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

This list presents common irregular English verbs along with their principal parts (base form, past simple, past participle) and their Spanish meanings.

• Learn: learn, learnt/learned, learnt/learned (aprender)
• Shoot: shoot, shot, shot (disparar)
• Leave: leave, left, left (dejar, irse, salir)
• Show: show, showed, shown (mostrar)
• Lend: lend, lent, lent (prestar)
• Shut: shut, shut, shut (cerrar)
• Lie: lie, lay, lain (permitir, dejar)
• Sing: sing, sang, sung (cantar)
• Lie: lie, lied, lied (mentir)
• Sink: sink, sank, sunk (hundirse)
• Light: light, lit, lit (encender)
• Sit: sit, sat, sat (sentarse)
• Lose: lose, lost, lost (perder)
• Sleep: sleep, slept, slept (dormir)
• Make: make, made, made (hacer, fabricar)
• Smell: smell, smelt/smelled, smelt/smelled (oler)
• Mean: mean, meant,

The Life of William Shakespeare, English Playwright

William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, in England. He was the third of eight children, the son of John Shakespeare, a merchant, and his wife, Mary Arden.

Early Life and Education

William attended primary school in his town. However, he did not finish school or attend university because his father's business was not prosperous, forcing William to become a butcher's apprentice to help support his family.

Marriage and Move to London

In 1582, he married Anne Hathaway, the daughter of a farmer. They had a daughter named Susanna and a pair of twins. Shakespeare left for London in 1588, marking the beginning of his illustrious career as a writer, actor, and poet.

He first gained recognition as... Continue reading "The Life and Literary Legacy of William Shakespeare" »

Irregular Verb List

Be was / were been ser

Beat beat beaten colpejar

Become became become arribar a ser

Begin began begun començar

Bet bet/betted bet/betted apostar

Bite bit bitten morder

Break broke broken romper

Bring brought brought traer

Build built built construir

Buy bought bought comprar

Catch caught caught atrapar

Choose chose chosen elegir

Come came come venir

Cost cost cost costar

Cut cut cut

Do did done hacer

Draw drew drawn dibujar

Dream dreamt dreamt somiar

Drink drank drunk beber

Drive drove driven conduir

Eat ate eaten comer

Fall fell fallen caer

Feed fed fed alimentar

Feel felt felt sentir

Fight fought fought pelear

Find found found trobar

Fly flew flown volar

Forget forgot forgotten olvidar

Forgive forgave forgiven perdonar

Get got got rebre

Give gave given... Continue reading "Irregular Verb List: Master English Verb Conjugation" »

Airport

The place you go when you want to travel by plane to another city

Bakery

You can buy fresh bread and cakes here

Bank

You deposit or withdraw/take out your money here. You can cash a cheque

Bookstore

A place where you can buy books and magazines

Bus Station

The place you go when you want to travel by bus to another city

Butcher's

They sell fresh meat

Café

You can buy a cup of coffee and cakes or sandwiches

Church

A religious place of worship

Court

The place where they have trials and law cases. A judge works here

Craft Market

A place that sells typical products of a region/country

Department Store

A large store that sells clothes, household appliances, etc. in sections

Cinema/Movies

You can see the latest movies here. Many people eat popcorn while they're... Continue reading "Essential Places in a City: From Airports to Zoos" »

English Verb Tenses: Active vs. Passive

Present Simple

• Active: cleans
• Passive: is cleaned

Present Continuous

• Active: is writing
• Passive: is being written

Simple Past

• Active: repaired
• Passive: was repaired

Past Continuous

• Active: was helping
• Passive: was being helped

Present Perfect

• Active: have visited
• Passive: has been visited

Present Perfect Continuous

• Active: have been doing
• Passive: has been being done

Past Perfect

• Active: had repaired
• Passive: had been repaired

Past Perfect Continuous

• Active: had been preparing
• Passive: had been being prepared

Simple Future (Will)

• Active: will finish
• Passive: will be finished

Simple Future (Be Going To)

• Active: is going to make
• Passive: is going to be made

Future Continuous (Will)

• Active: will be washing
• Passive: will be being washed

Future

A Letter of Disappointment

Regarding "Young People Are Lazy and Impolite"

Dear Editor,

I was disappointed to read your article on the 9th of February, "Young People Are Lazy and Impolite". I'm tired of reading false stories that all young people are uncaring, lazy, or impolite when this is not true.

I am a person who studies and works at the same time. I also care about my family and friends. I consider myself a responsible girl. Moreover, in my free time, I like to have fun and go out with my friends.

Furthermore, all of my friends study or work, and they are concerned about their future.

In summary, not all young people are lazy and rude. What's happening is that people classify all young people without knowing them personally.

Yours faithfully,... Continue reading "Letters to the Editor: A Compilation" »

The Deadly Scrabble Match

A Hot Sunday Afternoon

This story details a couple playing Scrabble in their home on a hot Sunday afternoon. The husband, who harbors deep hatred for his wife, uses the game for a different, malicious purpose.

The Game Begins

The husband has a bad habit of chewing on the tiles. He starts chewing the letter 'U'.

• The husband plays the word BEGIN.
• The wife plays JINXED.

He plays the word WARMER, approaching the window.

• The wife plays SWEATIER.

The husband is getting sweatier; he needs water. He plays HUMID (with the 'U' he chewed).

• The woman plays FAN. She rises to fill the kettle and turn on the air conditioning.

The husband plays ZAPS, and the wife receives an electric shock.

• The woman plays READY.
• He plays CHEATING.
• But she chooses

Key English Grammar and Vocabulary Topics

Generic Pronouns

Pronouns used to refer to people in general:

• You: Refers to people in general.
• One: A formal way to refer to people in general.
• We: A general reference that includes the reader or listener.
• They: Refers to other people in general or people in authority.
• They/Their/Them: Used to refer to a single person who may be male or female, as an alternative to he/she.

Narrative Tenses

Tenses used for storytelling:

• Simple Past: e.g., -ed, was, went.
• Past Continuous: e.g., was/were + -ing.
• Past Perfect: e.g., had gone, had saved, had given.
• Past Perfect Continuous: e.g., had been walking, had been waiting.

Expressing Past Habits

• Used to + Infinitive: For past actions and states that are no longer true.
• Would +

Samuel Johnson: A Literary Luminary

Early Life and Education

Samuel Johnson was born in Staffordshire on September 18, 1709. His father was a bookseller. Johnson attended Lichfield Grammar School and briefly studied at Oxford University, but financial constraints forced him to leave.

Literary Career

Unable to secure teaching work, Johnson embarked on a writing career. In 1737, he moved to London and struggled to support himself through journalism, covering a wide range of topics. Gradually, he gained literary recognition.

'Dictionary of the English Language'

In 1747, a group of printers commissioned Johnson to compile his monumental 'Dictionary of the English Language'. Published in 1755, it became the most significant dictionary of its time, with... Continue reading "Samuel Johnson: Literary Giant and Author of 'Rasselas'" »

Unit 1 Vocabulary

• Mood: humor
• Tough: dur
• Approach: enfocament
• All the rage: full rabia
• Remain: romandre
• Accurate: exactitud
• Firm: empresa
• Trigger: desencadenar

• Mouth-watering: feraigua
• Scent: olor
• Weird: extrany
• Nasty: feo
• Purchase: adquirir
• Take advantage of: agafar avantage

• Started out: començar
• Start over: tornar
• Startup: muntar
• Set off: provocar
• Setback: endererir
• Brings back: recordar
• Bring along: emportar

• Bitter: =
• Tasty: sabroso
• Bright: luminos
• Pale: palit
• Pleasant: agradable
• Disgusting: disgust
• Faint: debil
• Deafening: ensortidor
• Smooth: blando
• Rough: rocos

• Odour: pudor
• Savoury: amgust adj
• Stink: pudor
• Flavour: amgust nom
• Rhythm: ritme
• Whisper: shui-shui
• Stare: mirar fijament
• Patter: patro
• Stroke: trazo

Unit 2 Vocabulary

• Referee: arbit
• Overheard: sobreescuchado
• Flee: huir
• Buried: