I needn't have taken an umbrella.

Modal Perfect Quiz

Lack of necessity - Modal verbs 6

Necessity Quiz

Prohibition and Permission - Modal verbs 5

Permission, prohibition and obligation Quiz

Deduction and possibility - Modal verbs 4

Possibility/ Probability Quiz

Obligation and advice- Modal verbs 3

Obligation and advice

Ability - Modal verbs 2

Can, could and be able to Quiz

Modal verbs 1

Modals are special verbs which behave irregularly in English.
Here are some characteristics of modal verbs:

• They never change their form. You can't add "s", "ed", "ing"...
• They are always followed by an infinitive without "to" (e.i. the bare infinitive.)
• They are used to indicate modality allow speakers to express certainty, possibility, willingness, obligation, necessity, ability.

Use of modal verbs:

Modal verbs are used to express functions such as:

1. Permission
2. Ability
3. Obligation
4. Prohibition
5. Lack of necessity
6. Advice
7. possibility
8. probability

 Here is a list of modals with examples:

Modal Verb	Expressing	Example
must	Strong obligation	You must stop when the traffic lights turn red.
	logical conclusion / Certainty	He must be very tired. He's been working all day long.
must not	prohibition	You must not smoke in the hospital.
can	ability	I can swim.
	permission	Can I use your phone please?
	possibility	Smoking can cause cancer.
could	ability in the past	When I was younger I could run fast.
	polite permission	Excuse me, could I just say something?
	possibility	It could rain tomorrow!
may	permission	May I use your phone please?
	possibility, probability	It may rain tomorrow!
might	polite permission	Might I suggest an idea?
	possibility, probability	I might go on holiday to Australia next year.
need not	lack of necessity/absence of obligation	I need not buy tomatoes. There are plenty of tomatoes in the fridge.
should/ought to	50 % obligation	I should / ought to see a doctor. I have a terrible headache.
	advice	You should / ought to revise your lessons
	logical conclusion	He should / ought to be very tired. He's been working all day long.
had better	advice	You 'd better revise your lessons

Some verbs can be followed by about or of, usually with a difference of meaning:

dream ABOUT ...:
* I dreamt about you last night. (when I was asleep)
dream OF being something/doing something (= imagine):
* I often dream of being rich.
* 'Don't tell anyone what I said.' 'No, I wouldn't dream of it.' (=I would never do it)

hear ABOUT ... (= be told about something):
* Did you hear about the fight in the club on Saturday night?
hear OF ... (= know that somebody/something exists):
* 'Who is Tom Madely?' 'I've no idea. I've never heard of him.' (not 'heard from him')
Also: hear FROM ... (= receive a letter or phone call from somebody):
* 'Have you heard from Jane recently?' 'Yes, I got a letter from her a few days ago.'

think ABOUT ... and think OF ...
When you think ABOUT something, you consider it, you concentrate your mind on it:
* You look serious. What are you thinking about?
* 'Will you lend me the money?' 'I'll think about it.'
When you think OF something, the idea comes to your mind:
* He told me his name but I can't think of it now. (not 'think about it')
* That's a good idea. Why didn't I think of that? (not 'think about that')
We also use think of when we ask or give an opinion:
* 'What did you think of the film?' 'I didn't think much of it.'

The difference is sometimes very small. Often you can use of or about:
* When I'm alone, I often think of (or about) you.
You can say 'think of or think about doing something' (for possible future actions):
* My sister is thinking of (or about) going to Canada. (= she is considering it)

remind somebody ABOUT ... (= tell somebody not to forget):
* I'm glad you reminded me about the meeting. I had completely forgotten it.

remind somebody OF ... (= cause somebody to remember):
* This house reminds me of the one I lived in when I was a child.
* Look at this photograph of Richard. Who does he remind you of?

complain (TO somebody) ABOUT ... (= say that you are not satisfied):
* We complained to the manager of the restaurant about the food.
complain OF a pain, an illness etc. (= say that you have a pain etc.):
* We called the doctor because George was complaining of a pain in his stomach.


warn somebody OF/ABOUT a danger, something bad which might happen:
* Everybody has been warned of/about the dangers of smoking.
warn somebody ABOUT somebody/something which is dangerous, unusual etc.:
* I knew he was a strange person. I had been warned about him. (not 'warned of him')
* Vicky warned us about the traffic. She said it would be ba

apply (TO a person, a company etc.) FOR (a job etc.):
* I think this job would suit you. Why don't you apply for it

arrive in when we get to a large place such as a country or a city.

 *The Vikings arrived in Britain in the 8^th century.

Arrive at when we get to a small place such as an airport, station or village.

* The children arrived at school quite late.

Reporting Verbs

General information

There is a number of specific reporting verbs which can be used instead of say / tell / ask. These verbs tell us something about the speaker's intention and are a more exact way of reporting what someone says. These verbs give us the meaning of the original words without actually using them all.

For example:

"Honestly, I won't be late, believe me"  →  He promised not to be late.

Let's revise first the most important basic aspects of reported speech.

changes in verb tenses

"I'm going home"
He said he was going home

changes in expressions of time

"I'm going home tomorrow"
He said he was going home the following day

changes in personal pronouns and possessive adjectives

"I'm going to my uncle's home tomorrow"
He said he was going to his uncle's home the following day

When you first learn reported speech these are the aspects you need to practise. The verbs you use, therefore, are basic ones like say, tell, reply and ask.

However, if you had to interview someone, for example, and then wrote about what the person said, it would be very boring and repetitive if you used only these verbs. Here are a lot of other verbs you can use to describe or summarise what people say without repeating the same thing over and over again. These verbs give us the meaning of the original words without actually using them all.

The section below shows some of these 'reporting verbs' with their meanings and grammatical structures. You can often use verbs you wouldn't normally associate with reported speech, but if they describe the meaning of the original words then use them!

Reporting verbs
The grammar structures I've shown with these verbs are not necessarily the only structures possible. I've tried to show the ones I think are the most usual. The meaning of some verbs changes according to the structure used, so I've only included structures that have the same meaning.

accuse
to accuse someone of doing something

"It was you who ate my chocolate, Elvira, wasn't it?"
  He accused Elvira of eating his chocolate.

admit
to admit doing something
to admit that...

"OK, it was me. I ate your chocolate"
   Elvira admitted eating the chocolate.
   Elvira admitted that she had eaten the chocolate.

advise
to advise someone to do something

"Well, if I were you I'd start saving for my retirement."
   He advised me to start saving for my retirement

agree
to agree to do something
to agree that......

"Yes, you're right, I have a terrible problem."
   She agreed to have a terrible problem.
   She agreed that he had a terrible problem.

apologise
to apologise (to someone) for doing something

"I'm sorry I didn't get to the meeting."
   He apologised for not going to the meeting.

ask
to ask someone to do something

"It's very hot in here. Would you mind opening the window?"
   She asked him to open the window.

blame
to blame someone for doing something

"We lost the match because you didn't save that penalty."
   He blamed the goalkeeper for losing the match.

complain
to complain about something

"The electrician said he was coming at ten o'clock so I took time off work and waited in all morning...."
   She complained about the electrician.

congratulate
to congratulate someone on doing something

"Well done! I knew you'd pass your driving test this time."
   She congratulated him on passing his driving test.

deny
to deny doing something
to deny that...

"It most certainly wasn't me that left the front door open."
   He denied leaving the front door open.
   He denied that he had left the front door open.

explain
to explain why...
to explain that...

"Sorry I'm late. The traffic was bad and then I couldn't find a parking space."
   He explained why he was late.
   He explained that the traffic was bad.

forget
to forget to do something

"Oh no, I haven't got any money. I didn't go to the bank."
   He forgot to go to the bank.

invite
to invite someone to do something

"Would you like to come to our house for dinner on Friday?
   He invited them to come to dinner on Friday.

offer
to offer to do something for someone

"Those bags must be heavy, John. Shall I take one?"
   She offered to carry a bag for him.

promise
to promise to do something

"Yes, honest, I'll be there on time. I won't be late."
   He promised not to be late.

refuse
to refuse to do something

"Well I'm not washing up. I did it last time."
   He refused to do the washing-up.

remind
to remind someone to do something

"Remember you have to go to the bank. You forgot yesterday."
   She reminded me to go to the bank.

suggest
to suggest that someone (should) do something
to suggest doing something

"Why don't you go to the dentist if your tooth hurts?" - Hey, why don't we go to the cinema?"
   She suggested that he (should) go to the dentist. - She suggested going to the cinema

threaten
to threaten to do something

"If you're late again we'll start without you."
   They threatened to start without him.

warn
to warn someone about something
to warn someone (not) to do something

"Don't drive too quickly. The streets are very icy."
   He warned him about the ice.
   He warned him not to drive too quickly.

Exercise

Reported Speech

Basic Tense Chart

 The tenses generally move backwards in this way (the tense on the left changes to the tense on the right). - See more at: http://www.rubenvalero.com/english/content/reported-speech#sthash.UmrPMLLo.dpuf

Other verb forms

Other verb forms also sometimes change:

Things are slightly more complicated with imperatives

Time and place references

Example:

"I'm staying here until next week"
→ He said he was staying there until the following week. 

Personal pronouns

 You also need to be careful with personal pronouns. They need to be changed according to the situation.

Remember:

The verb tenses do not always follow the rules shown above

Exercises

Statements

Questions

in spite of / despite / although

in spite of / despite / although

In spite of, despite and although are all used to show a contrast but there are differences in the structures used with them.

In spite of / despite

After in spite of and despite we use a noun or a pronoun.

• We enjoyed our camping holiday in spite of the rain.
• Despite the pain in his leg he completed the marathon.
• Despite having all the necessary qualifications, they didn’t offer me the job.

Remember that the gerund (‘-ing’ form) is the ‘noun’ form of a verb.

The only difference between in spite of and despite is the ‘of’.

• Despite of the bad weather, there was a large crowd at the match.

Although

After although we use a subject and a verb.

• We enjoyed our camping holiday although it rained every day.
• Although he worked very hard, he didn’t manage to pass the exam.
• The holiday was great although the hotel wasn’t very nice.

We can use in spite of and despite with a subject and verb if we include the expression ‘the fact that’.

• In spite of the fact that he worked very hard, he didn’t manage to pass the exam.
• Despite the fact that he worked very hard, he didn’t manage to pass the exam.

Even though

Even though is a slightly stronger form of although.

• We decided to buy the house even though we didn’t really have enough money.
• You keep making that stupid noise even though I’ve asked you to stop three times.

Like although, even though is followed by a subject and a verb.

EXERCISE
EXERCISE 2

Revision of tenses

Click on the image to try an exercise on verb tense.

The environment and pollution

Exercise on vocabulary 1
Exercise 2
Reading comprehension

Endangered Species

Word	Meaning
conservation effort noun	measures to protect and restore the natural world
ecosystem noun	the ongoing relationship between living things and their environment
endangered species noun	animals or plants that are likely to go extinct
environmentalistnoun	a person who cares about the natural world and makes an effort to protect it or raise awareness for its needs
extinction noun	the loss of a species in this world
food chain noun	a group of organisms that feed off of each other
global warmingnoun	the gradual increase in temperature on earth
habitat noun	the area where a species naturally lives, eats, and reproduces
recover verb	to help a certain species repopulate an area
reforestationnoun	the planting and growth of new trees
risk verb	engage in a dangerous act
vulnerableadjective	likely to face injury or danger
wildlife noun	plants and animals living in a natural environment

Opinion essays

Opinion essays from cristinaramir12

Linking words

Exercises online: 

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