Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for English

English Vocabulary List

• Can’t live without: No puc viure sense
• Cheap: Barat
• Conclusion: Conclusió
• Development: Desenvolupament
• Digital: Digital
• Communications: Comunicacions
• Efficiently: Eficientment
• Entrepreneur: Emprenedor/a
• Expensive: Car
• Extremely: Extremadament
• Faulty: Defectuós
• Feature: Característica
• Good value: Bona relació qualitat-preu
• Helpful: Útil / Servicial
• High-quality: D’alta qualitat
• High-tech: D’alta tecnologia
• Interview: Entrevistar
• Invent: Inventar
• Invention: Invenció
• Investment: Inversió
• Launch: Llançar (un producte)
• Majority: Majoria
• Manual: Manual
• Navigation: Navegació
• Original: Original
• Personal: Personal
• Popular: Popular
• Pretty: Bastant
• Priority: Prioritat
• Product launch: Llançament de producte
• Promise: Prometre
• Purpose: Propòsit

Are Young People Fashion Victims?

The statement suggests that young people are all fashion victims. It is true that young people generally like fashionable clothes and sometimes spend a lot of money on them. But does that make us fashion victims?

Arguments for Following Fashion Trends

On the one hand, many of us like to look stylish and fashionable. Consequently, many people buy clothes which they have seen advertised in magazines or on TV. Furthermore, many of us like to wear the same things as our friends. This means that we sometimes feel under pressure to spend lots of money on all the latest trends.

Arguments for Individual Style

On the other hand, a lot of young people want to be different. For this reason, many young people have a unique... Continue reading "Modern Debates: Fashion, Ethics, Energy, and E-Commerce" »

Thriller Night

It's Close to Midnight

It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark.

Under the moonlight, you see a sight that almost stops your heart.

You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it.

You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes.

You're paralyzed.

Thriller Night Begins

'Cause this is thriller, thriller night.

And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike.

You know it's thriller, thriller night.

You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight.

You hear the door slam and realize there's nowhere left to run.

You feel the cold hand and wonder if you'll ever see the sun.

You close your eyes and hope that this is just imagination.

But all the while you hear the creature... Continue reading "Thriller Night: A Song of Horror and Suspense" »

be was/were been          drink drank drunk

beat beat beaten            drive drove driven

become became become      eat ate eaten

bigin began begun           fall fell fallem

bend bent bent              feed fed  fed

bite bit bitten              feel felt felt

bet bet bet                     fight fought fought

bleed bled bled              find found found

blow blew blown            fly flew flown

break broke  broken    forget forgot forgotten

bring brought brought   forgive forgave forgiven

build built built            freeze froze frozen

burn burnt burnt            get got got

buy bought bought           give... Continue reading "Common English Irregular Verbs: Infinitive, Past, Participle" »

English Grammar and Sentence Structure Reference

Reported Speech

Statements: "Many customers have requested puppy's breath," he explained — He explained that many customers had requested puppy's breath.

Questions: "Can you create nasty smells?" they asked Fred — They asked Fred if he could create nasty smells. "What perfume are you buying today?" Laura asked me — Laura asked me what perfume I was buying that day.

Orders: "Turn on the aroma generator," the boss told her — Her boss told her to turn on the aroma generator. "Don't tell any one my secret formula," ordered Fred — Fred ordered me not to tell any one his secret formula.

Suggestions: "You should try our famous rain fragrance," suggested the shop assistant — The shop assistant... Continue reading "Mastering English Grammar Rules, Passive Voice and Connectors" »

Vocabulary

Adjectives and Prepositions

(Content to be added)

Phrasal Verbs

• Look out: Be careful (anar amb compte)
• Look for: Search
• Look after: Take care of (tenir cura de)
• Look up to: Admire (admirar)
• Look out: Be careful (anar amb compte)
• Look forward to: Anticipate with pleasure (esperar amb il·lusió)
• Work out: Exercise or solve a problem
• Catch on: Become popular or successful (posar-se de moda / tenir èxit)
• Go up: Increase
• Stay out: Remain outside
• Break into: Enter by force (introduir-se a)
• Look over: Review (revisar)
• Turn down: Reject or lower volume
• Put off: Postpone
• Give up: Quit or renounce (deixar / renunciar a)
• Take up: Start a new hobby or activity

Common Noun Suffixes

Appointment, appearance, conversation, curiosity, membership, waiter, darkness,... Continue reading "Comprehensive English Language Learning Notes" »

Meeting an Old Friend

Meeting an old friend:

• Her parents sold the house and moved to Florida.
• Collaborated with an organization that built new schools.
• They are good friends and they call each other occasionally.
• Not seriously, he's not ready for a commitment.
• When there aren't many people in the club.
• In spite of her parents' opposition.
• She'll spend most of the time in the city after a short visit to Florida.
• To help the children who suffered the impact of Hurricane Katrina.

Gourmet Garbage

Gourmet Garbage:

• Even though they are in brand new condition.
• He eats the food that he has in his refrigerator.
• A market where people donate things they no longer want.
• It is a way to fight the system.
• By using bicycles.
• Doesn't eat meat, eggs, or milk products.
• Are not

This comprehensive reference table lists common English irregular verbs, providing the Basque translation, the Infinitive, the Past Simple, and the Past Participle forms.

Irregular Verb Conjugation Reference

• Izan/Egon: be - was/were - been
• Irabazi: beat - beat - beaten
• Izatera iritsi: become - became - become
• Hasi: begin - began - begun
• Apustu egin: bet - bet - bet
• Puskatu: break - broke - broken
• Ekarri: bring - brought - brought
• Emititu: broadcast - broadcast - broadcast
• Eraiki: build - built - built
• Erosi: buy - bought - bought
• Hartu, harrapatu: catch - caught - caught
• Aukeratu: choose - chose - chosen
• Etorri: come - came - come
• Balio izan: cost - cost - cost
• Moztu: cut - cut - cut
• Egin (etxeko lanak): do - did - done
• Marraztu: draw - drew - drawn
• Edan: drink

Ben Jonson and Volpone

Ben Jonson (London, 1572–1637) was a prominent playwright whose work Volpone was first performed in 1606 at the Globe Theatre and at Oxford and Cambridge in 1607. It was published in quarto in 1607 and intended for both stage and page. In 1616, Jonson published his Complete Works (plays and poems) in a folio edition, which served as a precedent for Shakespeare’s First Folio edition in 1623.

Jonson used prefaces—unlike Shakespeare, who did not—to justify himself, as he was deeply concerned about his public image. He was a shrewd observer of Londoners, loved the classics (translating Horace’s Ars Poetica in 1605), and was familiar with Italian interpretations of Aristotle's Poetics. Jonson did not attend college;... Continue reading "Ben Jonson and William Shakespeare: Renaissance Drama Analysis" »

Sentence Transformation Practice (81-106)

81. Original: I advise you not to do that.

    Transformation: If I were you, I wouldn't do it.

82. Original: "Let's go out and buy something," he said.

    Transformation: He suggested going out and buying something.

83. Original: If you happen to see Mary, tell her I'll ring her later.

    Transformation: Should you see Mary, tell her I'll ring her later.

84. Original: Someone left the phone off the hook all night.

    Transformation: The phone was left off the hook all night.

85. Original: Nobody ever heard anything of David again.

    Transformation: Nothing was heard about David again.

86. Original: You usually eat this kind of fish with a white sauce.

    Transformation: This kind of fish is usually eaten with a white sauce.

87. Original: A painter is painting