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

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

Essential English Phrases and Verbs

Expressions with "Get"

• Get the impression -> Tener la impresión de
• Get the wrong end of the stick -> Entender mal
• Get the chance -> Tener la oportunidad
• Get the joke -> Entender la broma
• Get to know -> Descubrir algo
• Get hold of -> Conseguir
• Get rid of -> Deshacerse de algo
• Get one's own back on -> Tomar revancha
• Get into trouble with -> Meterse en problemas
• Get out of the way -> Moverse al otro sitio / Quitarse del medio

Idioms with "Get"

• Get real -> Abre los ojos
• Get a life -> Haz algo útil con tu vida / Haz algo con tu vida
• Not getting anywhere -> No llegar a nada
• Gets on my nerves -> Me pone nervioso
• Get her act together -> Hacer las cosas como se debe
• Get on like a house

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" »

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

Honesty, Deception & Beliefs

• Be economical: ser económico
• Bluntly: francamente
• Deny: negar
• Fake: falso
• Fall for sth: caer en (algo, un engaño)
• Gossip: chismes / cotillear
• Hoax: engaño / bulo
• Make up: maquillarse / inventar
• Own up: confesar
• Pigs might fly: Cuando las ranas críen pelo / Ni de coña (expresión idiomática de imposibilidad)
• Pretend: fingir
• Tell tales: contar cuentos / chismorrear
• Two-time: engañar (a la pareja)
• White lie: mentira piadosa
• Back up: reforzar / apoyar / hacer copia de seguridad
• Cover up: ocultar / encubrir
• Point out: señalar / indicar
• Tamper with: manipular / alterar
• Agnostic: agnóstico
• Atheist: ateo
• Be convinced: estar convencido
• Believe in: creer en
• Condemn: condenar
• Condone: condonar / aprobar / pasar por alto (algo malo)
• Disapprove:

English Vocabulary Essentials

Crime and Justice Vocabulary

• arrest: arresto
• break the law: romper la ley
• commit a crime: cometer un crimen
• get away with (something): salirse con la suya
• get carried away: dejarse llevar
• give a sentence: dictar una sentencia
• go to court: ir al juzgado
• go to prison: ir a prisión
• pay a fine: pagar una multa
• punish: castigar
• spend time in prison: pasar tiempo en prisión
• treat fairly: tratar justamente

Key Nouns in Crime and Justice

• criminal: criminal
• judge: juez
• offender: delincuente
• victim: víctima
• witness: testigo

Noun Suffixes

Learn how to form nouns from verbs and other words:

• Assist → assistance
• Contaminate → contamination
• Discover → discovery
• Disturb → disturbance
• Enquire → enquiry
• Establish → establishment
• Examine →