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

English Language Essentials: Grammar and Vocabulary

Core Vocabulary

Environmental and Modern Concepts

• Climate Change - cambio climático
• Cloning - clonar
• Flood - inundación
• Gas - gas
• Global Warming - calentamiento global
• GM Food (Genetically Modified Food) - comida genéticamente modificada
• Oil - petróleo
• Renewable Energy - energía renovable
• Solar Power - energía solar
• Wind Power - energía del viento

Verbs and Their Noun Forms

• Damage / Damage (noun) - dañar
• Demonstrate / Demonstration - demostrar
• Destroy / Destruction - destruir
• Develop / Development - explotar / desarrollar
• Improve / Improvement - mejorar
• Pollute / Pollution - poluir / contaminar
• Protect / Protection - proteger
• Recycle / Recycling - reciclar
• Survive / Survival - sobrevivir
• Waste (verb) / Waste

VOCABULARY: CITY LIFE

Slum (Barrio Bajo)

Urban street or district inhabited by very poor people.

Low-Income (De Bajos Ingresos)

Of or belonging to people who earn low wages.

Juvenile Delinquency (Delincuencia Juvenil)

Criminal acts or offenses by a young person.

Homeless (Sin Hogar)

Person who doesn't have a place to live and sleep.

Gangs (Pandillas)

An organized group of criminals.

Crime Rate (Tasa de Criminalidad)

Number of crimes that are committed during a period of time in a particular place.

Residential Area (Area Residencial)

Is a land used in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas.

Suburbs (Afuera)

An outlying district of a city, especially a residential one.

Commute (Viajar a Diario)

Travel some distance between one'... Continue reading "Vocabulary for City Life and Social Interaction" »

Essential English Language Reference

This document provides a concise reference for key English vocabulary and fundamental grammar rules, designed to enhance your language skills and aid in achieving fluency.

Core Vocabulary & Concepts

General Terms & Opposites

• Reclaim - reclamar
• Interaction - interacción
• Understatement - infravaloración
• Extracurricular - extraescolar
• Judgement - criterio, indecisión
• Weakness - debilidad, fuerza
• Apathy - indiferencia, iniciativa
• Dishonesty - deshonestidad, integridad
• Willingness - disposición, reticencia

Specialized Vocabulary Sections

Legal & Justice Terminology

• Kidnap - secuestrar
• Bribe - soborno
• Witness - testigo
• Culprit - criminal
• Suspect - sospechoso
• Trial - juicio
• Court - tribunal
• Judge - juez
• Statement - declaración
• Burgle

French-English Job Vocabulary

A

• Agent de voyage: Travel Agent
• Agent immobilier: Estate Agent
• Apprendre vite: Be a Fast Learner
• Arriver: Turn Up
• Assistant social: Social Worker
• A tout moment: At Any Time
• Avoir besoin de: Require
• Avoir de l'exp. en: Have Experience Of
• Avoir honte: Feel Ashamed
• Avoir l'idée de: Come Up With
• Avoir les compétences: Possess Skills
• Avoir une vue excellente: Have Excellent Eyesight

C

• Candidat approprié: Suitable Candidate
• Charpentier: Carpenter
• Chercher du travail: Look for a Job
• Commerce de détail: Retail
• Compétences personnelles: Personal Skills
• Comptable: Accountant
• Compter sur: Rely On
• Confus: Confused
• Courageux: Brave

D

• Dégoutant: Disgusting
• Dégouté: Disgusted
• Dég qqun de qqch: Put Somebody Off Something
• Démissionner: Resign From

The Writing Process Stages

1. Pre-writing

This is the planning phase of the writing process, when students brainstorm, research, gather, and outline ideas, often using diagrams for mapping out their thoughts. Audience and purpose should be considered at this point, and for older students, a working thesis statement needs to be started.

2. Drafting

Students create their initial composition by writing down all their ideas in an organized way to convey a particular idea or present an argument. Audience and purpose need to be finalized.

3. Revising

Students review, modify, and reorganize their work by rearranging, adding, or deleting content, and by making the tone, style, and content appropriate for the intended audience. The goal of this phase of the... Continue reading "Mastering the Writing Process Steps" »

Word Formation: Building Blocks of Language

Key Word Transformations

• Adapt / Adaptation
• Clone / Cloning
• Design / Designer
• Develop / Developer / Development
• Discover / Discoverer / Discovery
• Idea
• Inspiration / Inspire
• Invent / Invention / Inventor
• Observation / Observe / Observer
• Replace / Replacement
• Research / Researcher
• Revolution / Revolutionary / Revolutionize
• Test / Tester

Common Prefixes

• Anti-: Antibiotic, Anti-globalization, Anti-social, Anti-technology
• Bio-: Biotechnology, Bioterrorism
• Inter-: Interactive, Intergalactic, International
• Micro-: Microorganism, Microwave
• Mis-: Misunderstand
• Multi-: Multicolored, Multi-ethnic, Multinational, Multi-talented, Multi-purpose, Multi-story
• Over-: Overproduce, Overspend, Overeat
• Pro-: Pro-GM, Pro-democracy, Probiotic
• Re-

Conditional Sentences in English

• Zero Conditional: Present + Present
  • If you heat water, it boils.
• First Conditional: Present + Future
  • If we leave now, we will catch the bus.
• Second Conditional: Past Simple + Would + Base Verb
  • If you played well, you would win.
  • If you were on Venus, you would see the sun.
• Third Conditional: Past Perfect (Had + Past Participle) + Would Have + Past Participle
  • If I had seen you, I would have said hello.

Protecting Our Planet: Simple Steps for a Big Impact

We've heard it since we were young: the Earth is in trouble. Our planet's health is deteriorating. But how can one person make a difference? There are many ways to help, and many are tied to your daily life.

Everyday Actions for Environmental Care

• Shopping Bags: When you go

Should Flying Become More Expensive?

Drafting an argument requires clear structure. Here is an analysis of the proposition: “The government should make flying more expensive.” Do you agree?

At the moment, flying is relatively cheap, and many people choose to travel by air. However, in my opinion, flying should become more expensive.

Environmental Concerns and Flight Frequency

Firstly, flying damages the environment. I feel very strongly that we all need to fly less because planes cause so much pollution. Research has shown that people fly more when prices are low. For example, at the moment the average European takes five or six flights a year.

Funding Greener Transport Alternatives

Secondly, if the government increased the tax on air travel,... Continue reading "Increasing Air Travel Costs: Environmental and Economic Benefits" »