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

English Grammar Essentials: Tenses, Verbs & Vocabulary

Essential English Vocabulary: Body Parts

• Chest: pit
• Heart: cor
• Hip: maluc
• Kidney: ronyó
• Liver: fetge
• Lungs: pulmons
• Muscle: múscul
• Nail: ungla
• Neck: coll
• Nerves: nervis
• Shin: canyella
• Skin: pell
• Stomach: estómac
• Thigh: cuixa
• Throat: gola
• Tongue: llengua

Understanding the Present Perfect Tense

The Present Perfect tense is used to talk about actions that started in the past and continue into the present. It is often accompanied by expressions like since (desde "1999") and for (hace, desde "hace dos semanas").

Using "Ago" for Past Events

The word "ago" signifies a period of time in the past.

• Example: Richard finished university three years ago. (Richard terminó la universidad hace tres años.)

"Already"

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English Verb Tenses

Present Simple

• Positive (+): you work / he works
• Negative (-): you don't work / he doesn't work
• Interrogative (?): do you work / does he work

Usage:

• Routines, general facts, schedules, and programs.

Present Continuous

• Positive (+): you are singing / I am singing / he is singing
• Negative (-): you aren't singing / I'm not singing / he isn't singing
• Interrogative (?): are you singing / am I singing / is he singing

Usage:

• Actions happening at the moment of speaking.
• Plans for the near future.
• Actions occurring in a broader present.

Past Simple

• Positive (+): you finished (all forms)
• Negative (-): you didn't finish
• Interrogative (?): did you finish

Usage:

• Finished actions that occurred in the past.
• Descriptions of how things were in the past.

Past

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" »

Puerto Rico: Island Highlights

(Exercise Note: b a d a)

• Old San Juan: A historic district located at the "northwest triangle" of the islet of San Juan.
• El Yunque National Forest: A tropical rainforest in northeastern Puerto Rico.
• Coquí: The common name for several species of small frogs native to Puerto Rico.

Spanish Food and Meals

(Exercise Note: b d c a)

Common Meal Combinations

• Comen cereales con leche y huevo con pan. (They eat cereal with milk and eggs with bread.)
• Comen sándwiches de jamón y queso con fruta. (They eat ham and cheese sandwiches with fruit.)
• Comen pizza y hamburguesas. (They eat pizza and hamburgers.)

Essential Spanish Vocabulary

Question Words

• ¿Dónde? (Where?)
• ¿Qué? (What?)
• ¿Cómo? (How?)
• ¿Por qué? (Why?)

Common Verbs

• Beber (to

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" »