Happy New Semester! 2017/2018

Dearest students,

I am very delighted to welcome you back to university today. I was too excited last night I barely got any sleep! It's the freshness and newness that September brings at the beginning of every Academic year.

I sincerely hope that you can draw the much-needed positive energy  from this fresh the excitement that fills the September air. Go to classes with a big smile on your face. Catch up with your friends and let all your worries and concerns fade away. You are here to learn and be a better person and for that only, you should be proud and happy.

Wishing you the best of luck in the world,
Hoping you will have a very productive year,

Best wishes,
Ms. Tasneem Solie

Final Grammar and Vocabulary Review Questions

It's almost time! Fight on a little longer and all your time and effort will be met with success, Inshallah. 

For Grammar, check the following list while studying:

Theme One
•Present simple tense•Past simple tense•Imperative sentences•Gerunds (with verbs like love, hate,…)•Infinitives (want, hope, promise,…)

Theme Two
•Present time and past time indicators.
•Present simple to describe people
•Modals: Can, should
•Adverbs of frequency
•Short introductions
•Everybody / somebody / nobody / anybody

Theme Three
•Must and have to
•Would like and want.
•Simple present passive.
•Using so and because

Theme Four
•Demonstratives
•Introductory phrases (reordering words)
•Simple past passive.
•Giving examples
•So, very and too
•Less vs. fewer
•Prepositions.
•Comparatives and superlatives
•Articles

Theme Five
•Quantifiers
•Because and so
•X is used for (verb+ing)



Click here to download grammar and vocabulary review questions

Click here to download vocabulary review question

Click here to download vocabulary and grammar review questions 2

Click here for general review

MTA Review for the Smartest of Students

Dear smart students reading this blogpost,


I hope you're having a fun and smooth time preparing for your midterm (which in case you didn't know is this Saturday from 11 am to 12:30 pm and will include reading, grammar, spelling and writing questions from themes 1, 2 and 3).

Please do not be discouraged if you got a low grade on your first quiz. You can always work harder and compensate in the midterm.

How can you prepare for the midterm exam?

First, study grammar:

Grammar is one pf the most important components of any language exam and it's a big part of the writing question as well. There are some grammar topics in each theme and it's of the utmost importance for you do know and practice all of them. There is a very useful grammar reference on page 179 of your student book which includes the grammar topics discussed in each of the five themes. Take a quick look through it before studying.

Grammar Topics Checklist (by themes)

Theme 1:

•Present simple tense

•Past simple tense

•Imperative sentences

•Gerunds (with verbs like love, hate,…)

•Infinitives (want, hope, promise,…)

Theme 2:

•Present time and past time indicators.

•Present simple to describe people

•Modals: Can, should

•Adverbs of frequency

•Short introductions

•Everybody / somebody / nobody / anybody

Theme 3:

•Must and have to

•Would like and want.

•Simple present passive.

•Using so and because.

Second, review vocabulary and definitions:

Most students find it hard to memorise the huge number of new words that the book contains and that's why you should study vocabulary as soon as you finish the lesson. However, I am sure most of you do not do that for the same reason you keep hitting the snooze button 5 times every morning. So my advice to you, lazy friends, is to focus on the difficult words and the definitions in the book in order to have a basic foundation. Remember also that spelling is crucially important. 

The vocabulary section will most likely include a) definitions, b) opposites and c) filling in with a suitable word.

To exercise your vocabulary, CLICK HERE

Thirdly, writing:

After you understand grammar and review key vocabulary, it is time to test the most important productive skill: writing. Be sure to implement good and correct ideas, adequate spelling, general understanding of key grammar rules and basic punctuation rules. 

Please DO NOT plagiarise (memorise or copy) sentences or paragraphs from the Internet. Doing so will probably lead to failing the course, suspension or expulsion from the university. Stay away from trouble!

The writing section may include another question such as reordering words to get a meaningful sentence. CLICK HERE to see an example

Hope to see you on Saturday,

Stay smart! B)

Ms. Tasneem Solie 

Quiz 1 Sample

Dear smarties 

     First of all, allow me to welcome you back to the Spring semester. I hope you're having a smooth run so far. As you all know, I dedicate this blog to the smart students who like to study and have fun at the same time. You can follow my blog and/or follow me on Twitter to get notified with the latest updates.

     As most of you probably already know, your first quiz will take place on Wednesday, March 15th 2017. It will cover the first two themes and include four types of questions: Reading, Vocabulary, Grammar and Writing. As I promised those of you who attended my class, I am going to upload some review material for the exam to get you familiarised with the process.. and this is me keeping my promise :D

Click here to download the sample we discussed in class

Stay tuned for more!
And keep drinking coffee 

See you in class

Ms. Tasneem Solie

Quiz 2 Sample

Dear EL099 students,

Your second quiz -as you all know- will take place this Wednesday, April, 5th. It will cover theme four only and will contain the same type of questions you always get. I found this sample quiz while I was going through the piles of paper that I have lying around. I am sure you'll find it very useful.

 Click on the links below to view images

Quiz Page 1

Quiz Page 2

Quiz Page 3

Quiz Page 4

Here's also some review questions that I made earlier

CLICK HERE

Please note that there will be no make-up quiz. Missing the quiz means losing 10 marks

Cheating or attempting to cheat puts you in danger of expulsion

Feel free to ask me any questions

Best of luck
Ms. Tasneem Solie

MTA Sample and writing topics for practice

Dear EL099 students

Let me start by wishing you a happy and prosperous new year! May you fill it with love, happiness and hard work. I hope you are ready for your exam tomorrow. I came across a few MTA question and I wanted to share them with you so that you can test your knowledge.

Click here to download the sample 

Also, if you want to practice writing, here are a few topics.

1. Write a paragraph of 100-150 words about how to be a good employee/student/manager
2. What is your dream job? Why do you like this job?
3. How can you prepare yourself for an interview? Write a few steps you do before and during an interview to leave a good impression. (theme 3: Speaking Lesson pg. 76 & 77 -Skills check 1)
4. Who is your role model? Describe him/her and write about the reasons you aspire to be like them.
5. Write about a person who has influenced your life positively or negatively.
6. Describe your best friend. Is he/she extrovert or introvert?
7. Write about your university. Why did you choose it? How do you like it? How is university life different from school life?

Please feel free to ask me any questions about your exam,

Best of luck!,
Ms Tasneem Solie

last minute review

Dear smart and sophisticated students :B,

I hope your preparation for your quiz is going well. I am sure you will do an amazing job tomorrow. Be confident and don't worry. Try to relax and have a good amount of rest.

Click here to download the PowerPoint presentation we used in class yesterday.

Click here to check your answers in the workbook.

Please feel free to ask questions anytime you want

I will be on campus at 10 tomorrow so you can drop by my office if you need to see me before your exam

Have lots of coffee and stay charming ;)

GOOD LUCK! <3