LANGUAGE: Silent Letters (10)
Silent Letters (10)
Silent “T”
The letter T is usually silent in words ending in “-stle” and “-sten”, as well as in many words of French origin, along with a few other irregular words.
La “T” muda
La lletra T sol ser muda en paraules que acaben en «-stle» i «-sten», així com en moltes paraules d’origen francès, a més d’algunes altres paraules irregulars.
La “T” muda
La letra T suele ser muda en palabras que terminan en «-stle» y «-sten», así como en muchas palabras de origen francés, además de algunas otras palabras irregulares.
| Wrestle | Bustle | Castle | Hustle | Thistle |
| Fasten | Glisten | Listen | Moisten | Soften |
| Beret | Buffet | Crochet | Debut | Gourmet |
| Ricochet | Valet | Asthma | Christmas | mortgage |
| Whistle | Ballet | Rapport | Tsunami | Turtle |
LANGUAGE: Grammar (9)
Grammar (9)
Futur: going to
1. Fem servir going to per parlar del que tenim la intenció de fer en el futur. Utilitzem going to quan ja hem decidit fer alguna cosa.
- “I’m going to have a shower.”
- “Why did you take the furniture out of this room?” “I’m going to clean the carpet.”
- “Why are you putting on those old clothes?” “I’m going to paint the kitchen.”
Futur: going to
També fem servir going to per expressar prediccions sobre el futur. Utilitzem going to per parlar de conseqüències futures que podem “veure” com a resultat d’alguna cosa que està passant en el present.
- She’s very big. She’s going to have a baby next month.
- Look at those black clouds. It’s going to rain.
Present continu amb significat de futur
Fem servir el present continu per referir-nos a alguna cosa que ja hem acordat o planificat fer en el futur.
- What are you doing on Saturday evening? I’m meeting Sarah.
- Mary is taking an exam on Monday.
- We’re visiting some friends in Madrid next week.
Quan fem servir el present continu amb aquest significat, normalment indiquem el moment futur (per exemple: on Saturday evening, on Monday, this afternoon, next weekend).
Futuro: going to
1. Se utiliza going to para hablar de lo que tenemos intención de hacer en el futuro. Se emplea going to cuando ya hemos tomado la decisión de hacer algo.
- “I’m going to have a shower.”
- “Why did you take the furniture out of this room?” “I’m going to clean the carpet.”
- “Why are you putting on those old clothes?” “I’m going to paint the kitchen.”
Futuro: going to
También se utiliza going to para expresar predicciones sobre el futuro. Se emplea going to para referirse a consecuencias futuras que podemos “ver” como resultado de algo que ocurre en el presente.
- She’s very big. She’s going to have a baby next month.
- Look at those black clouds. It’s going to rain.
Presente continuo con significado de futuro
Se utiliza el presente continuo para hablar de algo que ya hemos acordado o planeado hacer en el futuro.
- What are you doing on Saturday evening? I’m meeting Sarah.
- Mary is taking an exam on Monday.
- We’re visiting some friends in Madrid next week.
Cuando se emplea el presente continuo con este significado, normalmente se indica el momento futuro (por ejemplo: on Saturday evening, on Monday, this afternoon, next weekend).
LANGUAGE: Irregular Plurals (6)
Irregular Plurals (6)
Most nouns in English are made plural by simply adding -s or -es; however, as you might expect, English has several exceptions to that rule. Below are various exceptions.
La majoria dels substantius en anglès es fan plurals simplement afegint-hi -s o -es; tanmateix, com és d’esperar, l’anglès té diverses excepcions a aquesta regla. A continuació es mostren diverses excepcions.
La mayoría de los sustantivos en inglés se pluralizan simplemente añadiendo -s o -es; sin embargo, como es de esperar, el inglés tiene varias excepciones a esta regla. A continuación se presentan varias excepciones.
| Alumnus | Alumni |
| Criterion | Criteria |
| Phenomenon | Phenomena |
| Crisis | Crises |
| Octopus | Octopi |
| Datum | Data |
| Cactus | Cacti |
| Index | Idices |
| Appendix | Appendices |
| curriculum | Curricula |
LANGUAGE: Commonly Misspelled Words (5)
Commonly Misspelled Words (5)
Common Words that are Frequently Misspelled:
Paraules comunes que s’escriuen malament amb freqüència:
Palabras comunes que frecuentemente se escriben mal:
| Larynx | Fatigue | Temperament | Gnaw | Preliminary | Exceed |
| Accompany | Benefit | Utensil | Despise | Ascend | Unstable |
LANGUAGE: Silent Letters (9)
Silent Letters (9)
Silent “A”
The letter A is frequently silent in specific English words, especially words that contain the combination “ea” and words that end in “-ally.” A few words also have a silent A at the beginning of the word—notice the first two examples on this list.
La “A” muda
La lletra A sovint és muda en determinades paraules angleses, especialment en les que contenen la combinació «ea» i en les que acaben en «-ally». Algunes paraules també tenen una A muda al començament; fixeu-vos en els dos primers exemples de la llista.
La “A” muda
La letra A suele ser muda en determinadas palabras inglesas, especialmente en aquellas que contienen la combinación «ea» y en las que terminan en «-ally». Algunas palabras también tienen una A muda al principio; fíjate en los dos primeros ejemplos de esta lista.
| Aesthetic | Aisle | Beach | Bread | Clean |
| Break | Critically | Dead | Deal | Death |
| Fear | Head | Peak | Heavy | Leather |
| Logically | Musically | Health | Peach | Ready |
| Seam | Spread | Sweater | Teach | wealth |
LANGUAGE: Grammar (8)
Grammar (8)
Past Perfect Continuous (Plusquamperfet Continu)
El past perfect continuous es forma amb had been + verb principal acabat en -ing.
- I had been working all day.
(Havia estat treballant tot el dia.)
Ús
Quan parlem del passat, de vegades volem referir-nos a una acció que ja estava en desenvolupament abans d’un altre moment passat.
Exemple:
- David had been driving for an hour when his car broke down.
(En David feia una hora que conduïa quan el seu cotxe es va avariar.)
Utilitzem el past perfect continuous (David had been driving for an hour) per parlar d’una acció que havia estat passant fins al moment passat al qual ens referim (when his car broke down).
Més exemples
- I’d been walking for about an hour when it suddenly started to rain.
(Feia aproximadament una hora que caminava quan, de sobte, va començar a ploure.) - Mr Woods had been working for 50 years when he finally retired in 1997.
(El senyor Woods feia 50 anys que treballava quan finalment es va jubilar l’any 1997.)
Relació amb el Present Perfect Continuous
El past perfect continuous és la forma de passat del present perfect continuous.
| Present Perfect Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|---|
| I’ve been working hard all day, so I am tired now. | I’d been working hard all day, so I was very tired last night. |
| He estat treballant de valent tot el dia, així que ara estic cansat. | Havia estat treballant de valent tot el dia, així que ahir a la nit estava molt cansat. |
Traducció al català
En català, aquesta estructura sovint es tradueix amb expressions com:
- feia + període de temps + que + imperfet
- havia estat + gerundi
Per exemple:
- I’d been walking for about an hour…
→ Feia aproximadament una hora que caminava… - Mr Woods had been working for 50 years…
→ Feia 50 anys que treballava… - It had been raining all morning.
→ Havia estat plovent tot el matí. / Feia tot el matí que plovia.
Estructura
| Forma | Exemple |
|---|---|
| Afirmativa | She had been studying for three hours. |
| Negativa | She hadn’t been studying for three hours. |
| Interrogativa | Had she been studying for three hours? |
Recorda: fem servir el past perfect continuous per destacar la durada d’una acció que estava en curs abans d’un altre moment del passat.
Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto Continuo (Past Perfect Continuous)
El pretérito pluscuamperfecto continuo se forma con had been + verbo principal en -ing.
- I had been working all day.
(Había estado trabajando todo el día.)
Uso
Cuando hablamos del pasado, a veces queremos referirnos a una acción que ya estaba en desarrollo antes de otro momento pasado.
Ejemplo:
- David had been driving for an hour when his car broke down.
(David llevaba una hora conduciendo cuando su coche se averió.)
Utilizamos el pretérito pluscuamperfecto continuo (David had been driving for an hour) para hablar de una acción que había estado ocurriendo hasta el momento pasado al que nos referimos (when his car broke down).
Más ejemplos
- I’d been walking for about an hour when it suddenly started to rain.
(Llevaba aproximadamente una hora caminando cuando de repente empezó a llover.) - Mr Woods had been working for 50 years when he finally retired in 1997.
(El señor Woods llevaba trabajando 50 años cuando finalmente se jubiló en 1997.)
Relación con el Present Perfect Continuous
El pretérito pluscuamperfecto continuo es la forma de pasado del present perfect continuous.
| Present Perfect Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|---|
| I’ve been working hard all day, so I am tired now. | I’d been working hard all day, so I was very tired last night. |
| He estado trabajando duro todo el día, así que ahora estoy cansado. | Había estado trabajando duro todo el día, así que anoche estaba muy cansado. |
Traducción al español
En español, esta estructura suele traducirse mediante:
- llevaba + gerundio
- había estado + gerundio
Por ejemplo:
- I’d been walking for about an hour…
→ Llevaba aproximadamente una hora caminando… - Mr Woods had been working for 50 years…
→ Llevaba 50 años trabajando… - It had been raining all morning.
→ Había estado lloviendo toda la mañana. / Llevaba toda la mañana lloviendo.
Estructura
| Forma | Ejemplo |
|---|---|
| Afirmativa | She had been studying for three hours. |
| Negativa | She hadn’t been studying for three hours. |
| Interrogativa | Had she been studying for three hours? |
Recuerda
Utilizamos el pretérito pluscuamperfecto continuo para destacar la duración de una acción que estaba en curso antes de otro momento del pasado. Normalmente responde a preguntas como ¿cuánto tiempo llevaba ocurriendo algo? antes de que sucediera otro acontecimiento.
Ejemplo:
- They had been waiting for two hours when the bus finally arrived.
(Llevaban dos horas esperando cuando finalmente llegó el autobús.)
PUB QUIZ (16)
Pub Quiz (16)
A pub quiz is a contest normally held in a bar or pub. It’s a modern example of a pub game, becoming part of British culture in the 1970s, and soon afterwards introduced into Irish pubs and then spreading internationally. It involves rounds of quiz questions addressed to teams of players, touching on general knowledge (geography, science, & nature), sport, entertainment, true & false, Who am I? (see above), music, puzzles, and more. Test yourself, learn more vocabulary, and amaze your friends with your knowledge!
Un pub quiz és un concurs que normalment té lloc en un bar o pub. És un exemple modern de joc de pub, que es va convertir en part de la cultura britànica als anys 1970 i, poc després, es va introduir als pubs irlandesos i es va estendre internacionalment. Consisteix en rondes de preguntes dirigides a equips de participants, que tracten sobre coneixements generals (geografia, ciència i natura), esport, entreteniment, vertader o fals, Qui sóc? (Who am I?), música, trencaclosques i més. Posa’t a prova, aprèn més vocabulari i deixa els teus amics bocabadats amb els teus coneixements!
Un pub quiz es un concurso que normalmente se celebra en un bar o pub. Es un ejemplo moderno de juego de pub, que pasó a ser parte de la cultura británica en la década de 1970 y, poco después, se introdujo en los pubs irlandeses y se difundió internacionalmente. Consiste en rondas de preguntas dirigidas a equipos de jugadores, que abarcan conocimientos generales (geografía, ciencia y naturaleza), deporte, entretenimiento, verdadero o falso, ¿Quién soy yo? (Who am I?), música, rompecabezas y más. ¡Ponte a prueba, aprende más vocabulario y sorprende a tus amigos con tus conocimientos!
LANGUAGE: Homophones (10)
Homophones (10)
Homophones are two or more words that have the same pronunciation but different meanings and spellings. For example, new and knew are homophones. Make sure you can distinguish between and correctly use the words below. Some are easy, others more difficult. (If you don’t know the meaning of a word, look it up.)
Els homòfons són dues o més paraules que tenen la mateixa pronunciació però significats i grafies diferents. Per exemple, new i knew són homòfons. Assegura’t de saber distingir i utilitzar correctament les paraules següents. Algunes són fàcils, d’altres més difícils. (Si no coneixes el significat d’una paraula, busca’l.)
Los homófonos son dos o más palabras que tienen la misma pronunciación pero significados y grafías diferentes. Por ejemplo, new y knew son homófonos. Asegúrate de saber distinguir y usar correctamente las palabras que aparecen a continuación. Algunas son fáciles y otras más difíciles. (Si no conoces el significado de una palabra, búscalo.)
| He’d | Heed |
| Whired | World |
| Waive | Wave |
| Council | Counsel |
| Mode | Mowed |
| Rung | Wrung |
| Air | Heir |
| Altar | Alter |
JUNE CALENDAR 2026
Each month we will give you a list of special happenings in the UK, USA, and other English-Speaking countries, some serious, others not so much!
1: Global Day of Parents
It is observed annually every year on June 1st. It has a short history, being created by the United Nations in 2012. The UN described it as an event «to be observed annually, honoring parents throughout the world.” Here are some different parenting styles around the world:
- Scandinavians believe in the health benefits of the cold for little ones, so babies are put outside in freezing temperatures for their daytime naps.
- In the Polynesian Islands, it’s not uncommon for “older” children (4-6 years old) to take care of younger ones — even those who are not their siblings.
- Japan is so safe that parents let 7-year-olds ride the subway by themselves.
- Danish parents leave their kids sleeping in a stroller on the sidewalk while they go indoors to shop, drink, or eat.”
- In many African countries, child-rearing is a still communal effort, with extended family and neighbors playing a role in the upbringing of children.
- Vietnamese parents potty-train their babies using a whistle, enabling them to potty train their babies by nine months of age; almost a year faster than most “Western” children.
sheldonl, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
3: World Bicycle Day
It is a global celebration on this date every year. It is supported by the United Nations and aims to promote physical activity and the use of bicycles for transportation. Fun-Facts about bicycles.
- The first commercial bicycles were created in France in the 1860s.
- About 100 million bicycles are manufactured worldwide each year.
- There are over 1 billion bicycles in use all around the world! That’s twice as many as there are cars.
- 5% of all trips in the UK are made by bicycle, 30% in the Netherlands, and 1% in the US; although 10% of workers in New York City commute by bike.
- You can travel three times faster on a bicycle than you can walk, with the same amount of energy.
- The most expensive bike ever was Damien Hirst’s Trek Madone, or the Butterfly Bike, which was auctioned for $500,000 at Sotheby’s
- There are more bikes than people in the Netherlands: 9 million bicycles in the country compared to only 17.9 million inhabitants.
Muhammad Mahdi Karim, GFDL 1.2, via Wikimedia Commons
6: Drive-in Movie Day
It is celebrated on the anniversary of the opening of the first patented drive-in movie theater. On June 6, 1933, Richard Hollingshead opened a drive-in theater, close to Camden, New Jersey. He charged 25 cents per car and 25 cents per person, but made sure no group paid more than a dollar.
In 1946 there were still only 300 drive-ins in the United States, but in 1949 Hollingshead’s patent was overturned, which helped hasten the rise of drive-ins across the country. Between the late 1950’s and mid 1960’s drive-ins were at their zenith. By 1957, about 6,000 were in operation in the United States. Now there are less than 500 drive-in theaters remaining in the United States. This can be attributed to factors such as rising real estate rates in suburban areas, more walk-in theaters, and an increase in video rentals and streaming services.
RoyBuchanan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
6: Yo-yo Day
It is celebrated in the US, as it is the birthday of Donald F. Duncan, Sr., an entrepreneur credited with bringing the Yo-yo to prominence. Variations of the yo-yo have been around since the time of Ancient Greece, where they were made out of wood, metal, and painted Terra Cotta. The word yo-yo appeared in a Filipino dictionary in the early 1860’s, and they were introduced to the United States when Pedro Flores, a Filipino immigrant, started manufacturing them in Santa Barbara, California, in 1928. By 1929, Flores had opened other factories in California and was making 300,000 Yo-yos daily. Shortly thereafter, Donald F. Duncan, Sr. bought out Flores and began manufacturing yo-yos. Duncan had exclusive rights to the name «Yo-yo» until 1965, when a federal court of appeals ruled that «the trademark had become part of common speech.» Yo-yos are popular all over the world, and many countries hold yo-yo contests. The World Yo-Yo Contest is the foremost of these. A typical yo-yo contest consists of two parts, a compulsory part where certain tricks are necessary, and a freestyle part where a contestant can do a routine of their choice.
Missouri Historical Society, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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15: Father’s Day
It is celebrated in the UK every year on the third Sunday of June—as it is in the US. But it is celebrated differently in the UK compared to other countries. For starters, Mother’s Day has been celebrated since the 16th century in the UK; whereas a celebration for poor old dad wasn’t made official until 1972! And, while the rest of the world celebrates Father’s Day with gifts, cards, and flowers, the Brits have a habit of giving their fathers socks and ties—the ultimate cliché! It is also common to celebrate Father’s Day with a pint of beer and a barbeque—I’m guessing that dad usually gets stuck for the drinks and also does the grilling!
StateStreet, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
21: Summer Solstice
It will occur in the Northern Hemisphere this year on June 21, at 10:24 PM CET. It marks the longest day of the year and the arrival of the summer season. The summer Solstice generally occurs between June 20 and June 22. The solstice happens when the Earth arrives at the point where the North Pole is at its maximum tilt in relation to the sun. Fun Facts about the summer solstice:
- About 6,000-6,500 years ago, nomadic cattle herders in southern Egypt arranged stones that lined up with the path of the solstice sun. This was our first indication that people knew of the summer solstice.
- In India, mass yoga sessions take place, drawing hundreds of thousands of participants.
- Thousands also lay down their yoga mats in Time’s Square, NY to feel united with one another and the sun as it reaches its apex.
- Large crowds flock to England’s Stonehenge (below)—as they have for 1000s of years—to celebrate the sunrise, where rays of sunlight are channeled into the center of the monument though the Heel Stone—the ancient entrance to the Stone Circle.
- On a darker side, a recently discovered “German Stonehenge” in 2018 shows signs of human sacrifice, with uncovered pits full of the fractured skulls and broken bones of exclusively women and children alongside axes and drinking vessels. Some Teutonic celebrating?
21: National Selfie Day
It is celebrated in the US on this date. Rick McNeely, DJ at the Fishbowl Radio Network in Arlington, Texas, created National Selfie Day in an effort to get people to enjoy and take selfies in their own creative way. A selfie contest is held on this day, where people vote to choose the most fun and creative submitted selfie. Facts about “selfies”:
- «Selfie» was voted Oxford English Dictionary’s “Word of the Year” in 2013, beating out «twerk» and «Bitcoin.» The Selfie Stick was invented in 2015.
- Overall, women take 55% of selfies; in New York City, they take 62%; whereas, in Moscow, they take 82%!
- 3 billion selfies are taken daily, accounting for 4% of all photos each day.
- On the darker side, there is a mental disorder called “selfitis,” defined as the obsessive-compulsive desire to take photos of oneself and post them.
- And, since 2008, approximately 480 people have died taking selfies. Drowning, falling, and transport accidents are at the top of the list, followed by electrocution, fire, animal attacks, and firearms. The US, India, and Russia report the most deaths via selfie.
Stewart Nimmo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
25: Global Beatles Day
It is a day to honor and celebrate the phenomenon and ideals of the Beatles, both collectively and individually. Fun Facts about the Fab Four:
- According to Paul McCartney, The Beatles were once called The Rainbows.
- In February of 1964, 73,700,000 people watched The Beatles first performance on American TV—the largest audience in the history of television!
- Lennon and McCartney wrote the Rolling Stones first hit song “I Wanna Be Your Man.”
- When The Beatles toured Australia in 1964, 300,000 fans lined the streets of Adelaide to watch them drive from the airport into the city. Hundreds of girls fainted and 50 people were admitted to hospital with broken bones from the crush of bodies.
- The Beatles played at the Cavern Club in Liverpool 292 times. Their first gig there on February 21, 1961, paid them six pounds.
- The Paul McCartney song “Yesterday” is the most covered song in the history of recorded music—by over 2,200 musicians!
Michael Cooper, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
27: National Sunglasses Day
It is a commemorative day celebrating the importance of wearing ultraviolet (UV)-protective sun wear and eyewear and brought to life each year by the Vision Council. In other words, it’s a day to commercially promote the sales of sunglasses under the guise of eye protection. These are the top five selling brands and what they are each considered best for:
- Ray-Ban: classic look, daily wear
- Oakley: sports, cycling, running
- Gucci: luxury fashion
- Prada: elegant and minimalist look
- Versace: fashion statement
Historically, eye protection dates back to Inuit snow goggles carved from bone to prevent snow-blindness and 12th-century Chinese smoky quartz lenses worn by judges. But the first sunglasses sold commercially were in 1929, when Sam Foster sold the first pair of sunglasses on the Atlantic City boardwalk. In the 1930s, movie stars began wearing sunglasses to protect their eyes from the strong lighting on movie sets. Then, from the mid-20th century to the present, sunglasses have become a huge part of fashion and pop culture, with Hollywood icons, rock stars, models, and politicians sporting shades. John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Audrey Hepburn and Bono are just a few celebrities who have their own signature sunglass style.
Tee Cee from East London, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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