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

Enhance your English proficiency by mastering complex sentence structures and rephrasing techniques. This section provides a series of exercises focusing on various grammatical transformations, from passive voice and inversion to conditional clauses and reported speech. Improve your accuracy and fluency with these challenging examples.

1. They have decided to cancel the match. It wasn't thought to be a good idea.
2. The hairdresser cut my hair last week. I got my hair cut last week.
3. They didn't pay me; they expected me to do it for nothing. I wasn't paid; I was expected to do it for nothing.
4. You have to see it to believe it. It has to be seen to be believed.
5. You might have told me. I wish you had told me.
6. Would you mind opening the window? I'd be grateful

Arrival and Accommodation Plans

Hello Sally,

Thanks for your email. I am very happy for this opportunity and I am grateful. I hope to learn with you and improve my spoken English.

I am going by plane on the 25th of July. My flight details are:

• Departure: Croatia, 24th of July, midnight.
• Arrival: Heathrow Airport, approximately three hours later.
• Flight Number: CON 4563.

It is not necessary for you to come to pick me up, as it will be very early. I will take the train directly to Stansted. When I arrive, I will call you by phone and wait at the station.

I am scheduled to return to Croatia on the 26th of August at eleven o'clock from Stansted Airport.

Regarding food and drink, I have no problems; I can eat everything. I prefer to share a room with another...

1. Visitors should respect the customs of the country they visit. It shows respect and helps avoid problems. However, some personal habits can stay if they don't cause trouble.

Посетители должны уважать обычаи страны, которую они посещают. Это показывает уважение и помогает избежать проблем. Однако некоторые личные привычки можно сохранить, если они не вызывают проблем.

2. Older people should continue working if they can. It keeps them active and happy. Work gives a sense of purpose.

Пожилые люди должны продолжать работать, если могут. Это...

English Grammar and Sentence Structures

Present and Past Tenses

• Do you hear me now?
• What are you studying now?
• She is playing tennis right now.
• She is playing tennis with Debbie tomorrow.
• I'm going to take the dog out.
• We haven't planned our holiday yet.
• She hasn't seen her mother for a long time.
• He wrote a beautiful poem yesterday.
• He told me that he had seen the film.

Habits and Modals

• I need some time to get used to living in this town.
• My mother didn't use to drink much coffee, but now she has become addicted to it.
• I will go back to buy some bread.
• How much time do you need to finish the work?
• It's a hospital; you mustn't smoke.
• I could speak Arabic fluently when I was a child and we lived in Morocco.
• May I ask a question? Yes, of course.

Imperatives and

Almuñécar is a small town in the southwestern region of the Grenadine Coast, and constitutes the tourist capital of the Costa Tropical. Despite its small size, there are a lot of places that could be visited and also you could do a lot of activities like surfing or skydiving.

Nonetheless, there are some disadvantages like the long distance between monuments or the amount of tourists that makes it difficult to walk quietly in some places. Habitually, it is a familiar trip that we do every year since I was 7 years. We also stay in the same hotel because it is very familiar and nowadays we have friends there.

Finally, if I have to say something to improve it, it would be swimming pool hours, because I wish I had more time.

GERUNDIO: Admit, avoid,...

Milton Petrie: A Legacy of Generosity

Milton was born in 1902 in New York. Every morning, Milton walked from his New York apartment and bought a newspaper. One morning, the vendor wasn't there. He paid for the hospital and the funeral. He sent cheques to the families of policemen or firemen injured at work. He also sent cheques to a mother who lost five children in a fire, and a beautiful model. Milton helped the policemen because his father was a policeman. He was lucky in business and was married to Carroll. Milton left $150 million to 380 people. He died in 1994 at the age of 92.

Hetty Green: The Witch of Wall Street

Hetty was born in the USA in 1835. Her mother was often ill, so when she was two years old, she went to work with her father....

Every summer, my brother and I visited the docks near the Caribbean Sea. To everyone else, it was just an old wooden walkway covered in salt and rust, but to us, it was the entrance to another world. We would race across the boards, listening to the waves crash beneath our feet as we waited for the boat to arrive. The bright blue water seemed endless, and sometimes I wondered what was hiding underneath it.

One afternoon, while we were waiting for the boat, I noticed something strange. Between two of the oldest boards was a small metal handle that I had never seen before. I called my brother over, and together we pulled on it. To our surprise, a section of the dock lifted up, revealing a narrow staircase that disappeared into the darkness below.

A Heartfelt Thank You to Miguel's Family

Hi Miguel, I am writing to tell you what a great time I had at your home. I would like you to thank your family for being so kind to me, especially your mother. Tell her that her cooking is fantastic and very tasty! Also, tell your father that he is very fun and friendly. I would like to invite you to come to my house one day; do not forget. A hug, see you soon!

My Brother: A Talented and Strong Young Athlete

My brother is twelve years old and lives in Jaén with my parents. He is of medium height, about 1.50 meters, with blue eyes and blond hair. He hasn't got many muscles because he is still a child, but he is very strong for his age. He practices a lot of sports:

• He plays football for a local team.
• He

Aviation Tragedy: Beijing to USA Flight

Last month, a tragic accident occurred in China. A plane crashed while flying from Beijing to the USA, resulting in the loss of all 200 passengers on board. It appears the crash was caused by an engine fault. Although the plane departed Beijing on schedule with no reported issues, an eyewitness reported that while flying over the American countryside, the aircraft suddenly developed engine problems. The witness described hearing a horrible noise followed by a massive explosion. This incident has been widely covered by international media and is considered one of the worst aviation disasters in recent years.

Corruption and Public Unrest in Spain

Corruption is becoming increasingly prevalent in Spain, leading...

English Grammar and Vocabulary for Spanish Speakers

Modal Verbs: Haver de (Obligation)

Have to expresses obligation. Its forms are:

• Present: affirmative (must) and negative (mustn't / don't have to)
• Past: affirmative (had to) and negative (didn't have to)
• Future: will have to

Modal Verbs: Poder (Permission / Ability)

Can and could express permission and ability:

• Present: can
• Past: could (+ base verb) or was able to (affirmative) + base verb
• Future: will be able to

Modal Verbs: Subject Probability and Advice

Subject:

• Probability: must (90%), may (50%), might (20%), could (20%, podria), may not / might not (0%), can't (0%)
• Advice: should (hauria de), would (-ria)
• Past deduction: must have + past participle (-ed / 3rd column)

Conditional Sentences

• First conditional