English Language Essentials: Tenses, Vocabulary, and Real-Life Scenarios

Marina's Dilemma: A Friendship Question

Hi Andreu! We’ve been on holiday here in England for a month. I have met this guy, Martin. He’s gorgeous, but last week I saw Martin with another girl. He says that she is his best friend, but I don’t know. I’m not sure how I feel about him. I need your advice! I met him at the cinema when we were watching a horror film. I’m very happy because when he isn’t with her friends, he’s flirting with me. I’ve been thinking about things a lot since then. What do you reckon? Help me, please! A kiss, Marina!

Essential English Vocabulary for Relationships

• split up with: separarse
• flirted with: flirtear con
• had an argument with: discutir con
• finish with: romper con
• met: conocer
• going out with: salir con
• getting married: casarse
• I've got a lot in common with: yo tengo mucho en común con
• fancy: me gusta
• introduced to (somebody) / introduced me to: presentar a alguien
• get on well with: llevarse bien con
• asked me out: pedir salir / cita
• interesting / fascinating: interesante / fascinante
• tiring / exhausting: que cansa / agotador
• funny / hilarious: divertido / graciosísimo
• good / brilliant: bueno / brillante
• good-looking / gorgeous: guapo / guapísimo
• frightening / terrifying: asustar / terrorífico
• bad / awful: malo / horrible
• memorable / unforgettable: memorable / inolvidable
• angry / furious: enfadado / furioso
• unpleasant / disgusting: desagradable / asqueroso

English Grammar Fundamentals

Understanding the Present Perfect Simple

• Structure: Subject + have/has + past participle (3rd column / -ed).
• Usage: Actions in the past that continue into the present or have a result in the present.
• Examples:
  • She has studied English for 3 months.
  • We haven’t seen that film yet.
  • Have you ever been to England? Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.

Adverbs of Time with Present Perfect

• Ever (alguna vez): Used in interrogative sentences. E.g., Have you ever visited...?
• Never (nunca): Used in affirmative sentences with a negative meaning. E.g., She has never played...
• Just (acabar de): E.g., We have just seen a...
• Still (aún): Used in negative sentences. E.g., It’s 10 and you still haven’t finished.
• Already (ya): E.g., He has already gone to the...
• Yet (aún): Used at the end of negative or interrogative sentences. E.g., Have you finished yet? / I haven't finished yet.

Using 'For' and 'Since'

• For (durante / desde hace): Used for a period of time. E.g., ten years, ages, a few minutes, a week.
• Since (desde): Used for a point in time. E.g., last Thursday, I was ten, 1998, the start of the lesson.

Mastering the Past Simple Tense

• Usage: Actions that have already finished in the past.
• Structure:
  • Affirmative: Subject + verb in past simple (-ed / 2nd column for irregular verbs).
  • Negative: Subject + didn't + infinitive. E.g., I didn't see you yesterday.
  • Interrogative: Did + Subject + infinitive? E.g., Did you go to...?

Grasping the Past Continuous Tense

• Structure:
  • Affirmative: Subject + was/were + verb-ing.
  • Negative: Subject + wasn't/weren't + verb-ing.
  • Interrogative: Was/Were + Subject + verb-ing?
• Usage: Acción que aún no se ha acabado, puede continuar.
• Example: Every day, I go to school by bus but today I am taking the train. (1st Present Simple, 2nd Present Continuous)

Using Quantifiers: Both and Neither

• Both of (ambos / los dos): Used in affirmative sentences.
  • Example: Sandra is flirting. David is flirting. → Both of them are flirting.
• Neither of (ninguno): Used with an affirmative verb to express a negative meaning.
  • Example: She isn’t going. He isn’t going. → Neither of them is going.