English Vocabulary & Grammar Notes for Basque Speakers

English Vocabulary & Grammar Notes

Vocabulary List (English - Basque)

• Affluent: dirudun
• Amount: kopuru
• Ban: debekatu
• Belly: tripa
• Break down: negar egin, matxuratu
• Break up: zatikatu
• Bring up: hezi
• Burglar: lapurra
• Cut down: murriztu
• Debris: hondakinak
• Device: gailua
• Devote: eskaini
• Facilities: instalazioak
• Flee: ihes egin
• Fleet: flota
• Fool: engainatu
• Harmful: kaltegarri
• Ingest: irentsi
• Inhabit: bizi izan
• Lack: falta izan, gabezia
• Launch: jaurti
• Lean on: gainean jarri
• Logging: baso-ustiapena
• Making their way: aurrera egin
• Make waves: arazoak sortu
• Nightmare: ametsgaiztoa
• Remind of: gogorarazi
• Turn out: suertatu
• Making a mountain out of a molehill: (Idiom)
• Tip of the iceberg: (Idiom)
• Warehouse: biltegia
• Vanished into thin air: desagertu
• Raise the issue: gaia atera

Modal Verbs Explained

Basic Modals

• Ability: can, could, be able to
• Impossibility/Certainty (Negative): can't, cannot be (e.g., "It can't be true.")
• Possibility: might, may, could (e.g., "It might rain.")
• Formal Request: may, could, would (e.g., "Could you help me?")
• Obligation/Necessity: must, have to, need to (e.g., "You must finish this.")
• Strong Recommendation/Logical Deduction: must (e.g., "He must be tired.")
• Advice/Recommendation: should, ought to (behar luke)
• Future Obligation (Formal): shall (behar dute/dute)

Modal Perfects

• Deduction about the past: must have + past participle (izan behar du...)
• Possibility in the past: might have / may have + past participle (izan dezake / agian izan zen)
• Past ability/possibility not realized: could have + past participle (egin zezakeen baina ez zuen egin)
• Impossibility in the past: couldn't have + past participle (ezinezkoa gertatzea)
• Past willingness/result not realized: would have + past participle (egin nahiko zukeen baina ez zen egin)
• Past regret/criticism/unfulfilled expectation: should have / ought to have + past participle (egin behar zuen baina ez zuen egin; kexa)
• Lack of necessity in the past (but action was done): needn't have + past participle (egin beharrik ez zuen)

Other Modal Structures

• Strong Advice: had better + infinitive (e.g., "You had better leave now.")
• Strong Advice (Negative): had better not + infinitive (e.g., "You had better not be late.")
• Past Expectation/Obligation (Example): You should have had... (izan beharko zenuke)
• Past Deduction (Example): He must have had... (izan behar zuen)

Passive Voice Construction

Basic Passive

Structure: Subject + be (conjugated) + past participle (3rd column)

Special Passive Structures

• It + be + past participle + that-clause (e.g., "It is said that he is very rich.")
• Subject + be + past participle + to + infinitive (e.g., "Street View is said to be an invasion of privacy.")

Causative Structure (Have/Get Something Done)

Structure: Subject + have/get + object + past participle

Used when someone else performs an action for the subject.

• Example: "He wants to have his picture removed."
• Example: "I'm getting my house painted." (Common usage: "I'm going to have my hair cut.")

Useful Connectors

Cause Connectors

• because, since, as (+ clause)
• because of, due to (+ noun/gerund)

Result Connectors

• so + adjective/adverb + that...
• such + (a/an) + noun + that...
• so much/many + noun + that...
• therefore, consequently, that's why

Purpose Connectors

• in order to + infinitive
• so as to + infinitive
• so that + clause

Writing Skills

Formal Letter Structure

1. Your Address
2. Date
3. Recipient's Address
4. Salutation: Dear Sir or Madam, (if name unknown) or Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname],
5. Body Paragraphs:
   • State purpose: e.g., "I am writing to express my concern regarding the..."
   • Develop points: Use sequencing words like Firstly, Secondly, Thirdly...
   • Make requests/suggestions: e.g., "I strongly urge you to think about..."
6. Closing: I look forward to your reply.
7. Sign-off: Yours faithfully, (if started with Dear Sir or Madam) or Yours sincerely, (if started with name)
8. Your Typed Name

Opinion Essay Structure

1. Introduction: Introduce the topic (e.g., "Over the past years, the topic of... has become increasingly important.") and state your opinion clearly.
2. Body Paragraphs: Present arguments supporting your opinion, each in a separate paragraph with topic sentences and supporting details/examples. You might also include a paragraph addressing counter-arguments.
3. Conclusion: Summarize your main points and restate your opinion in different words (e.g., "To conclude,...").