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

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 –

Common English Connectors and Their Meanings

Improve your writing and speaking flow by using these essential English connectors. This list includes their Spanish translations to help you understand their context and usage.

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.

Present Simple

Afirmativa: Subject + Verb (-(e)s)

Negativa: Subject + do/does not + Verb

Pregunta: Do/Does + Subject + Verb?

Time expressions: Every (day, morning, week...), in the morning / afternoon / evening, on Sundays / Mondays..., always / often / usually, once / twice a week, timetables (at 3 o'clock...).

Present Continuous

Afirmativa: Subject + am/is/are + Verb-ing

Negativa: Subject + am/is/are not + Verb-ing

Pregunta: Am/Is/Are + Subject + Verb-ing?

Time expressions: Now, right now, at the moment, at present, still, today / tonight, Look! / Listen!

Past Simple

Afirmativa: Subject + Verb (Past form / V2)

Negativa: Subject + did not + Verb

Pregunta: Did + Subject + Verb?

Time expressions: Last (day, week, year...), yesterday, the other day, ... ago,... Continue reading "English Verb Tenses and Conditionals Summary" »

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

Relative Pronouns

who, which, when, that (no comma / defining relative), where, whom, whose, why, what (the things that — what she needs)

Reported Speech: Tense Changes

He said that:

• Present Simple: "he takes" → reported: he said he took.
• Past Simple: "he took" → reported: he said he had taken.
• Present Continuous: "he is taking" → reported: he said he was taking.
• Past Continuous: "he was taking" → reported: he said he had been taking.
• Present Perfect / Present Perfect Continuous: "he has taken" / "he has been taking" → reported: he said he had taken / had been taking.
• Past Perfect: "he had taken" → reported: no change (remains had taken).
• Future with will: "he will take" → reported: he said he would take.

Questions

Yes/No questions: Ana... Continue reading "Reported Speech Rules and Common English Vocabulary" »

Argumentative Essay Templates

Lately, this has not only been a popular topic, but it has also led some collectives to voice criticism of the mainstream attitude. It should be a crucial target for society, the state, the government, the administration, and educational establishments due to reliable sources. I firmly believe that this is a serious problem for us and our society.

Key Arguments and Evidence

• Firstly: It has been widely proven that...
• Evidence: An experiment that took place in [place] [number] years/months ago showed that... Indeed, if the experiment had not taken place, these shocking results would not have been brought to light.

On the whole, it is clear to me that... Furthermore, [x] ought to take action to fix this as soon as possible.... Continue reading "Effective Essay Writing Templates for Academic Success" »