English Language Essentials for Spanish Speakers

Essential English Vocabulary

• Arranged marriage: Matrimonio concertado
• Be in tears / Be close to tears / Burst into tears: Estar llorando / A punto de llorar / Romper a llorar
• Bare: Vacío
• Beat: Latir
• Bland: Soso
• Boom: En auge
• Cattle: Ganado
• Council: Ayuntamiento
• Cheer: Aplaudir / Vitorear
• Cope: Afrontar
• Costume: Vestuario
• Crop: Cultivo / Cosecha
• Deserted: Vacío
• Deserve: Merecer
• Filling: Saciante
• Fool: Engañar, tomar el pelo
• Grate: Rallar
• Halfway (through/up/down): A la mitad de
• Harvest: Cultivar
• Head (for/towards): Dirigirse a/hacia
• Host: Anfitrión
• Inherit: Heredar
• Juicy: Jugoso
• Lighting: Iluminación
• Moving: Conmovedor
• Outstanding: Excepcional
• Out of place: Fuera de lugar
• Overdressed: Demasiado elegante
• Overrated: Sobrevalorado
• Posh: Elegante / De moda
• Raise: Criar animales
• Regret (for): Arrepentirse
• Remove: Quitar
• Slice: Rebanar
• Spit: Escupir
• Starving (starve to death): Hambriento (morir de hambre)
• Steam: Al vapor
• Stick: Mantenerse firme en algo
• Stuffed (adj) / Stuff (verb) / Stuffing (noun): Relleno
• Supply: Suministro
• Surface: Superficie
• Upwards: Por encima de
• Wonder: Sorprendente

Common English Idioms

• Turn a blind eye: Hacerse el loco
• Cost an arm and a leg: Ser muy caro
• Be back on your feet: Recuperarse después de enfermedad o dificultad
• Give a hand: Ayudar a alguien
• Put your feet up: Relajarse
• Catch someone’s eye: Llamar la atención de alguien
• Can’t take your eyes off someone: No dejar de mirar a alguien
• Behind someone’s back: Hacer algo a espaldas de alguien
• Pull a face: Hacer una mueca
• Pull someone’s leg: Tomar el pelo a alguien
• Get out of hand: Salirse de control
• Keep an eye on: Vigilar
• Look out over: Tener vistas/paisaje de
• Get away with: Salirse con la suya
• Get hold of: Apoderarse de algo

English Prepositions in Context

• They’ve got a new installation by a French artist.
• It’s a French film, with subtitles in English.
• It’s an exhibition of early Picasso drawings.
• We waited in a queue for hours.
• There’s been a huge boom in exports.
• He burst into tears when he heard the news.
• They sold out of tickets very quickly.
• I was in tears at the end of the film.
• Some people are starving to death.
• He can’t cope with his heavy workload.
• He ordered two portions of chips.
• They inherited the house from an aunt.
• Fresh fruit is packed with vitamins.
• It’s difficult to stick to a diet.

Useful English Collocations

• Get away with (something)
• Feel out of place
• Be sold out
• Leave halfway through the film
• Jump the queue
• Integrate into a new country
• Remove the painting from the wall
• Steam the vegetables over a pan of water
• Stuff the chicken with herbs
• Slice the tomatoes with a sharp knife
• Grate the cheese over the top of the pie
• Mash the potatoes
• Slice the bread on a flat surface

Grammar Focus: Future in the Past

• Would + infinitive (for actions):
  • Example: She said she would call me later. (Ella dijo que me llamaría más tarde.)
• Was/Were going to + infinitive (for plans, intentions):
  • Example: I was going to visit my grandmother, but... (Iba a visitar a mi abuela, pero...)