FEEDBACK AFTER Session 09/10/2014

VOCABULARY

•  WORDS IN THE NEWS:
1. prisoner swap
2. release
3. hostages
4. siege
5. air strikes
6. civilians
7. ceasefire
8. outright
9. poll
10. bailout

• SOMETIMES, BUT NOT OFTEN:
• every now and then
• now and again
• from time to time
• Difference between BrEng (at the weekend) and AmEng (on weekends).

GRAMMAR

• Difference between used to and would to express habitual actions in the past 
• USED TO
  ·         We use USED TO + infinitive to refer to habitual actions in the past. (Remember that to refer to habitual actions in the present we use USUALLY and other adverbs of frequency + the simple present). Compare:
  This year I usually go to the library once a week whereas last year I used to go twice a week.
  ·         The negative is DIDN’T USE TO + infinitive and the interrogative is DID (you) USE TO + infinitive.
  Did you use to be a bookworm?
  I didn’t use to find reading so fascinating.
  ·         NOTE. Make sure you don’t confuse this structure with BE/GET USED TO + -ing which means BE/GET ACCUSTOMED TO. In this case, USED is not the verb, it is an adjective.
  She had got so used to living without him that she didn’t miss him anymore.
   
• WOULD
  ·         We can also use WOULD + infinitive to refer to habitual actions in the past. The difference between USED TO and WOULD is that, whereas USED TO refers to both past actions and states, WOULD refers only to repeated actions in the past, not states. Compare:
  Every single morning I would make fresh bread for breakfast.
  When I was younger, I would be more understanding towards other people’s flaws
  BUT When I was younger, I used to be more understanding towards other people’s flaws.

PRONUNCIATION

• WORDS IN THE NEWS (WORD STRESS):
• Islamic
• Islamist
• consulate
• strategic
• Pakistani
• reportedly
• Brazilians
• Nobel
• committee

• Difference betweeen doll /dɒl/and dull /dʌl/