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

Crimes and Criminal Acts Vocabulary

• blackmail – coercion by threat of revealing embarrassing information
• bribery – offering money or gifts to influence someone
• burglary – illegal entry into a building with intent to commit a crime
• drug dealing – selling or distributing illegal drugs
• fraud – deception for personal or financial gain
• hacking – gaining unauthorized access to computer systems
• hijacking – illegally seizing control of a vehicle, especially an aircraft
• kidnapping – abducting and holding someone captive
• mugging – a street robbery, often involving violence
• murder – the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another
• rape – non-consensual sexual penetration
• robbery – taking property from a person by force or threat
• smuggling

AUTHORIAL-RESPONSIBILITY El autor asume la verdad

Bare claim: (sin marca)

Lessening: may, might, could, probably, possibly

Explicit belief: I believe, in my opinion, we should say

(Smoking causes cancer, It may be difficult, I think it's true)

PERCEPTION Evidencia de los sentidos o inferencia lógica

Verb: seem, appear, Adj: clear, obvious, evident, Adv: clearly, obviously, apparently

(It appears broken, It is clear that...)

NORMALITY Algo habitual o esperable ej. Usually, generally, normally, typically, officially (Officially bought Twitter)

EXTERNAL-AUTHORITY Voz externa (persona, dato, organización)

Explicit: According to X, X states/argues, Generic: Scientists believe, Anonymous: reportedly, allegedly, Data: The data shows (According to Musk...,... Continue reading "Mastering Evidentiality and Authorial Stance in Academic Writing" »

Group Booking Decision Scenarios

Exam Case Study: Request received 9 months in advance (September for December) for only 20 guests.

• Decision: Deny (Reject).
• Reasons:
  1. Lead Time: Nine months is too early for such a small group.
  2. Displacement: Blocking space prevents booking larger groups (e.g., 100 guests).
  3. Opportunity Cost: It is better to wait for higher-value business ("something better will arrive").

"Last Minute" Case Study: Request received 2 weeks in advance for 20 guests.

• Decision: Accept.
• Why? Distressed inventory is better than an empty room, and there is no time left to book other large groups.

Corporate vs Association Events

Here is the theory explained point by point:

Corporate Events (Company Events)

• The Client: There is only one client, which

Essential English Language Skills & Vocabulary

Effective Communication Vocabulary

• Make contact / Get in touch: Ponerte en contacto
• Keep up to date: Mantenerse al día
• Speak fluently: Hablar fluidamente
• Use mainly slang: Usar expresiones características
• Become bilingual
• Have a strong accent
• Native speaker: Hablante nativo
• Mother tongue: Lengua madre
• Second language
• Discussion: Debate

Common Language Pitfalls & Similarities

False Friends

Words that look or sound similar in two languages but have different meanings.

• Advertise: (Not "advertir" - to warn)
• Argument: (Not "argumento" - a plot or summary)

Cognates

Words that have a common origin and similar meaning across languages.

• Dialogue: Dialogar
• Comment on: Comentar

English Idioms & Expressions

• She puts

Application for Marketing Assistant Position

Subject: Application for Marketing Assistant Position - Sofia Patel

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am writing to apply for the office clerk position at TechCorp Services. I discovered this opportunity and believe that my administrative training and strong organizational skills make me an excellent candidate for this role.

I have experience in document and file management, as well as handling telephone and email communications in office environments. I am skilled at keeping accurate records, responding to inquiries professionally, and supporting daily administrative operations. In addition, I work well in a team and quickly adapt to new procedures and tasks.

I am particularly motivated to join TechCorp Services... Continue reading "Professional Job Application and English Vocabulary List" »

English Connectors and Transition Words

Addition and Contrast

• And: Y
• In addition (to): Además (de)
• Furthermore(,): Además (,)
• Moreover: Además (,); lo que es más…
• What’s more: Además (,); lo que es más…
• Besides: Además
• Also: También (tras Sujeto)
• Too: También (final de frase)
• As well as…: Así como…
• But: Pero
• However: Sin embargo
• Nevertheless, : Sin embargo
• Yet: Sin embargo
• Still: Aún así
• Although: Aunque
• Even though: Aunque
• Even if: Incluso si…
• In spite of: A pesar de
• Despite: A pesar de

Comparison and Contrast

• On the one hand: Por un(a) lado/parte
• On the other hand: Por otro(a) lado/parte
• In contrast: Por el contrario…
• It can also be argued that…: También se puede decir que…
• While…: Mientras que…

Cause and Effect

• Because: Porque
• Because

Reported Speech Rules and Transformations

Affirmative Sentences

Structure: Sujeto + said that + sujeto + verbo pasado.

• Present simple (is) → Past simple (was)
• Present continuous (is doing) → Past continuous (was doing)
• Past simple (did) → Past perfect (had done)
• Present perfect (has done) → Past perfect (had done)
• Must leave → Had to leave
• Will go → Would go
• Can see → Could see
• May come → Might come

Negative Sentences

Structure: Sujeto + said that + sujeto + didn't / hadn't + verbo (tiempo).

"I didn’t see the trailer." → He said that he hadn’t seen the trailer.

Yes/No Questions

Structure: Sujeto + asked + if + sujeto + verbo (tiempo).

"Did you like the movie?" → She asked if I had liked the movie.

WH- Questions

Structure: Sujeto + asked... Continue reading "Master Reported Speech and Essential English Vocabulary" »

Music Sales Trends Analysis 2011-2018

The line graph illustrates the percentage of total music sales by method between 2011 and 2018.

First, CDs purchased started very high at 60% in 2011, but they experienced a sharp fall and decreased to a fifth (20%) in 2018. On the other hand, downloads started at 30% and rose to a peak of 45% in 2014, but then they fell gradually. Second, streams started at nearly 0% in 2011 and increased sharply to around 45% in 2018. To sum up, music sales habits changed significantly. While streams became the most popular method by the end of the period, physical CDs and downloads decreased dramatically.

Graph Description Templates

The line graph illustrates [Título de la gráfica] between [Año inicio] and [Año fin].... Continue reading "Music Sales Trends 2011-2018: Data and Vocabulary" »

Connectors of Addition

• And: y
• Secondly: En segundo lugar
• Then / Next: Después / Luego
• Also / Too: También
• As well as: Además de
• Moreover / Furthermore: Además / Es más
• In fact / As a matter of fact: De hecho
• Actually: En realidad / De hecho
• Anyway: En cualquier caso / De todas formas
• Besides: Además / Aparte
• By the way: A propósito / Por cierto
• In other words: En otras palabras
• That is to say: O sea / Es decir
• In addition: Además
• Such as: Como / Por ejemplo
• Like: Como / Por ejemplo
• Above all: Sobre todo
• Or rather: O / O mejor

Adversative Connectors

• But: Pero
• However: Sin embargo
• Nonetheless / Nevertheless: No obstante
• Yet / Even so: Sin embargo / Aun así
• Still: De todas maneras
• Instead: En lugar de
• Whereas / While: Mientras que
• On the contrary: Al contrario
• On

English Verb Tenses: Structure and Usage

Present Tenses Comparison

This section details the structure (Affirmative, Negative, Interrogative) and common time expressions for the main present tenses.

Present Simple

• Affirmative (A): Base form (e.g., play).
• Negative (N): don't play / doesn't play.
• Interrogative (I): Does he + Base Verb Form?
• Keywords: every day, on Sundays, always, often, never.

Present Continuous

• Affirmative (A): to be (am/is/are) + V-ing (e.g., are listening).
• Negative (N): aren't / isn't + V-ing.
• Interrogative (I): Are they + V-ing?
• Keywords: now, right now, at the moment.

Present Perfect Simple

• Structure: Use have or has + Past Participle (V3).
• Negative (N): haven't / hasn't + V3.
• Verb Forms:
  • If the verb is regular, use the -ed form.
  • If the