English
Astronomy and the Solar System
The notions of the Astronomy and the Solar System chapter in English for 3AS, one by one: what the syllabus asks for, the method, the common mistakes and the kind of exercise that comes up at the BAC.
- 1 Vocabulary — astronomy, the solar system, space exploration Pre-teach vocabulary via title/picture anticipation
- 2 Describing purpose — used for + gerund / in order to + base verb Purpose = used for + -ing OR to + base verb, never 'for to'
- 3 Forming questions about measurement — how far/how long/how big...? Match the 'how + adjective' question word to the unit of measurement expected in the answer
- 4 Word formation — singular/plural noun formation from verbs & stress patterns Say the word pair aloud to feel the stress move between noun and verb forms
- 5 Comparatives of superiority & equality (short/long adjectives & adverbs) Count syllables first: 1-2 syllable → -er; 3+ syllable → more
- 6 Expressing contrast — whereas/while/on the other hand/however Locate the two contrasted facts first, then pick the connector that fits the sentence position
- 7 Describing similarities & differences between planets/objects Pair each similarity/difference statement with the explicit comparison axis
- 8 Expressing hypothesis/supposition about space phenomena Frame the hypothesis with a modal of possibility before stating the supporting evidence
- 9 Non-conclusive (stative) verbs — verbs that resist the continuous form Test: does the verb describe a state, not an action? → no continuous form
- 10 Word formation — plural noun formation (regular & irregular) & pronunciation of final -s/-es
- 11 Reading strategy — guessing word meaning from context Use surrounding clues (definition, example, contrast) before guessing meaning
- 12 Production — oral presentation Order the presentation: general facts → specific facts → closing remark
- 13 Production — predictive essay (consequences of a comet collision) Use the 2nd conditional / 'would' to frame predicted consequences of a hypothetical event
- 14 Reading strategy — scanning for detail & identifying type of discourse (argumentative) Identify discourse type before drafting: argumentative → thesis + counter-argument + stance
- 15 Production — newspaper article on the space-exploration budget