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

Oscar Wilde's Biography

Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin on 16 October 1854. His mother, Jane, was a successful poet and journalist, and his father was a leading ear and eye surgeon. He was educated in Portora Royal School in Dublin and Magdalene College, Oxford. While at Magdalene, he won the 1878 Prize for his poem 'Ravenna'. After graduating, he moved to London to establish a literary career. He married Constance Lloyd in 1884, and they had two sons. Wilde's marriage ended in 1893, and he began an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas, which led to his downfall. He died in 1900.

Lord Arthur Savile's Crime

The story begins at a party where a palmist predicts that Lord Arthur is destined to commit murder. Arthur attempts to fulfill this prophecy but... Continue reading "Oscar Wilde: Life, Love, and Literary Career" »

Irregular English Verbs: Conjugation Reference

This list provides the base form, past simple, and past participle of common irregular English verbs, along with their Spanish translations.

Verb Conjugation Table

• Be (was/were, been) – Ser, estar
• Beat (beat, beaten) – Golpear, derrotar
• Become (became, become) – Llegar a ser
• Bear (bore, borne) – Lidiar con
• Begin (began, begun) – Comenzar
• Bend (bent, bent) – Doblar
• Bet (bet, bet) – Apostar
• Bite (bit, bitten) – Morder
• Bleed (bled, bled) – Sangrar
• Blow (blew, blown) – Soplar
• Break (broke, broken) – Romper
• Broadcast (broadcast, broadcast) – Transmitir
• Bring (brought, brought) – Traer
• Build (built, built) – Construir
• Burst (burst, burst) – Reventar
• Buy (bought, bought) – Comprar
• Catch (

Common Verbs in Present and Past Tense

• 1. Brush my teeth: Brushed
• 2. Chat by WhatsApp: Chatted
• 3. Check emails: Checked
• 4. Clean: Cleaned
• 5. Cook dinner/lunch: Cooked
• 6. Do laundry: Did
• 7. Do the dishes: Did
• 8. Drive: Drove
• 9. Get up: Got up
• 10. Go to bed: Went to bed
• 11. Have: Had
• 12. Have breakfast: Had breakfast
• 13. Have dinner: Had dinner
• 14. Have lunch: Had lunch
• 15. Pay attention: Paid attention
• 16. Read: Read
• 17. Share with friends and family: Shared
• 18. Sleep: Slept
• 19. Study: Studied
• 20. Take a bus: Took a bus
• 21. Take a nap: Took a nap
• 22. Take a shower: Took a shower
• 23. Take a taxi: Took a taxi
• 24. Tidy up: Tidied up
• 25. Watch movies: Watched
• 26. Watch Netflix: Watched
• 27. Watch series: Watched
• 28. Watch TV: Watched
• 29. Work: Worked
• 30. Write: Wrote
• 31. Come:

Techniques in Handling People

1. Don’t criticize, condemn or complain.
2. Give honest and sincere appreciation.
3. Arouse in the other person an eager want.

Six ways to make people like you

1. Become genuinely interested in other people.
2. Smile.
3. Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5. Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.
6. Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.

Win people to your way of thinking

1. The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
2. Show respect for the other person’s opinions. Never say, “You’re wrong.”
3. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
4. Begin in a friendly way.

Defining and Non-Defining Relative Clauses

Types of Sentences with Relative Pronouns

1. Defining Clauses

   These clauses provide essential information and cannot be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. For example: "Ximon is one of the students who got sick."

   In defining clauses, the relative pronoun can be omitted if it is the object of the verb (not the subject).

2. Non-Defining Clauses

   These clauses provide extra information and can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. For example: "Ximon, who got sick, is a good student."

Relative Pronouns and Prepositions

1. Informal Style

   The relative pronoun comes before the preposition. For example: "The person who I spoke to..."

2. Formal Style

   The preposition comes before the relative

Analyzing Alex's Emotional Turmoil

Q2: The writer evokes an emotional response to the storm by using the past participle verb, 'tangled.' This verb carries connotations of entrapment and immobility caused by the storm. The reader witnesses Alex’s physical and emotional turmoil. The storm's impact on Alex highlights its power and dominance.

Alex's Internal Conflict

Q3: The text centers on Alex Cold, revealing him from two perspectives. Initially, he's alone, waking from a nightmare where his mother is taken by 'an enormous black bird.' Later, the focus shifts to Alex with his family at breakfast. His sharp response to his sister's comment, 'Momma's going to die,' connects the two scenes. The fear from the nightmare manifests in his breakfast... Continue reading "Analyzing Alex's Emotional Turmoil and Literary Techniques" »

Informal Vocabulary and Formal Equivalents

This section lists common informal phrases and their definitions or formal equivalents:

• Fall out with somebody: Perder el contacto con alguien (To argue and stop being friends).
• Be up for: To feel well enough to do something.
• Have some people around: To invite people to visit you.
• In ages: For a long time.
• Mad: Angry.
• Boss: Employer.
• Now and again: Sometimes.
• To drop in: To spend a short visit.
• A mean (food or drink): A really good one.
• Catch up with: To go as fast (as someone else).
• Cheer up: To become happier.
• Fed up with: Exasperated.
• Tired: Weary.
• Here and there: In various places.
• Actually: In fact.
• Anyway: In any case.
• To discuss: To argue with somebody about something.
• To say sorry: To apologize for something.

Common Irregular Verbs: English and Spanish

Verb Conjugation

This is a list of common irregular verbs in English with their Spanish translations. Each verb includes the infinitive, past simple, past participle, and translation.

• Awake - Awoke - Awoken - Despertarse
• Be - Was / Were - Been - Ser / Estar
• Beat - Beat - Beaten - Golpear
• Become - Became - Become - Llegar a Ser
• Begin - Began - Begun - Empezar
• Break - Broke - Broken - Romper
• Bring - Brought - Brought - Llevar
• Build - Built - Built - Construir
• Burn - Burnt - Burnt - Quemar
• Buy - Bought - Bought - Comprar
• Catch - Caught - Caught - Coger
• Come - Came - Come - Venir
• Cost - Cost - Cost - Costar
• Cut - Cut - Cut - Cortar
• Choose - Chose - Chosen - Elegir
• Do - Did - Done - Hacer
• Draw - Drew - Drawn - Dibujar
• Dream

Vocabulary

1 - Match the words in A to the definitions in B.

1. Isolated 3 a. full of people or things

2. Lively 4 b. not safe

3. Crowded 1 c. far from any town or city

4. Dangerous 5 d. not interesting

5. Boring 6 e. natural, untouched by people

6. Unspoiled 2 f. full of action

7. Foreign 7 g. from another country

2 - Complete the sentences with the words below:

package holiday – guided tour – traveller`s cheques – seat belt – boarding card – scenery – guidebook – departure time

1. If you don't know which cities to visit, look in the... guidebook.

2. Always wear a …seat belt when we wanted to learn about the local history.

3. We took a ..guided tour because we wanted to learn about the local history.

4. You can't get on the airplane without... Continue reading "Enhance Your English: Vocabulary and Grammar Exercises" »

Mastering English Prepositions

• We don't go to school on Sundays.
• Wait for me at the bus stop.
• We arrive in Winchester at exactly 6 o'clock.
• Come at 10 on Sunday morning.
• I bought this hat for fifty pence.
• He hasn't been here since Monday.
• Our cat was bitten by a dog.
• My home is in London, but I was born in Lyton, a small village in Devonshire.
• Put your books on the table.
• You may write in pencil.
• There's no bus; we'll have to go on foot.
• We went to the seaside by car.
• Get on the bus here, and get off at the third stop.
• Many planes fly over the Atlantic nowadays.
• We've been waiting for over an hour.
• I'll call on you at a more convenient time.
• Hold it carefully between your thumb and first finger.
• I couldn't hear what they were talking about.
• A girl with blue eyes