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

Indirect Questions (IF without Interrogation)

Direct: How many offices does your company have?

Indirect: Can you tell me how many offices your company has?

Direct: Who is the marketing manager?

Indirect: I'd like to know who the marketing manager is.

Direct: Where did you buy your laptop?

Indirect: Can you tell me where you bought your laptop?

Direct: Is there a conference room in the building?

Indirect: Can you tell me if there is a conference room in the building?

Direct: Does Peter come to his office in the afternoons?

Indirect: I'd like to know if Peter comes to his office in the afternoons.

Direct: Have you studied English before?

Indirect: Can you tell me if you have studied English before?

Direct: Why didn't John call me last night?

Indirect: Can... Continue reading "Mastering Indirect Questions, Time Expressions, and Passive Voice" »

Love Story: English Summary

The story is about a couple, Jennifer Cavilleri and Oliver Barrett. They meet at university and fall in love. Their romance continues, and they meet their parents. Oliver’s parents are rich, and Jennifer’s father is poor, but Oliver doesn’t mind. The couple wants to marry, but Oliver’s father doesn’t accept it, and they fight. Finally, they get married.

Three years later, they live together in a humble flat because Oliver’s father doesn’t give them money as before. They work hard; she is a teacher, and he is a lawyer. Then, they move to New York. They want to have children, but they can’t because Jenny is very sick. Finally, she dies when she is 24. Oliver is very sad and sees his father in the hospital.... Continue reading "Love Story: Plot Summary and Reader Review" »

Passive Voice

Tenses

• Present Simple: am/is/are + past participle
• Present Continuous: am/is/are + being + past participle
• Present Perfect: have/has + been + past participle
• Past Simple: was/were + past participle
• Past Continuous: was/were + being + past participle
• Past Perfect: had + been + past participle
• Future Simple: will + be + past participle
• Future Perfect: will + have + been + past participle

Conditionals

• Zero Conditional (Universal Truths): If + present, present
• First Conditional (Reality): If + present simple, will/can/must + infinitive
• Second Conditional (Unlikely): If + past simple, would/could/might + infinitive
• Third Conditional (Missed Opportunity): If + past perfect, would/could/might + have + past participle

Reported Speech

• Present Simple →

Essential English Vocabulary

Common Verbs and Phrases

Cram: To stuff something into a tight space.

Example: I tried to cram all my clothes into one suitcase, but it didn't work.

Figure out: To understand or solve something.

Example: I figured out that math problem.

Nurture: To care for and encourage the growth or development of someone or something.

Example: Parents need to nurture their children to help them become good people.

Pull yourself together: To regain control of your emotions.

Example: Stop crying and pull yourself together.

Rough and ready: Done quickly and without much care; basic.

Example: Today's homework is rough and ready.

Scheme: A plan or plot, often secret or dishonest.

Example: The officials schemed against the president.

Shift: To move... Continue reading "Essential English Vocabulary and Grammar Guide" »

Mastering Conditionals: As Long As, Even If, Unless

As Long As, Even If, Providing That, Unless:

• Unless: Substitutes the negative part of a sentence.
• Example: We'll be late IF we DON'T leave now // We'll be late UNLESS we leave now.
• Even if: Used to avoid negative verb forms.
• Example: The workers won't strike IF their wages are increased // The workers will strike EVEN IF their wages are increased.
• Providing that or as long as: Substitutes "but only if."

Understanding Conditionals

• First Conditional: (if + Present Simple) + (will + infinitive) /// (will + infinitive) + (if + Present Simple). Used to talk about possible or probable future events or to make promises.

Modal Verbs in First Conditional

Used for possibility: may/might

Used for permission: can

Used... Continue reading "Mastering English Conditionals, Gerunds, and Infinitives" »

Wanchun is the new fashionable social network. Released to the public just two months ago, it's already in the top three most used networks and applications.

Unlike other applications, Wanchun has tried to innovate by adding several functions that the rest do not have.

Although some say they could improve by reducing the application's size, as it takes up a lot of space, it's undoubtedly a highly recommended social network. If you like the ones you have, how could you not like Wanchun? It has the same improved functions and others that you haven't seen in any other app.

Joshua's Determination

Joshua looked at the board, where his teacher had posted the test results.

When he saw his grade, he was very worried as he didn't know if he could pass the... Continue reading "Wanchun: The New Social Network Taking the World by Storm" »

English Grammar Guide

Passive Voice

Forming the Passive Voice

The passive voice is formed using the verb "to be" in the appropriate tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

• Affirmative: subject + verb "to be" + past participle (e.g., The appointment was canceled by the doctor.)
• Negative: subject + verb "to be" + "not" + past participle (e.g., The appointment wasn't canceled by the patient.)
• Interrogative: verb "to be" + subject + past participle (e.g., Was the appointment canceled by the doctor?)

Changing Sentences to Passive Voice

1. Make the object of the active sentence the subject of the passive sentence.
2. Use the correct form of the verb "to be" based on the tense of the active sentence.
3. Change the main verb to its past participle form.

Present Simple - Past Simple (2 Columns)

Present Continuous - Past Continuous

She was, were writing

Past Simple and Present Perfect Simple

She wrote, she has written

Past Perfect Simple

She had written

Future Simple

Will write

Conditional

She would write

Time Expressions

This morning, afternoon, evening, week, month, year - That

Today - That day

Tonight - That night

Next week, month, year - That

Yesterday - The day before

Last summer, week, month, year - The ... before

Now - At the time

Tomorrow - The following day

Here - There

A week, month, year ago - The week, month, year before

Verb Patterns

Verb + That

Rebeca admitted, complained, explained, mentioned, pointed out, proved, recommended, said, stated, suggested that the subject should verb.

Verb + To + Infinitive

David... Continue reading "English Grammar and Vocabulary Guide: Tenses, Time Expressions, and More" »

English Verb Tenses

Past Simple

Form:

• Regular verbs: Base form + -ed (e.g., wanted)
• Irregular verbs: Consult an irregular verb list (e.g., went)
• Negative: Did not + base form (e.g., didn't want)

Uses:

• Completed actions in the past (e.g., last year, yesterday, in 1937)

Past Continuous

Form:

• Was/Were + present participle (-ing form) (e.g., was walking, were talking)

Uses:

• Actions in progress at a specific time in the past
• Often used with "when" (past simple for the interrupting action) and "while" (past continuous for the longer action)

Present Perfect

Form:

• Have/Has + past participle (e.g., have talked, has eaten)

Uses:

• Actions completed at an unspecified time in the past
• Actions that started in the past and continue to the present
• Often used with "never," "ever,

English Grammar Essentials

Verb Tenses

Present and Past Tenses

• Present Simple (Past Simple)
• Present Continuous (Past Continuous)
• Present Perfect (Past Perfect)
• Past Simple (Past Perfect)
• Past Continuous (Past Perfect Continuous)

Future Tenses and Modals

• Be Going To (Was/Were Going To)
• Will (Would)
• Would (Would)
• Can (Could)
• Could (Could)
• May (Might)
• Might (Might)
• Must (Had To)
• Mustn't (Mustn't)
• Should/Ought to (Should/Ought to)

Adverbs of Time

• Now (Then)
• Today (That Day)
• Tonight (That Night)
• Yesterday (The Previous Day)
• Tomorrow (The Next Day)
• Next Week (The Following Week)
• Last Week (The Previous Week)
• A Week Ago (The Week Before)
• This (That)
• These (Those)
• Here (There)

Reported Speech

Statements

Use verbs like "say" or "tell." Look for time shifts. Example: Simon said, "David... Continue reading "English Grammar: Tenses, Conditionals, and Passive Voice" »