English Grammar & Vocabulary: Money, Time, Reported Speech

Essential Money Vocabulary

Income (Ingresos)

Money that you receive, usually from working.

Allowance (Prestación / Paga)

An amount of money you receive regularly to buy the things you need.

Savings (Ahorros)

Money that you have reserved so that you can use it later.

Live on (Vivir con lo suficiente)

To have a particular amount of money to buy the things that you need to live.

Repay the debt (Pagar la deuda)

To give someone money that you have borrowed from them.

Debit card (Tarjeta de débito)

A plastic card given by a bank that you use for paying for things (linked directly to your bank balance).

Donate (Donar / Donativo)

To give money or goods to an organization, especially a charity.

Small change (Monedas pequeñas de cambio)

Coins of low value.

Beg (Rogar / Pedir limosna)

Asking people for money or food, usually because you are very poor.

Wealthy (Rico / Adinerado)

Having a large amount of money, land, and other valuable things.

Fortune (Fortuna)

A very large amount of money.

Balance (Saldo)

The amount of money you currently have in your bank account.

Time Management and Scheduling Vocabulary

• Bad timing: Mal momento
• Buy (some) time: Ganar tiempo
• Deadline: Fecha límite
• Get down to: Ponerse manos a la obra (Start working seriously)
• Held up: Retrasado / Detenido (Delayed)
• On hold: En espera
• On schedule: Según lo previsto / A tiempo
• Overdue: Atrasado
• Put off: Posponer
• Queuing: Haciendo cola
• Rescheduled: Reprogramado
• The next day: El día siguiente

Mastering Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)

Reporting Questions

There are two main types of reported questions:

• Yes/No Questions: Use IF or WHETHER followed by the subject and the verb (in the shifted tense).
• Wh-Questions (where, how, what, etc.): Use the Question Word followed by the subject and the verb (in the shifted tense).

Reporting Statements and Commands

Statements typically use reporting verbs like said or told (+ object).

Reported Commands and Requests

Use the structure: Reporting Verb + (Object) + To + Infinitive (Positive) or Not to + Infinitive (Negative).

Tense Shifts (Backshift)

When reporting speech, the tense usually shifts back:

• Present Simple → Past Simple
• Past Simple → Past Perfect
• Present Continuous → Past Continuous
• Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous
• Present Perfect → Past Perfect
• Past Perfect → Past Perfect (No change)

Changes in Time, Place, and Demonstratives

Modal Verb Changes

• Will → Would
• Can → Could
• Must → Had to
• May → Might
• Shall/Should → Should (or Would)

Common Reporting Verbs

These verbs require specific structures:

• Agreed + to infinitive: Estar de acuerdo
• Claimed + to infinitive: Reclamar / Afirmar
• Ordered + person + to infinitive: Ordenar / Pedir
• Accused me of + -ing: Acusar
• Suggested + -ing: Sugerir
• Insisted on + -ing: Insistir