Definite article "THE"

We use the definite article "THE"

• When identity has been established by an earlier mention (often with an indefinite article)
• When identity is established by the postmodification that follows the noun.
• When the object or group of objects is the only one that exists or has existed. Ex. the stars, the earth, the world, etc.
• When reference is made to an institution shared by the community. Ex. the radio, the television, the telephone, etc.

In my paper I wrote (...) about to finish the high school.(...). Here the use of the definite article is wrong, because I am not talking about an especific high school, but any high school. The right version of that sentence is (...) about to finish high school. (...).


Source: Leech, G & Svartivik, J (1975). A communicative Grammar of English. Syngapore. Longman

Nominal Relative Clauses

In nominal relative clauses,the relative pronoun acts like a noun and linking relative pronoun working together. The most common nominal relative pronoun is what, meaning "the thing(s) which". The nominal relative pronoun replaces the noun.

Ex: This is just what we need.

      What I want is a bigger computer.

But we use which to refer back to a whole clause rather than the preceding noun only.

Ex: He only did what anyone else would do in that situation, which is panic.

      The piano required several men to lift it, which was perhaps not surprising.

The which is replacing the noun (IT), but referring back to a whole clause.

In the paper we wrote:

"(...) children work with family trees, what is done by only a 5% of the respondents."

But instead of using what, we should use which, because it is referring back to the previous clause.

"(...) children work with family trees, which is done by only a 5% of the respondents."

Source: Side, R & Wellman, G (2003) Grammar and Vocabulary for Cambridge Advannced and Proficiency. Longman. England.

INVERSION AFTER NEGATIVE ADVERBS

When we begin a sentence with a negative adverb or adverbial phrase, we sometimes have to change the usual word order or subject and verb (often using and auxiliary verb such as do):

For example: 

• I had never seen so many people in one room (NORMAL WORD ORDER)
• Never had I seen so many people in one room. (INVERSION)

We use inversion when we move a negative adverb (Never, Nowhere, Not Only, etc.) to the beginning of a sentence. We do this because we want to emphasise the meaning of the adverb.

 

In the paper we wrote, "In no way we conceive that Daniels considers adolescents (...)", but the correct form would be "In no way do we conceive that Daniels considers adolescents (...)".

 

Source: Side, R & Wellman, G (2002) Grammar and vocabulary for Cambridge Advanced and Proficiency. Harlow, Longman.

Nahir & Amilcar

‘Zombified’ adolescents: the perception of the adult world over adolescence.

“He had always liked the good parts, even when he was alive,” explains the narrator of The Good Parts (1989), a short story by Les Daniels. This protagonist is a zombie who likes eating human flesh more than anything, especially what he considers as ‘the good parts’: breasts, buttocks, penis and vaginas. However, this living dead is not very different than he was, before turning into a zombie. Daniels tells us that as a living teenager this character was always spending his time eating food and watching porn, looking also for ‘the good parts’. Intentionally or not, Daniels depicts a character that most adults would consider as the typical adolescent. The issue is that most of the ideas that adults usually possess about adolescence contain several prejudices and stigmas.

The teen main character in The Good Parts shows almost no change in his personality when becoming a zombie, just as if there were no differences between being an adolescent and being a zombie. In no way do we conceive that Daniels considers adolescents as zombies, but we understand that he uses the typical view adults have over adolescence to create his character and to show him as a zombie and as a teenager in a similar way. Considering that the traits and characteristics that adults use to describe adolescents are usually the ones that zombies manifest in most of the stories where they appear, we can say that nowadays adults tend to look at adolescents as if they were zombies. Thus, the purpose of this paper will be to discuss the similarities that exist between the preconceptions that adults have about adolescents and the typical features and traits that are usually associated with zombies, using the main character of The Good Parts to show those traits.

The Dog and The Shadow

“A bird in the hands is worth two in the bush”, or ask the dog from one of the classic Aesop’s Fables, “The Dog and The Shadow”, published in 1972.

 The story is about a dog that loses his piece of meat for being greedy. Short, funny and with a clear moral, this fable is a wonderful tool to work with values in the classroom.

A classic that never fails, make sure to have it in your bookshelf!

DISCONNECTED

Ituzaingó, April 13th 2015     

            

          Mr. President,

         We are MANCR, an independent television producer. We would like to introduce you “DISCONNECTED”, a fascinating and never seen before reality show starred by adolescents.

              The participants will be high school students who will compete for their end of the course trip. Teens will have to live together in a camp completely disconnected of technology during a whole month. They will have to overcome certain tests in order to win special commodities. They won’t be able to use technology; the only items they will be provided with are: tents, sleeping bags, food and water. Participants will be allowed to bring their own clothes.

            Cooperating and relaying on their partners, teens will learn how to live without internet, computers and cell phones.

            We hope you like the project and consider it.

            “DISCONNECTED they will connect.”

Yours faithfully,

MANCR

Let´s stop Lockwoods of the world!

by Nahir Penelas

Have you ever seen a piece of cheese falling from the sky? Or even better, a delicious hamburger coming from the sky into your hand? Well, if you haven’t, you can find this amazing phenomenon in the film “Cloudy with a chance of meatballs”. This film, produced by Sony Pictures Animation and distributed by Columbia Pictures in 2009, was based upon the book with the same name, written by Judi Barrett and published in 1978.

Flint Lockwood, a crazy young scientist, lives in Swallow Fall, the dark and boring city, producer of sardines, where the story is set. Tired of living in a city crammed with sardines, Flint creates the “FLDSMDFR”, a machine that produces food by a genetic alteration of hydrogen molecules. At the beginning everything seems perfect, but then, food over mutates and the citizens has to evacuate the city escaping from the attack of hot sauce waves and big corns, as Chernobyl citizens have escaped from dangerous radioactive particles.

Scientists tend to take decisions without being able to oversee the consequences they might bring. This human behavior towards nature will have fatal repercussions in the future. Describing a crazy and absurd situation, “Cloudy with a chance of meatballs”, criticizes the manipulation scientists make over nature.

The “FLDSMDFR” turns water, the most pure substance that exists on earth, into toxic fatty food. The mayor of the city represents the worst consequence that implies an abusive consumption of junk food: obesity. We know that in the last decade junk food has invaded all our cities, contributing to the increase of people suffering obesity in the world. Companies, with the cooperation of scientist, have discovered that the combination of sugar, fat and salt have the same effect as drugs in the human brain. In order to raise the amount of sales, they have started making products with these ingredients. That is how hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, candies and sodas have become a legal drug that kills millions of people annually. The same science that might save humans lives is the one that creates the conditions for their death. Instead of a solution, Flint has created a problem: a machine that produces artificial, toxic and addictive food that does not feed but intoxicates his neighbors.

Spray on shoes and Rat birds are some of the failed inventions Flint has created before the “FLDSMDFR”, both with everlasting consequences. Once he wears the Spray on shoes, hoping to solve the epidemic of untied shoes, he realizes that he would never be able to take them out; now shoes are part of his skin. Rat birds, a crossbreed between rats and birds, an absurd and useless creation, turns into a plague that bothers the whole city. Scientist like Flint should reflect upon the consequences their actions might have, because some results are permanent, and there is no way back.

Even though Lockwood has suffered many failures, he insists on making a marvelous invention that would change the world, as many other scientists dream. When he creates the food replicator, he commits the same mistake he had done with the previous inventions: not to think in the consequences it might bring. “What happens if food over mutates” asked Sam, the weather broadcaster, “I don’t know. It´ll never happen” answered Flint.  But it happened: food over mutates and the city was under a big danger. Like many other disasters that have occurred in our world as a result of lack of prevention (as the Chernobyl disaster I have previously mentioned), the film shows the background that involves an episode like this one. There is a combination of an unconscious society, unscrupulous politicians and risky scientists, which allow manipulation of nature.

Through a funny and fantasy plot, “Cloudy with a chance of meatballs” not only entertains us, but also helps us to notice the high number of artificial products we daily consume,  result of the manipulation that scientist make toward natural substance. Reflecting upon this reality, we might became conscious citizens, try to stop the over manipulation and mutation of organisms, and enjoy the world the way it is.

Nobody Needs a Thneed

By Amilcar Ferrero & Nahir Penelas

A big dazzling advertisement welcomes us to “Thneedville”, a surreal, plastic, artificial and superficial city, where the film ‘The Lorax’ is set. This movie released by Universal Picture in 2012 and directed by Chris Renaud is based on the book with the same name written by Dr. Seuss in 1971. The director and the producers readapted this children’s story into a modern 3D animated movie for kids.

The main character of the story is Tod, a ten year old boy who lives in Thneedville, a place without trees. Fighting against a superficial and consumerist society, Tod will restore fresh air by seeding a tree in the city again.

Despite the bright colours, catchy songs, and funny characters, “The Lorax” does not just want to entertain children, but it makes a criticism to the capitalist system.

Let’s take for example one of the film’s songs: “Everybody needs a Thneed, a fine thing that all people need.” By singing the lyrics the citizens show their enthusiasm to buy the Thneed, an absurd and useless product. Clearly, the name this product receives is not casual. “Thneed” recalls the idea of basic needs; as if it were something that you need in order to live. Once-ler, the inventor of this product, creates a commodity which everybody wants to have by using an effective slogan. Highlighting the multiple absurd functions this product has (it can be used as a scarf, a hat, a rag and many other things), he seduces people to buy the “Thneed”. Companies in a capitalist system try to infer and cover all the needs people might have in order to make their lives easier, as a strategy to sell products. In this way, the film shows a typical strategy of marketing.

Another problem comes when we are surprised by the method in which the “thneed” is produced. This product is made of a raw material that comes from trees.  Instead of using a harmless method to obtain it by using a clamp to collect the leaves from the crown of the tree, Once-ler decides to chop down all the trees. Once-ler’s mom influences his son to work with this easy but harmful method.  “You have to do what is best for the company,” she says, representing the common sense of businessmen in the capitalist system and underestimating the importance of nature. We can even hear in one of the songs: “There's a principle in business…It says the people with the money make this ever-loving world go 'round.” The thing is that underestimation and misunderstanding of nature is produced by a system in which money is the most important value. Or at least this is what the movie wants to transmit.

Everything in Thneedville can be sold, even the air. O´Hair Air, the main company in the village, takes advantage of the inexistence of trees, and decides to produce bottles with air. The mayor of Thneedville and head of the O'Hare Air company (power and money go hand in hand), Mr O´Hair says “The more smog, the more people who buy.” This means that in order to sell more “bottled air”, this man pollutes the environment without any guilty feeling. In this sense ‘The Lorax’ shows the ambition produced by the capitalist system where the only thing that matters is becoming rich and powerful.

Luckily, Tod will change this city and its citizen’s perception of their reality by planting a seed, and of course, singing a catchy song! Depicting an extreme consumerist society, the aim of the film is to criticize the capitalist system in order to make the audience reflect upon the world where they live, trying to encourage them to change it. In words of Once-ler (actually, Dr. Seuss’ words): “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

From the beginning up to the end of the story, ‘The Lorax’ shows in a funny but critical way a capitalist society where money and power are more important than nature. Should we follow Dr. Seuss’s advice? At least, let’s give it a thought.

Grandma Rabbitty's Visit (review)

Amilcar Ferrero  -  Nahir Penelas

BARRY SMITH
TODDLER STORY BOOK, DK PUBLISHING
1999

Two Little rabbits and their mother are waiting impatiently for Grandma Rabbitty’s visit. They look through the window all the afternoon checking out whether grandma arrives or not.  Sounds and colourful pictures will catch children’s attention throughout this short story written by Barry Smith.

The author is capable of creating suspense about grandma´s arrival. Pre-schoolers will be absorbed from beginning to end, waiting for the resolution, which will be funny and unexpected. After watching different means of transports coming and going without Grandma Rabbitty, she surprises us arriving in her motorbike. What a trendy granny!!

With simple drawings, Smith creates real life situations and sets the story in a familiar environment. He shows a mother doing the cleaning and taking care of her children, while they are playing with their toys. Onomatopoeias, written with different fonts, colours and sizes, appear several times depicting the noises of transports, toys and electrical appliances. This strategy invites children to imitate sounds and participate during the reading of the story. That’s why Grandma Rabbitty’s visit is a good story for parents to share time with their children.

Using short and simple sentences, the author creates an enjoyable story that can be read to children before saying good night. Kids will love this gripping colourful story that encourages them to participate.

Firebug

Of her tiny room, little red ant was tired. She needed more space to give a big birthday party. She thought and thought and the idea came across. She went to the shop and came back with a bomb. Matches in hand the countdown begun... 5, 4, 3, 2... "NOOOOOOOO!" Little Red Ant's mom shouted and blew the flame. "You can't explode your room!". "What's wrong with that?" Said Little Red Ant. "It makes room for new people". "Oh you little naughty ant, go to sleep!" Ordered Little Red Ant's mom.

The end

Exquisite cadaver

Love was you and me together. We used to be one soul. Even though, I didn’t want this to change, our fate was already written. I assume the pen was held by her. I would have never figured out that she used to visit me and her eyes were not upon me but on my grandmother. It was a pleasant breezy evening, I opened the door and I found them not drinking tea, not talking, not cooking but kissing. The passion in their lips was extreme. Her wrinkled hands held her skinny face that used to be mine. The disgusting scene made me feel shocked and I was only able to close the door. The noise let them know that they were not alone. As I left, I realized that my reality was not what I thought. It was a dark day and there was smog everywhere. Anxiousness was running through Dan´s veins. He felt nervous about his first experience piloting, and the weather was not helping.

He turned off the engineer, got off the car and went to the instructor´s office. There was music on, but no one answered when he knocked the door.  Raindrops began to fall on his head while he paced the landing track, his opportunity vanishing as the hours passed.

Dan decided to walk towards his car. But suddenly he heard a noise on the sky and turned his head up. It was his instructor in the plane he had been waiting for all day long. It was late anyway. The plane arrived late, so the pilot returned home.  The passengers had been waiting at the airport for ten hours and started to complain. As I was the check-in receptionist, everybody shouted at me angrily. The situation got worst when people destroyed the airport hall. All the employees were evacuated by the police. I decided to quit my work, because it wasn´t the first time that such dangerous disorder took place. The only person I would miss was my boss, William. I was in love with him, though I wasn´t sure if he felt the same.   That day, when I was at home he called me and I decided to start again.

It had been two years without seeing each other. He had gone to study abroad and I didn't want to follow him. At that time our relationship wasn't as good as the beginning of it. He had changed pretty much the last years. He priorized his carrer more than our relationship. I still was with him but I felt lonely. During these two years I went out, met new people even I got a new job. My life was normal, stable. I almost believed that I had forgotten him but last week he called me and we met each other. As soon as I saw him my heart exploded in happiness. All my feelings woke up again.He stared at me and at that moment he said: " Love was you and me together."

Flash fictions

Ice-cram rain and me on diet.
(whole class)

I´ll miss you pencil. The sharpener.

Troubles in the sky. Batman frowns.

Brains off, we are on Earth.

(Nahir P., Amílcar F., Mariana F.)


Pill forgotten. Baby's born. Game over.

New house. Single bed. Who´s out?.

Young lover. Discovered. Rest in peace.

(Lorena B., María Paula Ch., Patricia A.)



Joyful weekend gone; lifeless Monday on.

Freedom of thought? Vote for me!

Never mind. My coffee’s already cold.

Smoking… pencil with its top on.

Just a sheep following the herd.

(Gabriel C., Evelyn M., Daniela U., Jessica V.)


No money=no marriage=no boyfriend

No money=no marriage=avoid divorce

No boyfriend=no marriage=no money.


(Melina A., Carina C., Fedra DB., Florencia P.)