Author: andreaalthoff

What’s your zodiac sign?

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Astrology! Do you ever read your horoscope?

Which sign of the zodiac were you born under/in?

Astrology correlates the positions and movements of celestial bodies, such as planets and stars, at the time of a person’s birth with events on Earth, including human personality and natural phenomena.

It is based on the idea that the positions of these celestial objects at the time of a person’s birth can influence their character, behavior, and destiny.

Astrology typically involves dividing the sky into twelve sections or “houses,” each associated with a zodiac sign (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, etc.), and the positions of celestial bodies within these houses are thought to influence a person’s life.

So, do you know what your zodiac sign is?

or simply:

What is your sign? or

What is your zodiac sign / star sign / sun sign, or astrological sign?

Zodiac signs

ARIES (March 21 – April 19)

TAURUS (April 20 – May 21)

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

LEO (July 23 – August 22)

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22)

LIBRA (September 23 – October 22)

SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21)

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21)

CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19)

AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18)

PISCES (February 19 – March 20)

Depending on the month you were born, you have an animal or some symbol that represents that month.

Are star signs important to you? Do you know the characteristics someone with your star sign should have?

Listen carefully and take note of the adjectives.

Advanced – Personality Traits

Here is a comprehensive list of words for personality traits. Reflect on them. Look them up in a dictionary and decide which is positive, negative or neutral.

  • WORKAHOLIC
  • RESPONSIBLE
  • HUMANITARIAN
  • SOCIAL
  • LOVES RELAXATION
  • GENEROUS
  • IMPULSIVE
  • IMPRESSIONABLE
  • BRAVE
  • FUNNY
  • ENIGMATIC
  • INVENTIVE
  • CARING
  • STOIC
  • SENSITIVE
  • LOGICAL
  • BOLD
  • PERSISTENT
  • OVERLY EMOTIONAL
  • EASY-GOING
  • CREATIVE
  • EASILY-BORED
  • THEATRICAL
  • HILARIOUS
  • SECRETIVE
  • OPTIMISTIC
  • ORIGINAL
  • RELENTLESS DETERMINATION
  • GENEROUS
  • HONEST
  • CONFIDENT
  • PROTECTIVE
  • STUBBORN
  • FAIR
  • AMBITIOUS
  • UNIQUE
  • PROGRESSIVE
  • SYSTEMATIC
  • INDECISIVE
  • PASSIONATE
  • PERFECTIONIST
  • PRACTICAL
  • SPONTANEOUS
  • CHEERFUL DISPOSITION
  • LOYAL
  • JEALOUS
  • IDEALISTIC
  • MOTIVATED
  • VIVACIOUS
  • INTELLIGENT
  • LOVES LUXURY AND COMFORT
  • STUBBORN
  • OUTGOING
  • MOODY
  • EMPATHETIC
  • DIPLOMATIC
  • SELF-CENTERED
  • BIG HEARTED
  • MYSTERIOUS
  • HARD-WORKING
  • DISCIPLINED
  • UNPREDICTABLE

Now watch the video and look at each zodiac sign and the characteristics that belong to which one of them. Hehe.

TIME FOR PRACTICE: SPEAKING!

1 Do you think the information about your own star sign is accurate? Why / Why not?
2 Which star sign do you think would be the best / worst match for you? Why?
3 Do you know the difference between astrology and astronomy?
4 Would you go to see an astrologist?
5 Would you like to know your future? Would that be what you want to know?
6 What would it take to convince you that astrology works?

TIME FOR PRACTICE: GRAMMAR, READING AND WRITING!

For a Beginners practice but good as a review for prices and dates, click:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/video-series/starting-out/episode-13-horoscopes

My daughter and “I” or “me”?

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It depends.

  • MY DAUGHTER AND I had a great time together.
  • THEY PREPARED A NICE DINNER FOR MY DAUGHTER AND ME.

A SUBJECT PRONOUN is the PERFORMER of the action in a sentence.

The OBJECT PRONOUN is the RECEIVER of the action in a sentence.

“I” is a Subject Pronoun, and “ME” is an Object Pronoun. 

  • I like chocolate.
  • The call is for me.

ONE SUBJECT OR OBJECT:

  • I called Steve.
  • I talked to Mary.
  • Steve called me.
  • Mary talked to me.
  • These shoes are too big for me.

CLUE 1  AFTER A PREPOSITION, use an OBJECT PRONOUN

We get confused when we use a PRONOUN IN A PAIR, which it’s called:

MULTIPLE OR COMPOUND SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS:

  • Sarah and I are friends.
  • The gift is from Sarah and me.

CLUE 1 after a preposition, use an object pronoun

CLUE 2 REMOVE the OTHER PERSON

  • The gift is from me.

IMPORTANT: IT IS CONSIDERED POLITE TO MENTION ONESELF LAST IN DOUBLE SUBJECTS OR OBJECTS

  • Bob and I had lunch.
  • They promoted Bob and me.

NOTICE that it is possible that the object comes in the beginning of the sentence.

It is me who proofread the content before it was submitted.

CLUE 3 very often, AFTER THE VERB TO BE WE USE THE OBJECT PRONOUN

  • It is you and me in this old photo.
  • I am me, and you are you.
  • That person over there is me in the photo.

LISTENING AND PRACTICE 1

PRACTICE 2  https://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-2/exercise-english-27939.php

PRACTICE 3  https://www.grammarbook.com/grammar_quiz/i_vs_me.asp

DIVIDED USAGE Some forms have always existed in the language, but have been eradicated by eighteenth and nineteenth century British grammarians, often because they thought that English grammar should imitate Latin, which was considered a superior language. Examples:

  • John and me went to the cinema.
  • between you and I

People are now more tolerant of such forms, so they are becoming more common.

They are, however, restricted to a very informal style. They are not correct in formal speech or writing.

What’s the weather like?

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At each change of the season, people notice that, feel and talk even more about the weather. They commonly ask about it by saying:

  • How’s the weather?
  • What’s the weather like?
  • What’s it like outside? (What’s the weather like outside?)
  • What’s the temperature?
  • What’s the weather forecast?
  • What’s the forecast for tomorrow?

We usually use IT IS when we talk about the weather. We use:

It is + adjective or It is + verb-ing

For example:

  • It is rainy.
  • It is raining.

What is the difference?

It is + adjective = A description of the weather

  • It is rainy …. it is describing the weather. How is the weather? It is rainy.

It is + verb-ing = This type of weather is happening now.

  • It is raining …. What is happening now? It is raining.

Let’s look at more examples of these.

It is + adjective

It is + adjective  = A description of the weather

  • It is sunny.
  • It is cloudy.
  • It is windy.
  • It is foggy.

Notice how a lot of weather adjectives end in Y: sunny, cloudy, windy, foggy.

But adjectives to describe temperature don’t normally end in Y:

  • It is hot.
  • It is warm.
  • It is cool.
  • It is cold.

It is + a + adjective + day

Now let’s look at this again… It is hot.

We can give a little more information by using:
It is + a + adjective + day
Or instead of the word day, you can specify the part of the day like morning, afternoon, night, etc.

  • So, It is hot … becomes …
  • It is a hot day.

Another example:

  • It is cold … becomes …
  • it is a cold morning. (Here I specify the part of the day)

Now let’s look at using the verb-ing to describe the weather.

It is + verb-ing

Remember, this describes the type of weather happening now.

  • It is raining.
  • It is snowing.
  • It is hailing.

These three actions are happening now.

IT IS in different tenses

You can also use it is in different tenses.
For example the past tense, perfect tense, present tense, future tense, etc.

  • It was sunny yesterday. (past tense)
  • It has been sunny all week. (perfect tense)
  • It is sunny today. (present tense)
  • It will be sunny tomorrow. (future tense)

Question for you

What is the weather like where you are right now?

IN, ON and AT for locations: a much-needed lesson

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Learn the differences between ‘at,’ ‘in,’ and ‘on,’ as prepositions of place with this awesome video! Take notes, use the subtitles and play the video slower than its speed if you need.

Good, right?

So let’s look again at the differences between ‘at,’ ‘in,’ and ‘on’ for locations with a different lesson.

At can be used to talk about a specific location.

  • I’m at work.
  • He’s at the shops. 

On is frequently used in relation to a surface.

  • I’m sitting on a chair.
  • The pen is on the table.
  • You can hang the picture on the wall.

In often talks about a three-dimensional space – often with four walls. It’s similar to ‘inside’.

  • The bed is in the bedroom.
  • The flowers look great in that vase (or in the garden).
  • David is playing in the forest.

Remember! Think of a music concert:
I’m at the front. The band is on the stage. And my friends are in the crowd.

EXPLAINED IN MORE DETAIL

Now, we will look at the different ways to use the prepositions ‘in,’ ‘on,’ and ‘at,’ more examples, meanings, and exceptions to the rules. First, test your knowledge of the vocabulary with the quiz.

At

‘At’ is often used for public places. For example, you can say ‘at the cinema’ or ‘at the mall.’

‘At’ in this case can mean that you’re inside the place, or just near it.

Often, in these cases, it’s possible to use ‘in’ or ‘at’ with no difference in meaning. You can say ‘I’m in the supermarket’ or ‘I’m at the supermarket’; both are correct and commonly used.

There might be a small difference. If you want to emphasize that you’re inside a building, then use ‘in.’ If you’re outdoors, then use ‘at.’

‘At’ can mean ‘next to’. Let’s see a couple of examples:

  • They sat at the table and discussed what to do next.
  • Someone’s at the door. Can you answer it?
  • I was waiting at the bus stop for half an hour.

Use ‘at’ with events or the building where an event or activity takes place.

  • at a party
  • at a meeting
  • at a concert
  • at the cinema
  • at the library
  • at the airport

Use ‘at’ with people’s homes or offices. You can say:

  • I was at Tim’s house yesterday.
  • We’ll be at Sasha’s place for dinner tonight.

Use ‘at’ for a temporary stop during a journey:

  • We stopped at a nice village.
  • The train to Manchester stops at Birmingham.

There are a few fixed phrases with ‘at’ that it’s better just to memorize. The most important ones are:

  • at home
  • at work
  • at school
  • at college
  • at university
  • at church
  • at reception

Note that you never use an article, like ‘a’ or ‘the,’ in the phrases ‘at home’ and ‘at work,’ and you generally don’t use an article when you say ‘at school,’ ‘at college’ or ‘at university.’

Use ‘at’ to talk about position or time with phrases like:

  • at the end of
  • at the beginning of
  • at the top of
  • at the bottom of

For example: ‘Please read and follow the instructions at the top of the page.’

Finally, use ‘at’ with an exact address, when we know the name and number of the street, for example: ‘I live at 13 Crinklewell Crescent.’

On

Use ‘on’ when something is on a surface:

  • on the floor
  • on the shelf
  • on the kitchen counter
  • on the bed
  • on my desk
  • on a chair
  • on the ceiling

You can use ‘on’ with all kinds of surfaces – not just horizontal ones:

  • She has a small spot on her nose.
  • There is a photograph on the wall.
  • He spilled coffee on his shirt.

Use ‘on’ with print media:

  • on page one
  • on the menu
  • on the map

You use ‘on’ with geographical features, like islands and beaches.

  • There’s a pretty church  on that island.

For canal and other bodies of water like rivers and lakes, we think of them as surfaces.

  • We had a lovely gondola ride on the Grand Canal.

But ‘on’ and ‘in’ are both possible with mountains. We say that someone or something is on a mountain If we are talking about a single mountain.

We say that someone or something is in the mountains (in the plural) when we are talking about a mountain range.

  • They went skiing on Mont Blanc.
  • They went skiing in the Alps.

Use ‘on’ with transport in which you sit on top of: bicycles, motorbikes, and horses. You also use ‘on’ with public transport and boats. So, you say:

  • on the plane
  • on the bus
  • on the boat

Here’s one more example: ‘He’s sitting on the train and talking on the phone.’

Use ‘on’ to talk about using devices:

  • on the phone
  • on the internet
  • on the radio
  • on TV

Use ‘on’ with floors. You say:

  • on the ground floor (British English = first floor, American English)
  • on the second floor
  • on the fifth floor

Use ‘on’ is when something is ‘attached’ to something else:

  • She is wearing a ring is on her finger.
  • There are three apples on the tree, etc.

Use ‘on’ for a town close to a coast, river, or the coast, and for roads and streets.

  • Florianópolis is a town on the south coast of Brazil.
  • Blumenau is on the river Itajaí Açú.

Use ‘on’ for talking about places along a road when we do not know the number of the street:

  • I live on México Street.

Finally, ‘on’ a farm, ‘on’ the left/ ‘on’ the right, are standard expressions.

In

The most common use of the ‘in’ preposition is for cities and countries.

  • I live in Brazil.
  • She lives in Paris.

Use ‘in’ for rooms and indoor spaces:

  • in the living room
  • in the apartment
  • in my bedroom

Also, use ‘in’ for containers and enclosed spaces:

  • in the bowl
  • in the box
  • in your pocket

Also, use ‘in’ plus ‘north’, ‘south’, ‘east’ or ‘west’:

  • She lives in the south of Spain.
  • Thailand is in south east Asia.

Use ‘in’ with establishments and businesses:

  • in the shop
  • in a restaurant
  • in the supermarket

As you saw before, sometimes, ‘at’ is also possible here, with a similar meaning.

You also say ‘in the centre’ or ‘in the middle’.

Use ‘in’ to talk about media:

  • in a picture
  • in the photograph
  • in the film
  • in the newspaper

Use ‘in’ with cars and taxis. With most other transport, use ‘on.’

You also use ‘in’ to mean ‘surrounded by a material’:

  • in the air
  • in the water
  • in the sea
  • in the sky
  • in a thick sauce

Use ‘in’ to talk about many outdoor spaces. You can use ‘in’ for smaller, enclosed spaces. For example:

  • in the park
  • in a field
  • in the garden

You can also use ‘in’ for larger, more open spaces:

  • in the countryside
  • in the sky
  • in the world

Use ‘in’ to talk about things which are enclosed by part of your body. You can hold something in your hand. If you eat too much sugar, you’ll get toothache – a pain in your tooth.

  • He felt a sudden pain  in his stomach.

There are some fixed phrases with ‘in’ that don’t follow a clear pattern. Notice that we do not use the word “the”. The most useful are:

  • in bed
  • in hospital
  • in prison

If you are talking about ‘armchair,’ you say, ‘we sit in an armchair,’ but if it is a regular chair, you say ‘we sit on a chair.’

There is no rule. We must learn these fixed expressions.

Finally, use ‘in’ to talk about things which are in a line. For example:

  • We sat on the floor in a row.
  • He arranged his tools in a neat line.

This also works if you arrange things into a shape. For example: ‘We set out the chairs in a circle.’

Wow! That is a comprehensive and highly necessary lesson! 😉