Essential English Language and Zodiac Reference

Dictionary and Language Basics

• Important Idiomatic Expressions: Used for pronunciation and identifying parts of speech.
• Phrasal Verbs: Some verbs change meaning when they are combined with specific particles.
• What is a Synonym? A word that has the same meaning as the entry.
• What is Phonemic Script? Used to pronounce a word, written between two diagonal lines.
• Where are Abbreviations? Found at the beginning of the dictionary.
• How to Find a Word? Use alphabetical order; words usually appear in bold.

American vs. British English

• Apartment / Flat
• Subway / Underground
• Pants / Trousers
• Sidewalk / Pavement
• Diaper / Nappy
• First floor / Ground floor (1st floor)
• Elevator / Lift
• Mail / Post
• Cookies / Biscuits (galletas)
• Fries / Chips (papas)
• Parking lot / Car park
• Trunk / Boot (maletera)
• Crazy / Mad
• Vacation / Holiday

Entertainment and Reviews

Face Value

Performers: Theater of the Deaf. Critics gave the play a good review.

Begin

Show a set of pictures and ask a question.

New Moon

A chick flick featuring werewolves. Edward's relationship isn't good for her health.

Opera Vindaloo

Various scenes from famous works, performed in a variety of different original ways. A critic noted: 'They sang like screaming cats.'

Present Perfect Tense

Formula: Subject + have/has + past participle (using since or for).

• Have: I, they, we, you (tú o ustedes).
• Has: He, she, it.
• For: Por.
• Since: Desde.
• Last week: Semana pasada.

Verb Examples:

• Be / Been
• Sell / Sold
• Release / Released
• Make / Made
• Perform / Performed

Zodiac Signs and Characteristics

• Aries: Action-oriented, full of fire and energy.
• Cancer: Water sign, quiet, secretive, and loyal.
• Libra: Sociable and very creative. Element: Air. Planet: Venus. Stone: Aquamarine.
• Sagittarius: Element: Fire. Planet: Jupiter. Stone: Garnet. Optimistic, loves adventure and travel.
• Aquarius: Element: Air. Planet: Saturn. Stone: Turquoise. Very friendly, good communicators, and detached.
• Pisces: Element: Water. Planet: Jupiter. Stone: Amethyst. Spiritual, artistic, and creative nature.
• Leo: Likes to be the center of attention; a great leader.
• Gemini: Element: Air. Planet: Mercury. Stone: Topaz. Curious, talkative, and fascinating.
• Virgo: Element: Earth. Planet: Mercury. Stone: Jasper. Determined and natural critics. Note: The last thing is highly effective.
• Scorpio: Element: Water. Planet: Mars. Stone: Black Opal. Detectives, extremely secretive.
• Capricorn: Element: Earth. Planet: Saturn. Stone: Topaz. Very ambitious.
• Taurus: Element: Earth. Planet: Venus. Stone: Sapphire. Dreamy, noble, and generous.

English-Spanish Vocabulary and Definitions

• Take off: Quitar
• Idiomatic expressions: Modismo
• Look for: Buscar
• Learner: Aprendiz
• Translator: Traducción
• Capital letter: Mayúscula
• Spelling: Ortografía
• Speech: Discurso
• Tool: Herramienta
• Meaning: Significado
• Initial letter
• Supporter: Seguidor
• Fulfill: Cumplir
• Cast: Elenco
• Target: Objetivo
• Release: Lanzamiento
• Wonder: Preguntar
• Developing: En desarrollo
• Review: Crítica
• Performers: Actores
• Hilarious: Gracioso
• Proof: Prueba
• Develop: Desarrollo
• Eager: Ansioso
• Motto: Lema
• Choices: Elecciones
• Werewolves: Hombres lobos