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

Sentence Structure

Sentence: is a word or word group that contains a subject and a verb that expresses a complete thought. Ex. Tony the outstanding baseball player on the team, is my brother.

Fragment: Is a word or word group that is capitalized and punctuated as a sentence but does not contain both a subject and a verb. Ex. Tony the outstanding baseball player on the team.

Complete Subject: Consists of the simple subject and any words that modify the simple subject. Ex. The flowers in the vase are wilted.

Complete Predicate: Consists of the verb and all the words that modify the verb and complete its meaning. Ex. She has pasted the notice.

Understood Subject: In a request or a command, the subject is usually not stated. In such sentences, you is... Continue reading "Understanding Sentence Structure: Definitions and Examples" »

English Adjectives and Product Descriptors

Enhance your English vocabulary with this list of common adjectives and product descriptors, complete with their Spanish translations. These terms are essential for describing objects, qualities, and features.

Attractive / Unattractive

Atractivo / No atractivo

Bacon-shaped

Con forma de tocino

Battery-operated

De pilas

Boot-shaped

Con forma de bota

Ceramic

Cerámica

Child-friendly

Apto para menores

Chocolate-shaped

Con forma de chocolate

Delicious

Delicioso

Disposable

Desechable

Dustproof

A prueba de polvo

Eco-friendly

Ecológico

Economical

Económico

Eye-catching

Llamativo

Funky

Original / Moderno

Giant-sized

Tamaño gigante / familiar

Glass

De cristal

Handy-sized

De tamaño práctico

Heart-shaped

Con forma de corazón

High quality

De alta

William Shakespeare: Literary Legacy and Macbeth's Tragedy

One of the most well-known English writers is William Shakespeare. Shakespeare is famous for both his plays and his poems. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, where he lived for many years. Later, he also lived in London. His plays first appeared in London theatres in the 1590s. Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth are some of Shakespeare's most popular plays.

The Enduring Influence of Shakespeare's Plays

Shakespeare's works continue to inspire various adaptations, including films, operas, novels, and comic books. One notable example is Macbeth, a powerful tragedy about a Scottish army general who commits regicide and other murders to become the King of Scotland. In this play,... Continue reading "Literary Classics and Cryptid Legends: Unveiling Famous Stories" »

Literary Devices and Rhetorical Terms

Alliteration

Definition: Repetition of the initial consonant sound.

Examples: Careless cutting cars; wonderfully whistling woods

Anaphora

Definition: Repetition of the first part of the sentence.

Examples: In every cry of every man, In every infant's cry of fear, In every voice, in every ban,

Allusion

Definition: Indirect reference to a person, event, or piece of literature; used to explain or clarify a complex problem.

Enumeration

Definition: Used for listing details or a process of mentioning words or phrases step by step.

Examples: They are going to recognize my eyes, my eyes, my hair, my teeth, my boobs, my nose.

Irony

Definition: The expression of ideas that are exactly opposite to the implied meaning.

Examples:

English Grammar Exercises

voca: ej1: 1. browsing 2. delivered. 3. exchanged 4. afford. EJ2c1. spreeing. 2.belt.3bugged.4.mouth EJ3. 1.recycled. 2.pollutant 3. incinerator. 4.compost EJ4: 1. manufactures 2. changing room. 3. by credit card. 4. till we drop. REA: 1.D 2.A 3.B EJ 2: 1. secure, 2. long-term. 5. plant-pots 6. sweat. GR EJ 1: 1.was arrested 2. was stolen 3.are checked 4. is lock EJ 2: be bought 2. were sold 3. he given 4. has been abandoned. EJ 3: 1. Mary has / gets her hair washed 2.Jonathan is having / getting a cake made. 3. you will hace your car stolen if yo leave it unlocked 4. i enjoy having/getting my gifts wrapped. EJ 4: 1 has your computer ever been accessed by a hacker? 2. I had my password stolen 3. Should i have /get my... Continue reading "English Grammar Exercises and Vocabulary" »

The Campisabalos Festival

I live in Campisabalos. The Campisabalos festival is from the 18th to the 19th of July. In my village's festival, my friends and my family, we all come together and celebrate it.

During the day, we play football with players from other villages close to mine. There are football championship winners. At night, music bands play, so we dance and have fun. We go to bed late. To finish, everybody eats together and says "bye-bye" to the festival until the next year. THE END.

An Invitation to Niko

Dear Niko, please come to Campisabalos. I live there. The Campisabalos festival is from the 18th to the 19th of July. In my village's festival, my friends and my family, we all come together and celebrate it.

During the day, we play... Continue reading "Life in Campisabalos: Festivals, Nature, and Modern Living" »

Our story begins with an unnamed narrator, who directly addresses the reader, insisting on his sanity despite a chilling confession: he has taken the life of an old man. He clarifies that his motive wasn't driven by passion or greed, but by an irrational fear of the man's pale, blue eye. He emphasizes his meticulous planning and execution, believing these actions demonstrate his sanity rather than madness.

Every night, the narrator would stealthily enter the old man's apartment, observing him as he slept. He would then retreat, maintaining a facade of normalcy during the day. After a week of this routine, he decides, seemingly on a whim, that the time has come to carry out his sinister plan.

On the eighth night, however, the old man awakens with... Continue reading "The Tell-Tale Heart: A Descent into Madness" »

Reported Speech

Verb Tense Changes in Reported Speech

• Present Simple becomes Past Simple
  • -s/-es changes to -ed or irregular verb form
• Present Continuous becomes Past Continuous
  • am/is/are + verb-ing changes to was/were + verb-ing
• Past Simple becomes Past Perfect
  • -ed or irregular verb form changes to had + past participle (3rd column)
• Present Perfect becomes Past Perfect
  • have/has + past participle changes to had + past participle
• Past Perfect remains Past Perfect
  • had + past participle remains had + past participle
• Present Perfect Continuous becomes Past Perfect Continuous
  • have/has + been + verb-ing changes to had + been + verb-ing
• Past Perfect Continuous remains Past Perfect Continuous
  • had + been + verb-ing remains had + been + verb-ing
• Future Simple

Common Idioms and Expressions

• White lie: mentira piadosa
• Pretending: fingir
• Bluntly: sin rodeos
• Economical with the truth: parte de la verdad para no herir
• Denies: no admitir / negar
• Own up: confesar
• Two-timing: engañar / segunda oportunidad
• Gossip: chismorreo
• Hoax: falsa alarma
• Makes up: inventar
• Fall for: creer algo que es mentira
• Pigs might fly: cuando los cerdos vuelen
• Telling tales: chivarse
• Fake: falso
• Masterminded: planear
• Set foot on: poner un pie en
• Fluttering: aleteo
• Breeze: brisa
• Nouveau: nuevos ricos
• Stepfather: padrastro

Phrasal Verbs and Meanings

• Cover up: cubrir
• Point out: señalar
• Tamper with: estropear / alterar
• Back up: apoyar / respaldar
• Frown on: no gustar / desaprobar
• Live off: depender de alguien
• Tip off: informar / dar un soplo
• Come out: publicar
• Blow