PHRASAL VERBS

Do you know what give up means?

To know “give up” meaning it is possible that some people tend to separate those words and translate them separately; like “give” means to make a present of, and “up” in or to a higher position. So the meaning of “give up” would be something similar to make a present being in a higher position.

This definition can make sense for some people, but really this is not the right one since “give up” is part of a group of verbs called “Phrasal verbs”, and it real meaning is; “stop doing something (usually a habit)”

“A phrasal verb is a verb plus a preposition or adverb which creates a meaning different from the original verb.”

if you are looking for a list of phrasal verbs, their definition in English or examples of each one go into the following link...

http://www.eslcafe.com/pv/

Here you can find a list of phrasal verbs with their translation in Spanish.

http://www.idiomasgratis.com/ig_view_resource.php?html_code=ig_phrasal_verbs.html

Also, you can check these videos to understand better the meaning of some phrasal verbs...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=758TpZvjleI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INafGKKotA4&feature=related

Cecilia Torrealba

British Culture

One of the most amazing things that you can find in the world is the variety of cultures among people. Britain is the birthplace of Newton, Darwin, Shakespeare and the Beatles; home of the world's largest foreign exchange market, the world's richest football club - Manchester United , the inventor of the hovercraft and the JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books. From Scotland to Cornwall, Britain is full of customs and traditions. A lot of them have very long histories. Some are funny and some are strange. But they're all interesting and are all part of the British way of life. So, if you want to know more about this facinating culture have a look to the following links.

Learn more about British culture...

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/

www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/England.html

www.britainexpress.com/History/english-culture.htm

Romina Jiménez Román

American or British English?

Which one do you prefer?

It is really important to notice the differences between American and British English in order to choose one or other when speaking English. The differences that we can point out between each other are accent, intonation, word choosing between many others. But we have to keep in mind that when we talk about American English we consider it as a set of dialects of the English Language used mostly in the United States while British English is the broad term used to distinguished the forms of the English Language used in the United Kingdom.

So, to help you understand the differences have a look in the following pages...

http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000193.htm

Mariel Cepeda

Harry Potter

Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harry's quandary involving the evil wizard Lord Voldemort, who killed Harry's parents in his quest to conquer the wizarding world and subjugate non-magical people (Muggles).

Since the June 30, 1997 release of the first novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States, the books have gained immense popularity, critical acclaim and commercial success worldwide.The series has also had some share of criticism, including concern for the increasingly dark tone, and the later books, such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, may be less suitable for younger children. As of June 2008, the book series has sold more than 400 million copies and has been translated into 67 languages, and the last four books have consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books in history.

If you really want more information click for in the following links...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._K._Rowling

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Grint

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Radcliffe

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Watson