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

Past vs. Present: Using "There Was/Were"

Twelve years ago, there were several trees. There weren't stores in front of the clock. There were a lot of people around. There weren't uncomfortable wooden benches.

Let's compare the past and present using "There was" / "There wasn't":

• There was a cool view around the square.
• There wasn't any Play Queen Desserts store near the clock.
• There was a big amount of tea.

Rules for "There Was" / "There Were"

Positive Forms

• I/He/She/It: was
• You/We/They: were

Negative Forms

• I/He/She/It: wasn't (was not)
• You/We/They: weren't (were not)

Interrogative Forms

• Was (I/She/He/It)...?
• Were (You/We/They)...?

Short Answers

• Positive: Yes, I was. Yes, you were. Yes, he/she/it was. Yes, we were. Yes, they were.
• Negative: No, I wasn't. No,

Dominando Verbos Frasales Esenciales

Los verbos frasales son combinaciones de un verbo y una preposición o adverbio, que juntos adquieren un significado diferente al de sus palabras individuales. Aquí tienes una lista de verbos frasales comunes con su significado en español:

• Break up: Romper con alguien
• Fall out: Caerse (o discutir con alguien)
• Get on with: Llevarse bien con alguien
• Get over: Recuperarse de un bache o superar algo
• Get together: Reunirse
• Make up: Maquillarse (o reconciliarse)
• Stand up: Levantarse
• Take after: Parecerse (mentalmente o en personalidad)
• Dress up: Disfrazarse o vestirse elegantemente
• Pay for: Pagar por algo
• Put on: Ponerse (ropa, etc.)
• Take off: Quitarse (ropa, etc.)
• Try on: Probarse (ropa)
• Break into: Entrar a la fuerza
• Log

Vocabulary and Idiomatic Expressions

Migration and Society

• A spike in: Un pico de algo
• Cutting-edge technology: Tecnología avanzada
• Displace: Desplazar
• Emigrate: Emigrar
• Entrepreneurship: Espíritu emprendedor
• Fabric of society: Estructura de la sociedad
• Get out of control: Fuera de control
• Go-getter: Ambicioso
• Immigrate: Inmigrar
• Innovation: Innovación
• Melting pot: Crisol
• Migrate: Migrar
• Settle: Instalarse
• Trace your ancestry: Trazar tus ancestros
• Uproot: Arrancar

Family and Lifestyle

• Coordinate: Coordinar
• Distribute: Distribuir
• Eliminate: Eliminar
• Encounter: Tener un encuentro
• Extended family: Familia lejana
• Lifestyle choice: Elección de estilo de vida
• Preserve: Preservar
• Standard of living: Estándar de vida
• Threaten: Amenazar

Idioms and Phrases

• Get out of bed on

English Language Practice: Unit Exams with Solutions

Unit 1: Foundational English Concepts

I. Personal Information

1. A: What's your marital status?
   B: I’m single.
2. A: Hello, I'm Rosa.
   B: What's your name?
3. A: Nice to meet you.
   B: Nice to meet you, too.
4. My name is Catherine.
   Please call me Cathy.
5. A: What's your name?
   B: It’s Maria Contreras.

II. Greetings and Farewells

6. A: Hello, Carol.
   B: Hi, Robert. Good to see you.
7. A: Things are fine. And you?
   B: Pretty good.
8. A: Bye Carol, see you later.
   B: See you around.

III. The English Alphabet

9. A: Good morning, Miss Kate.
   B: Good morning, Mr. Smith. How are you today?
10. A: I’m very well, thank you.
    B: Quite all right, thank you.
11. VICTORIA (V-I-C-T-O-R-I-A)
12. SANTIAGO (S-A-N-T-I-A-G-O)
13. ADRIANA (A-D-R-I-A-N-A)
14. READ (R-E-A-D)

Complete List of English Irregular Verbs

Irregular Verbs: Part 1 (A–F)

• be – was/were – been → ser / estar

• become – became – become → convertirse / llegar a ser

• begin – began – begun → empezar / comenzar

• bite – bit – bitten → morder

• blow – blew – blown → soplar

• break – broke – broken → romper

• bring – brought – brought → traer

• build – built – built → construir

• buy – bought – bought → comprar

• can – could – been able (to) → poder / ser capaz

• catch – caught – caught → atrapar / coger

• choose – chose – chosen → elegir

• come – came – come → venir

• cost – cost – cost → costar

• cut – cut – cut → cortar

• do – did – done → hacer

• dive – dived/dove – dived → bucear

• draw –

The Eight Stages of the Selling Process

1. Prospecting

   Searching for potential customers.

   Sources:

   • Direct: Networking, current customers.
   • Indirect: Trade shows, unsolicited inquiries.
   • Random: Cold calls, advertising.

2. Pre-approach

   Sales planning steps.

   Preparation Includes:

   • Initial contact.
   • Information gathering.
   • Problem assessment.
   • Strategy selection.

3. Approach

   Opening the interaction and identifying needs or problems.

   First Impressions Matter:

   • Professional appearance.
   • Appropriate behavior.
   • Active listening.

4. Presentation and Demonstration

   Highlighting product benefits and convincing the customer.

   Risk Reduction Strategies:

   • Reference selling.
   • Demonstrations.
   • Guarantees.
   • Trial orders.

5. Negotiation

   Defining terms (price, credit, delivery, quantities).

   Guidelines:

   • Start high but

UNIT 5 Extension

Vocabulario

Exercise: 2

1. Punctuality        4. Timing

2. Arrival        5. Promptness

3. Apologetic        6. Being

Exercise: 3

1. On time        6. Time is up        11. Deadline

2. Ages        7. Come up

3. Fed up        8. Call off

4. Gone off        9. Short notice

5. Sharp        10. In stages

Exercise: 4

1. Pull that off        4. Just right

2. Slip up sometimes

3. Due until tomorrow        5. Time of my life

Gramática

Exercise: 2

1. Should have brought        4. Must have rained

2. Had better not tell        5. Could/Help

3. Could have been        6. May not have seen

Exercise: 3

1. May have        4. Has not

2. Should        5.

Story Adaptation Techniques

Structure

• 1. Introduction: Set the scene or context.
  • Generic phrases:
  • It was a [description] day, and I felt [emotion].
  • I had no idea what was about to happen.
  • The moment I stepped off the plane, I knew this was going to be a special journey.
• 2. Development: Introduce the main problem or surprising situation.
  • Change the context and the details based on the topic.
  • Example: If the story is about an elephant from Africa that loses a tusk on a plane:
  • As the plane took off, [character] felt a strange sensation in his tusk.
• 3. Conclusion: End with a resolution or reflection.
  • Generic phrases:
  • In the end, I realized [reflection].
  • That day taught me something I’ll never forget.
  • Now, looking back, I understand why it happened.

Example

Original:

Verb To Be: Present Simple

The verb "to be" is fundamental in English. Here's its present simple form:

Adverbs of Frequency

These words describe how often something happens:

• 0%: Never
• 20%: Rarely
• 50%: Sometimes
• 70%: Often
• 90%: Usually
• 100%: Always

Family Members

Here are some common family words in English and Spanish:

• Aunt - Tía
• Brother - Hermano
• Children - Niño (Note: "Children" is plural. The singular is "Child")
• Cousin - Primo/a
• Daughter - Hija
• Father

Resumen de la Novela Esperanza

La novela Esperanza trata de una mujer que vive en Guatemala. Su esposo, Alberto, tiene problemas con el gobierno y tiene que escapar a los Estados Unidos. Esperanza se queda en Guatemala con sus dos hijos. Un día, ella recibe una llamada de Alberto. Él dice que está en los Estados Unidos y está seguro. Esperanza decide salir de Guatemala porque no es seguro para ellos. Sus hijos tienen que quedarse con su madre por un tiempo y Esperanza viaja sola. El viaje es muy difícil y peligroso. Ella cruza México y tiene miedo muchas veces. Al final, ella llega a los Estados Unidos, pide asilo y se reúne con sus hijos. La historia muestra el amor de una madre y los desafíos de los inmigrantes.

English Summary: The