English Language Skills: Vocabulary, Grammar, and Writing Practice

Essential English Vocabulary

Sports & Competition Terms

• Athlete - Atleta
• Ban - Prohibir
• Beat - Vencer
• Championship - Campeonato
• Compete - Competición
• Disqualify - Descalificar
• Doping Offence - Delito de dopaje
• Foul - Falta
• Get Through - Superar / Pasar
• Opponent - Adversario
• Qualify - Clasificarse
• Round - Fase
• Runner-up - Subcampeón
• Sponsorship Deal - Contrato de patrocinio

Health & Fitness Vocabulary

• Balanced Diet - Dieta equilibrada
• Be Into - Ser aficionado a
• Body Mass - Índice de masa corporal
• Crash Diet - Dieta de choque
• Junk Food - Comida basura
• Nutrient - Nutriente
• Overdo It - Excederse
• Push Yourself - Esforzarse
• Sedentary Lifestyle - Estilo de vida sedentario
• Set a Goal - Establecer un objetivo
• Skip - Saltarse (e.g., a meal)
• Stay in Shape - Mantenerse en forma
• Strenuous - Vigoroso

Common English Phrasal Verbs

General Phrasal Verbs

• Call Off - Suspender
• Pull Out - Retirarse
• Throw Out - Retirar / Expulsar
• Turn Up - Aparecer

Fitness & Diet Phrasal Verbs

• Cut Out - Eliminar (e.g., from diet)
• Get Round To - Sacar tiempo para
• Put On - Ganar peso
• Stick To - Seguir con (e.g., a plan)
• Work Out - Hacer ejercicio

Essential "Take" and "Put" Phrases

• Take Advantage - Aprovechar
• Take Advice - Seguir un consejo
• Take Drugs - Tomar drogas
• Take For Granted - Dar por sentado
• Take It Easy - Tomárselo con calma
• Take Part In - Participar en
• Take Seriously - Tomar en serio
• Put At Risk - Poner en riesgo
• Put Out Your Mind - Quitarse de la cabeza
• Put Pressure On - Presionar a
• Put Your Arm Round - Abrazar / Poner el brazo alrededor
• Put Your Hand Up - Levantar la mano
• Put Your Mind To - Concentrarse en / Esforzarse en
• Put Yourself In Position - Ponerse en posición

Understanding the Passive Voice

The passive voice is formed using a form of the verb "to be" + the past participle of the main verb. Here are examples across different tenses:

• Present Simple: Active: Teach → Passive: Is Taught
• Present Continuous: Active: Is Teaching → Passive: Is Being Taught
• Present Perfect: Active: Have Taught → Passive: Have Been Taught
• Past Continuous: Active: Was Teaching → Passive: Was Being Taught
• Past Perfect: Active: Had Taught → Passive: Had Been Taught
• Future Simple: Active: Will Teach → Passive: Will Be Taught
• Future (Be Going To): Active: Be Going To Teach → Passive: Be Going To Be Taught
• Modals: Active: Can Teach → Passive: Can Be Taught

A Memorable Encounter: Meeting Johnny Depp

Last summer, I went to Marseille to visit my French penfriend, Isabelle. It was a great holiday. Isabelle showed me around the city, and we spent a lot of time at the beach too!

One day, after we had just finished a bit of window shopping, an incredible thing happened. We met Johnny Depp! I did not recognize him at first, as he was wearing dark sunglasses. Luckily, he took them off while he was walking past. Before I could say anything, Isabelle ran up to him and asked for his autograph! He was really friendly, and we even chatted for a few minutes.

Afterwards, I felt amazed and delighted, but a bit shocked too! Johnny Depp is my favorite actor, and meeting him was probably the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me. I will never forget it, and neither will Isabelle.