How often do you study English?

/ ¿Con qué
frecuencia
estudia inglés?

In this second learning activity of the English Dot Works 1 training program, you will
learn about routines, adverbs of frequency, and the pronunciation of plural nouns. / En
esta segunda actividad de aprendizaje del programa de formación English Dot
Works 1, usted aprenderá sobre rutinas, adverbios de frecuencia, preposiciones de
tiempo y la pronunciación de los sustantivos en plural.

Fuente: SENA

Introductory material / Material introductorio

Dear learner, / Estimado aprendiz:

This material will help you study the topics related to learning activity 2. / Este material
le permitirá estudiar los temas relacionados con la actividad de aprendizaje 2.

You will learn about: / Los temas a tratar son:

1. Daily routines and time expressions. / Rutinas diarias y expresiones

de tiempo.
2. Adverbs of frequency. / Adverbios de frecuencia.
3. Pronunciation of regular and irregular plural nouns. / Pronunciación de
los sustantivos regulares e irregulares en forma plural.
 1. Daily routines and time expressions / Rutinas diarias y expresiones
de tiempo

A. Expressing daily routines / Expresando rutinas diarias

When we talk about daily routines, we refer to the kind of activities that people do
frequently, or activities that are part of their day-to-day life. For example, taking a shower
or having breakfast is something most people do every day. / Cuando hablamos de
rutinas diarias nos referimos a las actividades que las personas hacen con
frecuencia. Actividades que son parte de su diario vivir. Por ejemplo, tomar una
ducha o desayunar son actividades que la mayoría de las personas hacen a
diario.

In the Beginner level, you became familiar with the simple present tense, a very useful tool
when we want to talk about our routines or the routines of someone else. / En el nivel
principiante se familiarizó con el simple present. El presente simple es una
herramienta muy útil cuando queremos hablar de nuestras rutinas o de las de
alguien más.

Let’s remember how to structure different statements using the simple present tense: /
Recordemos cómo se estructuran los diferentes enunciados utilizando presente
simple:

Interrogative form
Base
WH /
Auxiliary Subject form of Question mark
how
the verb
Information Where do you work ?

Yes / No do you work ?

Affirmative and negative form

Base form of
Subject Auxiliary Complement
the verb
don’t (do
Negative I work everyday
not)
Affirmative I work everyday
After this quick review, it is time for you to become familiar with some of the most
common daily activities. / Después de este breve repaso, es hora de que se
familiarice con las actividades diarias más comunes.

1. Get up 8. Put on makeup 15. Sleep

2. Take a shower 9. Brush my* hair 16. Make breakfast
3. Brush my* teeth 10. Comb my* hair 17. Make lunch
4. Floss my* teeth 11. Make the bed 18. Cook/make dinner
5. Shave 12. Get undressed 19. Eat/have breakfast
6. Get dressed 13. Take a bath 20. Eat/have lunch
7. Wash my* face 14. Go to bed 21. Eat/have dinner
*
my, his, her, our, your, their
 Fuente de imágenes: SENA

1. Clean the apartment / 7. Iron 14. Read

clean the house 8. Feed the baby 15. Play
2. Sweep the floor 9. Feed the cat 16. Play basketball
3. Dust 10. Walk the dog 17. Play the guitar
4. Vacuum 11. Watch TV 18. Practice the piano
5. Wash the dishes 12. Listen to the radio 19. Study
6. Do the laundry 13. Listen to music 20. Exercise
Fuente de imágenes: SENA
 Remember: There is a translated list with these words in the glossary. Check the button
Glossary in the main menú or follow the links Program materials / Support materials /
Glossary. / Recuerde: que hay una lista traducida con estas palabras en el
glosario. Consulte el botón Glosario en el menú principal de programa o diríjase
al botón: Program materials / Support materials / Glossary.

B. Time expressions / Expresiones de tiempo

A very simple way to define a temporal context is to use time expressions. These words
allow us to express when we do something. / Una manera muy sencilla de definir un
contexto temporal es utilizar expresiones de tiempo. Estas palabras nos permiten
expresar cuándo hacemos algo.

When we use time expressions, we usually use prepositions such as at, in, and on.
Depending on the time context, a specific preposition goes with it. Let’s see the following
chart: / Cuando utilizamos las expresiones de tiempo es común usar preposiciones
como at, in, y on. Dependiendo del contexto de tiempo, este va acompañado de
una preposición en particular. Veamos el siguiente cuadro:

Preposition / Preposición Time expression / Expresión de tiempo

Times (example, 7:30), noon, midnight, night, /

Horas (ejemplo, 7:30), medio día, media
noche, noche.
At
Examples: I wake up at 7:30. I eat lunch at
noon. It gets dark at night.

Dates (example, October 6), days of the week

(example, Friday), weekends, weekdays. / Fechas
(ejemplo, octubre 6), días de la semana
(ejemplo, viernes), fines de semana, entre
On
semana.

Examples: I go to the university on Fridays. She

sees her parents on weekends.
 Years (example, 1974), months (example, August),
morning, afternoon, evening. / Años (ejemplo,
1974), meses (ejemplo, agosto), con mañana,
In tarde y noche.

Examples: He got married in 1974. We vacation

in August.

To see how they look when used in a statement, take a look at the following examples: /
Para ver cómo se ven cuando se usan en un enunciado, mire los siguientes
ejemplos:

Using prepositions of time:

 Anthony works very hard on weekends. / Anthony trabaja muy fuerte los fines de
semana.

 Simone goes to the gym on Mondays and Fridays. / Simone va al gimnasio los
lunes y los viernes.

 Douglas flies his kite in August. / Douglas eleva su cometa en agosto.

 It snows in New York in December. / Nieva en Nueva York en diciembre.

 I usually get up at 6.00 am. / Usualmente me levanto a las 6:00 de la mañana.

 My dad has lunch at noon. / Mi papá almuerza al medio día.

2. Adverbs of frequency / Adverbios de frecuencia

Adverbs of frequency are words we use to say how often we do any given activity. / Los
adverbios de frecuencia son palabras que usamos para decir qué tan a menudo
hacemos alguna acción en particular.

A very simple way to organize the frequency adverbs is to go from 100% to 0% of the time
where always equals 100% and 0% equals never. Check the following chart and read the
examples. / Una manera muy sencilla de organizar los adverbios de frecuencia es
ir de 100% a 0% del tiempo donde siempre equivale al 100% y nunca equivale a
0%. Revise el siguiente cuadro y lea los enunciados.
 She always calls her
mom at noon. / Ella
100% Always
siempre llama a su
mamá al medio día.

I usually take a taxi to go

to work. / Usualmente
85% Usually
tomo un taxi para ir al
trabajo.
They frequently travel
75% Frequently abroad. / Ellos viajan al
exterior frecuentemente.
We often get up late on
weekends. / Nos
60% Often levantamos tarde a
menudo los fines de
semana.
You sometimes watch too
50% Sometimes much TV. / Algunas
veces ve mucha TV.

I occasionally travel on
business. /
40% Occasionally
Ocasionalmente

viajo por negocios.

They rarely eat ice cream. /
30% Rarely Rara vez comen helado.

She seldom lends money. /

20% Seldom Ella presta dinero muy
rara vez.

We hardly ever play

10% Hardly ever basketball. / Casi nunca
jugamos baloncesto.
 I never go shopping on
0% Never Mondays. / Nunca voy de
compras los lunes.

An important aspect you need to remember is the position of the frequency adverb within
the statement. Even though there are exceptions, for now, it is safe to follow the structure
presented in the following chart. / Un aspecto importante que usted necesita recordar
es la posición del adverbio de frecuencia dentro del enunciado. A pesar de que
hay algunas excepciones, por ahora es seguro seguir la estructura presentada en
el siguiente cuadro.

Subject Frequency Verb Complement

Affirmative statement They always go to bed early

Remember: never, seldom, rarely, occasionally and hardly ever are not
usually used in the negative form. Look at the example: / Recuerde: nunca, muy
rara vez, rara vez, ocasionalmente y casi nunca, no son usualmente usados
en enunciados negativos. Mire el ejemplo:

I don’t never get up early (incorrect). / Yo no nunca me levanto temprano

(incorrecto).

Remember: When you use the verb be, the frequency adverbs usually come after it.
Look at the example: / Recuerde: cuando use las diferentes formas del verbo ser
o estar el adverbio de frecuencia va justo después de este. Mire el ejemplo:

She is always happy. / Ella siempre está feliz.

3. Pronunciation of regular and irregular plural nouns / Pronunciación de

los sustantivos regulares e irregulares en forma plural

Before delving into the pronunciation of plural nouns in English, it is a good idea to
remember what spelling rules they follow. / Antes de profundizar en la
pronunciación de los sustantivos en su forma plural, es una buena idea recordar
que reglas siguen en su forma escrita.

For most regular nouns, you just have to add -s. For example: car/cars, desk/desks,
bed/beds, etc. However, in some case you need to add -es or -ies. Check the chart to get
familiar with the rules. / En la mayoría de los sustantivos regulares solo tiene que
agregar una s. Por ejemplo, car/cars, desk/desks, bed/beds, entre otros. Sin embargo,
en algunos casos tiene que agregar -es o -ies. Revise el siguiente cuadro para
familiarizarse con las reglas.

Spelling rules

For nouns ending in -s, -z, -sh-, or -ch, add -es.

Glass  Glasses
Quiz  Quizzes
Wish  Wishes
Witch  Witches

Some nouns ending in -o need -es in their plural form:

Noun+ es Tomato  Tomatoes

Potato  Potatoes
Hero  Heroes

For nouns ending in -f,

change -f to -v and add - es. Important: there are
exceptions to this rule:
Leaf  Leaves
Wife  Wives Beliefs, chiefs, cliffs.

For nouns ending in a consonant + y, change the -y to

-i and add -es.
Noun + ies
Spy  Spies
Story  Stories
There are some nouns that do not follow any of the rules described above. They are called
Irregular Nouns. Let’s become familiar with the most common ones. / Hay algunos
sustantivos que no siguen ninguna de las reglas descritas anteriormente. Se
llaman sustantivos irregulares. Familiaricémonos con los más comunes.

Read and pronounce the following irregular nouns in their singular and plural forms: / Lea
y pronuncie los siguientes sustantivos irregulares en sus formas singular y plural:

Singular form Pronunciation Plural form Pronunciation

Child /tʃɑɪld/ Children ˈtʃɪl.drən

Foot /fʊt/ Feet fit
Goose ɡus Geese ɡis
Louse lɑʊs Lice lɑɪs
Man mæn Men men
Mouse mɑʊs Mice mɑɪs
Ox ɑks Oxen ɑks
Person per.sən People ˈpi.pəl
Tooth tuθ Teeth tiθ
Woman ˈwʊm.ən Women ˈwɪm.ən

Now, it is time to get familiar with the pronunciation of regular plurals nouns. /
Ahora es momento de familiarizarse con la pronunciación de los sustantivos
regulares en plural.

There are three different sounds for pronouncing the plural forms in English: / Hay tres
sonidos diferentes para pronunciar la forma plural de los sustantivos regulares en
inglés:
/s/, /z/, and /ɪz/
The election depends on the final sound of the noun in its singular form. / La elección
depende del sonido final del sustantivo en su forma singular.

Remember: You should pay attention to the final sound of the noun and not the final
letter. / Recuerde: que debe prestar atención al sonido final del sustantivo y no
a la letra final.

Take a look at the following chart. Read the transcription to familiarize yourself with
the pronunciation: / Mire el siguiente cuadro. Lea la transcripción para
familiarizarse con la pronunciación:

Singular noun Noun ending sound Plural pronunciation

Laugh /f/ Laughs

Look /k/ Looks

Cup /p/ Cups /s/

Coat /t/ Coats

Moth /θ/ Moths

Cab /b/ Cabs

Bed /d/ Beds

Dog /g/ Dogs

Hall /l/ Halls /z/

Aim /m/ Aims

Pen /n/ Pens

Thing /ŋ/ Things

 Car /r/ Cars

Piano All vowel sounds Pianos

Face /s/ Faces

Size /z/ Sizes

Page /dʒ/ Pages

Garage /ʒ/ Garages

/ɪz/
Dish /ʃ/ Dishes

Watch /tʃ/ Watches

The three categories described above are not arbitrary. They have an internal logic that is
easy to understand. Look at the chart below. / Las tres categorías descritas
anteriormente no son arbitrarias. Tienen una lógica interna que es fácil de
entender. Mire el siguiente cuadro.

Sounds related / Sonidos

Explanation / Explicación relacionados
Sibilant sounds are made by directing a stream
of air with the tongue towards the sharp edge of
the teeth, which are held close together. / Los
sonidos sibilantes se producen expulsando
una corriente de aire con la lengua dirigida
al borde de los dientes que deben estar
juntos.
/s/ /z/ /ʃ/ /tʃ/ /dʒ/ /ʒ/
Produce the sounds now and pay attention to
their pronunciation and articulation points. /
Produzca los sonidos ahora mismo y
preste atención a su pronunciación y
puntos de articulación.
 In voiceless sounds your larynx does not
vibrate. / En los sonidos sordos su laringe
no vibra.

Produce the sounds now and pay attention to

their pronunciation and articulation points. Put
two fingers on the front of your throat while /f/ /k/ /p/ /t/ /θ/
you do it. / Produzca los sonidos ahora
mismo y preste atención a su
pronunciación y puntos de articulación.
Ponga dos dedos sobre su garganta
mientras lo hace.

By learning what a sibilant sound is and memorizing the voiceless sounds, you will be
able to pronounce the regular plural nouns correctly in no time! / ¡Al aprender lo que es
un sonido sibilante y memorizar los sonidos sordos podrá pronunciar los
sustantivos regulares en plural en un tiempo record!

Remember: practice makes perfect! / ¡Recuerde: ¡La práctica hace al maestro!

Contextualization / Contextualización

Read Sarah Anderson's talk about her daily routine. Is your daily routine similar to hers? /
Lea a Sarah Anderson hablar acerca de su rutina diaria. ¿La rutina de Sarah
Anderson es parecida a la suya?

Script / Guión:

Good morning. My name´s Sarah Anderson. I am a business manager. I think I have a

really busy schedule. I get up at half past four and make some coffee. At five, I take a
shower and get ready for work. I usually have a light breakfast and leave home. If I am in a
hurry, I prefer to take a taxi, but if I have time, I take the bus. I get to work at half past
seven and prepare my agenda for the day. On Mondays and Tuesdays, I write reports for
my supervisor. On Wednesdays, I make a lot of phone calls and schedule meetings. On
Thursdays and Fridays, I have to call about twenty clients before noon. At one o’clock, I
have lunch with my co- workers at the cafeteria. In the afternoon, I work on my projects
and assign responsibilities to the members of my team. At half past five, I go back home. I
get
home at around seven o’clock. My husband and I make dinner and help our children with
their homework and put them to bed. After that, we watch the news. Before I go to bed, I
go on the computer and check my mail. This is basically my life from Monday to Friday.

Comprehension / Comprensión

Read again and decide if the following statements are true or false: / Lea una vez más y
decida si los enunciados son verdaderos o falsos:

1. Sarah is married. T F

2. Sarah gets up at four am. T F

3. Sarah writes letters to her supervisor on Mondays and Tuesdays. T F

4. Sarah takes a taxi if she doesn’t have time. T F

5. Sarah uses the phone a lot on Thursdays and Fridays. T F

6. Sarah has lunch at home. T F

7. Sarah’s husband helps her prepare dinner. T F

8. Sarah and her husband watch movies in the evening. T F

9. Sarah uses her computer before she goes to bed. T F

10. Sarah has a lot of free time on Weekdays. T F

Practice 1 / Práctica 1

A. Match each picture with its corresponding activity. / Relacione cada imagen con su
actividad correspondiente.
 Fuente: SENA Fuente: SENA Fuente: SENA Fuente: SENA Fuente: SENA

Fuente: SENA Fuente: SENA Fuente: SENA Fuente: SENA Fuente: SENA

a. Surf the web f. Talk on the phone

b. Do homework g. Exercise
c. Study h. Play the guitar
d. Work i. Take a shower
e. Take the bus j. Go to bed

B. Fill in the blanks with the correct verb or the correct preposition. Conjugate the verb if
necessary. You can use the propositions more than one time. / Llene los espacios
con el verbo o la preposición correcta. Conjugue el verbo si es necesario.
Puede usar las preposiciones más de una vez.

Choose from the box below: / Escoja de la tabla que está a continuación:

Verbs Prepositions
Get up Go
jogging Surf In
the web Have On
lunch Have At
dinner

Shane usually (1) (2) 7.00 am. He likes

to start the day early.
 Mary and her husband (3) after work. They don’t have time to
exercise (4) the morning.

Angela (5) 12 hours per day. Her mom says she is addicted to
Facebook.

John is not very hungry (6) noon. He prefers to (7)

(8) 2.00 pm.

Laura hardly ever (9) . She doesn’t like to eat before going to
bed.

Louise goes to bed (10) midnight. He loves how silent the night is.

C. Read the sentences and match the number next to the right picture. / Lea las
oraciones y relacione el número al lado de la imagen correspondiente.

1. I make breakfast for my family.

Fuente: SENA
 2. Carla brushes her teeth three
times a day.

Fuente: SENA

3. Chad shaves his face every other

day.

Fuente: SENA

4. I have to do the laundry on

Mondays.

Fuente: SENA
 5. Brent listens to rock music.

Fuente: SENA

6. I dust my desk every day.

Fuente: SENA

7. My sister washes the dishes after

lunch.

Fuente: SENA
 8. Veronica irons her skirts in the
evening.

Fuente: SENA

Practice 2 / Práctica 2

A. Recipe for success. Read an interview about time-management and prioritization of

activities for success. Do you have a similar routine? / Receta para el éxito. Lea una
entrevista acerca del manejo de tiempo y la priorización de actividades para el
éxito.¿Su rutina diaria es similar?

Script / Guión:

Reporter: According to Success magazine, people who know how to manage their time
better are more successful. Today in the studio, we have Robert Campbell, one of the
most successful businessmen in our country. Good morning, Bob, and thanks for
coming.

Robert Campbell: Thank you for the invitation. I am very happy to be here with you
today.

Reporter: OK, Bob, we all know you are a very successful person, could you please tell
us what to do to be successful in life?

Bob: Well, I think it is essential to organize your priorities and do only what is
connected with your objectives. For example, I always get up early and map out my day.
I usually check my mail before having breakfast. I never watch TV. I hardly ever
procrastinate. Sometimes I do yoga before taking a shower. When I have a new project, I
often visualize the results I want to get. Visualization always works.
 Reporter: It sounds simple, but for most people is very difficult to have that much
discipline. After the break, Bob will tell us how to be more disciplined.

According to the interview, are the following statements true or false. Choose the
correct option. / De acuerdo con la entrevista, ¿Los siguientes enunciados son
verdaderos o falsos? Escoja la opción correcta.

a. Mr. Campbell thinks it is very important to organize your priorities. TF

b. Mr. Campbell sometimes gets up early. T F

c. Mr. Campbell hardly ever watches TV. T F

d. Mr. Campbell never procrastinates. T F

e. Mr. Campbell thinks visualization is very effective. T F

B. Unscramble these words to form sentences. Type the words in the space provided. /
Organice las palabras para formar oraciones. Escriba las palabras en el
espacio provisto.

1. doesn’t, get up, usually, Joe, early

2. go swimming, never, in winter, they

3. hungry, often, are, Peter, Brandon, and

4. helps, always, his kids, their homework, Ray, with

5. read, in the evening, hardly ever, novels, my parents

 6. listens to, rarely, Gregory, salsa music

7. in the morning, seldom, watches TV, Frank

C. Put the following frequency adverbs in the correct order from the most often to the least
often. / Ponga los siguientes adverbios de frecuencia de manera correcta desde
el más frecuente hasta el menos frecuente.

Usually 1.
Never 2.
Always 3.
Seldom 4.
Sometimes 5.
Often 6.

D. Complete the sentences. Use the adverb and the correct form of the verbs in brackets. /
Complete las oraciones. Use el adverbio y la forma correcta de los verbos en
paréntesis.

1. Our teacher, Mrs Jones, (never / be) late for class.

2. I (often / clean) my garage on weekends.
3. My sister (hardly ever / help) me with my homework.
4. I (sometimes / be) bored in history class.
5. We (rarely / watch) soap operas on TV.
6. You and John (never / play) soccer with me.
7. Jane (usually / be) at the sports center on Saturdays.
8. The school bus (always / arrive) at seven o’clock.
 Pronunciation practice / Práctica de pronunciación

Note: This practice must be completed using the multimedia version of the study
material. There you will find the corresponding sound files. / Nota: esta práctica debe
ser completada usando la versión multimedia del material de estudio. Allí
encontrará los archivos de audio correspondientes.

A. Listen to the nouns and place them in the correct column according to the sound of the
plural form. To place each word, drag it and drop it in the corresponding column. /
Escuche los sustantivos y ubíquelos en la columna correcta de acuerdo con el
sonido de la forma plural.

Weeks Tables
Ridges Slices
Sons Cats
Voices Lamps
Shorts Judges
Sirens Views

z ɪz s

B. What is its plural form? Listen to the options and click on the correct answer. /
¿Cuál es su forma plural? Escuche las opciones y escoja la respuesta correcta.
1. Man 2. Child 3. Person 4. Fish 5. Foot

a. Mans a. Children a. Persons a. Fishes a. Foots

b. Childs b. People b. Fish
b. Mens b. Feets
c. Childrens c. Peoples c. Fishen
c. Men c. Feet
6. Tooth 7. Leaf 8. Knife 9. Woman 10. Mouse

a. Teeth a. Leaves a. Knifes a. Womens a. Mice

b. Tooths b. Leafs b. Womans b. Mouses

b. Knives
c. Leafes c. Women c. Mices
c. Teeths c. Knifees

C. Listen to the following words. Pay attention to the pronunciation of the vowel in each
word. / Escuche las siguientes palabras. Preste atención a la vocal de cada
palabra.

Note: if there are more than two vowels in a word, pay attention to the vowel in the
underlined syllable. / Nota: si hay más de dos vocales en una palabra, preste
atención únicamente a la vocal en la sílaba subrayada.

I i e
Ship Sheep Get
Dinner Sleep December

Now, classify the words on the following list according to the vowel sound you hear. /
Ahora, clasifique las palabras en la lista de acuerdo con el sonido que escuche.

Midnight
Bed
December
Geese
Teeth
Leaf
Exercise
February
Clean
Feed
Breakfast
Dinner
Letter
 I i e

D. Listen to the following words. Pay attention to the pronunciation of the underlined
consonant in each word. Then, say them aloud. Try to imitate the consonants sounds you
hear. / Escuche las siguientes palabras. Preste atención a la consonante
subrayada en cada palabra. Luego, diga las palabras en voz alta tratando de
imitar los sonidos consonánticos escuchados.

ʒ dʒ ʃ tʃ
Television Manager Brush Watch
Usually June Position Child

Now, classify the words on the following list according to the consonant sound you
hear. / Ahora, clasifique las palabras en la lista de acuerdo con el sonido de
consonante que escuche.

Management
Witch
Children
Lunch
Occasionally
Dishes
July
Jogging
Position
Shower
Garage
March
January
 ʒ dʒ ʃ tʃ

E. Listen to the following words. Pay attention to the stressed syllable. / Escuche las
siguientes palabras. Preste atención a la ubicación de la sílaba acentuada.

Schedule August Saturday November

Breakfast Reports Manager Tomato

Now, classify the words on the list according to their stress pattern. / Ahora, clasifique
las palabras en la lista de acuerdo con su patrón acentual.

Recipe Iron Exercise Frequently

Hardly Success Midnight
July Listen Potato
Management October Basketball
Always Belief Often
Apartment September
F. Listen to the pronunciation of the following sentences. Then, say them aloud. Try to
imitate the intonation pattern used. / Escuche la pronunciación de las siguientes
oraciones. Luego, dígalas en voz alta tratando de imitar el patrón de
entonación usado.

Where do you work?

I don’t work every day.
I wake up at 7.30 and eat lunch at noon.
She sees her parents on weekends.
We vacation in August.
It snows in New York in December.
They frequently travel abroad.
You sometimes watch too much TV.
I never go shopping on Mondays.
She is always happy.

Document control / Control del documento

Name Position Dependence Date

Theme expert Dirección de

Asesor English Dot Formación
Author Nicole Bruskewitz August
Works - Programa Profesional.
2014
de bilingüismo Dirección General

Paola Andrea Centro

Copy editor – Línea August
Adaptation Bobadilla Agroindustrial.
de producción 2014
Gutiérrez Regional Quindío