INSTRUCTIONS to teachers and students:
ENGLISH: These English lessons are designed to be used either by students to help themselves improve their English or by teachers to use when delivering lessons to their students. Every lesson has six sections. Common idioms and expressions, a gap fill exercise, a reading text with new vocabulary, a grammar section, a speaking section and a writing section. These six sections help students and teachers cover the main elements of the English language.
ENGLISH: These English lessons are designed to be used by students to help them improve their English or by teachers to use when teaching classes to their students. Each lesson has six sections. Common idioms and expressions, a gap-filling exercise, a reading text with new vocabulary, a grammar section, a speaking section, and a writing section. These six sections help students and teachers cover the main elements of the English language.
Grammar included: ‘Received Pronunciation’ and ‘The Correct Pronunciation of “ED” in a regular verb.
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SECTION ONE A
Expressions: Being British & Eccentric
Here are 3 expressions related to ‘Umbrellas and Jousting’ along with their meanings and sample sentences:
1. Expression: “Under someone’s umbrella”
Meaning: Being under the protection or guidance of a person or organization.
Example Sentence: Since the startup is under the umbrella of the tech giant, it has more resources to develop its products.
2. Expression: “When it rains, it pours”
Meaning: Used to mean that when something happens, it often happens in abundance or to an extreme degree, similar to the way rain can come down heavily during a storm.
Example Sentence: Just as I forgot my umbrella at home, a sudden downpour started – truly, when it rains, it pours.
3. Expression: “Saving for a rainy day”
Meaning: To reserve something, usually money, for a time of need or some future difficulty.
Example Sentence: Even though I’m tempted to buy a new car now, I think I should put some money aside and save for a rainy day.
Homework section
SECTION ONE B (Gap fill) Find the missing past tense verbs.
Umbrella jousting, an unusual but entertaining activity, has its participants ________ (1) on bicycles, holding large umbrellas. They aim to dismount their ________ (2) using only these umbrellas while maintaining a sense of balance and ________ (3). The origins of this sport are ________ (4), but it’s gained popularity at various outdoor festivals. Contestants often wear elaborate ________ (5) that hark back to a medieval aesthetic, and the umbrellas used are typically reinforced or modified for ________ (6). In an umbrella jousting match, the ________ (7) is usually a soft field to ensure safety upon falling. Enthusiasts gather in teams and compete in several rounds where strategy and precise movements are as important as the ________ (8). Winners of these tournaments sometimes receive whimsical prizes that reflect the lighthearted nature of the competition. As with any sporting event, respecting one’s ________ (9) and displaying good sportsmanship are considered as crucial as coming out on top. Those interested in participating can often find local clubs that offer training sessions for beginners eager to learn the ropes of umbrella jousting and become part of this __________ (10) tradition.
THE ANSWERS TO THIS EXERCISE ARE AT THE END OF THE LESSON BELOW.
Business Vocabulary
SECTION ONE C (Words used in a business setting related to umbrellas & jousting
1. “Raining profits”
Meaning: This expression means that a business is experiencing a substantial and often unexpected increase in earnings.
Example sentence: Ever since the new product line was launched, it’s been raining profits for the company.
2. “Every cloud has a silver lining”
Meaning: This optimistically suggests that there is a positive or hopeful aspect to every negative situation, even if it is not immediately apparent.
Example sentence: Our sales dipped this quarter because of market fluctuations, but every cloud has a silver lining—we can use this time to improve our internal processes.
3. “Flood the market”
Meaning: To release or provide so much of a product that is greatly in excess of demand.
Example sentence: After greatly overestimating demand, the company accidentally flooded the market with their new smartphone, resulting in reduced prices and profit margins.
Remember that during the lesson we are continuing our RP practice to be able to improve our pronunciation and diction.
SECTION TWO:
READING (Concentrate on your pronunciation of the ‘ed’ sounds. You will find the ‘ed’ lesson at the end of this English lesson.
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INTRODUCTION:
1). In a world where conventional sports no longer quench our thirst for novelty and excitement, an ancient yet almost forgotten game is making a surprising comeback.
Umbrella Jousting, once the preserve of quirky British eccentrics, is now gaining momentum as the latest craze in adventure sports. This unlikely combination of chivalry and street performance has seized the imaginations of thrill-seekers and cultural enthusiasts alike .
Picture this: two competitors, armed with nothing but their wits and a sturdy umbrella, mounted on bicycles (the modern-day steeds ) facing off in a duel that is as much about balance and skill as it is about pure, unadulterated fun . Join me as I examine the history, the rules, and the irresistible charm of Umbrella Jousting – where every splash is met with laughter and every thrust parried with artful dodges that would make a musketeer proud.
VOCABULARY: Now discuss any new vocabulary. https://translate.google.co.uk/
two). In the land of tea, crumpets , and the Queen, eccentricities are not merely quirks but a celebration of unorthodox joy . Among these is umbrella jousting , an entertainment as peculiarly British as it is delightfully absurd.
Umbrella jousting traces its roots back to the often rain-soaked avenues of the United Kingdom, where umbrellas are as much a tool for weathering storms as they are symbols of a stiff-upper-lip resilience . Historically, it’s less a product of necessity than of whimsy – an imaginative spin on the medieval tournaments that loom large in the nation’s storied past.
VOCABULARY: Now discuss any new vocabulary. https://translate.google.co.uk/
3). Participants, clad in traditional tweed or other outlandishly dapper attire, mount their noble bicycles and brandish their brollies as lances. Opponents face off in parks and open spaces, charging at each other with all the pomp and ceremony that such a sportingly good-natured clash deserves . The objective? To maintain balance and poise while attempting to gently prod one’s adversary , bringing new meaning to “raining on one’s parade”.
VOCABULARY: Now discuss any new vocabulary. https://translate.google.co.uk/
VIDEO LISTENING SECTION: Watch the video below about umbrella jousting and then answer the three questions below.
QUESTIONS:
- What does the adjective ‘wobbly’ mean?
- What is another name for an umbrella?
- What does it mean when someone says ‘tally ho!?
- Who was the final winner of the jousting competition?
- Explain to your teacher the idea of umbrella jousing.
VOCABULARY: Now discuss any new vocabulary. https://translate.google.co.uk/
GRAMMAR SECTION: (The past perfect progressive)
The past perfect progressive tense, also known as the past perfect continuous tense, describes an action that began in the past, continued for some time in the past, and was completed at some point in the past before another action took place. The structure for this tense is:
Subject + had + been + present partiple (verb+ing)
This tense is used to emphasize the duration of an action that was ongoing until another event occurred. It’s often accompanied by expressions such as ‘for (a period of time)’ or ‘since (a point in time)’.
Example Sentences:
1. She had been studying for hours before she finally took a break.
2. They had been traveling through South America for months when they decided to return home.
SPEAKING SECTION:
Explain the answers to these questions to your teacher.
- The
- B
- w
- d
WRITING SECTION:
Write two paragraphs about something eccentric that you have taken part in, in the past or something you would like to do in the future. In your writing use one example of the following grammar concepts:
- 1 x example of past perfect progressive
- 1 x example a comparative
- 1 x example of an umbrella phrasal verb. (Use Google to find your example.
SECTION THREE (REVISION)
How to pronounce the ‘ed’ sounds in regular verbs.
‘ED’ practice text
In this text remember that we are practicing our RP but at the same time we are going to practice how to pronounce the ‘ed’ in regular verbs. Here is an explanation.
In English, the pronunciation of the past tense suffix “-ed” varies and is determined by the final sound of the root verb:
1. /t/ Sound: We use this sound when the root verb ends in voiceless consonants (except for /t/), such as /p/, /k/, /s/, /ʃ/ (sh), /ʧ / (ch), and /f/. For example:
– “walk” becomes “walked” and is pronounced as /wa: kt/
– “laugh” becomes “laughed” and is pronounced as /laugh: ft/
2. /d/ Sound: We use this sound with root verbs ending in voiced sounds, which include all vowel sounds and voiced consonants (except for /d/), such as /b/, /g/, /v/, / z/, etc. For example:
– “call” becomes “called” and is pronounced as /ca lld/
– “rob” becomes “robbed” and is pronounced as /rob bd/
3. /ɪd/ or just /d/ Sound: We use this sound distinctly when the root verb ends in either a /t/ or a /d/. This additional syllable makes it easier to pronounce. For example:
– “want” becomes “wanted” and is pronounced as /ˈwant: id/
– “need” becomes “needed” and is pronounced as /ˈneed: id/
GAP FILL EXERCISE ANSWERS:
Answers:
1. racing
2. opponent
3. precision
4. obscure
5. customs
6. durability
7. terrain
8. skill
9. opponents
10. growing
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