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

Common Spanish Phrases and Expressions

• Vivir separados - To live apart.
• Ponerse de moda - To become fashionable.
• A largo plazo - Long term.
• Llover a cántaros - To rain cats and dogs.
• Enfermo mental - Mentally ill.
• De milagro - By a miracle.
• Sino todo lo contrario - Quite the reverse.
• Seguir los pasos de - To follow the footsteps of.
• Alistarse en el ejército - To join the army.
• Poco después - Shortly afterwards.
• Una mosquita muerta - A wolf in sheep's clothing (not 'a candy ass').
• No cabe duda - There is no doubt.
• Así es la vida - This is the way of life.
• Querer es poder - Where there is a will, there is a way.
• Dar gracias a Dios - To thank one's lucky stars.
• Soportar - To put up with.
• Matar dos pájaros de un tiro - To kill two birds with one stone.
• Tranquilízate

English Grammar

Conditional Sentences

1. Zero Conditional: Present Simple – Present Simple.
2. First Conditional: Present – Future (will).
3. Second Conditional: Past Simple – would + infinitive.
4. Third Conditional: Past Perfect (had + past participle) – would have + past participle (ed or 3rd column).

Wish

• Wish + Past Perfect (regret).
• Wish + Past Simple (unhappy about).
• Wish + could + base form (future desire).

Causative (Have/Get)

• He paints his shoes – He has his shoes painted.
• I will be cutting my hair – I will be having my hair cut.
• He had been decorating his room – You had been having your room decorated.
• The prince is having his portrait painted (by the painter).

Passive Voice

• I have made a cake – A cake has been made (by me).
• I had made a cake

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Our social media marketing strategy for [Company Name] will leverage current industry best practices, including:... Continue reading "Social Media Marketing Proposal for [Company Name]" »

Grammar Transformations

1. The last time I spoke to her was before she had her baby.
2. This is the first time I have eaten Greek food.
3. My nephew has been playing tennis since 2010.
4. It’s ages since he saw her sister.
5. I haven’t gone swimming for three months.
6. This is the biggest supermarket I have ever seen.
7. When I was younger, my parents didn’t let me watch much television.
8. Paula was made to wash up before she could go out.
9. Why aren’t we allowed to go to the party?
10. You don’t need to hand in the homework until next week.
11. I think you had better see a doctor.
12. Do you know what we are supposed to do for homework?

Key Vocabulary and Phrases

Supermarket Vocabulary

1. Out of town
2. Corner
3. Brands
4. Own brand
5. Convenience
6. Range
7. Foodstuffs
8. Value
9. Aisles
10. Trolley
11. Counter
12. Checkout
13. Till
14. Cashier
15. Receipt

Sports

Modal Verbs: Usage and Meaning

Ability and Permission

• Can: Expresses ability in the present.
• Could: Expresses ability in the past.
• Be able to: Used for other tenses (e.g., future, perfect).
• Be allowed to: Indicates that permission is given.

Possibility and Deduction

• May, Might, Could: Express present or future possibility.
• May not, Might not: Express negative possibility.
• Can't: Used to state something is impossible.
• Must, Can't: Used for logical deductions.

Obligation and Necessity

• Must, Have to: Express obligation.
• Needn't, Don't have to: Express lack of obligation.
• Need: Primarily used in negative and interrogative sentences.
• Need to: Used in affirmative sentences to express a necessity.
• Ought to, Should, Shouldn't: Used for recommendations or advice.

Essential

Essential English Vocabulary

Remember: Always state the minutes and then the hour.

Example: It's twenty-five to five.

Modal Verbs

• Possibility
  • Can/Can't (to be able to/to know how to)
  • Could/Couldn't (was able to/could for formal requests)
• Advice
  • Should/Shouldn't (ought to)
  • Ought to (should)
• Obligation or Prohibition
  • Have to/Don't or Doesn't have to (must)
  • Must/Mustn't (to have

To wonder -> To ask yourself questions about

To get hold of -> To obtain something

To turn out -> To become or result in; to appear, to end up being

To do/go cold turkey -> The unpleasant symptoms caused by suddenly ceasing to take a drug to which one is addicted: stopping the drug may result in cold turkey.

To be dealt a bad hand -> To be very unlucky

To cope with a situation -> To manage a situation

To binge on something -> A period of excessive indulgence in an activity, especially drinking alcohol or eating:

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To feel entitled to something -> When you feel you deserve something...just because

Self esteem -> Confidence in yourself

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Peer pressure -> A feeling that... Continue reading "Common Idioms and Expressions with Definitions" »

Career Vocabulary

• apply for a job -> aplicar a un trabajo / solicitar un trabajo
• claim benefits -> reclamar beneficios
• do a course -> hacer un curso
• do a degree -> obtener un título universitario
• do an assignment -> hacer una tarea / hacer un encargo
• do business -> hacer negocios
• do your homework -> hacer los deberes
• drop out (of university) -> abandonar la universidad
• get a job -> conseguir un trabajo
• get fired -> ser despedido
• get good/bad grades -> obtener buenas/malas calificaciones
• get paid -> recibir el pago / ser pagado
• get promoted -> ser ascendido
• graduate from university -> graduarse de la universidad
• leave school -> dejar la escuela
• pass an exam -> pasar un examen
• pass with flying colours -> aprobar

Past Simple:

Cuando ha terminado la acción en el pasado.
Con -ed los regulares. (No pondrá con how long)
Regulares:
+ I stayed with friends.
- I didn't stay in a hotel.
? Did you stay for the weekend?
Yes, I did. - No, I didn't.

Present Perfect:

I have finished my homework. Have/has + verbo -ed
She has cleaned the kitchen. Have/has + verbo en irregular ej: has done
He hasn't done the washing up.
Has she turned off her phone? No, she hasn't.
Es la experiencia. Algo que paso en el pasado y sigue aún (no ha terminado). No importa cuando ocurrió. ''How long...''

Present Perfect + for or since:

Casi siempre adverbio de tiempo.
-For: periodo de tiempo (2 weeks, 10 years, a long time...)
ej: I have had this car for three months.
-Since: Comienza un periodo... Continue reading "English Grammar Review" »

Using 'Wish' in English

• Present Wishes: Use 'wish' + Past Simple to talk about present situations you'd like to be different.
• Using 'Could' with 'Wish': Use 'wish' + 'could' to express desire for a different ability or possibility in the present.
• Past Regrets: Use 'wish' + Past Perfect (had + participle) to talk about things you regret from the past.
• Complaints/Annoyance (Present): Use 'wish' / 'if only' + subject + 'would' + infinitive (not 'I' or 'we') to complain about a present situation or someone's behaviour.
• Future Wishes: Use 'wish' / 'if only' + subject + 'would' + infinitive (often about changing someone's behavior or a future event).
• Expressing Regret: Use 'regret' + -ing form for past actions you wish you hadn't done.

It's Time & Would