English Grammar & Vocabulary: Core Concepts for Learners

Key English Words for Comparison & Time

Here are some essential English words with their Spanish equivalents, focusing on comparisons and temporal expressions:

• Like: Como algo (similar a algo)
• Alike: Similar
• As: En el rol de (en el papel de)
• Exactly: Exactamente
• Just: Solo (únicamente)
• Identical: Idéntico
• Already: Ya (antes de ahora)
• Still: Todavía
• Just: Justo ahora o Acabo de (recientemente o en este momento)
• Since: Desde (inicio de un período)
• For: Desde (duración de un período)
• Yet: Aún (se coloca al final de la oración)

Mastering the Present Perfect Tense

The Present Perfect tense is used to describe actions that happened at an unspecified time before now, or actions that started in the past and continue to the present. Here's a breakdown:

• Have/Has been: Han estado/sido
• Had been: Habían estado/sido (Note: This is the Past Perfect tense, included as per original content.)

Present Perfect Conjugation Rules:

• Have/Haven’t: Usado con I, You, We, They
• Has/Hasn’t: Usado con He, She, It

Forming Questions in Present Perfect:

• Estructura de pregunta: Have/Has + Sujeto + Participio Pasado...? (e.g., Have you been...? Has she seen...?)

Essential Personality Adjectives in English

Expand your vocabulary with these common adjectives used to describe personality traits, along with their Spanish translations:

• Ambitious: Ambicioso/a
• Amusing: Divertido/a
• Assertive: Asertivo/a, Positivo/a
• Awkward: Incómodo/a
• Confident: Seguro/a
• Creative: Creativo/a
• Easy-Going: Tranquilo/a, Confortable
• Entertaining: Entretenido/a
• Generous: Generoso/a
• Indecisive: Indeciso/a
• Likeable: Agradable, Simpático/a
• Nervous: Nervioso/a
• Outgoing: Extrovertido/a
• Quiet: Callado/a, Tranquilo/a
• Responsible: Responsable
• Risk-Taker: Arriesgado/a
• Rude: Maleducado/a
• Self-Confident: Seguro/a de sí mismo/a
• Self-Conscious: Inseguro/a, Cohibido/a
• Selfish: Egoísta
• Show-Off: Fanfarrón/a, Presumido/a
• Shy: Tímido/a
• Sociable: Sociable
• The life and soul of the party: El alma de la fiesta
• Thoughtless: Desconsiderado/a
• Unkind: Cruel, Desagradable

Understanding English Question Tags

Question tags are short questions at the end of statements. They are used to ask for confirmation or to encourage a reply. Here are some examples:

• She’s an artist, isn’t she?
• My mom isn’t home, is she?
• I don’t smoke, do I?
• You like ice, don’t you?