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

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 →

Enhance your English proficiency with this curated list of key terms and their Spanish equivalents or definitions. Perfect for students and language learners looking to expand their vocabulary.

• Hereditary (hereditario)
• Sitting exams (hacer un examen)
• Surroundings (lugar y condiciones en el que alguien vive; entorno)
• Come up (aparecer, venir)
• Reinforcing (reforzar)
• Get through (superar, salir adelante)
• Proof (prueba)
• Leave out (dejar fuera)
• Passed on (pasar algo, transmitir)
• Pick up (recoger información)
• Convinced (convencido)
• Swot up on (empollar)
• Adhered to (tener alguna creencia religiosa; adherirse a)
• Work out (planear algo, resolver)
• Cerebral (cerebral)
• Lack (falta de)
• Accomplished (hábil, consumado)
• Flaw (error, defecto)
• Ignorant (ignorante)
• Brought up

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" »

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Short Adjectives (One Syllable)

Adjectives Ending in -y or -le

Longer Adjectives (Two or More Syllables)

Irregular Adjectives

As... As Comparisons

• My horse can run as fast as a car.
  Mi caballo puede correr tan rápido como un coche.
• He doesn't play

English Irregular Verbs and Conjugation

• Beat-beat-beaten: Golpear.
• Become-became-become: Convertir.
• Begin-began-begun: Empezar.
• Bring-brought-brought: Llevar.
• Build-built-built: Construir.
• Buy-bought-bought: Comprar.
• Catch-caught-caught: Coger.
• Choose-chose-chosen: Elegir.
• Draw-drew-drawn: Dibujar.
• Dream-dreamed/dreamt: Soñar.
• Drive-drove-driven: Conducir.
• Fall-fell-fallen: Caer.
• Feed-fed-fed: Alimentar.
• Find-found-found: Encontrar.
• Fly-flew-flown: Volar.
• Forget-forgot-forgotten: Olvidar.
• Forgive-forgave-forgiven: Perdonar.
• Get-got-got: Conseguir.
• Grow-grew-grown: Crecer.
• Hear-heard-heard: Escuchar.
• Hit-hit-hit: Golpear.
• Keep-kept-kept: Seguir/Mantener.
• Know-knew-known: Saber.
• Learn-learned/learnt: Aprender.
• Leave-left-left: Marcharse.
• Lend-lent-lent: Prestar.
• Lose-

Mastering English Tenses

Present Perfect

• Affirmative (A): Subject + Have/Has + Past Participle (3rd column/-ed)
• Negative (N): Subject + Haven't/Hasn't + Past Participle (3rd column/-ed)
• Interrogative (I): Have/Has + Subject + Past Participle (3rd column/-ed)

Uses:

• To talk about experiences over a period of time, contrasting the past and the present.
• To describe an event in the past without a definite time.
• To talk about achievements.
• To talk about multiple actions repeated at different times.

Past Perfect

• Affirmative (A): Subject + Had + Past Participle (3rd Column/-ed)
• Negative (N): Subject + Hadn't + Past Participle (3rd column/-ed)
• Interrogative (I): Had + Subject + Past Participle (3rd column/-ed)

Uses:

• To describe a past event which happened before another

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" »

Essential English Vocabulary and Grammar Review

Vocabulary Definitions

• Blow away: To move by the wind.
• Burn down: To destroy by fire.
• Come out: To appear in the sky.
• Hang out: To spend time with someone.
• Put out: To make something stop burning.
• Slip up: To make a mistake (terminar - *Correction: This usually means 'to make a mistake' or 'to fail slightly', not 'to finish'*).
• Pouring: Raining a lot.
• Power: Energy.
• Forecast: Report the weather.
• Lightning: Rayo (A flash of light in the sky).
• Flood: A large amount of water.
• Tornado: Dangerous wind.
• Rise: To increase.
• Flow: To move along without stopping.
• Mend: Repair.
• Create: Produce.
• Recycle.
• Customize: Change something to make it suitable.
• Design: Dibujar (To draw or plan).
• Stick: Pegamento (Glue) or to adhere.
• Decorate.