Essential English Phrasal Verbs, False Friends and Grammar

Essential Phrasal Verbs

• Cool down: refrescar
• Cover something up: ocultar
• Crack down (on): tomar medidas contra
• Cut down (on): utilizar o consumir menos
• Cut something out / Do away with something: eliminar
• Die out: desaparecer
• Drop somebody/something off: dejar
• Drop out: dejar o abandonar
• Fall for somebody: enamorarse de
• Fall for something: tragarse algo
• Fall out (with somebody): enfadarse
• Fill something in: rellenar
• Fit in (with somebody): encajar
• Fork out (for something): soltar o desembolsar
• Frown on somebody/thing: mirar mal
• Get across to somebody: transmitir
• Get something across: hacer entender
• Get away with something: escapar sin castigo
• Get back together: volver a salir juntos
• Get by: arreglárselas
• Get in: entrar en un coche

Common False Friends

• Discussion: debate (no discusión/argument)
• Disgust: asco (no disgusto/upset)
• Dispose of: desechar (no disponer de/have available)
• Diversion: desvío (no diversión/entertainment)
• Educated: culto (no educado/polite)
• Education: enseñanza (no educación/upbringing)
• Embarrassed: avergonzado (no embarazo/pregnancy)
• Eventually: al final (no eventualmente/possibly)
• Exhibition: exposición (no exhibición/show or display)
• Exit: salida (no éxito/success)
• Fabric: tejido (no fábrica/factory)
• Familiar: conocido (no familiar/family)
• Firm: empresa (no firmar/signature)
• Idiom: expresión idiomática (no idioma/language)

Vocabulary: Verb + Preposition

• Concentrate on: concentrarse en
• Cope with: soportar
• Hear about: oír hablar de
• Hear of: oír lo de
• Rely on: confiar en
• Succeed in: lograr
• Think about: opinar de
• Think of: pensar en

Adjective + Preposition

• Keen on: aficionado a
• Sceptical about: escéptico sobre
• Obsessed with: obsesionado con
• Fussy about: quisquilloso
• Grateful to somebody for something: agradecido a alguien por algo
• Brilliant at: genial en
• Responsible for: responsable de
• Concerned about: preocupado por
• Different from: diferente de
• Suitable for: adecuado para

Common Expressions

• Black and white: blanco y negro
• Play devil's advocate: hacer abogado del diablo
• Point of view: punto de vista
• See eye to eye: coincidir
• Sit on the fence: ver los toros desde la barrera

Verb Tense Transformations

1. Present Simple (I watch) → Past Simple (He watched)
2. Present Continuous (I'm watching) → Past Continuous (Was watching)
3. Am/Is/Are going to → Was/Were going to
4. Past Simple (Watched) → Past Perfect (He had watched)
5. Present Perfect (Have watched) → Past Perfect (Had watched)
6. Past Perfect (Had watched) → Past Perfect (Had watched)

Time Expressions (Reported Speech)

• Now: then
• Today: that day
• This: that
• Yesterday: the day before
• Last week: the week before
• Ago: earlier
• Tomorrow: the next day
• These: those