Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Word formation: minimise


Verb: minimise
Noun: minimum, minimisation, minimalist (person)
Adjective: minimal, minimum, minimalist
Adverb: minimally

Word formation: necessitate

Verb: necessitate
Noun: necessity
Adjective: necessary, unnecessary
Adverb: necessarily, unnecessarily

Word formation: compare

Verb: compare
Noun: comparison
Adjective: comparable, incomparable, comparative
Adverb: incomparably, comparatively

Word formation: attach / detach

Verb: attach / detach
Noun: attachment / detachment
Adjective: attached, unattached, detachable, detached
Adverb: detachedly

Word formation: accept


Verb: accept
Noun: acceptance
Adjective: acceptable, unacceptable, accepted
Adverb: acceptably, unacceptably

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Modal verbs: ability


MODAL VERB
TENSE
EXAMPLE
(be) able to
(be) not able to
present
I am able to swim
(have) been able to
(have) not been able to
present perfect
She has been able to finish the book.
can
can´t
present
I can swim
could
couldn´t
past - general ability
I could swim when I was 3 years old.
managed to
wasn´t/ weren´t able to / couldn´t
past - specific ability
There was a terrible fire, but everyone was able to escape.
to be able to
not to be able to
infinitive
They hope to be able to visit us next week.
was/were able to
wasn´t/ weren´t able to / couldn´t
past - specific ability
There was a terrible fire, but everyone was able to escape.
will be able to
won´t be able to
future
I will be able to help you tomorrow.
would be able to
conditional
If you saved enough money, you would be able to go on holiday.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Word formation: impress

Verb: impress
Noun: impression
Adjective: impressive / unimpressive

Word formation: create

Verb: create
Noun: creation
Adjective: creative / uncreative
Adverb: creatively

Word formation: influence

Verb: influence
Noun: influence
Adjective: influential

Friday, December 14, 2012

Word formation: describe

Verb: describe
Noun: description
Adjective: descriptive

Phrasal verb: break down

PET / FCE / CAE

When something breaks down it stops working.

Example: My car broke down while I was driving to work.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Word formation: develop

Verb: develop
Noun: developer (person) / development
Adjective: developed / undeveloped

Idiom: just in the nick of time

If you do something  just in the nick of time (just in time), you do it just before time runs out.

Example: She got to the bank just in the nick of time.  They were about to close for the day.

Lord of the Flies (CAE exam)

Lord of the Flies (William Golding) is one of the optional set texts for the Writing Paper in the 2012 / 2013 exam.  You may choose to prepare for questions on this set text by studying a film version as well as, or instead of, the novel.  Candidates should be made aware that they should not attempt the set text question unless they have the necessary vocabulary and understanding of the text to answer the task set.
The Plot
A plane crashes on an uninhabited island and the only survivors, a group of schoolboys, assemble on the beach and wait to be rescued. By day they inhabit a land of bright fantastic birds and dark blue seas, but at night their dreams are haunted by the image of a terrifying beast.

In this, his first novel, William Golding gave the traditional adventure story an ironic, devastating twist. The boys' delicate sense of order fades, and their childish fears are transformed into something deeper and more primitive. Their games take on a horrible significance, and before long the well-behaved party of schoolboys has turned into a tribe of faceless, murderous savages.

First published in 1954, Lord of the Flies is now recognized as a classic, one of the most celebrated of all modern novels.

Author: Golding, William
Publisher: Penguin Books
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780571191475
Publication Date: 2002
Price: £7.99 + postage