POST 5: A PHOTOGRAPH THAT YOU LIKE

Say Cheeeeeeese! 

Taking photographs is one of my hobbies and I’m pretty good at it -or so they say. I started to take photos when I was in my twenties with an old analog Zenit camera that someone lent me, so by now I have around ten albums with old prints, plus the photos I have taken with my digital camera. I couldn’t afford a good camera when I was young because they were very expensive, but nowadays they are a lot cheaper. I have had five cameras so far, and the latest is a digital one which allows me to take as many pictures as I want to, so I’m very pleased with it.
Do you enjoy taking photos? Do you have a camera? Do you collect printed photos? Are you a photolog freak?
This week you are expected to write about a photograph that you like. Make sure to include the following in your post:

Say:

Who took it
What it shows
When it was taken
Why you like it

Upload it too.

Include any other information you'd like to mention.
Write at least 150 words.

Add comments to at least 3 of your classmates’ blogs.

Please, have a look at my sample post below.

Snap shooting around London.


I took this photo on my last trip to London, in July 2011, when I went to Camdem Town Market Place, which is a large market where you can find lots of things, such as handcraft, clothes, ethnic food, paintings, jewelry, rugs, antichs, -you name it-, therefore there are lots of things worth a click.
This photo shows a very eclectic shop there, where, as you can see, they sell vintage clothes and old pieces of furniture, along with some typical English pastries and beverages, and I took it while I was having a nice cup of tea.
I know that this is a rather simple photo, but I like it since it reminds me of the good time that I spent in that city and in that cafe, which is a very special place with a very pleasant atmosphere where they play music from the 50s to the 70s, and where sometimes one of the owners plays beautiful tunes in the piano. 

SOME HELP TO WRITE YOUR POSTS

Here you have some important information that will help you organize your posts and improve your writing skills:

HOW TO WRITE A COMPOSITION

Different Parts of a Composition:
Whatever you choose to write for a composition, you usually follow the same basic structure: Introduction/Opening + Body + Conclusion/Closing

1. Opening (1 paragraph)
-It consists of a presentation of the topic (use an "attention grabber": something to capture the reader’s attention).
-It contains the ideas you are going to deal with (a quick overview of what’s coming)

2. Body (2-3 paragraphs)
-The body is a group of paragraphs that develop on the main idea as introduced in the opening.
-Each paragraph argues, describes, explains, discusses, defines, clarifies, illustrates or whatever on the opening statement.
-One idea is discussed in each paragraph.

3. Closing (1 paragraph)
-It can be a summing up, reviewing or restating the main idea in different words or briefly stating your opinion, feelings or suggesting a solution, or some “food for thought” or a wish…

Ensure the concluding paragraph is not too long; three or four sentences will be enough.
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How can you write an attention grabber?

By...
-Making an unexpected statement
-Using Humor
-Using a relevant quotation
-Posing a Rhetorical question designed to arouse curiosity without requiring an answer
-Shocking the Audience with an unexpected fact or statistic

Examples:
A good attention grabber: "The death penalty is the most premeditated of murders"; “Elvis is not dead...”; “Who said that the countryside is boring?”; “Seagulls are just rats with wings”; “Hating seagulls is like being racist or homophobic”

A bad attention grabber: “Today I have to write about...”; “the topic of this post is...”

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PUTTING YOUR IDEAS TOGETHER

Here is a “helping word” to students in trouble, I mean, several words that will help you when you find it hard to write something  because your ideas are not connected.

These expressions are used to introduce a new topic:

-as for, in regards to, concerning (en cuanto a, en relación a)
-in reference to, with regards to (tocante a , concerniente a )
-about, concerning (acerca de)

You can use these words (Connectors) to link your ideas.

RESULT – SUMMARY
So – Therefore, – as a result – thus – Consequently, – in this way – in short – in brief
CONCESSION
However, – Nevertheless, – despite – in spite of – yet – although – though – still …
CONTRAST
Instead – in comparison – but – on ( the ) one hand – on the other hand – by contrast – whereas – otherwise
ADDITION
Also – and – Furthermore, – Moreover, – in addition ( to ) – besides – above all…
REASON
Because – since – as - because of , due to – thanks to - that’s why – that’s the reason why -
EMPHASIS
As a matter of fact, – in particular – Of course, – In fact, – indeed – in any event…
ILLUSTRATION
For instance – for example …
REPETITION
Similarly – likewise – in the same way…
SEQUENCE
First – next – then – finally – at last – eventually – in the end…In conclusion,
Firstly – Secondly- thirdly…

And here are some useful phrases for opinions:

- Many people claim that…
- It is true that….
- This is not an exaggeration … even though…
- I tend to dis/agree with …
- In my view…
-As far as I'm concerned,
- In conclusion, – To conclude,
- I can understand… However, …
- As we have seen/will see, there are ( at least ) two sides to this issue.
- I am convinced that we can / deal with this situation /improve this situation / solve this problem…
- This is an issue that / can be solved / must be faced …
- Another aspect of the issue is…
- In my opinion, the advantages of… far outweigh the disadvantages…
- We can argue that… but…
- Personally I am in favor of…..

On these websites you will find some exercises on connectors.

http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/grammar/engineering/transitions/2.xml

http://www.englishdaily626.com/sentence_connectors.php?005

http://sana.tkk.fi/awe/cohesion/signposts/contrast/exercises/1r.html

POST 4: FILMS

THE MOVIES OF MY LIFE
Nothing compares with watching a good film. Although I don’t go to the cinema very often I buy DVDs on a weekly basis or I borrow them from my friends. The kind of films I like the most are dramas and good quality comedies, and one of the best ones I’ve seen this year is “A Chinese Story” (originally “Un cuento chino”), which is an Argentinian film that mixes both genres. Don't hesitate to see it.

One of my all-time favourite film is “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane”, a drama in which two ex-actress sisters live together in a decaying mansion. One of them, Blanche, is crippled for life and depends on the care of the other sister, Baby Jane, a cruel woman who is capable of doing anything to torment her… Two very famous actresses star in this film: Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, who is at her best here. I really love this film because of Davis’s spectacular performance and the excellent plot, which is very well unfolded. I have seen this film around three times and I would definitely watch it again, it’s a “must see” that I strongly reccomend to anybody who likes good quality films.

A film that I long to see again is “The Age of Innocence”. I don’t mean the American adaptation of Wharton’s 1920 novel of the same name, but a 1962 Mexican movie about a string puppeteer and an orphan little girl. I saw it when I was 6 and I will never forget the scenes with the puppets that turned me into a lover of piano classical music ever since.
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Hi everybody.
Once again you have chosen the topic for your post and you have decided to write about films.
In order to get started try answering some of the questions below to write an introductory paragraph, and then answer all the questions for the main body. Finally answer the last question to write your closing paragraph.
Introduction:
-How often do you go to the cinema or rent DVDs?
-What kind of films do you like?
-Who's your favourite film director?
-What's the last film that you saw?
-What's the best/worst film you have seen this year?

Main body:
-What is your all-time favourite film?
-What is it about?
-Who stars in it?
-Why do you like it?
-How many times have you seen it?
-Would you reccomend it?

Closing paragraph:
-Which film would you like to see again? Why?

KEEP IN MIND:
- Leave a comment on 3 of your classmates’ posts
- The word count for this post is 140 words.

POST 3: MY FAVOURITE PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY

Before you get down to writing today's post, I would like you to let me know which topics you would like to write about this semester.


This week you are supposed to write about your favourite piece of technology. Make sure you read my sample post before you write yours.

Say:

What it is.
When you got it.
How you use it.
How often you use it.
Why you like it.
What life would be like without it.

- 130 words minimum.
- Include a picture.
- Comment on at least 3 of your classmates’ blogs.
oooooooooooooooooooooooo-oooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Meet my best friend: My computer.

My friends have been absolutely superseded by my computer! When I was a kid our old TV set was the technologycal device I loved the most and I I used to think that nothing would replace it as a source of entertainment. However, my computer has now turned into my favourite piece of technology to have fun with, so I spend more time sitting at my computer than being with my friends..
I got my first computer around sixteen years ago and then I thought that it was like a magical, miraculous instrument. I just couldn’t believe my eyes: it was able to do complicated things, like counting words, arranging things alphabetically, or copying long texts in a second or two! My current computer is the third one I have had, I bought it some five years ago and I´m very pleased with it.
I usually use my computer to look for information, to find and prepare material for my classes, to watch things on Youtube, to send e-mails, to find out what my friends are up to, and a long etcetera, and I think I’ve been using it on a daily basis for quite a few years.
I especially like my computer because every time I have a doubt I just google for it and generally find the answer. Consequently, it has helped me solve many problems, like what printer and photographic camera I should buy, how to improve my TV reception, where to find things I need to get, etc.
For all the things I’ve mentioned and many more, I guess my life without my computer would be a lot more complicated and a lot less fun.

POST 2: EXPECTATIONS FOR A NEW SEMESTER

Today you are expected to tell us about your life at the university. I hope you are enjoying this new term and learning a lot
Write about:

- the subjects you are doing this term
- extracurriculars you are taking
- other activities that you are part of at university
- what you expect from this new academic period

The wordcount this week is 110 (minimum)

> Make comments on three of your classmates'