Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for English for Other courses

Summary and Character Analysis

“The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire” by Arthur Conan Doyle begins when detective Sherlock Holmes receives a letter from Robert Ferguson, a man deeply concerned about his wife’s strange behavior. She has been seen sucking blood from their baby’s neck, and Robert fears she may be a vampire. Consequently, Sherlock and his companion, Dr. Watson, travel to the Ferguson home in Sussex to investigate the truth.

The Investigation

Upon arrival, they meet the family: Ferguson, his Peruvian wife, their baby, and Jack, Ferguson’s teenage son from his first marriage. The atmosphere in the house is tense and unhappy. The wife remains in her room, avoiding her husband, while Jack behaves erratically. Everyone suspects...

The Red-Headed League Case Details

Initial Inquiries and Mr. Wilson's Situation

• His hair was **bright red**.
• He was paid **four pounds a week**.
• The requirements were for **red-headed men over twenty-one years old**.
• The location mentioned was **7 Pope’s Court, Fleet Street, London**.
• The setting was **Saxe-Coburg Square, in the City of London**.
• The person involved was **Mr. Wilson’s assistant**.

Reasons for Employment and Tasks

1. The initial reason for leaving his previous post was **for half pay**.
2. His previous occupation involved **photography**.
3. He was sent **to the cellar of Mr. Wilson’s shop**.
4. The job opened because **there was a vacancy in the Red-Headed League**.
5. Members of the League could **make a lot of money**.
6. The appeal was that upon

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Jacob Portman

This young boy is saddened by the strange death of his grandfather. With signs pointing to the supernatural, he travels to the children's home which housed his grandfather when he was young.

Grandpa Portman

Abe Portman is Jacob's grandfather, who grew up in the children's home on the island of Cairnholm under the supervision of Miss Peregrine. While in the home, he developed a relationship with Emma Bloom. Abe left the island and fought in the army, eventually moving to America and starting a new family. He dies at the very beginning of the novel, but leaves Jacob with the information he needs to find Miss Peregrine and her time loop on Cairnholm.

Mr./Mrs. Portman

Son of Abe and father of Jacob, he is an avid birdwatcher and aspiring...

Saturday: Gabriel's Favorite Day in Linares

Gabriel, a Technical Administration student from Linares, shares his experience:

My favorite day of the week is Saturday because I can finally disconnect from the routine! I commute a lot and get up very early during the week for my evening classes and work, so on Saturday, it is nice to get up a bit later. I stay in bed until about 10:00 AM to get some proper rest. Then, I usually spend some time in the garden taking care of my plants or checking on some mechanical details on my car. Saturday is the best day to work on my hobbies without any rush.

Family Time and Entertainment

I often have lunch with my family and spend time with my aunt. It is great because we share a good meal, talk about how our week...

be-was-been-ser,estar
become-became-become-llegar a ser
begin-began-begun-empezar
break-broke-broken-romper
bring-brought-brought-traer
build-bulid-build-construir
buy-bought-bought-comprar
catch-caught-caught-cojer agarrar
choose-chose-chosen-elgir
come-came-come-venir
cost-cost-cost-costar
cut-cut-cut-cortar
do-did-done-hacer
dream-dreamt-dreamt-soñar
drink-drank-drunk-beber
drive-drove-driven-conducir
eat-ate-eaten-comer
fall-fell-fallen-caer
feel-felt-felt-sentirse
find-found-found-encontrar 
forget-forgot-forgotten-olvidar
get-got-got-consegir 
give-gave-given-dar
go-went-gone-ir
have-had-had-tener
hear-heard-heard-oir
hide-hid-hidden-esconder
hit-hit-hit-golpear pegar
hurt-hurt-hurt-hacer daño
keep-kept-kept-guardar mantener
know-knew-known-saber conocer
learn-...

Essential English Phrasal Verbs & Idioms

Enhance your English communication skills with this comprehensive collection of common phrasal verbs and idiomatic expressions, complete with clear definitions and usage notes.

Common Phrasal Verbs

• Ask (Somebody) Out

  To invite someone to go with you, often on a date, such as to a cinema or restaurant.

• Break Down (In Tears)

  To become so overwhelmed by emotion that one loses control, often resulting in crying.

• Call (Something) Off

  To cancel an event or an agreement.

• Chip In

  To contribute something, such as money or effort, as one's share of a joint activity or expense.

• Come Down With (An Illness)

  To become sick or ill with a particular ailment, such as a cold or flu.

• Count On (Somebody)

  To rely on or depend on someone.

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Analysis of the Heart and the Salamander

Fahrenheit 451 is currently Bradbury's most famous written work of social criticism. It deals with serious problems of control of the masses by the media, the banning of books, and the suppression of the mind (with censorship). The novel examines a few pivotal days of a man's life, a man who is a burner of books and, therefore, an instrument of suppression. This man (Montag) lives in a world where the past has been destroyed by kerosene-spewing hoses and government brainwashing methods. In a few short days, this man is transformed from a narrow-minded and prejudiced conformist into a dynamic individual committed to social change and to a life of saving books rather than destroying them.

Before you begin...

Temporal Quando

Jenny and Jane are twins who love to eat. However, while Jenny loves all food, Jane can’t eat meat. Being playful, they are constantly changing their identities. When there is meat in the food, they both refuse it. This way, they can deceive people. One day, while they are having dinner with friends, all that is served is meat. The twins look at each other. Both of them can choose not to eat to continue their charade. However, Jenny is hungry and the food looks so delicious. She whispers, “I sacrifice so much for this pretense. You should eat meat once, too.” Both start to eat when one of their friends shout, “No more meat for her!” She’s pointing at Jane who is making a weird face every time she swallows the food....

sangrar-bleed-bled-bled / encender-light-lighted-lighted

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English Grammar Structures

Conditionals

Zero Conditional (0)

If you don't wash your socks, they smell bad. (Present + Present: Instruction/Order)

First Conditional (1)

If you don't clean the house, you will sleep on the sofa. (Present + Will + Verb: Probable/Real situations in the future)

Second Conditional (2)

• If I won the lottery, I would move to Japan. (Unlikely situation)
• If I were you, I would... (Advice)
• Structure: Past Simple + Would + Verb

Third Conditional (3)

If you hadn't been looking at your phone, you wouldn't have burnt my toast. (Imaginary past situation)

Structure: Past Perfect + Would + Have + Past Participle

Passive Voice Forms

Active: Maria eats apples. Passive: Apples are eaten by Maria.

Present Simple

Structure: am, are, is + Past Participle

Past

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