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

Essential English Vocabulary

• B2B: Business-to-business, large-scale business.
• Bid: An amount of money offered for something for sale (Oferta).
• Auction: Where people make higher bids (offers of money) for items (Subasta).
• Casualty: A person injured or killed in a serious accident or war (Víctima).
• Dilute: To make a liquid weaker by mixing in something else (Diluir).
• Cope: To deal successfully with a difficult situation (Enfrentar).
• Culprit: Someone who has done something wrong (Culpable).
• Junkie: Someone who cannot stop taking illegal drugs (Drogadicto).
• Meltdown: An extremely dangerous situation (Situación peligrosa).
• Senior-level: Superior level of action (Nivel superior).

1. Gerunds and Infinitives: "Play Soccer"

Finish the sentence with the correct... Continue reading "Essential English Vocabulary and Grammar Exercises" »

Thursday the 4th of August

was the last working day for Inspector Salahadin El Nur in the heat of Cairo. Leila will take over his place when he is in London for three weeks. Salahadin’s job is to stop people who want to take ancient things along to another country.

Saturday at 15:00

he arrived at a small hotel in Gower Street, nearby a British museum. A friend of Salahadin works in that museum, and Salahadin was going to help his friend during his vacation. He was walking when it was still raining. He arrived at a bookshop and he bought a card for Leila and a book about Queen Axtarte. He went to a snackbar and after that he went to the cinema. Back in the hotel he went to sleep when it was late.

The following morning at breakfast

he was called... Continue reading "Mystery of Queen Axtarte: Cairo Adventure" »

The Debate on Video Games and Adolescent Development

Many people think that video games have negative effects on adolescents and they should be limited. They say that video games are a distraction from their chores. However, others think they are necessary. The question is, should parents limit the time of play video games or ban it?

Positive Effects of Video Games

On the one hand, others believe that video games are essential in this time, as they help develop qualities such as improving English skills, playing in other languages, and increasing mental speed. Video games also act as a communication bridge with other countries and cultures, as well as a form of entertainment.

Negative Effects of Video Games

On the other hand, video games also have... Continue reading "The Debate on Video Games and Sexual Education" »

People Who Stay: My Best Friend

As years go by, many people leave, but not all, because there are many people who stay by your side year after year. These people could be friends or family. In my case, I would like to write about my best friend (BFF). Her name is D, and she is 18.

D's Profile and Personality

She was born in Me in 2001. She is tall and thin, and also a bit strong and fit because she does sports every single day. Personality-wise, she is intelligent, hard-working, nice, and friendly. However, she is a bit talkative.

Physical Appearance

Regarding her physical appearance, she has long, blonde hair. Even so, she hasn’t any freckles, and she wears glasses. She loves playing tennis and has been playing since she was 5.

Life Changes and

Mastering English Verb Forms: Gerunds and Infinitives

The Gerund (V-ing)

• As a Noun: Swimming is a good exercise.
• After Specific Verbs: Verbs like love, like, dislike, hate, enjoy, and prefer are often followed by the Gerund.
• After Phrasal Verbs and Expressions: Expressions such as look forward to, be/get used to, in addition to, and object to are followed by the Gerund.
• After Prepositions: Any preposition (e.g., about, at, after, before, behind) must be followed by the Gerund.

Verbs Followed Only by Gerunds (Examples)

Verbs like suggest and avoid require the Gerund (e.g., She suggested attending the meeting; Avoid walking alone.)

The Full Infinitive (To + V-inf)

• Purpose or Intention: Used to express purpose (e.g., I went to the store to buy milk.)
• After

MasterChef: The Iconic Cooking Competition

MasterChef is a world-renowned cooking program originally created by Franc Roddam in July 1990. In this competition, contestants must prepare various types of food to be evaluated by a panel of expert judges. The ultimate winner receives a significant cash prize.

Competition Format and Challenges

At the start of the season, we are introduced to the participants, their backgrounds, and their professional lives. Depending on the day, contestants are provided with specific ingredients and must create dishes using only those items. As the program progresses, viewers watch contestants cook under strict time constraints. If they fail to finish on time, they are disqualified. Once the time expires, the chefs... Continue reading "MasterChef History and the Benefits of Online Learning" »

Time Expressions and Verb Usage

You will have received an answer: by this time, at this time, while, at the moment, yet, in ages, soon.

Future Perfect and Continuous Tenses

By next summer, we: will have finished, will be visiting, are going to miss, will help, think, did you do, did they do, are you thinking about, have ever seen, didn't recognize.

Opinion and Present Perfect

What is his opinion of my: What does he think of my proposal?, She doesn't eat meat, She had never flown before, Sam was doing his homework when we arrived, I haven't completed my essay yet, Our team has never won before.

Alex Zanardi: Achievements and Actions

Alex Zanardi: has, finished, were, cheering, had completed, has been, last, didn't stop, participates, has won, will... Continue reading "English Grammar Exercises: Verb Tenses and Sentence Structure" »

My Summer Vacation Memories

My last vacation was longer, and I think I've learned to pass the time well. I enjoyed friends and family, and I met new people too, because I was in different places during the summer, and I wanted to meet people everywhere.

Adventures in Roses, Catalonia

The first place I visited was Roses, a town in Catalonia, because I was invited for a few days by a family member who has a house there. I went with my family, and we were there only five days, but it was long enough to want to return next summer.

We stayed on the beach for hours. In the morning, we just slept and slept so as to have energy for the rest of the days and nights. We danced, met people, and enjoyed walking near the beach while watching the moon in silence.... Continue reading "Summer Adventures: Catalonia, Disneyland, and Exchange Plans" »

Etymology

The origin of a word and the historical development of its meaning:

Example: ‘the etymology of the word ‘devil’’

Coinage

Coinage is the word formation process in which a new word is created either deliberately or accidentally.

Examples: Kleenex, Aspirin, Xerox

Borrowing

Process by which a word from one language is adapted for use in another.

Examples: croissant (French), yogurt (Turkish), piano (Italian)

Blending

Join two words together by taking parts of both words and combining them into a new whole.

Examples: Breakfast + lunch = brunch, Smoke + fog = smog, Motor + hotel = motel

Clipping

The process of cutting the beginning or the end of a word, or both, leaving a part to stand for the whole.

Examples: Prof (professor), Photo (photograph)... Continue reading "Word Formation Processes in English: A Comprehensive Guide" »